Phillies have set a franchise record home runs in a month with 50, and there's three games left to play in August.

Thanks to Chuck Darrow for supplying this: On May 6, 1953 "Alva "Bobo" Hollowell of the St. Louis Browns pitched a no-hitter in his first start in the majors; he pitched in 27 games that season, going 3-7 but never pitched in the majors after that year.

There will only be one Brooks Robinson. RIP

My latest BALLNINE column on the 10 pitchers who have won the Cy Young and MVP in the same season, and my suggestions for revamping the awards...

So, after all the worry and fretting and thoughts of suicide, Philadelphia fans can relax for 10 minutes as their team has made the postseason again. I'd prefer the Phils play the Reds in the first round; AZ and Miami scare me

Sandy Koufax was the unanimous choice for the Cy Young in 1965 and 1966, and he finished second each year in the MVP; Dodgers won the pennant both years. Koufax won both awards in 1963

Rollie Fingers became the first reliever to win both the Cy Young and MVP in the same year, the strike-shortened 1981 season. He was also the first reliever to reach 300 saves and was voted into the Hall of Fame.

A future BALLNINE column will tell the story of Rich Gale, the first American to perform in both the US World Series and the Japanese World Series.

Lou Pinella became the first player to win Rookie of the Year Award for an expansion team when he won the honor in 1969 for the Kansas City Royals. KC took him from Boston in the expansion draft.

On March 29, Rich Hoffman didn't have a job in baseball. On Sept. 26, he won the game that clinched the first-place wild card spot for the Phillies.

CF Johann Rojas started the year in AA ball; on 9.26 he drove in the winning run that clinched the first wild card spot for the Phillies.

Five catchers have hit 30 or more home runs in a season. Three are in the Hall of Fame: Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella and Johnny Bench. The others are Gus Triandos and Mike Lieberthal

A Phillies employee asked me this question: who are the only players n the Hall of Fame to hit 500 home runs and win 10 Gold Gloves. Answer: Willie Mays, Mike Schmidt, Ken Griffey, Jr.

After Rollie Fingers helped the Oakland A's win the 1972 World Series, owner Charlie Finley called him and offered him a $1,000 raise for next year. Fingers said he hung up on him, hired an agent, and never spoke with Finley again.

When you pitch as many season (24) as Nolan Ryan did, you'll set some great records: most Ks, seven no-hitters, fewest hits per 9 innings (6.6); he also walked and hit the most batters, committed the most errors and had the most wild pitches. I'd still want him on my team.

Yesterday, Bobby Schantz turned 98; he won the 1952 MVP Award by going 24-7 for the Phila. A's. He is the oldest living MVP recipient.

Brooks Robinson, who passed away yesterday at 86, making one of the greatest, if not the greatest, infield defensive plays ever in the 1970 World Series: x.com/nut_history/st…

2 Boston Red Sox OFs are the only players in history with 3 hits in one inning. On 6.18.53, Gene Stevens hit 2 singles and a double off 3 Detroit Tiger pitchers in the 7th inning. Johnny Damon had a single, double and triple in the 1st inning vs. the Florida Marlins on 6.27.03

I stand corrected: 18 catchers have hit 30 or more home runs in MLB history. Several, such as Roy Campanella, Mike Piazza and Javy Lopez, did it more than once.

Here’s my latest column for BALLNINE.com, about Dr. Harry Edwards, the father of the sociology of sports, including race and sports: ballnine.com/2024/07/30/the…