Cleveland Indians Eddie Murray Joins 3,000 Hit Club

On June 30, 1995 Cleveland Indians first baseman and designated hitter Eddie Murray becomes the just the twentieth major leaguer to reach 3,000 hits in the MLB. 

Murray aka "The Crime Dog," ended his career as an eight time All-Star, including six consecutive selections from 1981-1986. He won all three of his Gold Gloves consecutively from 1982-1984 and won three Silver Slugger awards in 1983, 1984 and 1990.

Murray was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1977 and was part of the Baltimore Orioles team that won the 1983 World Series.

Murray’s career also saw playing time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians and Anaheim Angels to go along with his time with the Mets and Orioles.

Murray would finish his career with a .287 batting average, 3,255 hits, 504 home runs, 1,917 RBIs and 1,627 runs scored. He is one of only four players to have 3,000 hits and 500 home runs. The other three are Hall of Famers Hank Aaron and Willie Mays as well as another famous Orioles slugger Rafael Palmeiro.

His 504 home runs are the most of a player who never hit more than 33 home runs in a season, the second most by a switch hitter to that only of New York Yankees great Mickey Mantle, who hit 536 in his career. They also rank Murray twenty-fifth in all-time home runs.

At the time of his retirement he was tied with Chili Davis for the most games in which he hit a home run from both sides of the plate, 11. In 2011 New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeria broke the record with 12.

A record not shown on the stat book but still a valuable one is that Murray is the record holder for sacrifice flies with 128. You have to drive in the runs at any cost, and Murray got the job done.

The Baltimore Orioles retired Murray’s jersey number 33 in 1998.

In 1999, Murray ranked Number 77 on The Sporting News list of Baseball's Greatest Players, and was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

Murray was also inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003 with 85.3 percent of the vote on the first ballot in which he appeared.

After retirement Murray served as the hitting coach for the Cleveland Indians from 2002 to 2005.

On June 14, 2007, Murray was fired as hitting coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers, after just months on the job.

In 2012 a Bronze statue of Eddie Murray's left handed hitting stance unveiled at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Watch the video below of Murray getting hit 3,000:

San Francisco Giants' Willie McCovey Hits 500th Home Run

On June 30, 1978, San Francisco Giants slugger and Hall of Fame first baseman Willie McCovey hits his 500th career home run off Atlanta Braves' reliever James Easterly.

McCovey hitting his 500th career home run.

McCovey became just the 12th player in history to reach the 500-home run mark, which was considered tantamount to an automatic Hall of Fame induction.

Barry Bonds (center) with Willie McCovey (left) and god father Willie Mays (right) after he hit his 500th home run.

McCovey finished his career with 521 longballs, tying him with Ted Williams on the all-time list.



McCovey Cove and AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif.

McCovey held the record for most intentional walks in a season (45) for over thirty years, until fellow Giants great Barry Bonds shattered it with 68 intentional walks in 2002.

Bonds earned the pitchers' respect partly by knocking pitches into the ocean, just beyond the shallow right field wall at Pac Bell Park, now AT&T Park.

That area of the water was honored after one Willie McCovey, and was called "McCovey Cove." See how it all came together?

Oakland Athletics Dave Stewart And Los Angeles Dodgers Fernando Valenzuela Throw No-Hitters

On June 29, 1990 Oakland Athletics Dave Stewart no-hits the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers Fernando Valenzuela no-hits the St. Louis Cardinals. 

It is the first time no-hitters were thrown in both leagues on the same day. 

The two were also teammates in 1981 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the last time the Dodgers won the World Series.

Stewart played 17 seasons in the MLB with the Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays.

Stewart ended his career with one All-Star nomination in 1989, a three-time World Series Champion in 1981 with the Dodgers, 1989 with the Athletics and in 1993 with the Blue Jays. In 1989 he was also the World Series MVP.

Stewart was a two time American League Championship Series (ALCS) MVP in 1990 and 1993, with the Athletics and Blue Jays respectively. In 1989 he won the Babe Ruth award and in 1990 he won the Roberto Clemente Award.

Stewart finished his career with 168 wins and 129 losses, a 3.95 ERA with 1,741 strikeouts in the regular season.

In the post season Stewart excelled. In 22 games he pitched 133 innings with 10 wins and six losses, posting a 2.77 ERA with 73 strikeouts while only allowing 13 home runs.

In the World Series, Stewart started eight games, and pitched in 10 for a total of 57 innings. He accumulated a 2-4 record with an ERA of 3.32 while striking out 33. Both of his World Series victories came with the Athletics against the San Francisco Giants in the 1989 Battle of the Bay World Series.

