Anaheim Angels Garret Anderson Has 10 RBI Game

 On Aug. 21, 2007, Anaheim Angels outfielder Garret Anderson gets 10 RBI’s against the New York Yankees.

The game was an 18-9 victory by the Angels over the Yankees. Anderson’s performance started in the first inning as he drove in two runs on a double off of Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina.

Anderson would continue his day with another RBI-double in the second inning, making his RBI total three, through two innings.

In the third inning Anderson would hit a three-run homer off the Yank’s, making his RBI total 6 through three innings and putting the score at 12-5.

Anderson would make his first out of the game in the bottom of the fifth, but when he came back up to bat in the sixth, Anderson continued his tear. He hit another home run, this time a grand slam, putting his RBI total for the game at 10, and putting the score at 18-5.

Anderson would get out in his final at-bat during the eighth inning, ending the day going 4-6 with 10 RBI’s, including a three run homer and a grand slam.

This would be Anderson’s most prolific game from the batters box. Anderson finished his career with 287 home runs, 1,365 RBI’s, a .293 average and 2,529 hits.

Nolan Ryan Records 3,000th Strikeouts

On July 4, 1980, Hall of Famer and then Houston Astros ace Nolan Ryan becomes the fourth pitcher in Major League Baseball history to strikeout 3,000 batters.

Ryan enjoyed the best years of his career with the California Angels, where he threw four of his MLB record seven no-hitters. The seven are three more than any other pitcher. He is tied with Bob Feller for most one-hitters, with 12. Ryan also pitched 18 two-hitters. Despite the seven no-hitters, he never threw a perfect game, nor did he ever win a Cy Young Award.

Ryan is one of only 29 players in baseball history to have appeared in Major League baseball games in four decades and the only pitcher to have struck out seven pairs of fathers and sons. While his lifetime winning percentage was .526, Ryan was an eight-time MLB All-Star, with 324 wins and 292 losses. With a career 3.19 earned run average.

Ryan would finish his career with 5,714 career strikeouts, which rank first in major league baseball history by a significant margin. He leads the runner-up, Randy Johnson, by 839 strikeouts. Similarly, Ryan's 2,795 bases on balls lead second-place Steve Carlton by 962; walking over 50 percent more hitters than any other pitcher in Major League history. Ryan and Sandy Koufax are the only two pitchers inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame who had more strikeouts than innings pitched.

Other than Jackie Robinson (whose number was retired by the entire MLB), Ryan is currently the only major league baseball player to have his number retired by at least three different teams: the Los Angeles Angels, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers.

Ryan was inducted into Cooperstown Hall of Fame in 1999 with 98.79 percent of the vote on the first ballot in which he appeared.

The list of current 3000 strikeout pitchers includes in this order from most to least, Nolan Ryan, 5,714, Randy Johnson, 4,875, Roger Clemens, 4,672, Steve Carlton, 4,136, Bert Blyleven, 3,701, Tom Seaver, 3,640, Don Sutton, 3,574, Gaylord Perry, 3,534, Walter Johnson, 3,509, Greg Maddux, 3,371, Phil Niekro, 3,342, Ferguson Jenkins, 3,192, Pedro Martinez, 3,154, Bob Gibson, 3,117, Curt Schilling, 3,116 and John Smoltz, 3,084.

Texas Rangers' Nolan Ryan Sets MLB Strikeout Record

On July 2, 1990, Texas Rangers ace Nolan Ryan strikes out batter 100 on the season, setting an MLB record of 22 seasons with at least 100 strikeouts. Ryan started the streak in 1978.

The record was previously held by Don Sutton, who had done it in 21 consecutive seasons.

Ryan, who enjoyed the best years of his career with the California Angels, where he threw four of his MLB record seven no-hitters. Those seven no-hitters are three more than any other pitcher. He is tied with Bob Feller for most one-hitters, with 12. Ryan also pitched 18 two-hitters. Despite the seven no-hitters, he never threw a perfect game, nor did he ever win a Cy Young Award.

