Happy ’80s Birthday to Keith Miller, who spent nine seasons in the big leagues with the Mets and Royals.
Happy ’80s Birthday Darrel Akerfelds, who spent five seasons in the big leagues with four teams.
Dutch Rennert was born OTD in 1930 and umped in the big leagues from 1972 through 1992.
He passed away in 2018.
Rennert was one of many umpires in the ’80s that Mark Grant had down perfectly.
6/12/80
The California Angels trade Todd Cruz to the White Sox for Randy Scarbery.
6/12/81
The Chicago Cubs trade Rick Reuschel to the Yankees for a PTBNL, Doug Bird, and cash.
Reuschel went 4-4 with the Yankees and was diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff in 1982 and was released a year later. But Dude bounced back, played through 1991, and won another 81 games in the big leagues.
6/12/87
The Dodgers sign Danny Heep as a free agent.
He spends two years in L.A. before signing with Boston.
6/12/80
Charlie Lea allows just one run over eight innings in his big league debut and gets the win over the Padres.
Dude was clutch for the Expos that year and he spoke French!
6/12/83
Joel Skinner, the first-ever free-agent compensation pick, goes 0 for 1 as a pinch-hitter in the first game of a doubleheader in his debut for the White Sox.
He goes 2 for 4 in the nightcap.
6/12/83
Mike Warren gives up two in an inning and a third against the White Sox to get the loss in his big league debut for Oakland.
He made up for it by no-hitting Chicago in his final start of the season.
6/12/85
Rick Aguilera throws two scoreless innings and gets the win in his big league debut.
He finishes the season with ten wins.
6/12/86
The Blue Jays are hosting the Tigers at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto in a dense fog and Kelly Gruber takes advantage. With two on in the bottom of the 7th inning, Gruber lifts a fly ball that gets lost in the fog and bounces in right center field.
By the time the Orioles retrieve the ball and get it in, Gruber has a three-run inside-the-park homer. He entered the game with an 0-for-26 string but goes 2-for-3.
Home plate umpire Dave Phillips then suspends the game and it is eventually called.
6/12/80
The Hit Man goes 4 for 4 and hits for the cycle in a 10-6 Pirates win over the Reds.
6/12/81
Thirteen games are cancelled due to the players’ strike.
The situation wouldn’t be resolved until August because the owners were idiots
6/12/83
Tom Tellman gets a vulture win after Mike Caldwell scatters 11 hits over 11 innings against the Yankees.
Caldwell pitched 11 because it was the ’80s. He faced 45 batters.
6/12/83
Ted Simmons goes 3 for 5 against the Yankees to reach 2,000 career hits.
He’d finish his Hall of Fame career with 2,472.
6/12/83
Before the Braves game against the Giants, Dale Murphy meets a young girl who lost both her hands and a leg when she stepped on a live power line.
Elizabeth Smith’s nurse asks Murph to hit a homer for girl and he hits two because he’s Murph.
6/12/86
Juan Beniquez goes 3 for 5 with three solo homers but it’s not enough as the Yankees win 7-5.
6/12/87
Hubie Brooks goes 5 for 5 with 6 RBI in a 13-6 Expos win over the Phillies.
6/12/87
Mike Witt and Bret Saberhagen go toe-to-toe in KC. Between them, they allow just 6 hits and one run while striking out 14.
The Royals win 1-0 on a 4th-inning George Brett RBI double.
6/12/88
Rockin Robin hits for the cycle and Dale Sveum homers twice to lead a 16-hit, 16-run Brewers attack against the White Sox.
Milwaukee wins it 16-2
6/12/88
Mike Scott takes a no-hitter into the 9th before it’s broken up by Ken Oberkfell with two outs.
Scott settles for a one-hitter and a 5-0 win.
6/12/89
The Mariners release Steve Trout and his major league career is over.
He finishes with 88 wins over twelve seasons.
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