2014 Event Derek Jeter bats the winning ball in his last home game for the New York Yankees, resulting in a 6-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles 2013 Event The famous final New Year's Eve countdown in Times Square will be lead by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor; she will have the honor of pushing he ceremonial countdown button to start the descent of the Times Square New Year's Eve ball 2001 Death Harvey R. Ball, graphic designer, invented the ubiquitous smiley face in 1963, dies at 79 2001 Death Harvey Ball, American Celebrity 1996 Event Karl Krikken out handled the ball for Derbyshire vs. Indians 1996 Death Freddie Stocks, cricket (cent on debut and wkt on 1st ball, Notts), dies 1995 Death Ian Ball, photographer, dies at 80 1994 Event Andy Waller out handled the ball for Mashonaland CD vs. Mash U24 1994 Death George Wildman Ball, under minister of Foreign affairs, dies at 84 1994 Event Richard Jacobs buys naming rights to Indians new ball park at Gateway for $13.8 million (renamed Jacobs Field) 1993 Event Crickets Graham Gooch dismissed handled the ball vs. Australia, Old Trafford 1993 Event Long fly ball by Indians' Carlos Martinez bounces off Jose Canseco's head and goes over fence for a home run 1993 Death Jonathan Ball, English youngster, killed by IRA at 3 1992 Event Brave's Charlie Leibrandt 1,000th strikeout and decides to keep the ball He rolls it to the dugout, allows Ricky Jordan to take 2nd on error 1992 Event Carlos Martinez hits a ball off Jose Canseco's head for a home run 1992 Event Matt Keough, in the dugout, is hit flush in the head by a batted ball 1991 Death William Ball, actor (Suburban Commando), dies at 60 1991 Event Albert Belle is shipped to minors for not running out a ground ball 1991 Event Del Ballard, Jr. throws most famous gutter ball in PBA Tour history 1990 Event New York Yankee Kevin Mass sets record with 12th home run in 1st 92 at bats and becomes 21st to hit a ball into 3rd deck of Seattle's Kingdome 1989 Death Lucille Ball, comedienne (I Love Lucy), dies of heart attack at 78 1989 Event Wayne Holdsworth takes a wicket 1st ball in 1st-class cricket 1987 Death Jean Anouilh, French playwright (Ball of the Voleurs), dies at 77 1987 Event Kevin Gross is 2nd pitcher in 8 days to be ejected for scuffing ball 1987 Event At the Kingdome, Ruppert Jones hits a foul ball that sticks in speaker 1986 Event Trailing 5-3 with 2 out and no one on in bottom of 10th, New York rallies to win Game 6 of the World Series, 6-5, Bill Buckner misplays a ball 1986 Event Soccer ball juggled non-stop for 14:14 hours 1986 Event Iowa's All-American running back, Ronnie Harmon, fumbles the ball 4 times in his last game at the Rose Bowl 1985 Event Uno Lindstron of Sweden, juggles a soccer ball 13.11 miles 1984 Event Dave Kingman's fly ball never comes down (stuck in Metrodome ceiling) 1983 Event Desmond Haynes out handled the ball vs. India 1983 Death Jack Somack, actor (Ball Four, Stockard Channing Show), dies at 64 1983 Event Don Genalo needs just 3 of 5 pins to win Southern California Open bowling tournament, miscalculates his score and intentionally gutters his ball 1979 Event Andrew Hilditch given out handled the ball vs. Pakistan at WACA 1978 Event New York Yankee Reggie Jackson causes World Series controversy by getting in the way of a throw to 1st and deflects the ball away 1978 Death Oscar Homolka, actor (7 Year Itch, Ball of Fire), dies at 79 1976 Event WS shortstop Toby Harrah plays DH without touching a batted ball 1974 Event Mike Schmidt hits a ball off public address speaker on Astrodome roof 1973 Birthday James Haven, actor producer, Angelina Jolie's brother, appeared in 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation' television show and the film 'Monster's Ball' 1972 Event Kiteman attempting to throw out 1st ball in Phillie Vet crashes into centerfield seats 1972 Event New York Yankees agree to continue playing ball in the Bronx 1972 Birthday Chris Ball, born in Costa Mesa, California, kayak, alternate 1996 Olympics 1972 Birthday Lloy Ball, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, volleyball setter 1996 Olympics 1970 Event Jim Bouton's controversial "Ball Four" is published 1970 Event Com Bowie Kuhn reprimands Astro Jim Bouton for writing "Ball Four" 1969 Event Dallas Cowboy kicker Mike Clark, attempting an on-side kick against Cleveland, missed the ball 1969 Event Met Cleon Jones awarded 1st base when shoe polish on ball proves he is hit by a pitch, he scores on a home run in World Series 1969 Event Pirate Willie Stargell is 1st to hit a ball out of Dodger Stadium 1968 Event 1st date in