Happy ’80s Birthday to Mark Thurmond, who spent eight years in the big leagues and won a career-high 14 games for the N.L. Champion 1984 Padres.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Mario Ramirez, who spent six years in the big leagues with the Mets and Padres.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Greg Keatley, who caught two innings in two games for the 1981 Royals and never got an at-bat.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Trench Davis, who played in 23 games over three seasons with the Padres and Pirates.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Mike Roesler, who pitched in 22 games for the Reds and Pirates in 1989 and 1990.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Scotti Madison, who spent parts of five seasons in the big leagues with the Tigers, Royals, and Reds.
He also won a batting crown in Triple-A in 1985.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Keith Hughes, who was drafted by the Phillies, traded to the Yankees for Shany Rawley, then traded back to the Phillies for Mike Easler.
He spent parts of four seasons in the major leagues.
9/12/80
Mark Davis throws two scoreless innings for the Phillies in his big league debut.
Philadelphia trades him to the Giants for Joe Morgan in 1982. They flip him to San Diego, where he wins a Cy Young.
9/12/80
Bobby Bonner makes his big league debut as a pinch-runner for the Orioles.
Bonner was the heir apparent to Mark Belanger in Baltimore, but unfortunately for him, it didn’t work out.
9/12/82
Buddy Biancalana makes his major league debut as a late-inning defensive replacement.
He collects his first hit in October in his first start and wins a ring in 1985.
9/12/86
Oakland rookie Terry Steinbach smacks a pinch-hit homer off Greg Swindell in his first big league at-bat.
Not too shabby.
9/12/87
Edgar Martinez makes his big league debut and goes 0 for 1 after entering the game as a pinch-runner for Jim Presley.
He finishes the 1987 campaign with a .372 average and never stops hitting.
9/12/89
Former Oklahoma State star Robin Ventura goes 1-4 in his big league debut against the Orioles.
Nolan Ryan begins to study his weaknesses.
9/12/80
Mike Vail’s 2-run HR caps a 5-run 14th inning as the Cubs beat the Mets 10-5 at Shea Stadium.
9/12/80
Keith Hernandez’s 11th inning 3-run triple helps the Cardinals complete a doubleheader sweep of the Phillies to drop them two games behind the Expos in the N.L. East.
9/12/80
Bruce Sutter, Willie Hernandez, Bill Caudill, and Lee Smith combine to throw 6.2 scoreless innings in Cubs win over Mets. Jeff Reardon throws 5 scoreless for New York.
Those 5 guys combined to record 1,398 career saves.
9/12/82
The Royals score 17 runs in the final five innings and beat the Twins 18-7. Willie Mays Aikens homers twice and drives in 4.
The Royals lead the A.L. West by a game.
9/12/82
The Brewers hit three consecutive home runs for the second time in the same season.
Cecil Cooper, Ted Simmons, and Ben Oglivie go back to back to back. The 1982 Brewers were fun.
9/12/84
Dwight Gooden strikes out 16 Pirates to break Herb Score’s rookie strikeout record
9/12/85
Don Robinson picks up the save and hits a grand slam in a 10-2 win over the Cubs.
That’s tough to do.
9/12/85
Both the Mets and Yankees host their rivals in close pennant races
The Mets take over first place with a 7-6 victory over the Cardinals at Shea Stadium, and the Yankees beat the Blue Jays in the Bronx, 7-5 to cut Toronto’s lead to a game and a half. Ron Hassey’s 3-run homer highlights a 6-run 7th inning for the Yankees.
9/12/87
Eddie Murray passes Boog Powell to become the Orioles’ all-time home run leader when he hits his 304th dinger for Baltimore. Cal Ripken would eventually pass Eddie in 1996.
9/12/88
Eddie Murray collects his 2,000th career hit in a 6-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox.
Related: Eddie Murray could hit.
9/12/86
The Twins fire manager Ray Miller and replace him with coach Tom Kelly.
This works out.
9/12/89
The Indians fire Doc Edwards and replace him for the remainder of the season with scout John Hart.
Hart later becomes a front-office star and the Indians put together some damn-good teams in the 1990s.
9/12/82
White Sox second baseman Tony Bernazard breaks his leg after pivoting to throw on a ground ball in a game against the Royals.
“I heard the bone snap before I hit the ground,” he said. “The worst thing about it was I had no play.”
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