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.

Montreal Canadiens Debut Molson Centre

On March 17, 1996, the Montreal Canadiens played the first game in their new area, the Molson Centre. The Canadiens hosted the New York Rangers and beat them by a score of 4-2.

The Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

The arena was named after Molson, Inc a brewing company that owned the team at the time of the arena opening. However, when Molson decided to sell the team they also sold the naming rights to the stadium,

Canadian Telecommunications Company, Bell Canada would buy the team, and purchase the naming rights to the stadium. The Bell Centre still has the largest seating capacity for any NHL stadium with 21,407 seats.

The Bell Centre is known throughout the league for having some of the loudest and largest crowds on hand for any given game.

NHL Cancels Season

On Feb. 16, 2005, that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman officially canceled the 2004-05 season. 

This would mark the first time that a major North American sport would cancel an entire season due to a labor dispute.  It would also be the first year that the Stanley Cup was not awarded since 1919.

Upon their return to action, a number of rule changes were implemented in order to restore offense and make the game more exciting and fast-paced.  The removal of the red line, the shootout to break ties and more obstruction penalties being called led to more offensive chances and more goals being scored.  Offense was lacking in the “old NHL” but the new rules certainly helped create a more thrilling and up-tempo game.

All four major North American sports (NHL, MLB, NFL, NBA)  have had their issues with labor disputes, the NHL had it again this year, but never to this extent. 

Within the past few years we have seen both the NFL and the NBA go through labor disputes of their own, but in both cases the owners and the players were able to come to an agreement and avoid having their seasons cancelled.

Dorrington Makes History

On Nov. 15, 1950, Arthur Dorrington made history as the first black player to sign a hockey contract. Dorrington's deal was signed with a minor league team affiliated with the New York Rangers. Unlike most sports, there is still not a big presence of black players in professional hockey. However, he did pave the way for some great players.

Dorrington served with the U.S. Army and after service, signed with one of the New York Rangers farm clubs in 1950.

 He chose instead to play for the Atlantic City Seagulls of the Eastern League, leading them to a league championship in 1951.

After a career-ending injury, he built a second profession as an officer in the Atlantic County Sheriff's Department.

Since Dorrington, several black players have signed with professional hockey teams including two Stanley Cup Winner Pokey Reddick, and Grant Fuhr. Fuhr would be the first black player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and the first black player to win the Stanley Cup.

Dirk Graham was the NHL’s first black captain, and first black head coach. He played for the Minnesota Northstars and the Chicago Blackhawks, and coached the Blackhawks in the 1998-1999 season.

Tony McKegney was the first black player to participate in a full season. He played with the Buffalo Sabres, Quebec Nordiques, Minnesota Northstars, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks.

Willie O’Ree was the first black player to be signed by an NHL team, in 1958 he signed with the Boston Bruins.

Alton White, was the first black player to score a major league hat trick, he played for the New York Raiders, Los Angeles Sharks, Michigan Stags and the Baltimore Blades.

Currently 28 black players play in the NHL including two goalies Chris Beckford-Tseu, and Ray Emery. Of the current 28 black players in the NHL, only one, Dustin Byfuglien has won a Stanley Cup, in 2010 with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Mike Witt Tosses A Gem

 On Sept. 30, 1984, California Angels pitcher Mike Witt tossed the eleventh perfect game in Major League history.  

Witt’s Angels defeated the Texas Rangers 1-0 in a game played at Arlington Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Witt’s perfect game came on the final day of the season as he thoroughly dominated the Rangers.  

He had 10 strikeouts on the day to go along with 13 groundouts, as only four balls left the infield throughout the course of the game.  

A few years later in 1990, Witt would finish off a no-hitter started by teammate Mark Langston. After pitching seven innings of no-hit ball, Langston left the game and was replaced by Witt, who finished off the final two innings.  

There have only been nine combined no-hitters in Major League history.

To this day there has only been 23 perfect games pitched in the Major Leagues, with three of the last six coming against the Tampa Bay Rays. Both the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox have the most perfect games in history with three each. The Oakland Athletics have two to their credit and the Giants franchise dating back to New York has one, Cain’s from last season.