St. Louis Cardinals' Lou Brock Sets MLB Career Stolen Base Record

On August 29, 1977, Hall of Famer and St. Louis Cardinals great Lou Brock eclipses Ty Cobb's 49-year-old career stolen base record of 892 steals. Brock’s record-breaking performance came as he achieved career stolen base 893 in the loss to the Padres, 4-3.

Brock would go on to steal 938 bases, leaving him as the stolen base leader until Rickey Henderson broke the feat. Currently Brock is still second on the list, more than 300 stolen bases above Juan Pierre who is third on the list with 614.

Brock’s 19-year career with the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals saw him play in six All-Star games, including four consecutive appearances from 1971-1975. He was a two-time World Series Champion in 1964 and 1967, both with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Brock won several awards during his career, including the 1967 Babe Ruth Award, given to the player with the best performance in the postseason. The award, created by the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) in honor of Babe Ruth, was first awarded in 1949 to the MVP of the World Series, one year after Ruth's death.

The award continued to be awarded exclusively for performances in the World Series until 2007, when the New York chapter of the BBWAA changed the award to cover the entire postseason. Though it precedes the World Series Most Valuable Player Award, which was not created until 1955, the Babe Ruth Award is considered less prestigious, as it is not sanctioned by MLB and is awarded several weeks after the World Series.

Brock also won the 1975 Robert Clemente Award, which is given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team", as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media. It is named for Hall of Fame outfielder Roberto Clemente. Originally known as the Commissioner's Award, it has been presented by the MLB since 1971. In 1973, the award was renamed after Clemente following his death in a plane crash while delivering supplies to victims of the Nicaragua earthquake.

He also won the 1977 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, which is given annually to a Major League Baseball (MLB) player who best exhibits the character and integrity of Lou Gehrig, both on the field and off it.

In 1979 Brock won two awards, the National League Comeback Player of the Year award given to the player who has the best season after an injury or dismal season. That same season Brock won the Hutch Award, which is given annually to an active Major League Baseball (MLB) player who "best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire" of Fred Hutchinson, by persevering through adversity.

Brock finished his career with a .293 batting average, with 3,023 hits, consisting of 486 doubles, 141 triples and 149 home runs. Brock also had 1,610 runs scores, 900 RBIs, and 706 walks in his career to go along with the 938 stolen bases. Eight times Brock led the league in steals with his highest single season total coming in 1974 with 118.

Although never an MVP, Brock was in the MVP conversation 10 times, with his highest finishing rank of second in 1974.

The St. Louis Cardinals retired his no. 20 jersey in 1979, and in 1985 Brock was elected into the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame with 79.75 percent of the vote on the first ballot in which he appeared.

Oakland Athletics' Rickey Henderson Breaks MLB Single Season Stolen Base Record

On August 27, 1982, Oakland Athletics outfielder and Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson steals base 119 of the season, breaking Lou Brock's single season mark of 118 stolen bases. 

Henderson would go on to steal 130 bases that season, setting the all time mark for the most stolen bases in a single season in the MLB. The record still stands to this day.

Henderson was a left fielder who played in Major League Baseball for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics. 

Nicknamed "The Man of Steal", he is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and base runner, holding the record for most career leadoff home runs with 81, and winning three Silver Slugger awards in 1981, 1985 and 1990. 

His 1,406 career steals are almost double the previous record of 938 by Lou Brock, and more than 700 above the current active leader in stolen bases, Juan Pierre, who has 614 as of Aug. 26, 2014.

Henderson is the all-time stolen base leader for the Oakland A’s and previously held the New York Yankees' franchise record from 1988-2011. That is now owned by Mr. November, Derek Jeter, who has 348 stolen bases in pinstripes. Henderson had 326.

But he was more than just a speed demon around the bases. Henderson holds the major league records for runs scored and unintentional walks. Henderson is also the only player in American League history to steal 100 bases in a season, having done so three times. 

A 12-time stolen base champion, Henderson led the league in runs scored five times and was among the league's top ten base stealers in 21 different seasons.

Henderson was named the AL's Most Valuable Player in 1990, and he was the leadoff hitter for two World Series champions: the 1989 Oakland A's and the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays. 

At the time of his last major league game in 2003, the ten-time American League All-Star ranked among the sport's top 100 all-time home run hitters and was its all-time leader in base on balls. 

