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.

New York Mets' Dwight Gooden Gets 20th Victory

On Aug. 25, 1985, the New York Mets defeat the San Diego Padres 9-3, making Mets starting pitcher Dwight Gooden the youngest pitcher to ever win 20 games in a season. At 20 years and nine months old, the second-year Met was a full month younger than Bob Feller, who won 24 games for the Cleveland Indians in 1939. The win was also his fourteenth in a row.

Gooden finished the season with a 24-4 record, a 1.53 ERA, 16 complete games, and 268 strikeouts in 276-and-two-thirds innings -- all of which led the National League. He won the Cy Young Award that year, just one season after winning the Rookie of the Year Award, and joined Herb Score as the only pitchers to strikeout 200 batters in their first two seasons. He was already being touted as one of the greatest pitchers of all time and was a sure-fire Hall of Famer just on talent alone.

 

Sadly, Gooden never lived up to his expectations. 1985 was the final year he won 20 games, although he did follow that up with six solid seasons. After that, his career became a bona fide trainwreck, as he struggled to overcome addictions to both alcohol and cocaine. He retired with a record of 194-112, and as one of the biggest what-ifs in baseball history.

Check out the video below of Gooden earning his 20th win:

St. Louis Cardinals Hall Of Famer Enos Slaughter Passes

On August 12, 2002, was a day of mourning for the St. Louis Cardinals. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Enos Slaughter passed away at the age of 86. He was inducted in 1985 after playing 19 seasons in the major leagues, 13 with St. Louis he was a career .300 hitter. 

Slaughter also led the Cardinals to two World Series titles.

Overall, Slaughter was involved in five World Series with four wins in 1942, 1946, 1956 an 1958, the first two with the St. Louis Cardinals and the later two with the New York Yankees.

He joined the New York Yankees later in his career and helped them to the promised land three years in a row from 1956 to 1950. In the storied history of the Cardinals, Slaughter was one of the most consistent hitters in the franchise's history.

Slaughter was also a 10 time All-Star selection, all 10 times coming with the St. Louis Cardinals. The St. Louis Cardinals retired his no. 9 jersey in 1996.

His career accomplishments are especially impressive considering that he missed three seasons beginning in 1943 (when he was 27) to serve in the military during World War II.

Boston Red Sox Retire Carl Yastrzemski's Jersey

On August 6, 1989, the Boston Red Sox retire Carl Yastrzemski's No. 8 jersey.

Yastrzemski played his entire 23-year baseball career with the Boston Red Sox (1961–1983). He was primarily a left fielder, with part of his later career played at first base and as a designated hitter.

Yastrzemski is an 18-time All-Star, and the 1970 All-Star Game MVP. He is the possessor of seven Gold Gloves, including three consecutive from 1967-1969. He is a member of the 3000 hit club, and the first American League player in that club to also accumulate over 400 home runs.

Since then Cal Ripken Jr. has matched the feat.

He is second on the all-time list for games played, and third for total at-bats.

He is the Red Sox' all-time leader in career RBIs, runs, hits, singles, doubles, total bases, and games played, and is second on the team's list for home runs behind another Red Sox great, Ted Williams, his predecessor in left field.

In 1967, Yastrzemski achieved a peak in his career, leading the Red Sox to the American League pennant for the first time in over two decades, in that season being voted the American League MVP, and was the last winner of the Triple Crown for batters in the major leagues until Miguel Cabrera achieved the feat in 2012.

Sports Illustrated named Yastrzemski the Sportsman of the Year after winning the Triple Crown.

Yastrzemski retired in 1983 at the age of 44, although he stated in his autobiography Yaz that he was initially planning on playing the 1984 season, until he tired from a long midseason slump. He also stated that had he known how good Roger Clemens would have been as a pitcher, he would have played in 1984 to have a chance to play with him.

Yastrzemski would finish his career with a .285 career batting average with 3,419 hits, 452 home runs and 1,844 RBIs.

