The former Atlanta first baseman calls it quits on his career due to injuries racking up.
Braves Franchise History
1924: On Tuberculosis Day at Sportsman’s Park, the Cards’ Jesse Haines hurls his only shutout in two years, a 5-0 no-hitter over the Braves. “While the majestic northpaw was realizing his lifelong pitching ambitions, the Cardinals were making merry with the right-hand shoots of McNamara” (St. Louis Globe-Democrat). It is the first no-hitter by a St. Louis hurler since 1876, and the first-ever National League no-hitter in St. Louis.
1954: With Jim Gilliam (2B), Jackie Robinson (3B), Sandy Amoros (LF), Roy Campanella (C) and Don Newcombe (P) in the starting lineup against the Braves, the Dodgers field the first team which consists of a majority of black players. The historic five helps Brooklyn beat Milwaukee at County Stadium, 2-1.
1969: In a twin bill split with the Atlanta Braves, Lee May hits two home runs in each contest as well as driving in five runs in both ends of the doubleheader. Despite the All-Star first baseman’s performance, the Reds drop the opener, 9-8, but come back to win the nightcap, 10-4.
1991: Two naked fans run onto the field at Fulton County Stadium then slide into home plate. The duo are apprehended by security guards. Not distracted, the Braves defeat the Cubs, 12-2.
1994: The Richmond Braves defeat the Norfolk Tides, 3-2, in 12 innings, in a Class AAA International League game. The contest is marked by a brawl in the 8th inning in which both dugouts empty and one player is ejected. A new anti-fighting policy in the minors’ mandates fines and suspensions for any player who leaves his position, the dugout, or the bullpen during a fight. The IL president suspends and fines 35 players for their actions.
2001: Braves 1B Rico Brogna announces his retirement, effective immediately, opening a spot for Bernard Gilkey. The injury-plagued Brogna will coach high school football. Without him, the Braves win, 4-0, behind Greg Maddux’s 34th career shutout. Maddux strikes out nine and walks none.
MLB History
1934: Babe Ruth draws his 2,000th base on balls at Cleveland. He will retire with a walk record of 2,062. Rickey Henderson will break the record.
1974: Cardinals pitching great Bob Gibson fans the Reds’ Cesar Geronimo to become the second hurler after Walter Johnson to strike out 3,000 batters. Geronimo will become Nolan Ryan’s 3,000th strikeout victim six years later. The Reds shrug it off, scoring six runs in the 1st inning and three in the 2nd on their way to a 12-7 win.
1987: Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly becomes the first American League player to hit a home run in seven consecutive games.
1988: The Giants beat the Pirates, 5-4, with Robby Thompson hitting the 10,000th home run in Giants franchise history.
1990: Minnesota becomes the first team in history to turn two triple plays in the same game. Both are started on grounders to 3B Gary Gaetti, who has started five of the Twins’ last six triple killings. The Twins’ triple killings aren’t enough as the team loses to the Red Sox at Fenway Park, 1-0.
2022: Second-generation players take the first two spots in the 2022 amateur draft as SS Jackson Holliday, son of Matt Holliday, goes first overall to the Orioles, while OF Druw Jones, son of Andruw Jones, is selected second by the Diamondbacks. P Kumar Rocker, who had been the #10 pick in 2021 but had failed to come to an agreement with the Mets following a disagreement over the health of his pitching arm, goes #3 to the Rangers, who sign him mere hours after his selection. Rocker is coming off a brilliant stint of pitching in the independent Frontier League.
Information for this article was found via Baseball Reference, NationalPastime.com and Today in Baseball History.