It seemed appropriate to celebrate my (76th) birthday (August 4) with a blog post. So, I looked for some kind of theme from baseball events that took place on August 4 in years past – at least as a starting point. As regular readers know, when The Roundtable starts looking into an event or topic “one thing always seem to lead to another.”
At any rate, the most unique baseball event to take place on August 4 relates to travel and trades. So, that was my starting point.
What’s That Starting Time Again?
On August 4, 1982, outfielder Joel Youngblood made MLB history by becoming the only player to collect a base hit for two different major-league teams in two different cities – on the same day.
Youngblood started the day with the Mets, playing an afternoon game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Youngblood opened the game in center field, batting third in the order. After striking out in the first inning, Youngblood drove in two runs with a single in the top of the third.
Youngblood was then replaced in centerfield by Mookie Wilson in the bottom of the fourth – and was told by Mets’ manager George Bamberger that he had been traded to the Expos (for a player to be named later), who were scheduled to play the Phillies in Philadelphia that night.
Youngblood immediately set out to join his own team – catching a 6:05 flight to Philadelphia – eventually arriving at Veterans Stadium with the game in progress. To his surprise, there was an Expos uniform, with his name already sewn on the back, waiting for him. And, the Expos wasted no time getting their newest player into the game. Manager Jim Fanning sent Youngblood into right field and the number-two spot in the batting order (replacing Jerry White) in the sixth inning. In the top of the seventh, Youngblood singled in his first Expos’ at bat.
Two hits, for two different teams in two different cities in one day – an historic accomplishment. Youngblood’s day was even more amazing when you consider the pitchers he touched for his two safeties. In Chicago, it was future Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins, while in Philadelphia, it was future Hall of Famer Steve Carlton. So, base hits for two different teams, in two different cities, off two future Hall of Famers in one day.
Youngblood played in 14 MLB seasons (1976-89 … Reds, Cardinals, Mets, Expos, Giants). He was also a true utility player, making 100 or more MLB appearances at second base, third base, left field, center field and right field – as well as 402 pinch-hitting appearances. His final stat line, in 1,408 games, was .265-80-422.
He made one All Star team (in the strike-shortened 1981 season, when he hit .350 in 43 games for the Mets). He best season was 1983, when he hit .292, with 17 homers and 53 RBI in 124 games (at four positions) for the San Francisco Giants. Youngblood was an All Star in the strike-shortened 1981 season, when he went .350-4-25 for the Mets.
Just Point Me Toward The Mound. I’ll Find It.
In another travel/trade-related August 4 event, when southpaw Jaime Garcia started on the mound for the Yankees (in Cleveland) on August 4, 2017, he became the first pitcher in the modern era to make a series of three consecutive pitching starts – each one for a different MLB team (and he did it in a span of 15 days).
- On July 21, Garcia, who opened the season with Braves, started for Atlanta (at Los Angeles) and went seven innings in a 12-3 Braves’ victory.
- On July 24, Garcia was traded to the Twins.
- On July 28, Garcia started for the Twins at Oakland) and went 6 2/3 innings in a 6-3 victory.
- On July 30, the Twins traded Garcia to the Yankees.
- On August 4, Garcia started for the Yankees (at Cleveland) and went 3 2/3 frames in a 7-2 loss.
Overall, Garcia was 5-10, 4.41 in 27 games (all starts) in 2017. He played 10 MLB seasons (2008, 2010-18 … Cardinals, Braves, Twins, Yankees, Blue Jays, Cubs). His final stat line was 70-62, 3.85 and his best season was 2010, when he went 13-8, 2.70 for the Cardinals.
Side note: In 1895, Gus Weyhing was on the mound for the Phillies, Pirates and Louisville Colonels in consecutive starts. Of interest to me, was that prior to that well-traveled 1895 season, Weyhing had an MLB record of 216-154, 3. 55 with 242 complete games in eight seasons – averaging and apparently arm-draining 407 innings pitched per campaign. From 1895 through his retirement in 1901, he went 48-78, 4.90 with 107 complete games.
Now, for the one thing leads to another portion of our programming.
Five Tams in One Campaign
Oliver Drake with the Rays. Photo: Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
In 2018, 32-year-old right-hander Oliver Drake set a major-league mark by playing for five MLB teams in a single season.
Drake began the season with the Brewers (where he finished the previous campaign). After going 1-0, 6.39 in eleven appearances, he was designated for assignment on May 2 and, on May 5, purchased from the Brewers by the Indians.
He was with the Tribe until the final week in May – going 0-0,with a 12.46 ERA in just four appearances – before again being designated for assignment.
May 31, he was selected off waivers by the Angels. Sixteen days (and 0-1, 10.13 record) later, he was again designated for assignment. He went unclaimed and reported to the Angels’ Salt Lake City Triple-A affiliate – where he was pretty much lights out. That earned him a trip back to Anaheim, where he added four more appearances, with an 0-0, 3.00 record – and was again designated for assignment.
He was picked up (off waivers) by the Blue Jays on July 26 and was there for just two appearances (giving up three runs in 1 2/3 innings) before again being designated for assignment.
On August 3, he was selected off waivers by the Twins – his fifth MLB team of the season – where he found a bit more success and stability. Pitching for his fifth MLB team of the year, Drake finished the season with Minnesota, getting in 19 games and posting a 2.21 earned run average and fanning 22 batters in in 20 1/3 innings pitched. What did that get him? In the off-season, he was again designated for assignment.
Drake finished the 2018 season with an 1-1 record, a 5.29 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings. Drake pitched in six MLB seasons (2015-20 … Orioles, Brewers, Indians, Twins, Angels, Blue Jays, Rays). Over those six campaigns, he went 10-10, 4.27, with five saves in 196 appearances.
Changing Clubhouses in Mid-Doubleheader
And, finally, Joel Youngblood does not stand alone in playing for two teams in a single day. On May 30, 1922, the Cubs and Cardinals made a trade that made MLB history. The two squads were facing off (in Chicago) in a Memorial Day doubleheader. Remember those?
The Cubs won Game One 4-2 – and batting fifth in their lineup (collecting one RBI, despite going 0-for-4) was RF Max Flack. The CF for the Cardinals that game (batting seventh) was Cliff Heathcote – who went 0-for-3. Flack was in his ninth season for the Cubs, while Heathcote was in his fifth season for the Cardinals.
In between Games of the twin bill, Flack and Heathcote were traded for each other. The two outfielders each crossed over to their new team’s clubhouse and suited up against their previous team for Game Two – becoming the first two players to take the field for two major-league teams in a single day. Both collected hits for their new teams in the second game (Flack a single in four at bats, Heathcote a pair of singles in four trips to the plate).
Flack played in 12 MLB seasons (1914-25 … Chicago Chi Feds of the Federal League, Cubs, Cardinals) and went .278-35-391 in 1,411 games. Heathcote played in 15 MLB seasons (1918-32 … Cardinals, Cubs, Reds, Phillies), going .275-42-448 in 1,415 games.
The trade, by the way, seem to be a positive for both teams and both players. Prior to the exchange, Flack was hitting .222-0-6 in 17 games for the Cubs, Post-trade, he hit .292-2-21 in 66 games for the Cardinals. Heathcote was hitting .245 (in 34 games) for the Cardinals. After the trade, he went .280-1-34 in 76 games for the Cubs
Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; NationalPastime.com.
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