His 25-year career elevated Henderson to the top ten in several other categories, including career at bats, games, and outfield putouts and total chances. 

His high on-base percentage, power hitting, and stolen base and run totals made him one of the most dynamic players of his era.

He was further known for his unquenchable passion for playing baseball and a buoyant, eccentric and quotable personality that both perplexed and entertained fans. 

Once asked if he thought Henderson was a future Hall of Famer, statistician Bill James replied, "If you could split him in two, you'd have two Hall of Famers.

In 2009, he was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot appearance with 94.8 percent of the vote.

The Oakland Athletics also retired Henderson’s no. 24 jersey in 2009.

Check out the video below of Henderson breaking Lou Brock's career stolen base record: 

Oakland Athletics' Mark McGwire Hits First Major League Home Run

On August 25, 1986, Oakland Athletics first baseman Mark McGwire hits his first of 583 Major League home runs.

In 1987, McGwire aka “Big Mac” 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 McGwire aka Big Mac and 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 is still one of only two players to hit 70 or more home runs in a season. The other, Bonds.

McGwire finished his career with a .263 career batting average, 1,626 hits, and 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 McGwire was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

McGwire 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, 96 of 569 (16.9) in 2013 and 63 of 571 (11.0) in 2014.

Currently McGwire is the hitting coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers, after being the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals from 2010-2012.

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.

Check out the video below that has McGwire's first Major League home run:

Nolan Ryan Gets 5,000th Strikeout

On August 22, 1989, Texas Rangers great Nolan Ryan strikes out the 5,000th batter of his career. The batter would be another future Hall of Famer, Rickey Henderson of the Oakland Athletics

Ryan although with the Rangers in 1989, he 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.

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).

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.

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.

Ryan and 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.

While Henderson helped Ryan set an MLB record with strikeout 5,000, he would also go on to have a great career.

Henderson was a left fielder who played in Major League Baseball for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics.

Nicknamed "The Man of Steal", he is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and base runner/ holding the record for most career leadoff home runs with 81, and winning three Silver Slugger awards in 1981, 1985 and 1990. His 1,406 career steals are almost double the previous record of 938 by Lou Brock, and more than 700 above the current active leader in stolen bases, Juan Pierre, who has 611 as of Aug. 21, 2013.

Henderson is the all-time stolen base leader for the Oakland A’s and previously held the New York Yankees' franchise record from 1988-2011.

He also holds the major league records for runs scored and unintentional walks.

Henderson also holds the single-season record for stolen bases (130 in 1982) and is the only player in AL history to steal 100 bases in a season, having done so three times.

A 12-time stolen base champion, Henderson led the league in runs five times and was among the league's top ten base stealers in 21 different seasons.

Henderson was named the AL's Most Valuable Player in 1990, and he was the leadoff hitter for two World Series champions: the 1989 Oakland A's and the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays.

At the time of his last major league game in 2003, the ten-time American League (AL) All-Star ranked among the sport's top 100 all-time home run hitters and was its all-time leader in base on balls.

His 25-year career elevated Henderson to the top ten in several other categories, including career at bats, games, and outfield putouts and total chances.

His high on-base percentage, power hitting, and stolen base and run totals made him one of the most dynamic players of his era.

He was further known for his unquenchable passion for playing baseball and a buoyant, eccentric and quotable personality that both perplexed and entertained fans.

Once asked if he thought Henderson was a future Hall of Famer, statistician Bill James replied, "If you could split him in two, you'd have two Hall of Famers.

In 2009, he was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot appearance with 94.8 percent of the vote.

The Oakland Athletics also retired Henderson’s no. 24 jersey in 2009.

Milwaukee Brewers Closer Rollie Fingers Gets 300th Save

On Aug. 21, 1982, Milwaukee Brewers closer Rollie Fingers gets his 300th save as a pitcher.

Fingers started his career as a member of the Oakland Athletics in 1968, the year the team moved from Kansas City to Oakland. He played for the Athletics from 1968-1976, earning himself three World Series titles with the club in 1972, 1973 and 1974. In 1974 he was also named the World Series MVP.

Fingers was a starter with the A’s until 1970 when he began making relief appearances. In 1971 A’s manager Dick Williams made up his mind that Fingers would be a relief pitcher and the rest is history.

