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: 

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.

New York Yankees' Joe Pepitone Hits Two Home Runs In One Inning

On May 23, 1962, Joe Pepitone becomes the second New York Yankees player ever to hit two home runs in one inning, joining non-other than the Yankee Clipper, and Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio.

Joe Pepitone in 1971.

Pepitone is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder that played the bulk of his career for the New York Yankees. He also played several seasons with the Chicago Cubs and had short stints with the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves.

During his time with the Yankees, Pepitone was thrice named to play in the All-Star Game and also won three Golden Glove awards. His fame was sufficient for him to become something of a cultural icon.

In June 1973, Pepitone accepted an offer of $70,000 ($362,016 today) a year to play for the Yakult Atoms, a professional baseball team in Japan's Central League. While in Japan, he hit .163 with one home run and two RBIs in 14 games played.

According to an edition of Total Baseball, Pepitone spent his days in Japan skipping games for claimed injuries only to be at night in discos, behavior that led the Japanese to adopt his name into their vernacular—as a word meaning "goof off".

Joe Pepitone (right) at Yankees stadium in New York in the late 2000s.

After baseball in the late 1970s, Pepitone played for the New Jersey Statesmen in the American Professional Slow Pitch League (APSPL), one of three professional softball leagues active during this period.

Pepitone would also serve the front office of the North American Softball League (NASL) for their only season in 1980.

In June 1982, Pepitone was hired as a batting coach with the Yankees, but was replaced by Lou Piniella later in the season.

In the late 1990s, Pepitone was given a job in the Yankees' front office.

He currently spends his time signing autographs and baseball memorabilia at autograph shows, and working in a public relations capacity for the Yankees.

New York Yankees' DiMaggio Hits For The Cycle

On May 21, 1948, Hall of Fame New York Yankees great, Joe DiMaggio hits for the cycle (single, double, triple, home run).

The Yankee Clipper, Joe DiMaggio with the Yankees in 1942.

DiMaggio, nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper", was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees.

He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak (May 15 – July 16, 1941), a record that still stands.

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 Joe's record was.

DiMaggio was a three-time MVP winner and an All-Star in each of his 13 seasons.

During his tenure with the Yankees, the club won ten American League pennants and nine World Series championships.

At the time of his retirement, DiMaggio ranked fifth in career home runs (361) and sixth in career slugging percentage (.579).  DiMaggio finished his career with a lifetime batting average of .325 with 2,214 hits and 1,357 RBIs.

Joltin' Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees in 1941.

The New York Yankees retired DiMaggio’s number 5 jersey in 1952.

He was inducted into the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955 with 88.84 percent of the vote on the third ballot in which he appeared, and was voted the sport's greatest living player in a poll taken during the baseball centennial year of 1969.

On Sept. 27, 1998, New York Yankee and Martinez native Joe DiMaggio makes his last public appearance at Yankee Stadium. Owner George Steinbrenner presents him with replicas of his 9 World Series rings, which had been stolen 30 years previously.

In 1999 DiMaggio was named as one of Major League Baseball’s All-Century Team members.

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.

UCLA Bruins End Perfect Season

On March 21, 1964, the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team beat Duke by a score of 98-83 to win the NCAA Division I championship, and complete their perfect 30-0 season.

John Wooden (center) with the 1964 NCAA Champions UCLA Bruins.

At the time, the Bruins became only the forth team in NCAA men’s basketball history to record a perfect season.  The other three were the 1953-54 Kentucky Wildcats, the 1955-56 San Francisco Dons and the 1956-57 North Carolina Tar Heels.  The win was just the start of head coach John Wooden’s wonderful run at UCLA that would see him win 10 NCAA championships over the next 12 years, and earn the nickname as “The Wizard at Westwood.”

Since the Bruins’ perfect 1963-64 season, five more teams have record undefeated seasons, however, three of those were UCLA teams from Wooden’s era.  The other two were recorded by North Carolina State in 1972-73 and Indiana in 1975-76.