Yastrzemski was inducted into the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989 with 94.63 percent of the vote on the first ballot in which he appeared.

In 1999, Yastrzemski ranked number 72 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. That same season, he was named a finalist to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

As of the 2008 baseball season, on the all-time lists for Major League baseball, Yastrzemski ranks at number one for games played for one team, a record shared with Baltimore Orioles great and Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson.

Yastrzemski is number two for games played with 3,308, number three for at-bats, number six for hits with 3,419, number six for bases on balls with 1,845, number eight for total bases, number eight for doubles with 646, number nine with 1,157 extra base hits and 12 for RBIs with 1,844.

In addition, Yastrzemski only trails Ty Cobb in hits collected with a single team, and trails only Cobb and Tris Speaker in hits collected playing in the American League, both of whom played before World War II.

Two Philadelphia Phillies Get Inducted Into Hall of Fame

On July 30, 1995, two Philadelphia Phillies Richie Ashburn and Mike Schmidt get inducted into Cooperstown Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.

Don Richard "Richie" Ashburn also known by the nicknames, "Putt-Putt", "The Tilden Flash", and "Whitey" due to his light-blond hair, was a center fielder, which played 15 seasons in the MLB between 1948 and 1962 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets.

Ashburn was of the famous "Whiz Kids" of the National League champion 1950 Phillies.

Ashburn finished his career with a .308 batting average with 2,574 hits, which included 317 doubles, 109 triples and 29 home runs. He also had 1,198 walks 1,322 runs scored, 586 RBIs and 234 steals while only striking out 571 times.

Ashburn was a six-time All-Star, including twice in 1962, when the MLB held two All-Star Games during the season. He was also a two-time National League Batting Title champion. Twice during his career Ashburn was in the top 10 in Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting.

The Philadelphia Phillies retired his No. 1 jersey in 1979.

Ashburn was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Hall's Veterans Committee in 1995 after a long fan campaign to induct him, which included bumper stickers that read, "Richie Ashburn: Why The Hall Not?"

Ashburn was inducted into The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame in 1997.

Ashburn was also inducted into the inaugural class of the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

Each year the Phillies present the Richie Ashburn Special Achievement Award to "a member of the organization who has demonstrated loyalty, dedication and passion for the game."

The center-field entertainment area at the Phillies current stadium, Citizens Bank Park, is named Ashburn Alley in his honor in response to the demand of numerous fans requesting that the Phillies name the stadium in Ashburn's honor (due to Ashburn's 47 seasons of service to the Phillies organization, which was second in length in Philadelphia baseball history only to Connie Mack, who was so honored with the renaming of Shibe Park in 1953).

At Citizens Bank Park the Phillies' radio-broadcast booth is named "The Richie 'Whitey' Ashburn Broadcast Booth". It is directly next to the TV-broadcast booth, which was renamed "The Harry Kalas Broadcast Booth" after Kalas's death in 2009.

As for Mike Schmidt, he is widely considered as one of the greatest third baseman in the history of Major League Baseball. He played his entire 18-year career with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Schmidt finish his career with a .267 batting average, 2,234 hits, which included 408 doubles, 59 triples and 548 home runs. He also compiled 1,595 RBIs, 1,506 runs scored, 1,507 walks and 174 steals while striking out 1,883 times.

Schmidt led the league in walks four times, including three consecutive years from 1981-1983. He also led the league in runs once, 1981 when he scored 78 runs.

Schmidt was a 12-time All-Star including six consecutive selections from 1979-1984. He was a three-time National League MVP, including back-to-back awards in 1980-1981. He was in the top 10 in MVP voting in nine times, including five consecutive years from 1980-1984.

He was a 10-time Gold Glove winner including nine-consecutive awards from 1976-1984. He was an eight-time National League home run champion including three-consecutive years from 1974-1976. He was a six-time Silver Slugger Award winner including five-consecutive awards from 1980-1984. He was a four-time National League RBI Champion, including back-to-back awards in 1980-1981.

