Today in Baseball History: September 14th

 

 

1994 On September 14, 1994, major league owners vote, 26-2, to cancel the remainder of the season in light of the continuing strike by players. As a result, the World Series will not be played for the first time since 1904.

1990 On September 14, 1990, Ken Griffey, Jr. and Ken Griffey, Sr. become the first father-and-son combination to hit back-to-back home runs. The Griffeys go deep against California Angels pitcher Kirk McCaskill in the first inning…

1978 On September 14, 1978, Jim Bouton of the Atlanta Braves earns his first win in eight seasons. The knuckleballing Bouton, who had retired after the 1970 season, defeats the San Francisco Giants, 4-1. Bouton, who gained fame for penning the controversial book, Ball Four, will never win another game.

1971 On September 14, 1971, Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves becomes the National League's all-time leader in RBIs. Aaron drives in all of the Braves' runs in a 5-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds. With 1,953 RBIs in his career, Aaron moves past Hall of Famer Stan Musial for the RBI lead…

1968 On September 14, 1968, Denny McLain of the Detroit Tigers wins his 30th game of the season, defeating the Oakland A's, 5-4. McLain becomes the first major leaguer to win 30 games in a season since Dizzy Dean in 1934.

1951 On September 14, 1951, Bob Nieman of the St. Louis Browns becomes the first and only major leaguer to hit home runs in his first two major league at-bats. Nieman connects against Maurice McDermott of the Boston Red Sox, who manage to win the game, 9-6…

1948 On September 14, 1948, in the midst of a pennant race, the Boston Post publishes a four-line poem by Gerry Hern calling on pitchers Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain to bear the pitching burden, resting on off days and - if luck is with the Braves - when it rains. The rhyme is shortened by Braves fans to "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain."

1869 On September 14, 1869, Kid Nichols was born in Madison, Wisconsin. Relying almost exclusively on his powerful fastball, Nichols won 20 games in a season 11 times, earning 360 victories in his Hall of Fame career that lasted from 1890-1906.