In 1977 the San Diego Padres picked up Fingers, where he played from 1977-1980. Fingers won the National League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year in 1977, 1978 and 1980 with the Padres. He was also a two-time National League saves champion in 1977 and 1978. In 1980 Fingers broke Hoyt Wilhelm’s record of most saves in a career with his 228th.

In 1981 Fingers was back in the American League with the Milwaukee Brewers. He was continuing to get saves at an impressive rate, and once again won the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year award but this time in the American League. He was also the American League saves champion in 1981. But the most impressive feat of all that season was that Fingers was named the American League MVP and the American League CY Young.

In 1982 Fingers recorded his 300th save, and was the first closer in Major League history to do so. When Fingers retired in 1985 he finished his career with 341 saves, 114 wins and 118 losses, making him the first pitcher with 300 saves and also to have 100 wins, he also recorded 1,299 strikeouts in his career.

Fingers was elected into the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992. Both the Athletics and the Brewers have retired his jersey No. 34.

Fingers is regarded to as one of the pioneers of modern relief pitching, especially for defining the role of the closer.

Mark McGwire Sets MLB Home Run Record

On August 15, 1990, Oakland Athletics slugger Mark McGwire becomes the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit 30 home runs in each of his first four-seasons.

The feat that McGwire notched has since only been tied by another former St. Louis Cardinals player and current Anaheim Angels slugger, Albert Pujols.

In 1987, McGwire aka “Big Mac” 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).

In 1998 McGwire aka Big Mac and 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 is still one of only two players to hit 70 or more home runs in a season. The other, Bonds.

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 McGwire 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, 96 of 569 (16.9) in 2013 and just 63 of 571 votes (11.0) in 2014.

Currently McGwire is the hitting coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers, after being the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals from 2010-2012.

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.

Oakland Athletics' Mark McGwire Sets Rookie Home Run Record

On Aug. 14, 1987, Mark McGwire of the Oakland Athletics broke the major league record for home runs by a rookie when he hit his 39th Friday night off California right-hander Don Sutton.

McGwire`s two-run home run in the sixth inning landed in the left-field seats and gave the 23-year-old first baseman sole possession of the mark previously held by Wally Berger of the Boston Braves in 1930 and Frank Robinson of the Cincinnati Reds in 1956.

McGwire went on to hit 49 home runs his rookie year, which also led the American League in 1987. 

Throughout his career Mark McGwire hit 49 or more home runs five times in route to hitting 583 career home runs. Four times McGwire led the league in home runs.

In 1998 McGwire and 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 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 has come into questioning failing to be inducted in each of the last few years.

Rickey Henderson Sets MLB Consecutive Seasons Steals Record

On August 3, 1989, Oakland Athletics great and Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson sets the American League record mark of 50 steals in nine consecutive seasons.

Henderson was a left fielder who played in Major League Baseball for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics.

Nicknamed "The Man of Steal", he is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and base runner^/ holding the record for most career leadoff home runs with 81, and winning three Silver Slugger awards in 1981, 1985 and 1990. His 1,406 career steals are almost double the previous record of 938 by Lou Brock, and more than 780 above the current active leader in stolen bases, Juan Pierre, who has 614.

Henderson is the all-time stolen base leader for the Oakland A’s and previously held the New York Yankees' franchise record from 1988-2011.

He also holds the major league records for runs scored and unintentional walks.

Henderson also holds the single-season record for stolen bases with 130 in 1982, and is the only player in AL history to steal 100 bases in a season, having done so three times.

A 12-time stolen base champion, he was also among the league's top ten base stealers in 21 different seasons.

Henderson was named the American Leagues Most Valuable Player in 1990, and he was the leadoff hitter for two World Series champions: the 1989 Oakland A's and the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays. Henderson was in the MVP conversation eight times during his career, and in the top five in voting three times.

At the time of his last major league game in 2003, the ten-time American League All-Star ranked among the sport's top 100 all-time home run hitters and was its all-time leader in base on balls.

His 25-year career elevated Henderson to the top ten in several other categories, including career at bats, games, and outfield putouts and total chances.

His high on-base percentage, power hitting, and stolen base and run totals made him one of the most dynamic players of his era.

Henderson also won a Gold Glove in 1981.

At the end of his 25-year career Henderson accumulated a .279 batting average with 3,055 hits comprised of 510 doubles, 66 triples and 297 home runs. He also added in a major league record 2,295 runs scored, 1,115 RBIs, 2,190 walks and a major league record 1,406 steals with a major league record 335 times caught stealing. Henderson struck out 1,694 times.