Schmidt was a member of the 1980 Philadelphia Phillies who won the World Series, and was named the World Series MVP.

In 1983 Schmidt was awarded the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award.

In 1990 the Philadelphia Phillies retired his No. 20 jersey.

In 1995 he was inducted into the Cooperstown MLB Hall of Fame with 96.5 percent of the vote on the first ballot in which he was on.

In 1997 he was named to the MLB All-Time Team and in 1999 he named to the MLB All-Century Team.

Willie McCovey Makes Major League Debut

On July 30, 1959, in his major league debut, San Francisco Giants first baseman Willie McCovey goes 4-for-4 against Hall of Famer Robin Roberts.

McCovey nicknamed "Mac", "Big Mac", and "Stretch", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played nineteen seasons for the San Francisco Giants, and three more for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics, between 1959 and 1980.

McCovey finished his career with a .270 batting average with 2,211 hits, which included 353 doubles, 46 triples, and 521 home runs. He also had 1,345 walks, 1,555 RBIs, 1,229 runs scored and 26 steals while striking out 1,550 times.

Three times McCovey led the league in home runs, where he won the National League Home Run Champion award, including back-to-back years in 1968-1969.

He also won the National League RBI Champion award in back-to-back years in 1968-1969.

McCovey was the 1969 National League MVP when he hit for his highest single season total of home runs, 45; his highest single season RBI total, 126; and hit for a .320 batting average, his highest single season total with more than 52 games played. McCovey was in the top 10 in MVP voting four times during his career, including three consecutive years from 1968-1970.

McCovey was a six-time All-Star, including four consecutive appearances from 1968-1971. In 1969 McCovey was also the MLB All-Star Game MVP.

In 1977 McCovey won the National League Comeback Player of the Year award in his first year back with the San Francisco Giants after three years with the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics.

He was also awarded 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. The award was created in 1965 in honor of Hutchinson, the former MLB pitcher and manager, who died of lung cancer the previous year.

The Hutch Award was created by Hutch's longtime friends Bob Prince, a broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Pirates and KDKA; Jim Enright, a Chicago sportswriter; and Ritter Collett, the sports editor of the Dayton Journal Herald.^[3] They also created a scholarship fund for medical students engaged in cancer research to honor Hutchinson's memory.

McCovey is just one of 11 Hall of Fame members to be awarded the Hutch Award.

The San Francisco Giants have retired McCovey’s no. 44 jersey and present the Willie Mac Award annually to the player that best exemplifies the spirit and leadership shown by Willie McCovey throughout his career.

In 1986 McCovey was elected into Cooperstown MLB Hall of Fame with 81.4 percent of the vote on the first ballot in which he was on.

In September 2003, McCovey and a business partner opened McCovey's Restaurant, a baseball-themed sports bar and restaurant, located in Walnut Creek, California.

Boston Red Sox Hall Of Famer Lefty Grove Earns 300th Win

On July 25, 1941, Red Sox Lefty Grove becomes just the twelfth pitcher to win 300-games, it was also his last victory.

At the time Grove joined Cy Young, 511; Walter Johnson, 417; Christy Matthewson, 373; Grover Cleveland Alexander, 373; Pud Galvin, 364; Kid Nichols, 361; Tim Keeke, 342; John Clarkson, 328; Eddie Plank, 326; Charles Radbourn, 309 and Mickey Welch, 307 as members of the 300 win club.

After Grover joined the 300-win club 12 pitchers have since joined the club. In chronological order they are Warren Spahn, 363; Early Wynn, 300; Gaylord Perry, 314; Steve Carlton, 329; Tom Seaver, 311; Phil Niekro, 318; Don Sutton, 324; Nolan Ryan, 324; Roger Clemens, 354; Greg Maddux, 355; Tom Glavine, 305 and Randy Johnson, 303.