UCLA has since gone on to win 10 more NCAA Tournaments including eight straight from 1967-1973, with their last win coming in 1995.

They were the NCAA Tournament runner up in 1980 and 2006. They reached the Final Four 18 times, including a 10-year span where they went every year; 1967-1976. Their last appearance came in 2011, when they were making their first appearance since consecutive appearances from 2006-2008. However, the UCLA Bruins are in the back in the mix again this year as they take on Tulsa tonight.

The Bruins have reached the NCAA Tournament 46 times since 1950, including 20 straight years from 1962-1981.

Barry Sets NBA Record

On Dec. 6, 1966, Rick Barry of the then San Francisco Warriors makes an NBA record 14 free throws in one quarter. Barry who used an unconventional style of free throw shooting, the granny shot, is the owner of several NBA records although his free throw percentage record was broken by a later Warrior, Mark Price.

Some of Barry’s records include being the youngest player to score 57 points in a game. He did so at age 21, 261 days. The record still stands today as the most a rookie has ever scored also.

Highest average of steals per game by a forward in a career, with an average of 1.99, 1,104 steals in 554 games.

While holding several playoff records including:

Scoring 30 or more points in all games, any playoff series: In the six game series against the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1967 Finals.

Field goal attempts in a six-game series: 235, in the 1967 Finals against the 76ers.

Field goal attempts in a game: 48, on April 18, 1967 in the Finals against the 76ers.

Field goal attempts in a quarter: 17, on April 14, 1967 in the Finals against the 76ers.

Barry also holds a few All-Star game records as well including, most field goal attempts in a game 27, in the 1967 All-Star game, most steals in a game, 8, 1975. Most personal fouls, six, twice, 1966 and 1978.

Giants Win World Series

On Nov. 1, 2010, the San Francisco Giants defeated the Texas Rangers 3-1 in Game 5 of the World Series. The win gave the Giants their first championship since 1954 when they defeated the Cleveland Indians.

The Giants continued their legacy in San Francisco as they won the World Series last year, sweeping the Detroit Tigers. 

 The San Francisco Giants now have seven World Series championship titles dating back to their time in New York, and have two since moving to San Francisco in 1954.

Athletics Sweep Giants In "Battle of the Bay" World Series

On Oct. 28, 1989, the Oakland Athletics finish off a sweep of the San Francisco Giants in the 1989 World Series, also known as the Battle of the Bay. The series would be the longest series in terms of length of days from start to finish of any World Series in history, due to the Loma Prieta earthquake, which occurred on Oct. 17 before Game 3, and caused a 10-day disruption of play.

The 1989 World Series saw the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants battling it out for Major League Baseballs World Series championship for the first time ever.

The first game of the series saw the Athletics throw out Dave Stewart in front of a sold out crowd in the east bay against the Giants Scott Garrelts.

Oakland took the lead in the bottom of the second when Dave Henderson walked, advanced to second on a Terry Steinbach single, and scored on another single by Tony Phillips that moved Steinbach up to third.

Walt Weiss then sent a soft ground ball toward first, but Giants first baseman (and NLCS MVP) Will Clark threw the ball low and to the right of catcher Terry Kennedy. Steinbach knocked the ball out of Kennedy's mitt, scoring the second run of the inning. Kennedy was charged with an error, and Phillips advanced to second. Rickey Henderson then drove in Phillips on a single to right field; the second inning ended with Oakland leading 3–0.

A's designated hitter Dave Parker tattooed a solo home run to lead off the third off of Garrelts, and Weiss added a lead off home run of his own leading in the fourth. Oakland starter Stewart dominated the Giants, allowing five hits in a complete game, handing the A's a one-game edge in the Series. "We ran into a buzz saw," said Giants first baseman Will Clark, of Stewart's pitching.

Game two was also in Oakland and in front of another sell out crowd. The Athletics threw out their number two starting pitcher Mike Moore as he faced off against the Giants Rick Reuschel.

