Happy ’80s Birthday to Jim Abbott, who made his debut in 1989 and threw a no-hitter for the Yankees in 1993.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Joe Ferguson, who spent 14 seasons in the big leagues, primarily with the Dodgers.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Randall Kirk Myers, who started a youth organization in his home state of Washington and also helped raise money to revive the baseball program at Clark College, where he went to school. He also won a World Series with the Reds in 1990.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Nardi Contreras, who appeared in eight games for the White Sox in 1980 and spent 20 years coaching.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Phil Stephenson, who made his debut with the Cubs in 1989 and played for four seasons with Chicago and San Diego. He is also the all-time NCAA leader in hits, total bases, walks, runs scored, and stolen bases.
The great Joe Morgan was born OTD in 1943. Joe won back-to-back MVPs in 1975 and ’76, won two rings, and collected more than 2,500 hits over his career. He passed away in 2020.
9/19/80
Drungo Hazewood makes his big-league debut for the Orioles. If there had been a Futures Game in 1980, he would have been the headliner, but it just didn’t work out for him.
9/19/80
George Brett goes 2-for-4 to raise his batting average to .400. It’s the last day of the 1980 season he’d be at the .400 mark. He’d finish at .390.
9/19/81
Eddie Murray homers and drives in five in an 11-8 loss to Milwaukee. Eddie can’t do everything by himself.
9/19/82
Orlando Mercado becomes the third player to hit a grand slam for his first major league hit.
9/19/83
On his 40th birthday, Joe Morgan goes 4-for-5 with two dingers. He’s only the second player in history to homer on his 40th birthday. (Bob Thurman) He entered the game in an 0-for-13 slump.
9/19/84
Pete Rose reaches the 100-hit mark for the 22nd consecutive season to set yet another record. He also ties the National League record for doubles with 725.
9/19/84
Dwight Evans homers twice and drives in six in a 10-4 win over Oakland. He leads the league in games played, plate appearances, runs scored, and OPS.
9/18/85
Vince Coleman steals his 100th base of the season in a loss to the Phillies. He swipes at least 100 in his first three seasons in the bigs.
9/18/85
Tom Herr scores Vince Coleman on a groundout. It is Herr’s 100th RBI of the season. He finishes the year with 110 RBI and only eight homers.
9/19/85
Sid Fernandez allows just one hit and strikes out 13 in eight innings of work as the Mets beat the Cubs 5-1. Gary Matthews’ solo homer is the only hit he allows. Roger McDowell closes it out.
9/19/86
Tom Seaver pitches in the final game of his career. He goes 4 innings in a loss to the Blue Jays and finishes his Hall of Fame career with 311 wins, a Rookie of the Year award and three Cy Youngs.
9/19/86
Despite walking 7 and allowing a run, Joe Cowley no-hits the Angels. It’s his last win in the big leagues.
9/19/88
The A’s clinch the A.L. West. It’s the first of three straight division titles and they win the World Series in 1989.
9/19/89
Mark Davis becomes just the 7th pitcher to record 40 saves in a season. He finishes the season with 44.
9/19/89
Darryl Strawberry and Davey Johnson nearly come to blows during a pre-game team meeting. Strawberry and Kevin McReynolds had been undressing in the clubhouse the previous night when the Mets rallied. Both players scrambled to get dressed and Strawberry made the final out of the game.
Johnson fined them both and benched them but word leaked out and Strawberry confronted Johnson.
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