Grove pitched for the Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox during his 17 year career. He was a two-time World Series Champion, both with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1929 and 1930. In 1931 he was named the American League MVP. He was also a six-time All-Star including five straight appearances from 1935-1939.

Grove finished his career with 300 wins and 141 losses and 55 saves, in 616 games with 457 starts over 3,940.2 innings pitched. He accumulated a 3.06 ERA, with 2,266 strikeouts, 1,187 walks and allowing just 162 home runs over his career.

Grove was a 30 game winner once, and a 20 game winner eight times, with seven consecutive seasons with 20 or more wins from 1927-1933. Nine times Gove led the league in ERA, with his lowest single season ERA of 2.06 in 1931. In seven consecutive years Grove led the MLB in strikeouts with his highest single season total coming in 1930 with 209 strikeouts.

Grove pitched 298 complete games and had 35 shutouts. Three times he led the league in complete games and three times he led the league in shutouts. His highest total for complete games in a single season was 27, which he did in back-to-back seasons, 1931-1932. His highest single season tot

al for shutouts was in 1936 when he had six shutouts.

In 1947 Grove was elected to the Cooperstown Major League Baseball Hall of Fame with 76.4 percent of the vote on the third ballot in which he appeared.

In 1998 Grove ranked as no. 23 on the The Sporting News list of Baseball's Greatest Players. He was just the second left-handed pitcher listed behind Warren Spahn, third when Babe Ruth was counted as a pitcher.

In 1999 Grove was named as a member of the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

New York Yankees' Lou Gehrig Hits First Career Grand Slam

On July 23, 1925, New York Yankees great and Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig hits his first of 23 career grand slam home runs.

The 23 grand slams by Gehrig are now the second most all-time, only behind another current Yankee, Alex Rodriguez who has 24.

Of current players on the list with most all-time grand slams Rodriguez, 24, Jason Giambi, 15, Travis Hafner, 12, Raul Ibanez, 11, Robinson Cano, 8, Mark Teixeria, 8, Nick Swisher, 7, Lance Berkman, 6, Curtis Granderson, 6, Vernon Wells, 6, Eric Chavez, 5 are on or have played on the Yankees at one point in their career.

Of the players with more than 10 grand slams in their career Jorge Posada, 10, Dave Winfield, 11, Bernie Williams, 11, Tino Martinez, 11, Reggie Jackson, 11, Cecil Fielder, 11, Don Baylor, 13, Gary Sheffield, 13, Joe DiMaggio, 13, Babe Ruth, 16, Dave Kingman, 16 played on the Yankees.

Gehrig goes down as one of the greatest players to ever don the Yankee’s pin-stripes and the nickname “Iron Horse” for the consecutive games played streak had his career cut short by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a disorder now commonly known in the United States and Canada as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Despite the debilitating disease Gehrig finished his career with a .340 batting average, with 493 home runs, 2,721 hits and 1,995 RBIs. He was a seven-time All-Star, a six-time World Series Champion with the Yankees. He also won two MVP awards in 1927 and 1936. He was the Yankees captain from 1935 to 1938 and the Yankees retired his no. 4 jersey on July 4, 1939. He became the first baseball player to have his uniform number retired on January 6, 1940; his July 4, 1939 farewell to baseball speech, fans voted as the fifth-greatest moment in Major League Baseball history in 2002.

Gehrig won a triple crown in 1934 batting .363 with 49 home runs and 165 RBIs, but did not win the MVP award that year. He became the only player in MLB history to collect 400 total bases in five seasons as he did so in 1927, 1930, 1931, 1934 and 1936.

With St. Louis Cardinals great Stan Musial, he is only one of two players with at least 500 doubles, 150 triples and 450 home runs in his career. He is also only one of four players with Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Musial to end career with a minimum .330 batting average with 450 home runs and 1,800 RBIs. He is also only one of two players to hit 40 doubles and 40 home runs in the same season three separate times.

Gehrig was named a member of the MLB All-Century team in 1999, MLB All-Time team in 1997 and was inducted into Cooperstown’s Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939 through a special election.