Oakland got off to a fast start; Rickey Henderson led off the bottom of the first with a walk. Henderson promptly stole second, and scored one pitch later when Carney Lansford hit a double to right field. The Giants scored their first run of the Series in the top of the third; José Uribe reached first on a fielder's choice, advanced to third via a Brett Butler single, and scored on a Robby Thompson fly ball.

The A's regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when Dave Parker drove a line shot off the wall that was both an inch from being foul and an inch from being a home run. Jose Canseco, who drew a walk earlier that inning, scored on the play. Parker stood at the plate for a moment to watch the flight of the ball, and started to run as soon as the ball hit the wall; Giants right fielder Candy Maldonado appeared to throw Parker out at second, but second base umpire Dutch Rennert called Parker safe. After Dave Henderson walked and Mark McGwire struck out, Terry Steinbach hit a three-run home run off Reuschel to left field, scoring both Parker and Henderson. The Giants had no answer for Oakland's relievers, and the A's won 5–1 and took a 2–0 lead in the Series.

During a pre-game interview on ABC, Oakland Athletics manager Tony LaRussa mentioned that he thought that Terry Steinbach was going to hit a home run, which he did in the fourth inning, forcing Reuschel to leave the game, and the Giants to dig deep into their bullpen.

Just as the two Bay Area teams were getting ready for Game 3 in San Francisco the Loma Prieta earthquake hit.

The Loma Prieta earthquake struck on October 17, 1989 at 5:04 p.m. Game 3 was scheduled to start at 5:35 p.m. at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, and thousands of people were already in the stadium when the quake occurred. Because of the coincidence of timing, it was the first major earthquake in the United States ever to be broadcast by live television. Experts credit the timing of the Series as a lucky break that prevented massive loss of life in the city; key in reducing the loss of life was the fact that many people had left work early or were staying late to participate in after-work group viewings and parties, reducing the traffic that would otherwise have been on the collapsed freeways (initial expectations were that hundreds of people had died in the collapse of Interstate 880 in Oakland; the final death toll from that event was 42). A Goodyear Blimp that had been covering the game was used to coordinate emergency efforts.

At the time the earthquake hit, the announcing team for ABC Sports, Tim McCarver, Al Michaels, and Jim Palmer immediately grabbed what they perceived to be the armrests; it turned out that they grabbed each others' thighs, leaving each of them with bruises; recounting this incident years later, Michaels would boldly admit his strong belief that had the earthquake lasted much longer than 15 seconds, he would have been killed. The ABC Sports team remained in their broadcast booth and appeared composed once a backup generator restored power. By contrast, the broadcasting team in the CBS Radio booth next door, consisting of Jack Buck, Johnny Bench, and John Rooney, ran out as soon as the earthquake started. Bench ran to a spot underneath a steel grate, to which Buck quipped, "If you would have moved that fast when you played, you wouldn't have hit into so many double plays." The ESPN live coverage of the Series (ESPN and ABC at the time produced separate broadcasts) was interrupted during then-television analyst Joe Torre's pre-game report on the field. Their equipment van was the only one with a generator, and they continued their live coverage with Chris Berman and Bob Ley. Separately from the broadcast, Peter Gammons and Oakland Athletics pitcher Bob Welch were walking by Marina Middle School in order to get a residency pass when they spotted a slightly unshaven man with a white wind-breaker waiting in line for his pass, who turned out to be Joe DiMaggio, who was concerned over the status of his sister, Louise. Gammons shared this story during a 1999 Sports Center Flashback special chronicling the 1989 World Series.

In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, ABC aired a rerun of Roseanne (and later, The Wonder Years) before Ted Koppel began anchoring news coverage from Washington, with Michaels acting as a de facto reporter. The Goodyear Blimp (which was already aloft for the game) provided video of structural damage and fires within the city. The ABC opening for this telecast (leading up to Al Michaels informing the viewers of the earthquake) was used at the beginning of a 1990 television movie (documenting the Loma Prieta earthquake) called After The Shock.

