September 14, 1990 Seattle’s Ken Griffey and his son, Ken Griffey Jr., become the first father and son to hit homers in the same major league game. Angels pitcher Kirk McCaskill gives up the back-to-back homers in the first inning in California’s eventual 7-5 win over the Mariners. When Griffey Sr. signed with the Mariners (Griffey Jr.’s team at the time), no father and son had ever even played together on the same team. The exceptionally talented family pair played together for just 2 seasons, in 1990 and 1991, as Senior’s career was winding down and Junior’s path to the Hall of Fame was beginning. The Angels Dave Winfield told The Sporting News, ““I don’t like seeing it done against us, but it was nice to see. It’s like keeping up with the Joneses, but now it’s keeping up with Griffeys. It’s great for baseball and great for Seattle.” At the time of the game, Griffey Jr., 20 years old, was the youngest player in the majors while Griffey Sr., 40 years old, was the 7th oldest

September 14, 1968, Detroit’s Denny McLain started the morning with his usual routine—eggs, sausage, and a Pepsi. By afternoon, he was chasing history. No pitcher had reached 30 wins since Dizzy Dean in 1934, and the entire nation was watching on NBC’s “Game of the Week.”

Tiger Stadium was packed with 33,688 fans, including Dean himself, cowboy hat and all. McLain, already 29–5, joked with reporters before the game. He knew the stakes. Oakland, a middle-of-the-pack team, was in town, but they had a budding star in 22-year-old Reggie Jackson.

Jackson quickly made sure the day wouldn’t be easy. He homered in the fourth and again in the sixth, driving in three runs. By the ninth, McLain’s Tigers trailed 4–3. Win No. 30 looked out of reach.

Then came the comeback. Al Kaline worked a leadoff walk. Mickey Stanley singled him to third. Jim Northrup chopped a slow roller to first, and a wild throw home allowed Kaline to score the tying run. The old ballpark shook.

Willie Horton then ended it. With the outfield drawn in, he ripped a line drive over left fielder Jim Gosger’s head. Stanley crossed the plate with the winning run, and Tiger Stadium erupted in bedlam. One writer compared it to “V-J Day all over again.”

McLain finished with nine innings pitched, six hits allowed, four runs, and 10 strikeouts. Jackson, despite his two homers, was left fuming. “All for nothing,” he said. Dizzy Dean, by contrast, was thrilled. “One of the greatest games I ever saw.”

As fans roared, McLain stood in awe. “Look at those people! I can’t believe it!” he shouted. When asked how he’d celebrate, his answer was classic McLain: “Drink more Pepsi. A whole lot of Pepsi.”

Listen to the game here:

Which one-time White Sox player is the only one to win the All-Star Game Home Run Derby more than twice?

Hint: #1  In one three-year stretch, he had at least 140 RBI in three consecutive seasons.

Hint: #2  He was the first member of the Hall of Fame to record seasons of 40 home runs for a team in both leagues.

Answer in tomorrow’s newsletter

Frank Robinson