Gehrig was also the first athlete ever to appear on a box of Wheaties.

Luke Appling Hits A Home Run In The Cracker Jacks Old Timers Game

On July 19, 1982, Luke Appling hits a home run during the Cracker Jack Old Timers game at RFK Stadium. In his 20-year career, White Sox shortstop Luke Appling made seven All-Star teams and collected 2,749 hits, enough to place him in the Hall of Fame. But no amount of All-Star selections could compete with the notoriety he received in 1982, after hitting a home run at the Cracker Jack Old Timers game at RFK Stadium.
Facing off against a 61 year-old Warren Spahn, Appling belted the pitch from the Hall of Famer to the left field stands, 250 feet from home plate. While the smaller configurations of the stadium, which had not been adjusted for a baseball game, certainly helped, the fact that the 75 year-old Appling had hit it out was unbelievable. He had hit only 45 home runs over the course of his career, and that was when he was in his twenties and thirties. At 75, he was the oldest man playing in the old timer's game.

"Funny thing about that homer," he said a month later, "I only took three swings in batting practice. First pitch goes off the end of the bat and the next two off the fists. Thought I'd broken my thumb, so I stopped right there. On the pitch from Spahn I was just trying to get the bat out front. I didn't want to hit it off my wrists."

Appling died in 1991 at the age of 83. For many people, the lasting image of Luke Appling was as a 75 year-old home run hitter, and not a 30 year-old singles hitter.

Check out the video below of Appling's home run:

New York Yankees' Joe DiMaggio Extends Hit Streak To 56 Games

On July 16, 1941, Hall of Famer, Martinez Native and New York Yankees slugger Joe DiMaggio gets three base hits in a game against the Cleveland Indians.

The three hits extended his consecutive-games-with-a-hit streak to 56 games, a full dozen past the previous record held by "Wee" Willie Keeler.

Just one day later, in a rematch against those same Indians, the New York Yankees won, 4-3 -- but DiMaggio went 0-3 thanks to a pair of great defensive plays by Indians third baseman Ken Keltner.

The Yankees won 41 games, lost 13, and tied twice during Joe's streak, and they would later run away with the American League pennant. But the streak was over.

At 56 games, DiMaggio had carried the hit record to a seemingly insurmountable mark; to this day, it remains the most ever in Major League Baseball history. Immediately following that game, DiMaggio got a hit in 16 straight games, meaning that he hit safely in 72 of 73 games and had safely reached base in all of them.

 

A then-record nighttime crowd of 67,468 had come out to watch him extend it to 57. Had he done it, the Heinz 57 Company would have given him a $10,000 endorsement.

The “Yankee Clipper”, DiMaggio’s, 56-game streak became one of the most idolized numbers in baseball and joined Babe Ruth's home run records, and later Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, as the most hallowed records in all of sports.

Whenever any player recorded a hit streak in the mid-thirties, still twenty short of the record, that player would receive an immense amount of coverage from the media. That's how enormous DiMaggio’s record was.

DiMaggio would have had a much more storied career if it were not the case that he enlisted in the United States Air Force in February of 1943. DiMaggio was stationed at Santa Ana, California, Hawaii, and Atlantic City, New Jersey, as a physical education instructor. He was released on medical discharge in September 1945, due to chronic stomach ulcers.

Other than now being paid $21 a month, DiMaggio's service was as comfortable as a soldier's life could be. He spent most of his career playing for base teams and in exhibition games against fellow Major Leaguers and minor league players, and superiors gave him special privileges due to his prewar fame.

DiMaggio ate so well from an athlete-only diet that he gained 10 pounds, and while in Hawaii he and other players mostly tanned on the beach and drank. Embarrassed by his lifestyle, DiMaggio demanded combat duty in 1943, but was turned down.

DiMaggio would return to baseball in 1946 after three years in service.