As for the Series itself, Fay Vincent decided to postpone Game 3 (although he didn't tell anyone before doing so, resulting in an umpire protest) initially for five days, resulting in the longest delay in World Series history. It was postponed for another five days (until October 27) because of delays in restoring transmission links. Then San Francisco mayor Art Agnos wanted to wait a month before resuming it, with Vincent responding to Agnos by telling him that he might move it elsewhere if the delay would be that long.

Players for the Oakland Athletics returned home, but had to travel via San Jose, adding an extra 90 minutes because some roadway sections of the Bay Bridge had collapsed. Not long after returning, Jose Canseco (still in full uniform) and his wife Esther were spotted filling up their car at a self-service gas station. As noted in his later book Juiced, Canseco noted that someone wrote an article portraying him as forcing his wife to pump the gas, but that in reality, she told him to let her do it because if people saw him in his full uniform, it would cause a scene.

After rescheduling Game 3, to Oct. 27 the two teams were ready to do battle back in San Francisco. But with the long delay the Athletics were able to put Stewart, their Game 1 started back on the mound.

At the start of Game 3, some emergency responders who had aided during the earthquake, including police officers and firefighters, were honored and threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Dave "Hendu" Henderson just missed hitting three home runs for the A's as his first inning shot bounced off the top of the wall for a double.

Giants catcher Bill Bathe became the fifth National League player in World Series history to hit a home run in his very first at-bat. His teammate Matt Williams noticed him wobbling when the earthquake started. Apparently, he was looking in the stands for his family.

When Game 3 was originally scheduled for October 17, the scheduled starting pitchers were Bob Welch for the A's and Don Robinson for the Giants. Meanwhile, Ken Oberkfell was slated to start at third base for the Giants, with Matt Williams moving over to shortstop instead of the benched José Uribe. Also, Pat Sheridan was slated to take over for Candy Maldonado in right field for the Giants. Maldonado told ESPN that he was in the clubhouse getting ready when the earthquake hit. The first person he saw in the midst of all of this was his teammate, Robinson, who told Maldonado that he sensed that an earthquake was occurring.

This game set a record for most combined home runs hit in a World Series game with seven, as well as tying a record for most home runs hit by a single team, five, in a World Series game (the New York Yankees won Game 4 of the 1928 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, which like this series, would end in a sweep).

Up three games to none the Oakland Athletics threw out their Game 2 starter in Mike Moore to finish off the sweep of the Bay Area rivals the San Francisco Giants.

At the time, October 28 was the latest end date for a World Series, even though the series only lasted the minimum four games. (This record was tied in 1995, and has since been topped by the terrorism-delayed 2001 World Series which ran from October 27 through November 4 and the 2009 World Series which ran from October 28 through November 4 as regularly scheduled.) The World Series now regularly ends around this time because there is an extra round of playoffs. After Nell Carter sang the National Anthem, Willie Mays threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

The A's led from the first batter of the game on as Rickey Henderson's leadoff home run set the tone. Kevin Mitchell's homer would bring the Giants closer as they cut an 8–0 deficit to 8–6 in two innings. But it would prove to be too little too late for San Francisco as they would lose 9–6.

This was also Candlestick Park's final World Series game. The Giants' three subsequent National League pennants have come since their move to AT&T Park, in 2002, 2010 and 2012.

Out of respect for the Loma Prieta earthquake victims, the Oakland Athletics chose not to celebrate their World Series victory with champagne, as is normally customary for the winning team in the World Series.

The 1989 World Series title was the most recent for the Oakland franchise. The Giants have had more recent success winning the 2010 World Series over the Texas Rangers and the 2012 World Series over the Detroit Tigers in a sweep.

Mays Plays His Final World Series

On Oct. 14, 1973, the MLB World Series featured the New York Mets and the Oakland A's. Willie Mays was at the end of a stellar career in 1973 and was used as a pinch hitter in Game 2 in Oakland.

