Los Angeles Dodgers' Eric Gagne Sets MLB Consecutive Save Record

On Aug. 28, 2003, Los Angeles Dodgers closer Eric Gagne sets a record with his 44th consecutive save of the 2003 season and his 52nd in a row dating back to the 2002 season.

Gagne would end the 2003 season with 55 saves in 67 appearances, both league leading earning him the NL Cy Young Award.

Gagne's streak would continue into the midst of the 2004 season and eventually earn 84 consecutive saves. Which is still more consecutive saves than that of any other closer in MLB history.

Gagne would finish his 10-year career with 187 saves, almost half of those were earned during his streak which last over three consecutive seasons.

Over the course of his career Gagne racked up 33 wins and 26 losses, with a 3.47 ERA over 643.2 innings in 402 games. He compiled an amazing 718 strikeouts compared to just 226 walks and only 13 intentional walks.

Gagne last played in 2008 for the Milwaukee Brewers where he sported a 5.44 ERA in 50 games with 10 saves.

Check out the video below of Gagne's record setting 84th consecutive save:

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:

San Francisco Giants And Los Angeles Dodgers Clear Benches

On August 22, 1965, Hall of Fame pitcher and San Francisco Giants great, Juan Marichal hits Los Angeles Dodgers’ catcher John Roseboro on the head with his bat causing a benches clearing brawl between the two rival teams.

Marichal is also remembered for a notorious incident that occurred on August 22, 1965, in a game played against the Giants' arch-rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Twice in the first three innings, Marichal had thrown near the head of Dodger leadoff batter Maury Wills.

As Marichal was batting against Sandy Koufax in the last of the third inning, Dodger catcher Johnny Roseboro's return throws to the mound flew too close to his head and one grazed his ear. Words were exchanged, and Roseboro, throwing off his catcher's helmet and mask, rose to continue the argument.

Marichal responded by repeatedly hitting Roseboro's unprotected head with his bat.

The benches cleared into a 14-minute brawl, while Giants captain Willie Mays escorted the bleeding Roseboro (who would require 14 stitches) back to the clubhouse.

Marichal was ejected, suspended for nine days and fined $1,750 (equivalent to $12,749 as of 2013). He was also barred from attending the Giants' final series with the Dodgers, in Los Angeles on September 6–7.

Photos of the incident (Official Baseball Guide 1966, Sporting News, p. 19) also show Tito Fuentes (who was in the on-deck circle) wielding a bat threateningly, but Fuentes did not actually hit Roseboro and was not ejected.

Roseboro sat out the next couple of games and returned to the lineup on August 25. Roseboro filed a lawsuit against Marichal, but eventually settled out of court, supposedly for $7,000 ($50,996 as of 2013), Marichal and Roseboro would eventually go on to become close friends, reconciling any personal animosity and even autographing photographs of the brawl.

Many people protested the apparently light punishment meted out, since it would cost Marichal only one or two starts. The Giants were in a tight pennant race with the Dodgers (as well as the Pirates, Reds, and Braves) and the race was decided with only two games to play.

The Giants, who ended up winning the August 22 game and were down only one-half game afterward, eventually losing the pennant by two games.

Ironically, the Giants went on a 14-game win streak that started during Marichal's absence and by then it was a two-team race as the Pirates, Reds, and Braves fell further behind.

But then the Dodgers won 15 of their final 16 games (after Marichal had returned) to win the pennant.

Marichal won in his first game back, 2–1 against the Astros on September 9, (the same day Koufax pitched his perfect game against the Cubs,) but lost his last three decisions as the Giants slumped in the season's final week.

Marichal would go on to enjoy another 10 years of baseball playing for the Giants before leaving to play with the Boston Red Sox and finally the Los Angeles Dodgers before he retired in 1975.

Marichal was a 10-time All-Star, including two appearances in 1962 when Major League Baseball hosted two All-Star Games. He was also part of the Summer Classic for eight consecutive years from 1962-1969. In 1965 Marichal was also named the MLB All-Star Game MVP. Although he never won an MVP or Cy Young Award, Marichal was in the MVP talk seven times during his career, being in the top 10 in voting three times. He was also in the top 10 in Cy Young voting once.

