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This Date In Baseball

The Associated Press

1903 — Red Ames’ debut with the New York Giants was a five-inning, 5-0, no-hit victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. The game was called in mid-afternoon because of unusual darkness.

1923 — Red Sox first baseman George Burns pulled off an unassisted triple play against the Cleveland Indians.

1951 — Bob Nieman of the St. Louis Browns hit home runs in his first two at-bats in the majors. Both came off Boston Red Sox pitcher Maury McDermott. The Red Sox won 9-6.

1968 — Denny McLain of the Detroit Tigers beat the Oakland A’s 5-4 to become the first pitcher since Dizzy Dean in 1934 to win 30 games.

1986 — Bob Brenly of San Francisco tied a major league record with four errors in one inning, but atoned with two homers, including the game-winner, to give the Giants a 7-6 victory over the Atlanta Braves. Brenly, a catcher, was playing third base.

1987 — Ernie Whitt hit three of Toronto’s major league record 10 home runs as the Blue Jays rolled to an 18-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Baltimore shortstop Cal Ripken had his consecutive-inning streak stopped at 8,243 when he was replaced at shortstop by Ron Washington in the eighth inning.

1990 — Ken Griffey and his son hit back-to-back homers in the first inning of the Seattle Mariners’ 7-5 loss to the California Angels. The unprecedented father-and-son homers came off Kirk McCaskill.

1994 — The baseball season, already shut down by a monthlong strike, was canceled along with the World Series in a vote by 26 of the 28 teams.

1996 — Mark McGwire became the 13th major leaguer to hit 50 home runs in a season with a homer in a 9-8 loss to Cleveland.

1998 — The Atlanta Braves clinched their seventh straight division crown, winning the NL East with a victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Among the major pro sports leagues — baseball, NFL, NBA and NHL — only seven franchises have finished first during the regular season at least seven times in a row.

2002 — Tampa Bay’s 8-4 loss at Toronto was the Devil Rays’ 100th of the season. The Devil Rays (48-100) became the quickest AL team to lose 100 games since the 1949 Washington Senators lost 100 in their 147th game. They also became the first team to lose 100 in consecutive seasons since Toronto did it from 1977-79.

2003 — The Detroit Tigers lost to the Royals 7-2 to become the first team in 34 years to lose 110 games in one season. Detroit (38-110) has the most losses since the Montreal Expos and San Diego Padres went 52-110 in 1969, their first seasons in the major leagues.

2005 — Andruw Jones hit his 50th home run, becoming the first major leaguer to reach that mark since 2002, in Atlanta’s 12-4 loss to Philadelphia.

2008 — Carlos Zambrano pitched the first no-hitter for the Chicago Cubs in 36 years, striking out 10 in a 5-0 win over Houston in a game relocated to Milwaukee because of Hurricane Ike.

2011 — Colorado catcher Eliezer Alfonzo became the first player suspended twice under the Major League Baseball drug program. Alfonzo, will serve a 100-game suspension, was suspended for 50 games in April 2008 while a member of the San Francisco Giants.

2011 — Pittsburgh clinched its 19th consecutive losing season, a record for a major league franchise in North America, losing to the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2. The Pirates, who were 51-44 and led the NL Central by a half-game before play on July 20, dropped to 67-82.

Today’s birthdays: Delmon D. Young 29; Josh Outman 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

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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