A dozen times Henderson led the league in stolen bases with his highest single season total coming in 1982 with 130 stolen bases, the major league record for a single season. Five times he led the league in caught stealing, with his highest single season total coming in 1982 with 42, a major league record for caught stealing in a single season.

Five times Henderson led the league in runs scored with his highest single season total coming in 1985 with 146 runs scored. Four times Henderson led the league in walks, with his highest single season total coming 1989 with 129 walks. Once Henderson led the league in hits, 1981 when he had 135 hits, however his highest single season total came in 1985 with 172, although he did not lead the league that year.

He was further known for his unquenchable passion for playing baseball and a buoyant, eccentric and quotable personality that both perplexed and entertained fans.

Once asked if he thought Henderson was a future Hall of Famer, statistician Bill James replied, "If you could split him in two, you'd have two Hall of Famers^.

In 2009, he was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot appearance with 94.8 percent of the vote.

The Oakland Athletics also retired Henderson’s no. 24 jersey in 2009.

Reggie Jackson Is Enshrined In Cooperstown

On August 1, 1993, slugger Reggie Jackson is enshrined in Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

During his 21-season career Reggie Jackson played for the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees and the California Angels.

Jackson finished his career as a 14-time All-Star, including eight consecutive appearances from 1977-1984. He was a five time World Series Champion, including three consecutive with the Oakland Athletics from 1972-1974 and back-to-back titles with the New York Yankees in 1977-1978. He was the World Series MVP in 1973 and 1977. He won the American League MVP in 1973, and was awarded the Babe Ruth award in 1977. He was also a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner in 1980 and 1982.

Jackson was in the MVP discussion 13 times, while in the top five in voting five times.

Jackson ended his playing career with a .262 batting average with 2,584 hits with 463 doubles, 49 triples, 563 home runs, 1,375 walks with 1,702 RBIs, 1,551 runs scored and 228 steals. He struck out a major league record 2,597 times.

Jackson led the league in runs scored twice, with his highest single season total coming in 1969 when he scored 123 times. He led the league in home runs four times, although his highest single season total came in 1969 with 47 when he did not lead the league. He also led the league in RBIs once with 117 in 1973, although his highest single season total came in 1969 with 118. He did not lead the league that year.

Jackson was the first major leaguer to hit one hundred home runs for three different clubs, having hit over 100 for the Athletics, Yankees, and Angels.

Jackson is also the only player in the 500 home run club that never had consecutive 30 home run seasons in a career.

Jackson, while a home run slugger, also was the all-time leader in strikeouts. Over the course of his career he led the league in strikeouts five times with his highest single season total coming in 1968 with 171.

Because of his post-season heroics with the New York Yankees where he hit three home runs in a single game during the 1977 World Series Jackson has been nicknamed “Mr. October.”

Jackson was inducted into the Cooperstown Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993 with 93.6 percent of the vote on the first ballot in which he was on.

The Oakland Athletics retired his no. 9 jersey in 2004 and the New York Yankees retired his no. 44 jersey in 1993.

MLB Trade Deadline Reaction

When I woke up Thursday morning there was grumbling the Oakland Athletics might be in the Jon Lester sweepstakes. Within 20 minutes of my groggy eyes checking in on MLB Networks on the television and twitter on my phone I saw that Yoenis Cespedes was going to be part of the deal.

At first I was shocked that the A’s would trade a middle of the order bat, and especially a guy like Cespedes, who said he wanted to play his entire career in Oakland, would be traded to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Jon Lester.

As the trade began to formalize I saw the return of Jonny Gomes and cash to the Oakland franchise while a competitive balance Comp B pick would be heading to Boston to balance out the deal.
 

Overall, I was more shocked than anything. I thought the July 5 deal with the Chicago Cubs for Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel were the icing on Billy Beane’s 2014 cake, but boy was I wrong.

Within just a few hours after the Cespedes-Lester trade the talking heads on MLB networks were talking about the second of the A’s moves.

This time it was a lesser deal. How could it have been any bigger? Wait, let me retract that statement, they could have traded Lew Wolf for a new owner. But back to reality, the A’s were trading a minor league, but major league ready pitcher in Tommy Milone, to the Minnesota Twins for Sam Fuld.