Marichal ended his career with 243 wins, 142 losses and two saves in 471 games with 457 starts. He compiled a 2.89 ERA with 2,303 strikeouts, and 791 walks, 82 intentional over 3,507 innings pitched. Marichal threw 244 complete games in his career with 52 shutouts.

Marichal led the league in wins twice, with his highest single season total coming in 1968 with 26. He also led the league in complete games twice, with his highest single season total also coming in 1968 with 30. Marichal also led the league in innings pitched twice, with his highest single season total also coming in 1968.

Marichal also led the league in shutouts twice, with his highest single season total coming in 1965 with 10. Marichal also led the league in ERA once, with his lowest single season ERA coming in 1969 with a mark of 2.10.

Marichal was inducted into Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983 with 83.7 percent of the vote on the third ballot in which he was nominated.

Although he had many memorable moments during his career, one the most memorable was his involvement in the brawl with the Dodgers.

Roseboro would go on to play five more years of baseball with the Dodgers, Minnesota Twins and Washington Senators before he retired.

Roseboro was a six-time All-Star selection , with two appearances in 1961 and 1962 when Major League Baseball hosted two All-Star Games. He was a three-time World Series Champion in 1959, 1963 and 1965, all with the Brooklyn-Los Angeles Dodgers. He was also a two-time Gold Glove winner, in 1961 and 1966 with the Dodgers.

Roseboro finished his 14-year career with a .249 batting average, with 1,206 hits, consisting of 190 doubles, 44 triples and 104 home runs in 1,585 games played. He also had 548 RBIs, 512 runs scored, 547 walks and 67 stolen bases. He struck out 677 times.

Although never an MVP Roseboro was in the MVP conversation three times with his highest voting reaching 13 in 1966 when he hit for .276 with 123 hits, 23 doubles, two triples and nine home runs. He had 53 RBIs and 47 runs scored that year with 44 walks and three stolen bases. He did win a Gold Glove that year.

After his playing career Roseboro served as a coach with the Washington Senators in 1971, and the California Angels from 1972-1974. Later, he served as a minor league batting instructor in 1977 and catching instructor in 1987 for the Dodgers.

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.

Los Angeles Dodgers Trade For Manny Ramirez

On July 31, 2009, in a three-way trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Boston Red Sox trade Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers for fellow outfielder Jason Bay. A few other players were swapped, with the Pirates ending up with four minor league prospects. Manny had been the best hitter on the Red Sox by miles, but his constantly aggravating behavior caused a riff in the clubhouse.

Just a few days earlier, he told ESPN Deportes, "The Red Sox don't deserve a player like me. During my years here, I've seen how they [the Red Sox] have mistreated other great players when they didn't want them to try to turn the fans against them. The Red Sox did the same with guys like Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez, and now they do the same with me."

 

Bay did okay with the Red Sox, but he was nowhere near as good as Manny was in L.A. Revitalized in a new city that completely embraced him, Ramirez single-handedly carried the Dodgers to the postseason. In his 53 games with the team, Manny batted .396 with 17 home runs and 53 RBI. He was even better in the postseason, producing 13 hits in 25 at-bats, 4 home runs, and 10 RBI in eight games. His numbers were so incredible that Red Sox players began calling him out, claiming that he had been dogging it so that he could be traded.

"The day he realized that they were not going to sign him to an extension was the day he said, 'Uncle. I'm done,'" former teammate Curt Schilling said in September of that year. "The fact of the matter was, you looked at a guy who, at the end of the day, when you look back on the history, never, ever cared about any of us."

Had Ramirez not been 36 years old, he would have fetched one of the largest contracts in MLB history. Instead, he and agent Scott Boras had to "settle" with a two-year $45 million extension with the Dodgers.

Disco Demolition Night At Comiskey Park

On July 12, 1979, a double header at Comiskey Park took place, which has since been called Disco Demolition Night. The White Sox had to forfeit the second game as fans ran all over the field during Disco Demolition Night.

Thursday, July 12, 1979, at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois, during which a crate filled with disco records was blown up on the field. It was held during night half of the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers double header.

