TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

April 21, 1966, the Chicago Cubs make one of the best trades in franchise history, acquiring future Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins from the Philadelphia Phillies in a five-player deal. The Cubs surrender pitchers Bob Buhl and Larry Jackson for Jenkins, outfielder Adolpho Phillips, and first baseman John Herrnstein. Jenkins, who had made his major league debut in 1965, will win 20 games for the Cubs in 1967.

Jenkins had several unfortunate runs of bad luck that cost him notoriety. He lost thirteen games by the score of 1-0, despite going the distance for the loss. In addition, he suffered 45 shutout losses, the sixth highest total in history. His teams (Phillies, Cubs, Rangers, and Red Sox) were basically mediocre - they posted an almost exact .500 record in games Jenkins didn’t get a decision. In his games, they were .557. In 1969, his Cubs blew a lead and lost the division title to the Mets. In 1976 he joined Boston the season after they played in the World Series. With the Rangers he was never able to get to the post-season, due to poor management and waste of talent. In 1983 he retired with the Cubs, and the next season they finished first.

Jenkins was born east of Detroit – in Canada. He grew up playing hockey and wasn’t a pitcher until a teammate hurt his arm and Jenkins was forced onto the mound. In June, 1962 he was signed to his first pro contract, by the Phillies. In four seasons in the minors, Fergie went 43-26, and was finally given a shot in September of ’65 with Philadelphia.

He began the ’66 season in the Phils bullpen, but soon was packaged in a deal with the Cubs. The Phillies felt they needed veteran pitching to push them over the top. They traded Jenkins, Adolpho Phillips, and John Herrnstein to Chicago for pitchers Larry Jackson and Bob Buhl. Both pitchers better years were behind them – combined they won 47 games for the Phillies in three seasons. Jenkins would win 282 games for the Cubs and others. It was one of the worst trades in baseball history.

In his first game with the Cubs, Jenkins slugged a home run and won in relief. He was inserted in the rotation later in the year, winning six games. In 1967 he won twenty games for the first time. He followed with 20, 21, 22, 24, and 20 wins the next five years, through 1972. In 1971 he earned the Cy Young award (24-13, 2.77, 263 K’s). His string of 20-win seasons ended in 1973 (14-16), and the Cubs dealt him to the Rangers for young Bill Madlock. With Texas in ’74, Jenkins won a career-high 25 games and was voted the Comeback Player of the Year. In his first start with Texas, he blanked their rival Oakland A’s, 2-0, on one hit.

After winning 17 games for the Rangers in 1975, he was again traded, this time to defending AL champ Boston. He was never at home with the Sox, and struggled to a 22-21 record in two seasons. Once again he was shipped to Texas, where he anchored a staff that included fellow castoffs Jon Matlack, Doyle Alexander, and Gaylord Perry. Jenkins went 51-42 in his four-season, second-stint with Texas. The lowlight of the time with Texas comes on August 25, 1980, in Toronto, when Jenkins is arrested for possession of cocaine, at Exhibition Stadium. The ensuing publicity and brief trial cause a stir in Canada, where Jenkins is a hero. Finally, a sympathetic judge waves a guily verdict and exonerates Jenkins. MLB suspends Jenkins in September, but that ruling is also overturned after an arbitrator dismisses the claim.

After the ’81 season, Jenkins was a free agent and few teams showed interest. In a homecoming story, the Cubs took a chance on the 38-year old right-hander, signing their old ace. In ’82 he showed some flashes of his old success, on May 25, 1982, Garry Templeton became the 3,000th strikeout victim of Jenkins. Jenkins became the seventh man to reach that plateau. He would winn 14 games and posted a 3.15 ERA. He finished up in 1983, struggling and ending up in the Cubs bullpen.

