August 28 Boston Red Sox sign free agent Ken “Hawk” Harrelson - This Day in Baseball - The Daily Rewind

Vintage Baseball Reflections

August 28, 1990, Ryne Sandberg of the Chicago Cubs becomes the first second baseman in history to notch consecutive 30-home run seasons. Sandberg hits his milestone 30th home run against the Houston Astros, helping the Cubs to a 5-2 win. Sandberg went onto hit 40 homeruns, he is 1 of 9 men to hit 40 homeruns in a season and the cubs ar the only team to have 40+ homerun hitters at shortstop and secondbase.

August 28, 1967, the Boston Red Sox sign free agent first baseman/outfielder Ken “Hawk” Harrelson, who had been fired by the Kansas City A’s for making critical remarks about owner Charlie Finley. Harrelson reportedly receives a $75,000 bonus and salary package for 1967 and 1968. Harrelson will homer in his first Boston at bat but will hit just .200 for the Red Sox in 1967, he did hit 3 homeruns and drive in 14 however. The next year, however, he will become an All-Star and lead the American League with 109 RBI. Harrelson has become a colorful out spoken announcer since his retirment for baseball.

1951 - The Braves sell pitcher Johnny Sain to the Yankees for $50,000 and a young pitcher named Lew Burdette. It is another late-season insurance measure for the New Yorkers. Burdette would later be the key pitcher when the Braves beat the Yankees in the 1957 World Series. He won games 2,5 and 7 including back to back shutouts in game 5 and 7. Sain did pitch for 3 championship teams for New York but only pitched 13.2 innings over those years and went 1-1 in the World Series. Burdette pitched more innings and won more games in 1957 series alone.