Happy ’80s Birthday to John Franco, who retired with 424 saves, tops among lefty relievers and 5th most all-time.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Thad Bosley, who spent 14 years in the big leagues and played in a funk band called The Ballplayers with Lenny Randle.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Marshall Brant, who won two minor league MVP awards but played in just 20 games at the major league level.
Wayne Krenchicki was born OTD in 1954. He spent eight years in the bigs, primarily with the Reds and Orioles, and later played in the Senior League. Wayne passed away in 2018.
Tom Waddell was born OTD in 1958. He won 15 games over three seasons with Cleveland and is one of two people born in Scotland to reach the major leagues (Bobby Thomson). Tom passed away in 2019.
9/17/88
Mark Lemke goes 0-for-3 with a run scored against the Padres in his big-league debut. He spends 11 seasons in the major leagues and wins a ring with Atlanta in 1995.
9/17/80
The Royals clinch the AL West in one of the blurriest games of the decade
9/17/80
A great moment in Orioles history. NSFW
9/17/81
Fernando Valenzuela sets a National League record by throwing his 8th shutout of the season. He finishes the year with a 13-7 record and a 2.48 E.R.A. while leading the league in games started, CGs, shutouts, IP, and strikeouts.
9/17/83
More than 53,000 fans pack the baseball cathedral that is Riverfront Stadium for Johnny Bench night. Bench homers, but the Reds lose to the Astros 4-3.
9/17/83
The Winning Ugly White Sox clinch the AL West in dramatic fashion at Comiskey Park.
9/17/83
Carl Yastrzemski sets a major league record by playing in his 3,299th career game. He would retire as the all-time leader with 3,308 and is currently 2nd behind Pete Rose.
9/17/84
Dwight Gooden strikes out 16 batters for the second start in a row, In the final 9 starts of the season, when most rookies wear down, Gooden goes 8-1 with a 1.07 E.R.A. and 105 strikeouts in 76 innings. The league hits .160 against him.
9/17/84
Harold Baines homers thrice and drives in 4 in a 7-3 White Sox win over the Twins.
9/17/84
Reggie Jackson hits his 500th career home run, 17 years to the day after he hit his 1st home run.
9/17/85
Joe Carter homers twice and Andre Thornton drives in five as Cleveland hammers Oakland 15-8.
9/17/86
The Mets clinch the N.L. East title. Then they all went home and got a good night’s sleep.
9/17/86
Mark Langston strikes out 14 but received no offensive support as the Mariners lose to Chicago 3-0.
9/17/88
Jeff Reardon becomes the first player to save 40 games in each league.
9/17/85
The Twins release Steve Howe after he admits that his recent disappearance was related to his cocaine abuse.
Howe enters rehab and returns to the major leagues in 1987 with Texas.
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