Big Happy ’80s Birthday to Sparky Lyle, who won the Cy Young Award in 1977 and was the co-author of The Bronx Zoo, a book that made quite an impression on me when I was a kid. That book opened up a whole other world to me, including teaching me a few new words.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Cliff Johnson, who spent 15 years in the big leagues mashing baseballs.
He held the record for pinch-hit homers for many years before being passed by Matt Stairs in 2010.
Happy ’80s Birthday to the underrated & underappreciated Dave Stieb.
From 1982 through 1990, Stieb averaged 15 wins and 235 IP per season.
Scott Sanderson was born OTD in 1956.
Sanderson won 163 games over 19 seasons in the big leagues, primarily for the Expos and Cubs. He passed away in 2019.
7/22/88
The Pirates trade Darnell Coles to the Mariners for Glenn Wilson.
Wilson spends nearly one full season in Pittsburgh before being dealt to Houston for Billy Hatcher.
7/22/89
The Yankees trade Mike Pagliarulo and Don Schulze to the Padres for a PTBNL and Walt Terrell. San Diego sends Freddie Toliver to New York to complete the trade.
July 22, 1983
The Kansas City Royals signed Melido Perez as an amateur free agent.
He makes his debut in 1987 and wins 78 games over nine big league seasons.
7/22/80
Bob Horner hits 2 homers in a 7 – 5 win over the Expos, giving him 15 homers in his last 23 games.
From June 29th through Game One of a July 25th doubleheader, Horner hits .374 with 16 homers and 33 RBI in 25 games.
7/22/83
Brian Downing commits an error for the first time in 244 games.
From 1980 through 1984, he plays nearly 500 games in the field and commits a total of two errors.
7/22/86
Nolan Ryan allows one hit over 9 1/3 innings and strikes out 14 Expos. Houston wins the game 1-0 on a Glenn Davis solo homer in the bottom of the 10th inning.
7/22/86
Ken Griffey hits three solo home runs but the Phillies still beat the Braves 5 – 4, in 11 innings.
7/22/86
Keith Hernandez starts an amazing 3-5-4 double play in the Baseball Cathedral known as Riverfront Stadium.
7/21/87
Harold Baines passes Beltin Bill Melton to become the leading home run hitter in White Sox history (155) when he takes Mike Boddicker deep in the third inning of a 10-5 loss to Baltimore.
He’d finish with 221 homers in a White Sox uni and has since been passed by Paul Konerko and Frank Thomas.
7/22/89
Bench & Yaz are inducted into the Hall of Fame, along with Red Schoendienst and umpire Al Barlick.
7/22/88
The Yankees release Jose Cruz and the career of one of the most underrated hitters of his era is over.
From 1976 through 1986, Cruz hits .297 with 118 homers and 278 stolen bases. He finishes with 2,251 hits.
7/22/86
Eric Davis vs. Ray Knight
We lost Bob Sebra OTD in 2020.
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