San Farncisco Giants' Barry Bonds Breaks MLB Home Run Record

On August 7, 2007, San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds breaks Hank Aaron’s career record for home runs, with his 756th.

It took Bonds 21 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants to Break Aaron’s record, which stood for 33 years. Bonds would finish his career with 762 home runs, and is still the all-time leader in MLB history for most career home runs. Part of Bonds’ success came from the fact that he is the all-time leader with consecutive seasons of 30 or more home runs, in which he has 13, from 1992-2004.

Bonds also leads the MLB in home runs in a season with 73, career walks with 2,558 and career intentional walks with 688.

Bonds was also a seven time National League MVP. His seven MVP awards are four more than the next player.

In the American League former Martinez native and Yankee slugger Joe DiMaggio earned three MVP’s. Two of DiMaggio’s teammates also earned three MVP’s, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle. Current Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez also has three MVP’s.

In the National League, St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Stan Musial earned three MVP awards in his career. Former Brooklyn Dodger Roy Campanella earned three MVP’s. Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt and another Cardinal in Albert Pujols also earned three MVP awards.

On top of being on of the most decorated hitters of all time, Bonds also was an outstanding outfielder in his younger years as he racked up eight Gold Glove awards from 1990-1998.

  
He is also tied with his father Bobby for the most seasons of 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases with five. Bonds would continue his terror on the base paths throughout his career and managed to become the only member of the 400/400 club, hitting over 400 home runs and stealing over 400 bags. He would then further himself from the rest of baseball when he entered the 500/500 club in 2004 when he swiped his 500th stolen base.

Bonds’ was also just a season shy from joining the elusive 3,000 hit club, as he finished his career with 2,935 hits.

Bonds’ stats indicate he should be a first ballot Hall of Famer into Cooperstown, however, with the steroid issues and Balco perjury scandals it is unlikely that Bonds will be nominated into Cooperstown.

Check out the video below of Bonds' 756th home run: 

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.

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.

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.

San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds Sets MLB Record

On May 4, 2002, Barry Bonds hits his 400th home run as a San Francisco Giant, leading his team to a 3-0 win over Cincinnati. Bonds is the first player to hit 400 homers for one team and 100 with another (Pittsburgh Pirates). Bonds would finish his career as Major League Baseball's All-Time home run leader with 762 home runs.

Barry Bonds hitting his 400th home run as a San Francisco Giant.

 It took Bonds 21 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants to Break Aaron’s record of 756 home runs, which stood for 33 years. Bonds would finish his career and is still the all-time leader in MLB history for most career home runs. Part of Bonds’ success came from the fact that he is the All-Time leader with consecutive seasons of 30 or more home runs, in which he has 13, from 1992-2004.

Bonds also leads the MLB in home runs in a single season with 73, career walks with 2,558 and career intentional walks with 688.

Bonds was also a seven time National League MVP. His seven MVP awards are four more than the next player. 

In the American League, former Yankee slugger Joe DiMaggio earned three MVP’s. Two of DiMaggio’s teammates also earned three MVP’s, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle. Current Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez also has three MVP’s.

In the National League, St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Stan Musial earned three MVP awards in his career. Former Brooklyn Dodger Roy Campanella earned three MVP’s. Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt and another former Cardinal in Albert Pujols also earned three MVP awards.

On top of being on of the most decorated hitters of all time, Bonds also was an outstanding outfielder in his younger years as he racked up eight Gold Glove awards from 1990-1998. As of 2009, Bonds was the Left Fielder to win a Gold Glove in the National League.

He is also tied with his father Bobby for the most seasons of 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases with five. Bonds would continue his terror on the base paths throughout his career and managed to become the only member of the 400/400 club, hitting over 400 home runs and stealing over 400 bags. He would then further himself from the rest of baseball when he entered the 500/500 club in 2004 when he swiped his 500^th stolen base.

Bonds’ was also just a season shy from joining the elusive 3,000 hit club, as he finished his career with 2,935 hits.

Bonds’ stats indicate he should have been a first ballot Hall of Famer into Cooperstown, however, with the steroid issues and Balco perjury scandals it is unlikely that Bonds will be nominated into Cooperstown ever

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.

Hank Aaron Breaks All-Time Home Run Record

On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron hit his 715th career home run breaking Babe Ruth's record of 714 career home runs, to become the leader in all-time home runs.

Hank Aaron coming into home plate after hitting his record breaking 715th home run.

Ruth's record stood for 39 years before Aaron was able to break it.

Aaron hit his 713 home run on the second to last day of the 1973 season, forcing him to wait an off-season to get his chance to tie and eventually break the record.

During the off-season Aaron recieved many death threats and large amounts of hate mail from people who did not want to see a black man break Ruth's iconic record.

"Hammerin" Hank would get the record though and continue hitting home runs, another 40 to be exact ending his career as the all-time home run leader in the MLB with 755 home runs.

In 2007, former Pittsburgh Pirates MVP and then San Francisco Giants MVP Barry Bonds would break Aaron's record of home runs with his 756.

Currently Bonds is still the all-time career home run leader with Aaron second and Ruth third.

Hernandez And Stargell Named Co-MVP's

On Nov. 13, 1979, St. Louis Cardinal Keith Hernandez and Pittsburgh Pirate Willie Stargell were both named MVP of the National League.

This marked the first time that the award was shared by two players. This was the only MVP award for both players. For Stargell, his career was winding down. On the other hand, Hernandez was just starting to hit his prime.