After retirement Stewart has served as pitching coach for the San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, and Toronto Blue Jays.

He was also assistant general manager for the Blue Jays, and for a time regarded as a candidate for GM.

He started a sports agency called Sports Management Partners, and currently represents Major League players such as Matt Kemp and Chad Billingsley of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Valenzuela played 18 seasons in the MLB with the Dodgers, California Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Valenzuela ended his career with six All-Star nominations, one World Series Championship in 1981 with the Dodgers.

He was the 1981 Rookie of the Year and CY Young award winner, making the first time in history that a rookie had won both awards. He was a Gold Glove winner in 1986, a two-time Silver Slugger winner in 1981 and 1983.

Valenzuela finished his career with 173 wins and 153 losses, a 3.54 ERA and 2,074 strikeouts in the regular season.

In the post season Valenzuela was stellar. In nine games he pitched 63.2 innings with five wins and one loss, posting a 1.98 ERA and 44 strikeouts all while allowing just one home run.

In his only World Series appearance Valenzuela pitched a complete game, nine innings allowing four earned runs, striking out six for the win over the New York Yankees.

After retirement Valenzuela returned to the Dodgers organization in 2003 as the Spanish-language radio color commentator for National League West games, joining Jaime Jarrín and Pepe Ýñiguez in the Spanish-language booth.

Valenzuela also served on the coaching staff of Team Mexico during the 2006 World Baseball Classic, 2009 World Baseball Classic and 2013 World Baseball Classic.

He was inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame on August 23, 2003, in a pregame on the field ceremony at Dodger Stadium.

In 2005, he was named one of three starting pitchers on Major League Baseball's Latino Legends Team.

Dodgers’ clubhouse manager Mitch Poole has unofficially kept Valenzuela's jersey number 34 out of circulation out of respect for him.

On October 26, 2010, ESPN broadcast a documentary commemorating Valenzuela's arrival with the Dodgers titled Fernando Nation as part of their 30 for 30 documentary series.

In 2013, he was enshrined into the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame.

Houston Astros Craig Biggio Records 3,000th Hit

On June 28, 2007, Astros second baseman Craig Biggio recorded his 3,000th hit.

Biggio joined an exclusive club even though he got caught trying to extend a single into a double.

Biggio collected five hits on a night that ended with a game-winning walk-off grand slam from teammate Carlos Lee in the bottom of the 11th.

It came one day shy of the 19th anniversary of Biggio's first career hit.

It was not the first milestone Biggio reached in his career; a few years earlier, he passed Don Baylor for the all-time record in getting hit by a pitch (268).

Watch the video of Biggio's 3,000th hit below:

Toronto Blue Jays Frank Thomas Hits 500th Home Run

Frank Thomas hitting home run 500.

On June 28, 2007, former MVP slugger Frank Thomas is the first of three players to hit their 500th career home run in 2007.

Thomas' blast came in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.

The longtime White Sox player had been ungracefully cut by Chicago after they won the championship in 2005. Thomas then bounced to Oakland and then to Toronto; in 2008, he returned to Oakland after being waived by the Jays.

The fan who caught the home run ball, 24 year-old Todd Eisenlohr, gave the ball back to Thomas in exchange for a chance to meet him.

Jim Thome launching his 600th home run.

Thomas got his 500-ball and awarded Eidenlohr with an autographed bat, ball, and jersey. It would have been a perfect story ... except that Thomas argued a call in the ninth inning and was promptly ejected, earning him the distinction as the first player to get ejected in a game where he hit his 500th homer.




The other two players to hit their 500th home run in the 2007 season were Jim Thome and Alex Rodriguez.

Alex Rodriguez hitting his 500th home run.

Thome would go on to finish his career with 612 home runs, while Rodriguez currently has 654 home runs, although he will have to wait until next season to see if he can add on to his total due to a season long suspension.

The 1995 NBA Draft

On June 28, 1995, the NBA Draft took place at the Skydome in Toronto, Ontario. This marked the first occasion that the draft was held outside the United States.

The 1995 NBA Draft was also the first for the newly added expansion teams, both Canadian squads in the Vancouver Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors, who held the sixth and seventh picks, respectively.  

With the sixth pick the Grizzlies selected center Bryant “Big Country” Reeves out of Oklahoma State, while the Raptors chose point guard Damon Stoudamire from the Arizona Wildcats.  Reeves turned out to be a bust playing in only six seasons in the NBA and averaging a mediocre 12.5 points per game throughout his career.

Damon Stoudamire went on to enjoy a fine NBA career.  In his first year he was awarded the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as the league’s Rookie of the Year.  Stoudamire would play 13 seasons, many as a starter and appeared in the playoffs seven times.

