Today in baseball history: May 19

Nearly 23,500 players have appeared in an official game in the Major League’s 100+ year history. 62 of them were born on May 19.

Just nine exceeded 10.0 WAR throughout their career:

• Ed Walsh, right-handed pitcher, 66.5

• Curt Simmons, left-handed pitcher, 43.3

• Gil McDougald, infielder, 40.8

• Ed Whitson, right-handed pitcher, 21.3

• Newt Allen, infielder, 20.3

• Brandon Inge, third baseman/catcher, 19.2

• Eric Show, right-handed pitcher, 15.6

• Dan Ford, right fielder, 11.8

• Luis Aquino, right-handed pitcher, 10.3

Walsh often gets overlooked as one of the sport’s earliest dominant arms.

13 of Walsh’s 14 seasons in the majors came with the Chicago White Sox. Most of that time he spent as a starter, as Walsh pitched an astonishing 250 complete games en route to throwing almost 3,000 innings (2,964.1) during his career. His 1.82 ERA and 2.02 FIP still stand as all-time records.

Walsh helped lead the White Sox to a World Series title in 1906. He won 40 games in 1908 (only the second, and last, time in MLB history a pitcher won 40+ games).

He’d finish second in AL MVP voting in both 1911 (losing to Ty Cobb) and 1912 (Tris Speaker).

Walsh was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1946 through the Old Timers Committee.

May 19 is also my girlfriend’s fiancé’s birthday. Happy birthday, babe!

😃 😘 🎂

Some highlights and events that took place on this day:

1910: Cy Young collects the 500th win of his career, leading the Cleveland Naps over the Washington Senators in 11 innings.

1933: Boston Red Sox catcher Rick Ferrell homers off his brother, Cleveland Indians pitcher Wes Ferrell, in the second inning. The next inning, Ferrell is behind the plate when Wes homers. It’s the first time in history that brothers on opposing teams homer in the same game.

1962: Stan Musiel collects hit no. 3,431, passing Honus Wagner as the NL’s all-time hits leader.

1963: Detroit Tigers center fielder Bill Bruton ties a record with four doubles in one game.

1964: Cardinals pitcher Ernie Broglio ties a record, throwing three wild pitches in one inning against the Cubs. He’ll be traded weeks later (to the Cubs) as part of the deal that brought Lou Brock to St. Louis.

1968: Senators outfielder Frank Howard’s streak of six-straight games with a home run comes to an end in the first game of a doubleheader with the Tigers. Al Kaline homers in the second game, surpassing Hank Greenberg as Detroit’s all-time home run leader.

1970: Hearings begin in federal court regarding the lawsuit Curt Flood filed against MLB. The process would ultimately lead to the creation of the free agent system.

1971: Pittsburgh’s Roberto Clemente hits the first inside-the-park home run in Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium, which opened that season.

1976: Carl Yastzemski has the only three-homer game of his career, connecting against three different Tigers pitchers in a 9-2 Red Sox victory.

1979: Umpires return to work following a six-week strike.

2000: Catcher Jason Kendall becomes the first Pirates player to hit for the cycle at Three Rivers Stadium. The Pirates had been playing there since 1970.

2002: Cubs first baseman Fred McGriff homers in Milwaukee’s Miller Park, the 40th different stadium he’d homered in, tying a record set by Ellis Burks.

2004: Julio Franco breaks his own record as the oldest player (45) to hit a pinch-hit home run.

2005: Chunichi Dragons infielder Kazuyoshi Tasunami hits the 450th double of his career, breaking the NPB record. He would finish with 487.

2008: Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek catches his fourth no-hitter. Jon Lester pitches. I was at this game!

2010: Mets center fielder Angel Pagan hits the first inside-the-park homer in Nationals Park history and also starts a triple play the next inning. It’s the first time in 55 years that a player has performed both feats in the same game.

2011: 40-year-old Rockies first baseman Jason Giambi had the only three-homer game of his career. He is the second-oldest player to hit three in one game (Musial did so at 41 in 1962).

2021: Yankees right-hander Corey Kluber pitches a no-hitter against the Rangers.

2023: Four CTBC Brothers pitchers combine to throw the first no-hitter in CPBL history, a 3-0 win over the Fubon Guardians.

2024: Padres pitcher Yu Darvish leads the team over the Braves, 9-1, collecting the 200th win of his career between Japan and MLB. Only Hideo Nomo and Hiroki Kuroda reached the mark before him while appearing in both leagues.