Only Ryan, Sandy Koufax (four), Cy Young (three), Bob Feller (three), and Larry Corcoran (three) have pitched more than two no-hitters. Corcoran was the first pitcher to throw a second no-hitter in a career (in 1882), as well as the first to throw a third (in 1884).

Thirty men in all have thrown more than one no-hitter. Randy Johnson has the longest gap between no-hitters: he threw a no-hitter as a member of the Seattle Mariners on June 2, 1990, and a perfect game as an Arizona Diamondback on May 18, 2004.

The pitcher who holds the record for the shortest time between no-hitters is Johnny Vander Meer, the only pitcher in history to throw no-hitters in consecutive starts, while playing for the Cincinnati Reds in 1938. Besides Vander Meer, Allie Reynolds (in 1951), Virgil Trucks (in 1952), and Ryan (in 1973) are the only other major leaguers to throw two no-hitters in the same regular season.

Five pitchers have thrown a no-hitter in both the American League and the National League: Cy Young, Ryan, Jim Bunning, Nomo, and Randy Johnson. Only four catchers have caught a no-hitter in each league: Gus Triandos, Jeff Torborg, Darrell Porter and Ron Hassey. Triandos caught Hoyt Wilhelm's 1958 no-hitter and Jim Bunning's perfect game, Torborg caught Koufax's perfect game and Ryan's first no-hitter, Porter caught Jim Colborn's 1977 no-hitter and Bob Forsch's second no-hitter in 1983, and Hassey caught Len Barker's and Dennis Martínez's perfect games.

 

Ryan is one of only 29 players in baseball history to have appeared in Major League baseball games in four decades and the only pitcher to have struck out seven pairs of fathers and sons. While his lifetime winning percentage was .526, Ryan was an eight-time MLB All-Star, with 324 wins and 292 losses. With a career 3.19 earned run average.

Ryan would finish his career with 5,714 career strikeouts, which rank first in major league baseball history by a significant margin. He leads the runner-up, Randy Johnson, by 839 strikeouts. Similarly, Ryan's 2,795 bases on balls lead second-place Steve Carlton by 962; walking over 50 percent more hitters than any other pitcher in Major League history. Ryan and Sandy Koufax are the only two pitchers inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame who had more strikeouts than innings pitched.

Other than Jackie Robinson (whose number was retired by the entire MLB), Ryan is currently the only major league baseball player to have his number retired by at least three different teams: the Angels, Astros, and Rangers.

Ryan was inducted into Cooperstown Hall of Fame in 1999 with 98.79 percent of the vote on the first ballot in which he appeared.

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:

Reggie Jackson Passes Mickey Mantle

On May 14, 1986, Reggie Jackson hit career home run number 537, passing Mickey Mantle into sixth place all time in most career home runs.

Reggie Jackson with the California Angels.

Jackson would finish his career with a .262 batting average, 2,584 hits and 1,702 RBI’s to go along with his 563 career home runs.

Jackson’s career included several other special moments including winning five World Series Championships, three with the Oakland Athletics including three consecutive from 1972-1974 and two more with the Yankees in 1977 and 1978.

Reggie Jackson with the New York Yankees.

He was named the World Series MVP in 1973 and 1977.

Jackson was named the 1973 American League MVP, and in 1977 he earned the Babe Ruth award, for the most home runs hit in all of baseball.

Jackson also earned two Silver Slugger awards in 1980 and 1982.  He was also a 14-time All-Star in his 21-year career.

Reggie Jackson with the Oakland A's.

In 1993 Reggie "Mr. October" Jackson was voted into Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame with 93.6 percent of the vote. It was the first time he appeared on the ballot. 

The Oakland Athletics have retired Jackson's no. 9 jersey and the Yankees did the same with his no. 44 jersey.