MLB
Most Significant Sports History on October 9th
Learn about October 9th's most significant sports history including mound excellence in the World Series, the Black Sox infamous loss, and more!
Baltimore Sun
This part of October in the past was time for the MLB’s World Series. The significance of October 9th is heavily involved with the championship series of professional baseball. First, some incredible pitching records were accomplished by multiple teams, as well as some glorious moments for the New York Yankees. Events on the largest stage are both great and not so great memories for a wide-span of sports fans, but they will always be remembered in great significance.
YEARS: 1961 & 1966
SIGNIFICANCE: Whitey Ford broke Babe Ruth’s individual consecutive scoreless World Series innings record (29.2 IP) AND the Baltimore Orioles threw a World Series record 33 consecutive scoreless innings for a sweep of the Dodgers
59 years ago, New York Yankees SP Whitey Ford broke Babe Ruth’s World Series record of 29.2 IP. Ford pitched 33.2 innings without allowing a run in the Fall Classic, dating back to the 1958 World Series. In the 1960 Fall Classic, Ford pitched 18 scoreless innings against the ultimate winner Pittsburgh Pirates. In the ’59 Series, Ford won the WS MVP award after 14 shutout IP. Ford’s streak of 33.2 scoreless innings stood until Mariano Rivera had his 34th scoreless inning in the 2000 World Series.
Five years after Ford’s record-breaking streak, the Baltimore Orioles set an all-time record of their own with their 33 successive scoreless innings. The Orioles swept the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers with tremendous pitching outings from their starters Wally Bunker (9 IP, 0 ER), Dave McNally (11.1 IP, 1.59 ERA), and Jim Palmer (9 IP, 0 ER), along with relief pitcher Moe Drabowsky (6.2 IP, 0 ER) who were all lights out. In Game 4, the Orioles beat the Dodgers 1-0 by virtue of McNally’s complete game shutout and a fourth inning, game-winning solo-home run by WS MVP Frank Robinson (.286/.375/.1.232).
Today in 1928, 1938, 1949, 195, and 1961 the @Yankees won the World Series @mlb https://t.co/hgpMvrmTbG pic.twitter.com/x7QE588C4H
— Mitchell & Ness (@mitchell_ness) October 9, 2016
YEARS: 1938 & 1958
SIGNIFICANCE: The Yankees became the very 1st team to win 3 consecutive World Series in a sweep of the Cubs & after making 9 of the last 10 WS, the Yankees secured their 7th WS championship during that 10-year span
For the first time in MLB history, a team had completed a “three-peat”. On this day in 1938, the New York Yankees won their third consecutive World Series when they swept the Chicago Cubs in four games. The Yankees were led by starting pitcher Red Ruffing (2-0, 1.50) and 2B Joe Gordon (.400/.438/1.171). The Yankees beat the New York Giants (4-2) in 1936 and 1937 (4-1). In 1939, New York swept the Reds (4-0) for their fourth consecutive ring. Surprisingly, this dynasty was born right after Babe Ruth left NY and during Lou Gehrig’s twilight years. It’s no coincidence these four rings came right upon Joe DiMaggio’s arrival in 1936 as a 21-year-old rookie MVP candidate.
Exactly two decades later in 1958, the Yankees beat the Milwaukee Braves in seven games for their seventh World Series championship in a 10-year span (’49-’58). The Yankees looked for revenge in this series, as the Braves beat them in seven games the year prior. In the ’58 World Series, Bob Turley was named WS MVP after he led the Yanks’ pitching staff with 16.1 IP and had a 2.76 ERA while racking up 13 strikeouts. Offensively, New York saw Hank Bauer absolutely rake. Bauer hit four home runs and drove in eight runs with a team-high 1.032 OPS during the series. This was the Yankees’ 18th World Championship.
From the archives: On Oct. 9, 1919, the White Sox lost the "Black Sox" World Series to the Cincinnati Reds https://t.co/jvhHXcUTYN pic.twitter.com/0rJ0BVqw1H
— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) October 9, 2017
YEAR: 1919
SIGNIFICANCE: The Reds secured their very 1st WS against the White Sox in the infamous Black Sox Scandal
In the eighth game of a best-of-nine series, the Cincinnati Reds emerged victorious over the Chicago White Sox in the infamous “Black Sox” scandal that saw multiple members of the Sox banned from the sport due to conspiracy to fix the World Series. The Reds got off to a 4-1 series lead (series format was best-of-9 at the time), but supposedly some of the White Sox players hadn’t yet received their payments for purposely losing, so they decided to actually play the game.
Chicago won games six and seven, but in Game 8 the Reds secured the series, this concluding one of the most controversial scandals in baseball history. The Reds had some great offensive performers during the series, and Greasy Neal hit .357/.400/.864 over the eight games. On the pitching side, Jimmy Ring, Slim Sallee, Hod Eller, and Dutch Ruether all posted ERA’s under 2.60 with more than 13 IP each.
YEAR: 2019
SIGNIFICANCE: Cardinals scored the most runs ever in the 1st inning of a game in postseason history & the Nationals won their 1st playoff series in franchise history after a legendary comeback against #1 seed Dodgers
October 9, 2019 proved to be a very intense and historic day of postseason baseball. First, the Atlanta Braves hosted the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of the NLDS. Mike Foltynewicz started the game for the Braves, and after a leadoff walk, he got Kolten Wong out with a sacrifice bunt. That was the only out Foltynewicz got that day. The Cardinals proceeded to ambush him for seven runs (six earned) off three hits and three walks. Eight batters later, manager Brian Snitker brought Max Fried in, only for him to allow three more runs that same inning. The 10-run first frame by St. Louis was a record for most runs scored in the first inning of a postseason game. The Braves went on to win the game 13-1 and would face the winner of the Nationals/Dodgers game that took place later that day.
Later that night, the Los Angeles Dodgers faced a Washington Nationals team that simply refused to lose—and this game proved it. Entering the eighth inning, Dave Roberts had Clayton Kershaw on the mound with hopes that he could close out the Nats like he did in 2016. But Kershaw’s well-documented postseason struggles came to light yet again as he allowed back-to-back, game-tying home runs to Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto that led to extra innings. Fast forward to the top of the 10th inning, and Joe Kelly had loaded the bases for Howie Kendrick. Kendrick then hit the 2nd grand slam ever in extra innings of a playoff game, ensuring the gritty Nats had beaten the 2x reigning NL champion Dodgers. The Nationals would go on to face the Cardinals in the NLCS that ultimately led to their first World Series title in franchise history.
YEAR: 1988
SIGNIFICANCE: Jose Canseco tied MLB Playoff record w/ 3 HRs & Dennis Eckersley became the 1st to record a SV in each game
In what would become their first of three consecutive AL Pennants, the Oakland Athletics swept the Boston Red Sox in the 1988 ALCS. Dennis Eckersley won ALCS MVP after recording a save in all four games of the series; which goes to say how close this series was, the A’s were just simply the better team. Eckersley threw six innings, got four saves, allowed just one hit, two walks, and he struck out five batters.
On the other side of the ball, Jose Canseco, the AL MVP that season and first ever 40/40 player, tied an AL record for most home runs in a single series with three. Canseco hit a home run in Game 1, Game 2, and in the series-clinching Game 4; he also hit .313/.938/1.290. The A’s went on to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the infamous “Kirk Gibson walk-off” World Series, which the A’s lost in five games. Oakland, however, went on to win the 1990 Fall Classic vs the San Francisco Giants, and then lost to the Cincinnati Reds in the ’91 World Series.
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