Milone had asked to be traded after being sent to AAA Sacramento when the A’s landed Samardzija and Hammel in the deal with the Cubs. But to trade Milone for a guy the A’s had DFA’d earlier in the season? It almost seemed comical. That they had kept a guy like Daric Barton on the roster in order to drop Fuld, and now were trading a major league ready pitcher away to get Fuld back.

While obtaining Fuld makes sense with injuries to Coco Crisp and Craig Gentry, the value to get Fuld back seemed a little much. But such is baseball, and such is life.

The addition of Fuld, Gomes and Lester gave the A’s the best and deepest rotation in baseball, and added to the depth in the outfield ... that is until the Detroit Tigers pulled out a last second three-team trade with the Seattle Mariners and the Tampa Bay Rays to land David Price.

The Cespedes-Lester trade might have been overshadowed by the Price trade but shouldn't be as the two teams might be on a collision course to face each other once again in the playoffs.

The green and gold franchise would stand pat for the rest of the day much like their cross Bay Area counter parts in the San Francisco Giants, as general manager Brian Sabean did not pull the trigger on any trades before the 4 p.m. ET trade deadline on July 31.

While Beane and Sabean took totally different routes to get through the trading deadline both are still on the look out for something that could bolster their second base corps before the waiver-trading deadline is reached at the end of August.

For both the Athletics and the Giants, the Philadelphia Phillies’ Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley look like the most eligible candidates to fuel another chance at a World Series run, for one or both of the Bay Area franchises.

Chicago White Sox Mark Buehrle Tosses Perfect Game

On July 23, 2009, Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox becomes just the eighteenth pitcher to throw a perfect game in Major League Baseball history, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 5-0.

Buehrle would join Lee Richmond, Monte Ward, Cy Young, Addie Joss, Charlie Robertson, Don Larsen, Jim Bunning, Sandy Koufax, Catfish Hunter, Len Barker, Mike Witt, Dennis Martinez, Kenny Rogers, David Wells, David Cone, and Randy Johnson as pitchers to have thrown a perfect game in the Major Leagues.

Since Buehrle threw the perfect game five more pitchers including

Dallas Braden, Roy Halladay, Phillip Humber, Matt Cain and Felix Hernandez have achieved it.

The shortest span of time between perfect games throw was just five days between Richmond’s perfect game on June 12, 1880 and Ward’s perfect game on June 17, 1880. The longest span between perfect games is just under 24 years, between Ward’s perfect game on June 17, 1880 and Young’s perfect game on May 5, 1904.

The American League has seen 14 prefect games while the National League only nine times.

No single player has ever thrown more than one perfect game.

The most perfect games comes from the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees who have had three perfect games pitched each. However, only two of the Yankees perfect games came in the regular season, with Larsen’s perfect game coming in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, meaning the Chicago White Sox have more regular season perfect games.

Larsen’s perfect game in the World Series was the first and last time a perfect game has been thrown in the playoffs, let alone the World Series.

The team with the most perfect games pitched against them is the Tampa Bay Rays, with three. All of them coming since 2009 with Chicago White Sox Buehrle, Oakland Athletics Braden, and Seattle Mariners Hernandez all doing the feat against the Rays.

2012 saw the most perfect games in a single season as Cain, Hernandez and Humber all pitched perfect games in one season, the most since 2010 when Braden and Halladay both pitched perfect games.

As of Monday, July 22, Buehrle is now pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays and has a 5-7 record in 20 starts with a 4.83 ERA in 123 innings pitched with 82 strikeouts and 33 walks.

So far in Buehrle’s career he has been an All-Star four times, including back-to-back appearances in 2005 and 2006. He was a Gold Glove winner four times, including four consecutive times from 2009-2012.

He was also fifth in Cy Young voting in 2005, when he has a 16-8 record in 33 starts with a 3.12 ERA with 149 strikeouts and just 40 walks.

Buehrle’s career numbers over 15 seasons are 196 wins and 148 losses in 474 games, 449 starts, with 29 complete games, nince shutouts and one perfect game. He has a total of 1,738 strikeouts compared to just 690 walks in 3,015 innings pitched.

Twice Buehrle has led the league in innings pitched, in 2004 and 2005 when he pitched 245.1 innings and 236.2 innings respectively.

His best year for wins was 2002 when he won 19 games and lost just 12 in 34 starts, that year he had five complete games with two shutouts.

Check out the video below of the final three outs from Buehrle's perfect game: