Happy ’80s Birthday to former Blue Jays and Indians 1B Willie Upshaw, who was once the all-time home run leader among players whose last name begins with the letter U.
He’s since been passed by Chase Utley and Dan Uggla.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Jim Eppard, who won four minor league batting titles and spent parts of four seasons with the Angels
Happy ’80s Birthday to Ray Hayward, who spent parts of thee seasons in the big leagues with the Padres and Rangers and now is a coach at Texas Tech.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Brian Giles, who spent parts of six season in the big leagues and hit two dingers, including a slam against the Blue Jays on May 7, 1990.
Happy ’80s Birthday to former umpire Greg Kosc, who worked games in the bug leagues from 1976 through 1999.
4/27/84
The Astros release J.R. Richard, bringing to an end the career of a guy who looked like a lock to be a Hall of Famer.
4/26/83
The Mariners are struggling. They’ve lost eight of their last nine and have scored just six runs in their last five games. Fortunately, Bill Caudill knows just what to do. Together with fellow reliever Mike Stanton, Caudill collects 15 of his teammates bats, burns them, and scatters the ashes in the Seattle dugout. The Mariners win the game 7-6.
4/27/80
The A’s and Twins combine for 42 hits and 31 runs at Metropolitan Stadium.
Minnesota sends 15 men to the plate in a 10-run 1st inning and wins 20-11. Geoff Zahn starts the game for the Twins, takes a 15-3 lead into the 4th and gets a no-decision.
4/27/81
Fernando Valenzuela throws his fourth shutout in five starts when he beats the Giants, 5-0.
At this point in his career, Fernando has allowed one earned run in 62.2 big league innings.
4/27/82
In his return to Yankee Stadium, Reggie Jackson, takes Ron Guidry upper tank for his first home run as an Angel.
Yankee fans respond by chanting “Steinbrenner Sucks” as Reggie rounds the bases. George was not happy.
4/27/83
Nolan Ryan passes Walter Johnson to become the all-time strikeout king. He was far from through.
Andy Benes struck out an even 2,000 batters over the course of his 14 year career.
Nolan Ryan struck out 2,006 AFTER he broke the all-time strikeout record.
4/27/86
A wild one at Three Rivers as the Pirates beat the Phillies 13-6.
Pittsburgh bangs out 8 doubles in the game, including two from pitcher Bob Walk, who also got a save, and the Phillies commit five errors.
4/27/88
Mike Schmidt‘s single breaks up Nolan Ryan’s no-hitter with one out in the ninth at the Astrodome.
The Phillies tie the score at 2-2 in the 8th, but Houston wins 3-2 in ten innings.
4/27/89
The Red Sox put 21 men on base but only one of them scores in a 3-1 loss to the White Sox in 16 innings. Ozzie Guillen’s triple in the top of the 16th inning plates the go-ahead run.
Boston hits into 6 double plays in the game.
We lost Brad (The Animal) Lesley OTD in 2013.
Brad was a first-round pick of the Reds in 1978 and pitched in the big leagues from 1982 through 1985 before becoming a cult figure in Japanese Baseball.
He also appeared in the movie Little Big League.
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