 

Mays was substituted and played in center field for the Mets when he had his last Major League hit Oct. 14, 1973. It was an RBI single and the Mets won the game 10-7. Mays had two at-bats that night.

Mays retired after the 1973 season. His Mets lost the World Series in seven games. He quit playing pro baseball after 22 great years with a career average of .302, garnering 3,283 hits and 660 home runs. 

Some of his other accomplishments include 24 consecutive All-Star game appearances. He was the All-Star game MVP in 1963 and 1968. He also earned 12 consecutive Gold Glove awards, two National League MVP awards in 1954 and 1965, the 1951 National League Rookie of the Year award, winning the 1971 Roberto Clemente Award, and setting a record for most home runs in a game with four on April, 30, 1961.

Mays also helped the New York Giants in winning a World Series in 1954.

The San Francisco Giants retired his no. 24 jersey, and Mays was named to the MLB All-Century Team and the MLB All-Time team.

Mays was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot he appeared on in 1979 with 94.7 percent of the vote.

DiMaggio Plays In Final Game

On Oct. 10, 1951, the New York Yankees beat the cross-town rival New York Giants four games to two in the World Series. It was also the final time that Martinez native Joe DiMaggio played Major League Baseball.

DiMaggio, nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees.

His brothers Vince and Dom also became major league center fielders with the Red Sox.

However, DiMaggio is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak (May 15 – July 16, 1941), a record that still stands to this day.

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 Joe's record was.

During his tenure with the Yankees, the club won ten American League pennants and nine World Series championships.

At the time of his retirement, DiMaggio ranked fifth in career home runs (361) and sixth in career slugging percentage (.579).

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.

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.

The New York Yankees retired DiMaggio’s No. 5 jersey in 1952.

He was inducted into the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955 with 88.84 percent of the vote on the third ballot in which he appeared, and was voted the sport's greatest living player in a poll taken during the baseball centennial year of 1969.

On Sept. 27, 1998, New York Yankee and Martinez native DiMaggio made his last public appearance at Yankee Stadium. Owner George Steinbrenner presented him with replicas of his nine World Series rings, which had been stolen 30 years previously.

In 1999 DiMaggio was named as one of Major League Baseball’s All-Century Team members.

Orioles Sweep Dodgers

On Oct. 9, 1966, the Baltimore Orioles win the World Series as they sweep the Los Angeles Dodgers four games to none. 

The Orioles pitchers threw 33 consecutive scoreless innings, which became a World Series record. The record spanned from the fourth inning in Game 1 through the completion Game 4.

The Baltimore Orioles pitching staff only allowed just two earned runs and finished with a team ERA of 0.50. The two runs scored by the Dodgers in the series were scored in innings two and three of Game 1.

The Orioles became the first non-Yankee American League team to win the World Series since the 1948 Cleveland Indians. The Orioles also became the last of the original eight American League teams to win a World Series at all. 

The Orioles had played in the Fall Classic as the St. Louis Browns in the 1944 World Series, in which they were also the last of the original eight AL teams to participate in a World Series.

Frank Robinson became the first non-pitcher from a winning World Series team to win the World Series MVP trophy.

Bobby Richardson had won the World Series MVP for the Series-losing New York Yankees in the 1960 World Series.

Since their first World Series title in 1966 the Baltimore Orioles have won two more World Series titles, in 1970 and 1983 while going to the World Series five more times including three straight appearances from 1969-1971.

Larsen Throws A Gem In World Series

On Oct. 8, 1956, New York Yankees great Don Larsen pitches the only perfect game in World Series history against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Larsen’s perfect game was only the sixth perfect game in MLB history, and the first perfect game in the World Series. Larsen followed Lee Richmond, Monte Ward, Cy Young, Addie Joss and Charlie Robertson as pitchers to throw a perfect game.