Stargell was coming to an end of a great career, which saw him hit 475 home runs, a .282 average and 1,540 RBI’s over a 20-year span. Some of the honors Stargell would receive over the years were being named an All-Star seven times, including three consecutive times twice, from 1964-1966, and 1971-1973. He would be a two-time World Series Champion in 1971 and 1979 with the Pirates.

In 1979 he would also win the NLCS MVP Award, World Series MVP, and the Babe Ruth Award, which is given to the player with the most home runs during the regular season.

Stargell would be inducted in Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988 with 82.4 percent of the vote on his first ballot he appeared. The Pirates would also retire his no. 8 jersey that year.

Hernandez would end up having a fabulous career following his MVP season, by earning four more Al-Star appearances; his first of five was in 1979. He would win eight-more consecutive Gold Gloves. He won two Silver Slugger Awards in 1980 and 1984, and was a two-time World Champion in 1982 and 1986 with the New York Mets.

Hernandez was inducted into the Mets’ Hall of Fame in 1997, but has never been inducted into Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame, as he never received much help from the baseball writers of America. After nine years on the ballot, in 2004 Hernandez only received six percent of the vote, and would be taken off of future ballots.

Currently Hernandez broadcasts Mets’ games for SportsNet New York and WPIX since 2006. Hernandez won two 2010 New York Emmys. He won an individual award for Sports Analyst and as part of the SNY Mets broadcast team which won the "Live Sports Event: Series 2009 Mets: The Inaugural Year of Citi Field" award.

Bonds' Joins 40-40 Club

On Sept. 26, 1996, San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds becomes just the second player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a single season, joining the 40-40 club.

Bonds joined only former Oakland Athletics slugger Jose Canseco who completed the feat for the first time in MLB history in 1988 with 42 home runs and 40 stolen bases.

Bonds would end the 1996 season with 42 home runs and 40 stolen bases, tying Canseco.

Since Bonds completed the feat in 1996, it has been achieved twice more. Former Seattle Mariners short stop Alex Rodriguez in 1998 with 42 home runs and 46 stolen bases and in 2006 by former Washington Nationals outfielder Alfonso Soriano with 46 home runs and 41 stolen bases.

Bonds would finish his career with 762 home runs, and is still the all-time leader in MLB history for most career home runs. Part of Bonds’ success came from the fact that he is the all-time leader with consecutive seasons of 30 or more home runs, in which he has 13, from 1992-2004.

Bonds also leads the MLB in home runs in a single season with 73, career walks with 2,558 and career intentional walks with 688.

Bonds was also a seven time National League MVP. His seven MVP Awards are four more than the next best player.

To put it in better perspective, Bonds who won four consecutive MVP Awards from 2001-2004, would be the leader in MVP Awards if he never won another outside of the span.

In the American League, former Martinez native and Yankee slugger, Joe DiMaggio earned three MVP Awards. As well, two of DiMaggio’s teammates also earned three MVP Awards, catcher Yogi Berra and outfielder Mickey Mantle. Current Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez also has three MVP’s. Former Philadelphia Athletics slugger Jimmy Foxx also won three MVP Awards during his career.

In the National League, St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Stan Musial earned three MVP Awards in his career. Former Brooklyn Dodger Roy Campanella earned three MVP Awards. Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt and another former Cardinal, Albert Pujols also earned three MVP Awards.

On top of being on of the most decorated hitters of all time, Bonds was also an outstanding outfielder in his younger years as he racked up eight Gold Glove awards from 1990-1998. As of 2009, Bonds was the most awarded Left Fielder to win a Gold Glove Awards in the National League.

Barry is also tied with his father Bobby for the most seasons of 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases with five. Bonds would continue his terror on the base paths throughout his career and managed to become the only member of the 400 home run and 400 stolen base club. He would then further himself from the rest of baseball when he entered the 500-500 club in 2004 when he swiped his career stolen base 500.

Bonds’ was also just a season shy from joining the elusive 3,000 hit club as he finished his career with 2,935 hits.

Bonds would finish his 22-year career with 2,986 games played and 9,847 at-bats. He would accumulate a career .298 batting average, a .444 on-base percentage, a .607 slugging percentage for a 1.051 on-base plus slugging percentage. He totaled 2,935 hits, consisting of 1,495 singles, 601 doubles, 77 triples and 762 home runs. He would also total 2,227 runs scored with 1,996 RBIs, 515 stolen bases, 2,558 walks with 688 intentional walks, while striking out just 1,539 times.

Bonds would lead the league in walks and intentional walks 12 times over the course of his career with his highest single season totals coming in 2004 with 232 walks and 120 intentional walks. Bonds led the league in on-base percentage 10 times, with his highest single season percentage coming in 2004 with a .609 mark. Bonds would lead the league in slugging percentage seven times, with highest single season percentage coming in 2001 with a .863 mark. Bonds would lead the league in home runs twice with his highest single season total coming in 2001 with 73. Bonds also led the league in runs scored and RBIs once with his highest single season totals coming in 1992 and 1993 respectively, with 109 runs scored, and 123 RBIs, although neither of those were single season career highs, which he set in 2001 with 129 RBIs (he reached 129 RBIs four times over his career) and 137 runs scored.

Bonds’ stats indicate he should be a first ballot Hall of Famer into Cooperstown, however, with the steroid issues, the Mitchell Report incident and Balco perjury scandals it is unlikely that Bonds will be nominated into Cooperstown, although he was one of the bests to ever play the game.