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This Date In Baseball

By WTOP Staff

Compiled By PAUL MONTELLA
By The Associated Press

1911 — Boston’s Smoky Joe Wood struck out three Chicago White Sox pinch hitters in the ninth to preserve a 5-4 win.

1915 — Philadelphia’s Grover Cleveland Alexander lost his no-hitter when Artie Butler punched a single with two outs in the ninth. Alexander struck out Bob Bescher for the final out to beat St. Louis 3-0. Alexander went on to pitch three more one-hitters during the season.

1929 — The Cincinnati Reds scored nine runs in the sixth inning, en route to a 21-4 win over the Chicago Cubs.

1935 — Chicago White Sox rookie pitcher John Whitehead loses to St. Louis 2-0. It was his first loss after winning his first eight starts, an AL record for the start of a career.

1943 — New York’s Carl Hubbell snaps the Giants losing streak of seven games by pitching a one-hitter against the Pittsburgh for a 5-1 win. The only hit for Pittsburgh was a solo homer by first baseman Elbie Fletcher.

1949 — Commissioner Happy Chandler lifted the ban on all players who jumped to Mexico, starting in 1946.

1955 — New York’s Mickey Mantle hit a home run off Chicago’s Billy Pierce that traveled an estimated 550 feet. The ball cleared the left-field upper deck at Comiskey Park.

1959 — Pittsburgh’s Dick Stuart hit the longest home run at Forbes Field. Stuart hit a shot over the center-field wall off Chicago pitcher Glenn Hobbie.

1966 — Leo Cardenas of the Reds hit four home runs in a doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs. Cardenas hit two home runs in each game as Cincinnati won the opener 8-3 but dropped the second game 9-5.

1974 — Cleveland had nine baserunners against Texas and all nine score in a 9-3 victory. It was the last time this happened in the 20th century.

1976 — Despite getting three home runs by Bill Robinson, Pittsburgh lost to San Diego, 11-9 in 15 innings.

1986 — San Diego’s Steve Garvey was ejected for the first time in his career when he argued a play at home plate. Garvey, the on-deck hitter, protested the last out of a triple play by the Atlanta Braves. Television replays showed that Bip Roberts was indeed safe. The Padres lost 4-2.

1989 — The Blue Jays lost their debut in the SkyDome as Glenn Braggs hit a two-run homer to lead the Milwaukee Brewers past Toronto 5-3. The $375 million complex featured a $100 million, four-section, retractable roof.

1997 — Alex Rodriguez of the Mariners became the first Seattle player to hit for the cycle in a nine-inning game. He completed the cycle with a double in the ninth of a 14-6 win at Detroit.

2001 — Colorado pitcher Mike Hampton had two homers, three RBIs and recorded his eighth win as Colorado defeated Houston 9-4.

2006 — Cincinnati’s Ken Griffey Jr., homered twice at the new Busch Stadium in St. Louis, to tie Fred McGriff’s major league record of connecting in 43 different stadiums. Griffey second homer was a three-run game winner in the ninth off Jason Isringhausen for an 8-7 win over the Cardinals.

2008 — Atlanta’s Chipper Jones became the third switch-hitter in major league history to hit 400 career home runs. Jones’ homer off Ricky Nolasco was one of his four hits in the 7-5 comeback win over Florida. Mickey Mantle and Eddie Murray were the first two reach the milestone.

2008 — Mark Worrell became the eighth player in St. Louis Cardinals history to hit a home run in his first big league at-bat. Worrell, who also pitched two scoreless innings, hit a three-run shot on a 3-2 pitch from Washington’s Tim Redding in the sixth inning of a 10-9 loss.

2010 — Florida International’s Garrett Wittels extended his hitting streak to 56 games but the Golden Panthers were eliminated by Dartmouth 15-9 in the Coral Gables regional. Wittels hit an RBI double in the top of the first inning off Dartmouth starter Robert Young. Wittels, ended the season two games from the Division I all-time hit streak record set by Oklahoma State’s Robin Ventura in 1987.

2010 — Jamie Moyer pitched a seven-hitter to help the Philadelphia Phillies break out of their offensive slump with a 6-2 win over the San Diego Padres. It was the 47-year-old left-hander’s second complete game this season, and 33rd for a career that began in 1986. He also joined Phil Niekro (121) and Jack Quinn (103) as the only pitchers to win 100 games after age 40.

2011 — Albert Pujols hit a game-ending homer in extra innings for the second straight day, beating the Chicago Cubs with a leadoff shot in the 10th inning of the St. Louis Cardinals’ 3-2 victory. Pujols hammered a fastball from Rodrigo Lopez an estimated 446 feet to left for his 10th career game-ending homer. The previous day, Pujols hit his second homer of the game with two outs in the 12th inning to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Pujols homer came on a 2-1 pitch from Jeff Samardzija.

2013 — The Chicago White Sox and Seattle Mariners played the first game in major league history when each team scored five or more runs in the game when it was scoreless through the ninth. Alejandro De Aza and Alex Rios each had an RBI single in the 16th inning, and Chicago posted a 7-5 victory. Chicago scored five times in the top of the 14th, only to have Seattle complete an improbable rally on Kyle Seager’s tying grand slam off Addison Reed with two out. Seager was the first player to hit a tying grand slam in extra innings and no team had ever scored five or more runs in the 14th inning or later to tie a game.

2013 — Carlos Gonzalez hit three of Colorado’s six homers, and Troy Tulowitzki went 5 for 5 with a pair of homers, powering the Rockies to a 12-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

Today’s birthday: Robinson Chirinos 30.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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