controversial Jim Bouton baseball diary "Ball Four" 1967 Event Melville Abrams Ball Field in Bronx named 1967 Event 19th Emmy Awards: Mission Impossible, Monkees, Don Knotts and Lucy Ball 1966 Birthday Eric Ball, NFL running back for the Oakland Raiders 1964 Birthday Jerry Ball, NFL defensive tackle, Oakland Raiders, Minnesota Vikings 1963 Event Mickey Mantle hits a ball off Yankee Stadium's facade 1962 Event John F. Kennedy throws out 1st ball at Washington's new DC Stadium 1961 Birthday Lee Rocker, Leon Drucker, rock bassist, Stray Cats-Gonna Ball 1961 Event Norm Cash becomes 1st Det Tiger to hit a ball out of Tiger Stadium 1960 Event Coleman/Leigh's musical "Wildcat" with Lucille Ball premieres in New York City 1960 Death Jimmy Savo, comedian (Through the Crystal Ball), dies at 65 1960 Event Lucille Ball files divorce from Desi Arnaz 1959 Event Intikhab Alam bowls Colin McDonald with 1st ball in Tests 1959 Birthday David Ball, Blackpool, rock keyboardist, Soft Cell 1959 Death Abdul Aziz, cricket, dies at 17 struck by ball in fc match for Karachi 1957 Birthday Glen Hoddle, English soccer ball player, Tottenham 1957 Event Yankee Bill Skowron becomes 3rd player to hit a ball out of Fenway 1956 Event 8th Emmy Awards: Ed Sullivan Show, Phil Silvers Show and Lucy Ball 1952 Event Alan Freed presents Moondog Coronation Ball at old Cleveland Arena, 25,000 attend 1st rock and roll concert ever 1951 Birthday Catie Ball, U.S., 100 m breast stroke swimmer, Olympic-4X4 gold-1968 1951 Event Babe Didrikson Zaharias wins Orlando Florida 2 Ball Golf Tournament 1950 Event Indians' Luke Easter hits longest ball in Cleveland Stadium history, 477 feet, into upper deck, Section 4 1949 Event Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz wed for the second time 1948 Birthday Samuel E Wright, Camden, South Carolina, actor, Enos, Ball Four 1948 Birthday Dave Ball, rocker, Procul Harum 1945 Event 1st ball point pen goes on sale, 57 years after it is patented 1945 Birthday Brenda Benet, Hollywood, actress, Lee-Days of Our Lives, Beach Ball 1945 Event New balata ball used in baseball, 50% livilier 1944 Birthday Roger Ball, Scotland, saxophonist, Average White Band 1944 Birthday Martin Fried, rocker, Cyrkle-Red Rubber Ball 1943 Birthday Anna Ford, British broadcaster/actress, Secret Policeman's Ball 1943 Birthday Reg[inald] Presley, Ball, rock vocalist, Troggs-Wild Thing 1943 Event Pirates Rip Sewell 1st throws his dew-drop (eephus) ball in a game 1943 Event NL Ford Frick demonstrates revised balata ball to reporters by bouncing it on his office carpet ball proves to be 50% livelier 1943 Event Baseball approves official ball (with cork and balata) 1940 Event Bradman out 1st ball for SA vs. Victoria before 6213 1940 Event Lucille Ball weds Desi Arnaz 1940 Event Japan eliminates U.S. terms (strike, play ball) from baseball 1940 Birthday Tony Oliva, ball player, batting champ, AL Rookie of Year 1964 1939 Death James Deacon White, ball player jumped teams in 1876 (Chi), dies at 91 1939 Birthday Jim Bouton, born in Newark, New Jersey, pitcher, New York Yankees, author of Ball Four 1939 Death Johann Strauss, Austrian conductor/Royal ball director, dies at 72 1938 Event Major leagues agrees on standard ball 1938 Birthday Johnny Ball, British Entertainer 1935 Birthday Christopher Ball, linguist/warden, Keble College-Oxford 1934 Birthday Alan Bennett, England, playwright/actor, Secret Policeman's Other Ball 1934 Event National and American baseball leagues select a uniform ball 1932 Birthday Michael Ball, Bishop, Truro 1932 Birthday Peter Ball, Bishop, Gloucester 1931 Event Golf ball size hail falls in Burlington, New Jersey 1931 Birthday William Ball, actor, Suburban Commando 1930 Event Baseball changes rule, ball bounces into stands not a home run, now a double 1930 Event White Sox 1st baseman Bud Clancy didn't handle ball at all in a 9 inning game vs St. Louis Browns 1930 Birthday Kenny Ball, born in Essex, England, musician, lead trumpet player, Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen, appeared in film Live It Up!, featured with Joe Brown, Brenda Lee on Kapp Records 1926 Birthday Big Mama Thornton, blues singer, Ball and Chain, Stronger than Dirt 1925 Birthday Christopher Ball, born in Oxford, warden, Keble College 1924 Birthday Russell Endean, cricketer, 28 Tests for South Africa, handled the ball 1956 1923 Death Raymond Radiguet, French journalist and writer (Ball du Comte), dies at 20 1921 Birthday Harvey Ball, American Celebrity 1920 Event Baseball outlaws all pitches involving tampering with ball 1918 Birthday Jack Somack, born in Chicago, Illinois, actor, Ball Four, Stockard