Since Larsen the perfect game has been achieved by 16 more players including: Jim Bunning, Sandy Koufax, Catfish Hunter, Len Barker, Mike Witt, Dennis Martinez, Kenny Rogers, David Wells, David Cone, Randy Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Dallas Braden, Roy Halladay, Phillip Humber, Matt Cain and Felix Hernandez.

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

The American League has seen 14 prefect games while the National League only nine times.
No single player has ever thrown more than one perfect game.

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

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

Over his career Larsen put up many great performances, but the perfect game in the World Series is no doube his best. Over his 14-year career with the St. Louis Browns, Baltimore Orioles, Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants, Houston Colt .45’s / Astros and Chicago Cubs, Larsen won two World Series titles, was the World Series MVP in 1956 with his perfect game, and was the Babe Ruth Award winner in 1956.

Larsen finished his regular season career with 412 games played with 171 games started including 81 wins and 91 losses and 23 saves. He tallied 1,548 innings pitched with a 3.78 ERA, 849 strikeouts and 725 walks. Larsen finished his career with 44 complete games and 11 shutouts.

During his postseason play Larsen played in 10 games, starting in six with four wins and two losses. He tallied 36 innings pitched with a 2.75 ERA, 24 strikeouts and 19 walks. Larsen finished his postseason career with one complete games and one shutout, the Perfect game in 1956 for the Yankees.

In 1964, Larsen was also inducted by the San Diego Hall of Champions into the Breitbard Hall of Fame honoring San Diego's finest athletes both on and off the playing surface.

Bonds Hits 73

On Oct. 7, 2001, San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds records home run 73 of the season against Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Dennis Springer.

Barry Bonds would finish the 2001 season with 73 home runs, a new major league record, breaking Mark McGwire’s record of 70 home runs that was set just a few years earlier in 1998. Bonds received the Babe Ruth award in 2001 for leading the MLB in home runs.

Bonds would never reach the plateau of 70 home runs again, but his record still stands today. The 2001 season was the fourth season in which Bonds was named the National League MVP, the first as a San Francisco Giant. The three previous MVP awards came while he was on the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 2001 MVP award was also the first of four consecutive MVP awards Bonds would receive while playing for the Giants as he also won the award in 2002, 2003 and 2004. No other player has won four MVP awards, let alone four consecutive MVP awards.

The 2001 season also saw Bonds draw in a few more records besides home runs, including 177 walks, and had .515 on-base percentage, a feat which had not been seen since Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams over forty years earlier. Bonds’ slugging percentage in 2001 was also a major league record, which still stands, as he hit an astounding .863.

Earlier in the 2001 season Bonds had also hit home run 500 putting him in great company, at the time only 16 other players were in the 500 home run club. Since Bonds reached the feat eight other players have reached 500 home runs.

Bonds is not yet a member of the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame but should be  in my opinion. Whether or not you believe steroids helped Bonds reach the home run feats, he was still a great player in the batters box or on defense. Bonds won an unprecedented seven MVP awards in his career, four more than the next players on the list, which include Hall of Famers, Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, Stan Musial, Roy Campanella, and Mike Schmidt. Two active players also have three MVP awards, New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and Anaheim Angels first baseman Albert Pujols.

Bonds also holds 17 MLB records including most walks in a season, and a career, and shares a piece of four other records including most seasons (five) with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases, which tied his father Bobby. Barry and Bobby are also the only father and son duo to be in the 30-30 club.

Replacement Players In NFL

On Oct. 4, 1987, the NFL has replacement players play for the first time. The replacement players would last three weeks before the regular players would return. Most teams saw record low attendance during the replacement player games.

The 1987 NFL season was the sixty-eighth regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players. 85% of the veteran players did not cross picket lines during the strike.

The replacement player teams were given mock names like "Chicago Spare Bears", "San Francisco Phoney Niners", "New Orleans Saint Elsewheres", "Washington ScabSkins", and "Seattle Sea-scabs".