NHL Approves Four Expansion Teams

On June 27, 1997, the National Hockey League (NHL) officially approved expansion to 30 teams by the year 2000 with the announcement of new teams in Atlanta, Columbus, Minnesota and Nashville.

The history of the National Hockey League begins with the end of its predecessor league, the National Hockey Association (NHA), in 1917.
 

The NHL's first quarter-century saw the league compete against two rival major leagues—the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and Western Canada Hockey League—for players and the Stanley Cup.

The NHL first expanded into the United States in 1924 with the founding of the Boston Bruins, and by 1926 consisted of ten teams in Ontario, Quebec, the Great Lakes region, and the Northeastern United States.

At the same time, the NHL emerged as the only major league and the sole competitor for the Stanley Cup; in 1947, the NHL completed a deal with the Stanley Cup trustees to gain full control of the Cup.

The NHL's footprint spread across Canada as Foster Hewitt's radio broadcasts were heard coast-to-coast starting in 1933.

The Great Depression and World War II reduced the league to six teams, later known as the "Original Six", by 1942.

The Original Six era ended in 1967 when the NHL doubled in size by adding six new expansion teams. The six existing teams were formed into the newly created East Division, while the expansion teams were formed into the West Division.

The NHL continued to expand, adding another six teams, to total 18 by 1974. This continued expansion was partially brought about by the NHL's attempts to compete with the World Hockey Association, which operated from 1972 until 1979 and sought to compete with the NHL for markets and players.

The NHL became involved in international play in the mid-1970s, starting with the Summit Series in 1972 which pitted the top Canadian players of the NHL against the top players in the Soviet Union, which was won by Canada with four wins, three losses, and a tie. Eventually, Soviet-Bloc players streamed into the NHL with the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989.

When the WHA ceased operations in 1979, the NHL absorbed four of the league's teams, which brought the NHL to 21 teams, a figure that remained constant until the San Jose Sharks were added as an expansion franchise in 1991. Since then, the league has grown from 22 teams in 1992 to 30 today as the NHL spread its footprint across the United States. The league has withstood major labor conflicts in 1994–95 and 2004–05, the latter of which saw the entire 2004–05 NHL season canceled, the first time in North American history that a league has canceled an entire season in a labor dispute.

There was again another conflict in the NHL, a dispute between the players and owners and the season was cut almost in half, with 526 games being cancelled, approximately 43 percent of the season.

Just after 5 am on January 6, 2013, after approximately 16 continuous hours of negotiating, the NHL and the player's union reached a tentative deal on a new collective bargaining agreement to end the lockout. The first games of the season were held on January 19.

The expansion had it's own problems too. In under 20 years the Atlanta franchise was folding, and being moved back to Winnipeg, and would be renamed to the Jets in 2013, the franchises original namesake. The Jets still play in Winnipeg to this day.

Los Angeles Dodgers Jerry Reuss' No-Hits San Francisco Giants

On June 27, 1980, the Los Angeles Dodgers Jerry Reuss' throws a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants in an 8-0 game.

Reuss played for eight teams in his major league career; along with the Dodgers (1979–87), he played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1969–71), Houston Astros (1972–73), and Pittsburgh Pirates (1974–78). At the end of his career (1987–90), he played for the Cincinnati Reds, California Angels, Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and the Pirates again (Reuss is one of only two Pirates to have played for Danny Murtaugh, Chuck Tanner, and Jim Leyland, the other being John Candelaria).

 

Reuss was the third oldest active player when he retired at age 41 in 1990. He was one of only 29 players in major league history to play in four different decades. In 1988 he became the second pitcher in history, joining Milt Pappas, to win 200 career games without ever winning 20 in a single season.

He was later joined by Frank Tanana, Charlie Hough, Dennis Martínez, Chuck Finley, Mike Mussina, Kenny Rogers, and Tim Wakefield. (Mussina won 20 for the first time after recording his 200th win.)

Reuss finished his career with 220 wins and 191 losses, a 3.64 ERA and 1,907 strikeouts.

His career also saw accomplishments come in the form of two All-Star selections in 1975 and 1980, with the Pirates and Dodgers respectively. Also in 1980 Reuss was named the National League Comeback Player of the Year, after posting eighteen wins and only six losses, and leading the majors in shutouts with six.

His no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants on June 27, only saw him strike out two batters, narrowly missing a perfect game due to a throwing error in the first inning by shortstop Bill Russell.

Reuss finished second behind Steve Carlton in the running for the Cy Young Award that same year.

In 1981 Reuss was on the Dodgers World Series Championship team.