Channing Show 1917 Event 1st jazz record released (Dark Town Strutters Ball) 1917 Event 1st jazz record recorded (Dark Town Strutters Ball) 1915 Event St. Louis 3rd base coach Miller Huggins, calls for ball Brooklyn rookie obliges, Huggins steps aside, and Card runner scores 1914 Birthday Ian Ball, photographer 1913 Death Robert S Ball, Irish mathematician/astronomer (Ball Screw), dies 1913 Event President Woodrow Wilson throws out 1st ball, Senators beat Yankees 2-1 1913 Birthday Horace Smith, cricketer, New Zealand, only Test wkt off his 1st ball, Paynter, 1912 Birthday Lightnin' [Sam] Hopkins, born in Texas, blues stylist, Ball of Twine 1911 Death Thomas Ball, U.S. sculptor/painter/singer, dies at 92 1911 Birthday Lucille Ball, born in Jamestown, New York, comedienne/actress, I Love Lucy, Mame 1910 Event Dodgers and Pirates play to 8-8 tie, both have 38 at bats, 13 hits, 12 assists, 2 errors, 5 strikeouts, 3 walks, 1 pass ball and 1 hit by pitch 1910 Event Taft is 1st President to throw out a 1st ball at a baseball game 1910 Event President Taft begins tradition of throwing out ball on opening day 1910 Birthday Rudi Ball, Germany, Jewish ice hockey star, 1932 Olympics bronze 1909 Birthday George Ball, Iowa, lawyer/undersecretary of state 1909 Event Cleveland shortstop Neal Ball executes an unassisted triple play 1908 Event Billy Murray hits the charts with "Take Me Outto the Ball Game" 1908 Event 1st time, ball signifying new year dropped at Times Square 1907 Event For 1st time a ball drops at Times Square to signal new year 1907 Birthday Burrill Phillips, Omaha Nebraska, composer, Play Ball 1907 Event Interprovincial Rugby Football union (Big Four) forms with Hamilton Tigers, Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Rough Riders and Montreal Foot Ball 1904 Death Lafcadio Hearn, author (Soul of the Great Ball), dies at 54 1904 Event "Official Playing Rules of Professional Base Ball Clubs" adopted 1903 Event In 11th an old black ball is put into play against Cleveland, Tigers' Nap Lajoie protests ignored, he hurls ball out of park and forfeits game 1900 Birthday Jed Harris, producer/director, Billy Rose Show, Operation Mad Ball 1900 Event Rival forces fight for control of the Union Park ball grounds in Balt 1892 Birthday Roy Park, cricketer, one Test Australia vs. England 1920, out 1st ball 1892 Event Mrs William Astor invites 400 guests to a grand ball at her mansion thus beginning use of "400" to describe socially elite 1886 Event 1st dinner jacket worn to autumn ball at Tuxedo Park, New York (tuxedo) 1886 Birthday Hugo Ball, German playwright/co-founder Flametti 1884 Event Montreal Foot Ball Club (QFRU) defeats Toronto Argonauts (ORFU) 30-0 in 1st CRFU Championship game 1876 Birthday Ernest Schelling, Belvidere, New Jersey, composer and conductor, Victory Ball 1876 Event Albert Spalding with $800 starts sporting goods co, manufacturing 1st official baseball, tennis ball, basketball, golf ball, and football 1872 Event Montreal Foot Ball Club 1st game playing Quebec City to 0-0 tie 1870 Event Fred Goldsmith demonstrates curve ball isn't an optical illusion 1869 Event Canada's Hamilton Foot Ball Club plays its 1st game 1869 Event Canada's Hamilton Foot Ball Club forms 1865 Event John Hyatts patents billard ball 1865 Event President Lincolns 2nd Inaugural Ball 1864 Event Fire Department celebrates 1st annual ball 1864 Event Battle at Ball's Ferry Georgia (30 casualties) 1862 Event Bowling ball invented 1859 Event Philadelphia A's organize to play "town ball" became baseball 20 years later 1848 Birthday William "Candy" Cummings, created curve ball 1847 Birthday James Deacon White, Canton, New York, ball player jumped teams in 1876, Chi 1840 Birthday Robert S. Ball, Irish mathematician and astronomer 1833 Death James Ball Antyne, Scottish founder (Ball Antyne Press), dies at about 60 1829 Event Unruly crowd mobs White House during President Jackson inaugural ball 1819 Birthday Thomas Ball, U.S., sculptor/painter/singer 1817 Birthday Mary Ann Ball Bickerdyke, U.S., army nurse, union 1801 Event Elisha Brown, Jr. pressed a 1,235 pound cheese ball at his farm 1789 Death Mary Ball Washington, mother of George Washington, dies 1789 Event 1st inaugurational ball (for George Washington in New York City) 1521 Event Ignatius Loyola seriously wounded by a cannon ball 1393 Death Aimery Poitiers, French nobleman, burned at royal ball 1393 Death Yvain, son of earl of Foix, burned at royal ball 1393 Event Fire during Royal Ball at Paris, 4 die (Ball of the Ardents) 1393 Death Earl of Joigny, burned at royal ball 1381 Death John Ball, English priest/ideologist of Boer uprising, hanged
