OTDIB – May 23rd – Shawn Green goes off
Phil Gurnee ♦ May 23, 2017 ♦ 3 Comments
On this date in baseball:
May 23rd, 2002 – Shawn Green goes off
Shawn Green hits four home runs in one game to become the 14th player in major league history, the second this month, to accomplish the feat. The Dodger right fielder’s 6-for-6 performance in Milwaukee’s Miller Park, which also includes a single and double, breaks Joe Adcock’s 1954 mark for total bases by one, with a total of 19.
May 23rd, 1991 – Andre Dawson joins 300 / 300 club
With his fourth inning swipe of second base at Shea Stadium, Andre Dawson becomes the third major leaguer to become a member of the 300/300 club, with his 300th stolen base. The 36 year-old Cubs outfielder, who has also hit 354 home runs, joins Bobby Bonds and Willie Mays in reaching the milestone.
That was 26 years ago. How many new members since 1991?
Player HR SB From To PA OPS Barry Bonds 762 514 1986 2007 12606 1.051 Alex Rodriguez 696 329 1994 2016 12207 .930 Willie Mays 660 338 1951 1973 12496 .941 Andre Dawson 438 314 1976 1996 10769 .806 Carlos Beltran 425 312 1998 2017 10679 .843 Bobby Bonds 332 461 1968 1981 8090 .824 Reggie Sanders 305 304 1991 2007 7043 .830 Steve Finley 304 320 1989 2007 10460 .775
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 5/22/2017.
Damn, I had no idea that Steve Finley had cracked this list. Or Reggie Sanders. They both just squeaked in.
Also missed that both Barry and his father Bobby were on the list. Bobby Bonds was the first Giant I hated/loved. I think he hit a grand slam against the Dodgers in his first game. I’ll have to look that up.
May 23rd, 1965 – Jimmy Wynn loses memorable pop up
In the first inning of a 5-2 loss to San Francisco, Jimmy Wynn is unable to catch Jim Ray Hart’s two-out routine fly ball when the ball is lost in the glare of diffused Texas sunlight streaming through plastic panes of the newly-opened Astrodome. The play, now a base-clearing inside-the-park three-run home run instead of an easy third out, results in the painting of the ballpark’s ceiling the next day and will lead to the use of Astroturf next season, because grass will be unable to be grown due to the reduced amount of sunlight.
This is why I’m doing these. Who knew this?
and this is the best.
May 23rd, 1965 -Ron Swoboda
Mets’ outfielder Ron Swoboda takes his position wearing a batting helmet – on his foot. After kicking the protective head gear, which gets stuck on his spikes, manager Casey Stengel ordered the young player to go out to the field.
Swoboda would be famous a few years later when he makes several game saving catches in RF for the Mets in the 1969 World Series.
My Dad actually handled the Trust of Casey Stengel when he worked for Security Pacific bank.
Dodgers, Yesterday and Today 
Green, what a game this was!
In 1964 the trucking company had season seats three rows being home plate at Angel Stadium.
I can still see and hear my father standing up and yelling as Adcock moved from the on deck circle to the batter’s box, “COME ON OLD MAN!!!”
He did it for Adcock’s first two ABs.
The first time it startled me a bit. There were few fans with us in the Stadium that night.
The CF probably heard my father’s utterance.
After my dad did it the second time I said to him, “Dad, why are you calling him an old man? He’s younger than you are!”
Great memory from my twelfth year.
Yes, you describe the Astrodome dilemma perfectly.
I can still hear Vin talking about it.
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Joe Adcock is just a written memory for me, it is great that you saw him. I always think of Snider/Hodges/Podres as Brooklyn Dodgers but for you, they were Los Angeles Dodgers.
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Yes 🙂
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