Tom Glavine Earns Win 300

On Aug. 5, 2007, Tom Glavine becomes the 23rd pitcher to reach 300 wins, joining a prestigious group that included Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Tom Seaver, Steve Carlton, and Nolan Ryan. Glavine won 20 games five times in his career as well as two Cy Young Awards and one World Series championship.

A high school hockey star, he was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL before signing on with the Atlanta Braves. At first he struggled, losing a National League-high 17 games in 1988, but he eventually found his groove and posted double-digit wins in 18 of the next 19 seasons.

Glavine spent the bulk of his career in Atlanta, where he teamed with John Smoltz and Greg Maddux to form one of the best pitching rotations in baseball. With the help of those three, Atlanta won 14 division titles in a row, and quickly fell back to earth when Maddux and Glavine left for bigger markets (Glavine in '02 to New York, Maddux in '04 to Chicago).

Glavine along with former teammate Maddux and manager of the Atlanta Braves Bobby Cox were inducted into Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame this summer with Frank Thomas, Tony La Russa and Joe Torre.

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.

Cooperstown Inducts First Hall of Fame Class

On Jan. 29, 1936, the first-ever induction class for the National Baseball Hall of Fame was announced.

Five players became the first members of the hallowed halls located in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner were the inaugural class of baseball's hall of fame.

The idea of a hall of fame for baseball was recognized in 1935 as the sport became America's pastime.

Since the inception of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York their have been 306 members elected.

Included are 208 former major league players, 28 executives, 35 Negro leaguers, 19 managers and 10 umpires. 

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America has elected 112 candidates to the Hall while the Committees on managers, umpires, executives and long-retired players (in all of its forms) has chosen 162 deserving candidates (96 major leaguers, 28 executives, 19 managers, nine Negro Leaguers and 10 umpires). The defunct “Committee on Negro Baseball Leagues” selected nine men between 1971-77 and the Special Committee on Negro Leagues in 2006, elected 17 Negro Leaguers.

There are currently 68 living members.

By position, there are: 74 pitchers, 17 catchers, 22 first basemen, 20 second basemen, 15 third basemen, 24 shortstops, 21 left fielders, 23 center fielders, 24 right fielders, 23 managers, 10 umpires and 33 executives.

This year three players, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and Frank Thomas were inducted into Cooperstown, all as first ballot Hall of Famers.

While Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa and Joe Torre were inducted as managers.