OTDIB – May 15th – Piazza goes fishing
May 15th, 2015 – King Felix strikes out 2,000th hitter
Mariner right-hander Felix Hernandez becomes the fourth-youngest hurler to record his 2,000th career strikeout when he whiffs Sam Fuld in fifth inning of the team’s 4-3 victory against Oakland at Safeco Field. Bert Blyleven, Walter Johnson, and Sam McDowell are the only three pitchers to reach the milestone faster than King Felix.
Pitchers 29 and younger with 2,000 strikeouts in major league history:
Player SO From To Age G W L W-L% IP ERA+ Walter Johnson 2305 1907 1917 19-29 466 254 164 .608 3474.1 166 Sam McDowell 2281 1961 1972 18-29 364 132 117 .530 2274.0 115 Bert Blyleven 2250 1970 1980 19-29 387 156 141 .525 2841.1 126 Felix Hernandez 2142 2005 2015 19-29 334 143 101 .586 2262.1 128 Don Drysdale 2111 1956 1966 19-29 437 177 134 .569 2848.1 122 Nolan Ryan 2085 1966 1976 19-29 294 122 116 .513 1935.0 109 Sandy Koufax 2079 1955 1965 19-29 356 138 78 .639 2001.1 125 Bob Feller 2000 1936 1948 17-29 348 177 98 .644 2471.0 134
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 5/15/2017.
May 15th, 1998 – The trade that shook the Dodger fan world
On the day the Marlins trade Gary Sheffield, Bobby Bonilla, Charles Johnson, Jim Eisenreich, and Manuel Barrios to the Dodgers for Mike Piazza and Todd Zeile, the team hangs on to beat the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, 8-7. In the first inning, the Fish connect for nine consecutive hits, a franchise record, and score seven runs, all without the help of their recently departed teammates.
Mike Piazza hit the ball harder than any Dodger I’ve ever seen. As with many Dodger fans of the 1990’s he was Dodger baseball.
May 15th, 1976 – Before Fernando there was the Bird
In his first major league start, rookie right-hander Mark Fidrych throws a complete game two-hitter in the Tigers’ 2–1 victory over Cleveland. ‘The Bird’, who holds the Tribe hitless for the first six innings, amuses his teammates and delights the Detroit fans with his unorthodox antics, which includes talking to the ball.
The Bird made watching baseball fun. I took to him right away. A baseball story made for Hollywood, not sure why they never took this story to the big screen.
May 15th, 1956 – the hated Barber joins the Dodgers
Sal Maglie, obtained on waivers by Cleveland last season from the Giants, is shipped to the Dodgers for a hundred dollars after impressing Brooklyn in an exhibition game. The ‘Barber’ will post a 13-5 record along with a 2.89 ERA for the eventual NL Champs, finishing second to teammate Don Newcombe in the balloting for both the Cy Young and MVP awards
Dodgers, Yesterday and Today 