His career was marked by his incredible durability and control. He struck out more than 3,000 batters and was the only man to do so while also allowing less than 1,000 walks(Since joined by Curt Schilling). In 1991 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The 12 Black Aces
Through 2004, twelve African-American pitchers had won 20-games in the major leagues. Of course, black pitchers had won twenty many times in the negro leagues, but these dozen, who, under the direction of Mudcat Grant, called themselves the "12 Black Aces," are an exclusive club:

Features over 20 starts for the Cubs, Red Sox and Rangers. Two All Star Games

His interview vault includes:

September 8, 1972 Jenkins picks up his 20th win of season, Ferguson Jenkins Interview (Passed Ball Show) and Ferguson Jenkins 1991 Hall of Fame Induction Speech

April 21, 1934 – – Washington Senators catcher Moe Berg sets an American League record by playing in his 117th consecutive game without an error. Berg, a backup catcher who plays sparingly for Washington, started the streak three seasons earlier.

April 21, 1955 — At Ebbets Field, the Brooklyn Dodgers beat Robin Roberts and the Philadelphia Phillies, 14 – 4, for their 10th consecutive victory from the start of the season, setting a major league record that will last until 1981.

April 21, 1959 — Don Demeter of the Dodgers hits three home runs, including the game winner in the 11th inning, in a 9 – 7 victory against the Giants at the Los Angeles Coliseum. One of his homers is an inside-the-park home run, as he drives in six runs.

April 21, 1959 — At Wrigley Field, Stan Musial breaks up Glen Hobbie’s no-hitter with a two-out seventh-inning double. The 23 year-old right-hander settles for a one-hitter, going the distance in the Cubs’ 1-0 victory over the Cardinals.

April 21, 1961 — The Twins, formerly known as the Washington Senators before moving to Minnesota, play their first home game, losing to the ‘new’ expansion Washington Senators, 5-3 in front of a crowd of 24,606 at Metropolitan Stadium. The club’s move to the North Star State will attract 1,256,723 fans, third best in the American League, and far better than their last season in the nation’s capital, where the team drew only 743,404 fans, the worst gate in the league.

April 21, 1971 — At Three Rivers Stadium, Willie Stargell hits three home runs, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 10 – 2 victory over the Atlanta Braves. Stargell, who also hit three home runs against Atlanta on April 10th, will set a major league record – since broken – for the most home runs in April with eleven. Stargell took Jim Nash deep twice and Tom Kelley gave up the trifecta to Stargell.

April 21, 1972, the Texas Rangers play the first home game in franchise history. Veteran slugger Frank Howard hits the first home run at Arlington Stadium, as the Rangers post a 7-6 win over California. The Rangers, formerly the Washington Senators, had moved to Texas after the 1971 season.

April 21, 1987 – The Milwaukee Brewers’ 13-game winning streak from the start of the season ends with a 7 – 1 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Milwaukee’s 13-0 start tied the major league record set by the the Atlanta Braves in 1982.

April 21, 1991 — In the greatest extra-inning comeback in major league history, the Pittsburgh Pirates score six runs in the bottom of the 11th inning to erase a five-run Cubs lead built in the top of the inning on Andre Dawson’s grand slam. The Pirates had rallied earlier from a 7 – 2 deficit to tie the game in the 9th.

April 21, 1994 — Cleveland Indians first baseman Eddie Murray hits home runs from both sides of the plate in a game for the 11th time in his career to break the record set by Mickey Mantle. Cleveland beats the Twins, 10 – 6. The two homers also move Murray past Dave Kingman into 20th place on the all-time list with 444.

TRIVIA

TRIVIA: Who is the most recent pitcher to win twenty-five games in a season and not win the Cy Young Award that year?

Hint: #1 He was the last American League pitcher to be included in a game’s batting order and get a hit.

Hint: #2 He is the only pitcher in the majors to retire in the twentieth century with more than three thousand strikeouts and fewer than 1,000 bases on balls.

IF you think you know the answer and bonus points for how many respond with details and if you are right I will give you a shut out! No Googling!

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 ANSWER TO YESTERDAY’S TRIVIA

YESTERDAY'S TRIVIA: Which player's sixth career leadoff home run was also the home run that placed him in the 300/300 club?

Hint: #1 He was on one end of the worst trade in Orioles’ history, according to locals.

Hint: #2 He’s the only outfielder to win a Gold Glove at age 39.

Answer: Steve Finley.

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