However, even with time in the Air Force during the prime of his career DiMaggio ended his career as one of the most loved Yankees, as he was a nine-time World Series Champion, a three-time MVP and of course he holds the record for consecutive game hit-streak with 56 games. 

DiMaggio’s career stats are not to be looked over either; in his 13-year career he was an All-Star every year, including seven consecutive appearances from 1936-1942, and then six more consecutive appearances from 1946-1951. He finished his career with a .325 batting average, 2,214 hits, 389 doubles, 131 triples, 361 home runs, 790 walks 1,537 RBIs, 1,390 run and a .398 on base percentage.

DiMaggio led the league in batting average twice in 1939 and 1940. In 1939 he won his first MVP award. DiMaggio also led the league in home runs twice in 1937 and 1948, both times he was runner up for the MVP, in 1937 he also led the league in runs scored. In 1941 and 1948 he led the league in RBIs, in 1941 he won the second of his three MVP awards.

DiMaggio was in the top 10 in MVP voting in 10 of his 13 years of action, and in the top three six times.

In 1955 he was inducted into Cooperstown Major League Baseball Hall of Fame with 88.84 percent of the vote on third ballot in which he was named.

Babe Ruth Debuts At Pitcher For Boston Red Sox

On July 11, 1914, Babe Ruth debuts as a pitcher for Boston Red Sox, he beats Cleveland 4-3.

Babe Ruth without question was one of the best hitters of all time.  If you include his high quality of pitching in his early years, there is no doubt that he is the greatest all around baseball players of all time.

Before Ruth’s decline, he was hands down the best player during his era in the Major Leagues. He still holds records for .690 career slugging percentage and 1.164 career on base plus slugging percentage, and still ranks top 10 in over 15 offensive categories.

Ruth was the first player to 60 home runs, and he did so in a time when the next best player was hitting in the low teens. He was a seven time World Series Champion with the New York Yankees, he was voted the 1923 American League MVP and was a two-time All-Star. He led the American League in home runs 12-times, and was a six-time American League RBI Champion.

“The Sultan of Swat” as often named was the American League Batting Champion in 1924, but only after he gave up as an honored pitcher who won the American League ERA title in 1916.

Ruth finished his pitching portion of his career with a 94-46 record with a 2.28 ERA while striking out 477 batters in 163 games. He has 107 complete games in his career and 17 shutouts. He only gave up 10 career home runs.

During his hitting career “The Great Bambino” hit for a .342 career average, with 714 home runs, 2,873 hits, 2,213 RBI’s. He also pitched for an amazing 94-46 record with a 2.28 ERA. His 714 home runs would be a record for 38 years until September 23, 1973 when “Hammerin” Henry, or Hank Aaron broke the record with his 715 blast. Aaron would go on to hit 755 home runs.

Ruth’s record would again be broke in 2007 when Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants set a new all-time home run record, which is currently the all-time leading total in Major League Baseball at 762. Currently Ruth’s 714 home runs rank third all-time in MLB history.

The Yankees retired Ruth’s no. 3 jersey and Major League Baseball has honored Ruth’s legacy by named him the All-Century and All-Time teams.

“The Babe” was elected into Cooperstown Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1936 with 95.13 percent of the vote.

Ruth has been named the greatest baseball player of all time in various surveys and rankings. In 1998, The Sporting News ranked him number one on the list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players".

In 1969, he was named baseball's Greatest Player Ever in a ballot commemorating the 100-year anniversary of professional baseball.

In 1993, the Associated Press reported that Muhammad Ali was tied with Babe Ruth as the most recognized athletes in America.

In a 1999 ESPN poll, he was ranked as the second-greatest U.S. athlete of the century, behind Michael Jordan.

The Babe Ruth Award is an annual award given to the Major League Baseball (MLB) player with the best performance in the World Series. 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, one year after Ruth's death.

The Babe Ruth Home Run Award is an annual award presented to the leading home run hitter in MLB. Ruth’s daughter, Julia Ruth Stevens, or her son, Tom Stevens, usually presents it to the recipient.

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.

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.