This Day in Braves History: Lonnie Smith Leaves the Mets

Braves Franchise History

1967: Eddie Mathews hits his 500th career home run against the Braves while playing for the Astros, becoming the seventh player in baseball history to reach the mark.

1968: Hank Aaron hits his 500th career home run off the Giants’ Mike McCormick! The three-run home run is the deciding hit for the Braves in a 4-2 victory. Aaron becomes the eighth player in baseball history to reach that milestone.

1977: The Reds beat the Braves 7-1 on Tom Seaver’s two hits and George Foster’s three-homer monster day.

1980: Phil Niekro beats the Astros 2-0. Astros starter J.R. Richard left the game early due to nausea.

1988: Ken Griffey singles for his 2,000th career hit, but the Braves lose to the Mets 9-8.

1989: Lonnie Smith hits a game-winning home run in a 3-2 victory over the Mets despite Sid Fernandez striking out 16 batters.

1996: Ryan Klesko leads Atlanta in a 15-10 victory over the Marlins with two home runs and six RBIs.

1997: The Braves hit two grand slams in the same game for the first time in 10 years. Tim Spehr and Ryan Klesko hit home runs and Atlanta turns a 6-0 deficit into a 10-6 victory.

2000: Braves second baseman Quilvio Veras tears the ACL in his right knee.

2010: The Blue Jays and Braves trade shortstops, with Alex Gonzalez going from Toronto to Atlanta along with minor leaguers Tim Collins and Tyler Pastornicky, for Yunel Escobar and pitcher Jo-Jo Reyes. Escobar hits .238 with little power for the first-place Braves, while Gonzalez has shown unexpected power with the Jays, hitting .259 with 17 homers and 50 RBIs.

2020: The Braves signed free agent OF Yasiel Puig, but the deal fell through after Puig tested positive for COVID.

MLB History

1938: In Toledo, the American Association All-Star team becomes the first team to experiment with uniforms designed to be worn during night games. The shiny red, white, and blue satin uniforms are meant to reflect light during evening games.

1987: Baseball renames the Rookie of the Year award in honor of Jackie Robinson.

2005: The earliest known baseball card, part of a children’s educational game, depicts several boys playing together in a field while one throws a ball to another holding a bat, making its public debut at the Smithsonian Institution. This historic card, which was discovered in a Maine attic, dates to the early 19th century and predates other known cards by several decades.

Information for this item has been found by Baseball Reference, NationalPastime.com And Today in Baseball History.