After his playing time in baseball, Reuss became a broadcaster for baseball, working nationally for ESPN from 1991 to 1993, and was also a color commentator for the California/Anaheim Angels from 1996-98.

He also served as a pitching coach with the minor league Iowa Cubs before returning to broadcasting with the Dodgers in 2006, serving as a color commentator alongside Rick Monday.

Pittsbugrh Pirates Manager Lloyd McClendon Gets Ejected

On June 26, 2001, Pittsburgh Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon was ejected from a game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Pirates manager had witnessed two questionable calls by first base ump Rick Reed. That plus the strain of coaching the last-place Pirates compounded McClendon's frustration.



McClendon threw his hat in outrage, picked up first base, and exited the field to a standing ovation with the base still under his arm. When he got to the dugout, he heaved the base down the steps and went back to the clubhouse.

The umpires decided not to go after fuming McClendon and wisely replaced the base with a new one.

Pittsburgh trailed 6-4 in bottom of the 11th inning, but kept the game alive with a two-out, two-run homer by Aramais Ramirez.

In the 12th inning, Rob Mackowiak singled to center to score Dmitri Young, giving the Pirates a 7-6 win. Afterward, Lloyd was dealt a $1000 fine, and an all-time spot on the coaching-meltdown Hall of Fame.

Los Angeles Lakers Sign Magic Johnson To 25 Year Deal

There are short contracts. There are long contracts. And then there's the contract Magic Johnson received on June 26, 1981.

After just two seasons, Magic Johnson was already considered one of the most talented players the NBA ever had. It was that level of skill that granted Magic the the most extensive deal in NBA history, as Jerry Buss handed Magic a 25-year, $25 million contract to stick around with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The deal began in 1984, would have ended in 2009, and gave the Lakers' guard one million per season. 

Johnson became just the third player to earn a million-dollar annual salary, joining fellow L.A. teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Houston Rockets forward Moses Malone.

Though he had been given largest contract in the history of professional sports, Johnson was a long way from being happy. Only five months later, the franchise player asked to be traded and subsequently forced Buss to fire head coach Paul Westhead.



With the hiring of Pat Riley in Westhead's place, Johnson remained with the Los Angeles Lakers and helped them win multiple titles over the course of the decade. But by the time his contract became active, it was no longer the lucrative mega-deal that it was when he signed it. Players of all sports were now making $2-3 million a year, and his 25-year deal was preventing him from raking in the cash. He later renegotiated his deal and resumed make top dollar like everyone else.

Mark McGwire Hits 300th Home Run

On June 25, 1996 Oakland Athletics slugger Mark McGwire hits home run number 300 for his career, he would end his career with 583 home runs.

In 1987, he broke the single-season home run record for rookies, with 49. Throughout his career Mark McGwire hit 49 or more home runs five times en route to hitting 583 career home runs. Four times McGwire led the league in home runs. For his career, McGwire averaged a home run once every 10.61 at bats, the best at bats per home run ratio in baseball history (Babe Ruth is second at 11.76).

1n 1998 as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals McGwire and fellow National League central rival, Chicago Cubs right fielder Sammy Sosa both encountered on a record-breaking home run season. McGwire and Sosa would both end up breaking Babe Ruth’s single season home run record of 61 home runs, as Sosa went on to hit 66 home runs and McGwire 70.

McGwire’s 70 home run season was a Major League record until 2002 when Barry Bonds broke the feat when he hit 72 home runs.

McGwire finished his career with a .263 career batting average, 1,626 hits, 1,167 runs, 1,414 RBIs to go along with his 583 home runs. His career on base percentage was .394, his career slugging percentage was .588 and his on base plus slugging was .982.

McGwire was the 1987 American League Rookie of the Year, and was a 12-time All-Star including six-straight appearances twice, from 1987-1992 and from 1995-2000. He was a two-time World Series Champion, once as a player with the Oakland Athletics in 1989 and once as a coach with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011. He won a Golden Glove at first base with the A’s in 1990 and won three Silver Slugger awards, two with the A’s in 1992 and 1996 and one with the Cardinals in 1998. McGwire also won the 1992 Home Run Derby and was given the Lou Gehrig Award in 1999.

Also in 1999 he was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

McGwire also played for Team USA in the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 helping Team USA earn a Silver medal. McGwire also helped the United States in international play during the Pan American Games and Intercontinental Cup in 1983 helping the USA earn a Bronze and Silver medals respectively.

In 1999, The Sporting News released a list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. The list had been compiled during the 1998 season and included statistics through the 1997 season. McGwire was ranked at Number 91.

In 2005, The Sporting News published an update of their list and McGwire had been moved up to Number 84.

