In this installment of our weekly look back at baseball history, we highlight some of the most historic pitching feats in the game and a pair of late-nineties record-setters at the plate.
This Week In Baseball History: April 24
Koufax Records 18 K’s
On April 24, 1962, Los Angeles Dodgers ace Sandy Koufax fanned 18 Chicago Cubs in nine innings, tying a record he already shared with Bob Feller. Entering the 1962 season, Koufax wasn’t the dominant pitcher fans have learned about over the years. The left-hander had yet to finish a season with an ERA below 3.00 and amassed just a 54-53 record in seven seasons. But in this particular game, Koufax was a man on a mission. He completed the 10-2 Dodger victory allowing six hits and four walks, to go along with the K record, on an astronomical 144 pitches. This start was a sign of things to come, as Koufax would finish the season 14-7 with an NL-best 2.54 ERA, his first of five consecutive ERA crowns.
Chesbro Begins Historic 1904 Season
On April 25, 1904, New York Yankees pitcher Jack Chesbro won his first start of the season. Seems like pretty average stuff for a man with 91 prior victories. It was, except for the fact that it was the first of his 41 wins that season, an American League record that remains untouchable. Chesbro’s 41-12 record definitely jumps off the page, but there’s more. The 5’9″ Yankee hurler finished the year with a 1.82 ERA in 454.2 innings pitched. Chesbro made 51 starts in 1904 and completed 48 of them. No, these are not typos. They’re just stats from a baseball season that occurred almost 120 years ago.
Ryan Express Is Still Rolling
April 26, 1990, was the day Nolan Ryan tied Bob Feller’s record of 12 career one-hitters. The 43-year-old showed he was far from retirement in this start, as he struck out 16 Chicago White Sox and walked two on the way to a 1-0 victory for the Texas Rangers. There are many career stats that stand out in the improbably long baseball story of Nolan Ryan. When you pitch at a high level for 27 years, it makes sense that Ryan owns the mark for most career strikeouts and walks in baseball history. But 12 one-hitters are certainly near the top of the list. The aging flamethrower still managed to lead the American League in strikeouts, WHIP, and H/9 in 1990 and would have three more seasons left in the tank before he called it quits. Somehow, the “Ryan Express” never won a Cy Young.
Nolan Ryan tied Bob Feller's major league record of 12 one-hitters as the Texas Rangers beat the Chicago White Sox 1-0, April 26, 1990. Ryan struck out 16 batters as he allowed only Ron Kittle's check-swing single to right field in the second inning. pic.twitter.com/H2moYI6s15
— Baseball In Pics (@baseballinpix) April 26, 2022
Barry Bonds’ 300th Home Run
Barry Bonds hit the 299th and 300th home runs of his career on April 27, 1996, joining his father Bobby Bonds, Willie Mays, and Andre Dawson in the exclusive 300 homers – 300 steals club. Of course, baseball fans are aware of the controversy that surrounds Barry Bonds’ career and the accolades he collected. Without taking anything away from the greats of the game that came before him, you have to admit – it’s really fun to look at Bonds’ video game-like numbers. At this point in his career, the San Francisco Giants outfielder was already a Hall of Famer. He was the fastest man to join the 300-300 club in just his age-31 season, and he already earned three MVP awards. When he retired nearly a decade later, he finished his career with roughly 200 more stolen bases and 400 more home runs. As they say, “the rest is history”*.
Gonzalez Starts ’98 On Fire
On April 28, 1998, Texas Rangers outfielder Juan Gonzalez hit a 2-run HR to reach 35 RBI for the month of April, an MLB record. In 26 games, Gonzalez recorded 39 hits. 10 of those were doubles and seven were homers, to help him reach the RBI milestone. Usually with a torrid start to the season, a regression quickly follows. Not with Gonzalez in ’98. By the All-Star break, the Rangers slugger already had 101 RBI. This was two short of Hank Greenberg’s record of 103 from 1935. Gonzalez would ride the early season momentum to 157 RBI and his second career MVP award.
Clemens Bursts On To The Scene
On April 29, 1986, Boston Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens struck out 20 Seattle Mariners to set an MLB record in a 3-1 win. In just his third major league season, the hard-throwing Texan quickly proved he was the real deal. In 138 pitches, Clemens was able to fan 20 batters, four coming in the final two innings. 1986 was the beginning of a truly dominant career for Clemens. His 24-4 record and 2.48 ERA earned him the American League Cy Young and MVP awards. Though surrounded by controversy later in his career, Clemens would win another six Cy Youngs. Also, he somehow tossed another 20-strikeout game in 1996.
Main photo credits:
Jack Gruber, USAT via Imagn Content Services, LLC
Players mentioned:
Sandy Koufax, Bob Feller, Jack Chesbro, Nolan Ryan, Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonds, Willie Mays, Andre Dawson, Juan Gonzalez, Hank Greenberg, Roger Clemens