Final television revenues were down by about 20 percent, a smaller drop than the networks had expected. The defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants went 0–3 in replacement games, ultimately costing them a chance to make the playoffs and repeat their championship.

After the season the St. Louis Cardinals' owners announced they would be leaving Missouri for Tempe, Arizona and become the Phoenix Cardinals for 1988.

The season ended with Super Bowl XXII when the Washington Redskins defeated the Denver Broncos 42-10 in Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego. The Broncos made their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance while the Redskins were returning for the first time since they advanced to Super Bowl XVIII four seasons earlier.

"Hit Heard Around The World"

On Oct. 3, 1951 New York Giants Bobby Thomson hits a walk-off home run to win the pennant, defeating their cross-town rivals the Brooklyn Dodgers. Thomson’s home run has been named the “Hit heard around the world.”

Despite Thomson’s heroics to win the pennant, the Giants would end up losing the World Series to the New York Yankees in six games.

While best known for his walk-off home run against the Dodgers, Thomson had a great career which saw him play for 15 years with the Giants, Milwaukee Braves, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles.

Over his career Thomson, nicknamed "The Staten Island Scot," was a three-time All-Star, including back-to-back appearances in 1948-1949. Though never an MVP, Thomson was in the MVP conversation three times over the course of his career, with his highest voting for the MVP Award coming in 1951 when he finished eighth. That year he had career highs in home runs with 32, which was the fifth highest total in the MLB that year, and walks with 73. Thomson also had the fourth highest slugging percentage in MLB.

Thomson put up solid numbers over his career including playing in 1,779 games over 15 seasons. Over those 15 seasons, Thomson had 6,305 at-bats with 1,705 hits, consisting of 1,100 singles, 267 doubles, 74 triples and 264 home runs for a .270 lifetime batting average. Thomson also knocked in 1,026 RBIs, scored 903 runs, totaled 38 stolen bases and walked 559 times, while striking out 804 times.

Thomson led the league in triples once, with 14 in 1952. That was also his highest single season total of triples.

Scottish baseball team, the Edinburgh Diamond Devils, named their home "Bobby Thomson Field.” It was opened by the man himself in 2003 while he was in Scotland to be inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame.

The UK Chapter of The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is named the Bobby Thomson Chapter.

Clark Begins NFL Reception Record

On Sept. 14, 1980, San Francisco 49ers great Dwight Clark begins National Football League (NFL) streak of 105 consecutive games with at least one reception.

This streak would be passed by a former teammate of Clark, Jerry Rice, who would go on to have 274 games with at least one reception.

Clark played his entire career with the San Francisco 49ers from 1979 to 1987. Clark played college football at Clemson University before being drafted by the 49ers with the first pick in the tenth round of the 1979 NFL Draft.

With the 49ers, Clark played on two Super Bowl championship teams. He caught the winning touchdown pass thrown by quarterback Joe Montana in the NFC Championship Game in January 1982 against the Dallas Cowboys.  The play, immortalized as "The Catch," propelled the 49ers to their first Super Bowl championship.

Over his career Clark racked up some amazing awards being named a Pro-Bowl selection twice in 1981 and 1982. Being named an All-Pro selection twice, in 1981 and 1982. Winning two Super Bowls, XVI (16) and XIX (19).

In 1981 Clark would be named UPI Second Team All-Conference.

In 1982 Clark would also be named a UPI First Team All-Conference, Associated Press First Team All-NFL, Pro Football Writers First Team All-NFL, Newspaper Enterprise Association First Team All-NFL, Pro Football Weekly First Team All-NFL, Sports Illustrated First Team All-NFL. He would also be awarded The Len Eshmont Award, and was named Sports Illustrated NFL Player of the Year.

That year Clark led the league in receptions, with 60, during a strike shortened season.

Clark would be apart of the 49ers front office for their next three Super Bowl wins XXIII (23), XXIV (24) and XXIX (29).