However, in the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 balloting for the Baseball Hall of Fame, McGwire failed to attain election receiving 128 of the 545 cast (23.5 percent of the vote) in 2007, 128 of 543 (23.6) in 2008, 118 of 539 (21.9) in 2009, 128 of 539 (23.7) in 2010, 115 of 581 (19.8) in 2011, 112 of 573 (19.5) in 2012, and 96 of 569 (16.9) in 2013.

McGwire had a Hall of Fame career based on his stats and accomplishments but because of his trouble with performance enhancing drugs (PED) his call to the hall might come in to questioning.

Cal Ripken Jr. Plays 1,000th Consecutive Game

On June 25, 1988 Hall of Famer and Baltimore Orioles great, Cal Ripken Jr. plays consecutively for 1,000 games. He would go on to play a total of 2,131 consecutive games breaking the record previously held by Lou Gehrig, in 1995 and in 1998 he would see his consecutive game streak end at 2.632.

To this day Ripken Jr. is still holds the most games played consecutively.

 

Ripken Jr. giving a curtain call farewell to his fans at Camden Yards in Baltimore.

Ripken Jr. finished his career with a .276 batting average, 3,184 hits, 431 home runs, 1,078 extra base hits, 603 doubles, 1,129 walks 1,647 runs and 1,695 RBIs in 3,001 games played. All of which are Baltimore Orioles records.

Ripken Jr. was the 1982 American League Rookie of the Year, and was a 19-time All-Star; making the All-Star team in every season he played except for his Rookie campaign. He was the All-Star Game MVP twice in 1991 and 2001, and is still the All-time leader in MLB All-Star fan balloting with 36,123,483 votes. He has the most starts at shortstop for the American League in an All-Star game with 15, and 17 in total with two at third base.

He won the World Series once with the Orioles in 1983, was a two-time Gold Glove winner in 1991 and 1992. He was an eight-time Silver Slugger award, including four straight from 1983-1986. He was a two time American League MVP in 1983 and 1991. Ripken was the 1991 Home Run Derby winner and in 1992 he received the Roberto Clemente and Lou Gehrig Awards.

In 1999 Ripken Jr. was named to Major League Baseball’s All-Century Team. That same yea he was ranked number 78 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players.

Ripken Jr. had his iconic number eight Baltimore Orioles jersey retired in 2001, that same year he was ranked the third greatest shortstop all-time in The New Bill James Historical Abstract.

He was elected into the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007 with 98.53 percent of the vote on the first ballot in which he appeared. The third highest for a player ever, and the highest ever for a position player.

Dallas Mavericks Trade For Dirk Nowitzki And Steve Nash

On June 24, 1998, the Dallas Mavericks pull off one of the greatest draft day trades of all time, acquiring not one but two franchise players in one fell swoop. 

In what was essentially a three-team trade involving the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns, the Dallas Mavericks received Dirk Nowitzki (the ninth pick in the draft) from the Milwaukee Bucks for Robert "Tractor" Traylor (the sixth pick in the draft) and Pat Garrity; the Mavs then traded Garrity, two throw-in players, and a future first round draft pick to the Suns for Steve Nash.

The move, orchestrated by Dallas head coach Don Nelson, was a brilliant one. Steve Nash went from being an above-average backup to becoming the best point guard in the NBA. Nowitzki became the most versatile seven-footer the league had ever seen and was the first European-born player to win the MVP. 

With the help of those two, the Mavericks went from one of the most inept franchises in the league to a perennial powerhouse in the Western Conference.

 

Steve Nash would later return to Phoenix as a free agent, where he won two MVP awards and turned the franchise around. 

The Bucks, on the other hand, did not get a consolation prize. Tractor Traylor played only seven seasons in the NBA and had a career average of 4.8 points per game -- miles away from Dirk Nowitzki, who averaged 26.6 per game in 2006.

Bucks fans would rue the trade for years to come. Had they not traded away Nowitzki and instead teamed him with their big three of Ray Allen, Sam Cassell, and Glenn Robinson -- a team that would go to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2001 -- the Bucks would have been a championship-caliber team. Instead they watched in agony as the Mavericks advanced to the NBA Finals in 2006, while their team struggled just to stay relevant.

Nowitzki has since won an NBA title with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, beating the Miami Heat in six games to win himself, Mark Cuban the Mavericks general manager and the fans of Dallas basketball franchise their first NBA Championship. Nowitzki also won the NBA MVP in 2007, along with being named an NBA All-Star 11 times.

Nash has since went on to win two NBA MVP’s in 2005 and 2006, as a member of the Phoenix Suns, where he was traded in 2004, as well as being named to eight NBA All-Star games.