During the climax of the event, rowdy fans surged onto the field, and a near riot ensued. It would ultimately prove to be one of the most notable promotional ideas and one of the most infamous since "Ten Cent Beer Night" in Cleveland in 1974.

Although White Sox owner Bill Veeck took much of the public heat for the fiasco, it was known among baseball people that his son Mike was the actual front office "brains" behind it. As a result, Mike was blacklisted from Major League Baseball for a long time after his father retired.

To this day, the second game of this doubleheader is still the last game forfeited in the American League. The last game to end in this manner in the National League was on August 10, 1995, when a baseball giveaway promotion went awry and resulted in the Los Angeles Dodgers forfeiture.

 Check out the video below of ESPN's coverage of Disco Demolition Night:

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:

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.

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.

Barry Bonds Hits 500th Home Run

On April 17, 2001, in the eighth inning of a game in San Francisco, Giants outfielder Barry Bonds sends a pitch from Los Angeles Dodgers releiver Terry Adams over the right field wall into McCovey Cove.

 Barry Bonds hitting his 500th home run off of Terry Adams.

The home run was a milestone, it was Bonds' 500th home run of his career. It was also the sixth he had hit since the start of the season, which would go on to be another mark in another milestone.

Bonds would hit another 67 homers that year, finishing with a Major League record of 73, ultimately winning him the National League MVP award.

Bonds eventually became the Major League Home Run King

Bonds would finish his career as the All-Time home run leader with 762 home runs which still stands today.

Barry Bonds (left) with Alex Rodriguez (right) in 2007 at the MLB All-Star Game in San Francisco.

However, there has been speculation that New York Yankee’s slugger Alex “A-Rod” Rodriguez would break Bonds’ record, but with the steroid allegations and a season long suspension this year and his declining power numbers over the past few years, the All-Time home run record might be over his head.

Currently Rodriguez has 654 home runs, just under 120 short of breaking the record. In the past four years Rodriguez has failed to hit more than 30 home runs in a single season, and two years ago in an injury plagued season, in which he only played 99 games, he only hit 16 home runs. If Rodriguez were going to break the record he would have to play for at least five more years, or until he is 42 years old. Which would actually make him the youngest player to record over 750 home runs.

Jackie Robinson Makes Debut

On April 11, 1947, Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American to play in modern major-league baseball when he debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Robinson, as the first black man to play in the major leagues since the 1880s, was instrumental in bringing an end to racial segregation in professional baseball, which had relegated black players to the Negro leagues for six decades.

Jackie Robinson in 1950 as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

The example of his character and unquestionable talent challenged the traditional basis of segregation, which then marked many other aspects of American life, and contributed, significantly to the Civil Rights Movement.

Robinson’s career featured playing time in over ten seasons. He played in six World Series and contributed to the Dodgers' 1955 World Championship.

He was selected for six consecutive All-Star Games from 1949 to 1954, was the recipient of the inaugural MLB Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949—the first black player so honored.

His career saw him put up great numbers hitting .311 batting average, 1,518 hits, 137 home runs, 734 RBIs and 197 stolen bases.

Robinson was one of only two players during the span of 1947–56 to accumulate at least 125 steals while registering a slugging percentage over .425 (Minnie Miñoso was the other).

Defensively, Robinson was an outstanding fielder throughout his ten years in the major leagues and at virtually every position he played.

After playing his rookie season at first base, Robinson spent most of his career as a second baseman.

He led the league in fielding among second basemen in 1950 and 1951.

Toward the end of his career, he played about 2,000 innings at third base and about 1,175 innings in the outfield, excelling at both.

Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.

In 1997, Major League Baseball "universally" retired his uniform number, 42, across all major league teams; he was the first pro athlete in any sport to be so honored. Since that time, Major League Baseball has adopted a new annual tradition, "Jackie Robinson Day," in which all players on all teams wear no. 42.

The movie poster for "42."

Robinson was also known for his pursuits outside the baseball diamond. He was the first black television analyst in Major League Baseball, and the first black vice-president of a major American corporation. In the 1960s, he helped establish the Freedom National Bank, an African-American-owned financial institution based in Harlem, New York. In recognition of his achievements on and off the field, Robinson was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.

Last year the movie “42” based on Robinson’s life and baseball career debuted.