Over the course of his career Clark compiled 506 receptions for 6,750 yards with 48 touchdowns. He also rushed six times over his career for 50 yards with a long of 18 yards, coming in 1981. Over the course of his career he averaged 3.8 receptions per game, an average of 13.3 yards per reception with an average of 50.4 yards receiving per game. His longest career reception came in 1984 when he hauled in an 80 yard pass from Joe Montana.

Clark’s highest single season reception total came in 1981 with 85 receptions, although he did not lead the league in receptions that year. His highest single season total for touchdowns came in 1985 with 10, although he did not lead the league that year. His highest single season total for receiving yards came in 1981 with 1,105 yards, although he did not lead the league in receiving yards that year.

In 1988 the San Francisco 49ers retired Clark’s no. 87 jersey, and he was inducted into Clemson’s Hall of Fame.

After retiring from the NFL Clark served as the general manager of the 49ers in 1998 and in the same capacity with the Cleveland Browns from 1998 to 2002. As well as starring in the lead role in the 1994 direct-to-video comedy Kindergarten Ninja. Clark has also appeared in the video game, All-Pro Football 2K8.

In 2011 Clark joined Comcast SportsNet Bay Area as an analyst for 49ers Postgame Live.

Rice Sets A New Touchdown Record

On Sept. 5, 1994, Hall of Famer and San Francisco 49ers great Jerry Rice catches an National Football League (NFL) record touchdown with career touchdown reception 127.

Rice would go on to catch another 70 touchdowns over his career ending his career as the player with the most receiving touchdowns of all time with 197 touchdown receptions.

Over his career Rice played for the 49ers, Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos. However, he never actually played a regular season game with the Broncos, just playing with them in the preseason before being cut.

Rice still holds nearly every possible receiving record for both regular and post-season performance.
Including being the NFL’s all-time leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns. In his 20 NFL seasons, Rice missed only 10 regular season games, seven of them in the 1997 season, and the other three in the strike-shortened season of 1987. His 303 games are by far the most ever played by an NFL wide receiver.

Rice finished his regular season career with 1,549 receptions for 22,895 yards with 208 touchdowns for a total of 1,256 points scored. Of the 208 touchdowns Rice scored 10 of those are rushing and one is passing with the majority, 197 coming as receptions.

Six times Rice led the league in receiving yards and touchdown receptions with his highest single season totals coming in 1995 and 1987 respectively.

His 1,848 receiving yards in 1995 was the highest single season total until 2012 when Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions broke the record with 1,964 receiving yards.

His 22-touchdown reception season of 1987 was the highest single season mark of any receiver until then New England Patriots Randy Moss broke the mark in 2007. However, Rice caught 22 in 14 games while it took 16 games for Moss to catch 23.

Rice also led the league in receptions twice, with his highest single season total coming in 1995 with 122, although he did not lead the league in receptions that year.

Rice’s 20-year career saw him make 13 Pro Bowl appearances, including 11 consecutive appearances from 1986-1996. In 1995 Rice was the Pro Bowl MVP. He was a 12-time All-Pro selection, including 11 consecutive times from 1986-1996. He was a two-time NFC Offensive Player of the Year in 1986 and 1987. He was a two time AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1987 and 1993. He was the UPI NFC Player of the Year in 1988 and also the PFWA MVP that same year. Rice was the Bert Bell Award winner in 1987. Rice was also the UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year in 1985.

Rice helped the 49ers to three Super Bowl Championships in Super Bowl XXIII (23), XXIV (24) and XXIX (29). He was named the Super Bowl MVP for Super Bowl XXIII (23).

Rice has been named to the NFL 1980’s, 1990’s All-Decade Teams, and was named to the NFL 75 Anniversary All-Time Team in 1994.

Rice was inducted into Canton’s Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

The San Francisco 49ers retired his no. 80 jersey.

Rice is rated the no. 1 NFL Player of all-time by NFL.com, which is no wonder why his nickname is the “G.O.A.T.” or the Greatest of All Time.