On
April 4, 1994 Tuffy Rhodes of the Chicago Cubs became the first National
Leaguer to hit three home runs on Opening Day. He accomplished the task against New York Mets
ace Dwight Gooden. Rhodes only hit 10 other
home runs in his 590 career at-bats. Finishing his major league career with 13
home runs and 44 RBI.
Rhodes
would enjoy a stellar career in Japanese baseball where he hit 464 home runs
including tying Sadaharu Oh’s season record of 55 home runs (since broken by Wladimir
Balentein in 2013 with 60). He also drove in 1269 runs.
Joe Glasgow is
a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play
Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h
Richie Asburn was a member of the 1950
Philadelphia “Whiz
Kids” that won the National League pennant. Ashburn would spend the first 12
years of his career in the Phillies uniform, before spend two years with the
Chicago Cubs, and his last with the infamous 1962 New York Mets.
Ashburn hitting line was
.308/.396/.382 with 29 home runs and 586 RBI. He had 2,574 hits and a lifetime
batting average of .308.
He was a two time NL batting champ,
his #1 has been retired by the Phillies, and a member of the Philadelphia
Baseball Wall of Fame. He was elected by the Veteran’s Committee in 1995 to the
Baseball Hall of Fame.
Frank Howard
broke in with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In his rookie season Howard hit 23 home
runs with 77 RBI earning the National League Rookie of the Year award.
His best
offensive seasons would come as a member of the Washington Senators uniform. He
hit forty plus home runs in 68-70 seasons. In 1968 and 1970, he led the
American League in home runs. He had the creative nicknames of “The Washington
Monument”, “Hondo” and “The Captial Punisher.” Howard was a four time all-star.
After his playing days, he managed the New York Mets and San Diego Padres. He
also served as a coach for his several clubs.
He hit 382
home runs with 1,119 RBI with a hitting line of .273/.352/.499.
Hickman is remembered for delivering the game winning hit in the
1970 All-Star game in which Pete Rose blew up Ray Fosse at home plate.
Hickman broke in
to the big leagues with the New York Mets after being selected in the expansion
draft from the St. Louis Cardinals, and played with them from 1962-66. While in
New York,
Hickman became the first Met to hit for the cycle, and it was Hickman that hit
the last home run in the Polo Grounds. He played the 1967 season with the Los
Angeles Dodgers before being sent packing to the Chicago Cubs.
He enjoyed his
most productive year in 1970 with the Cubs. Hickman blasted 32 home runs with
115 RBI, and finished with a .315 batting average. They were career highs in
all three categories. He would provided the Cubs two more solid seasons before
tapering off in 1973, and spent 1974 with the Cardinals.
As a young fan
of the Cubs Jim Hickman was always one of my favorites among the non-star
players. In my young mind, it seemed he was always delivering in the clutch.
Dave
Kingman was known for his ability to crush long towering home runs, a poor
glove, and an abrasive personality. Kingman was drafted by the San Francisco
Giants out of USC (University
of Southern California)
in 197. He made his Major League debut in 1971 with his first full season in 1972, a strike delayed
season, he hit for the cycle on the second game of the season (April 16, 1972).
Kingman would hit 29 home runs that season with 83 RBI, but he would finish
with a sub par slash line of .225/.303/.478 which would become indicative of
what was to come in his career.
His
offensive numbers continued to dip over the next two seasons. The Giants gave
up on Kingman as a third baseman after making 12 errors in only 59 chances in
1974. His run production had slipped from his rookie campaign. He hit only 18
home runs with 55 RBI, and a slash line of .223/.302/.440. He would be
traded to the New York Mets after the 1974 season.
In
New York, he
was moved to the outfield where he put up career high in 1975 in home runs with 36
and RBI with 88. During the 1976 season on June 4th, he would hit three home
runs in an 11-0 thumping of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He would accomplish this
feat five times in his career. He also set a new high in home runs during the
season with 37.
The
1977 was a poor season for Kingman, who was traded to the San Diego Padres, and
after performing poorly was waived and claimed by the California Angels on
September 6th. Only nine days later he was shipped to the New York Yankees. He
is one of the few players in Major League history to play for four teams in the
same season.
In
1978, he would sign as a free agent with the Chicago Cubs. He would hit
28 home runs and drive in 79 runs in his first year on the north side of Chicago. He followed it
up by having the best year of his career hitting 48 home runs driving in 115
with the best slash line of his career at .288/.343/.613. He was named to
the National League all-star team for the second time in his career. He was an
all-star with the Mets in 1976, and would be named an all-star with the Mets
again in 1982. The Cubs tiring of Kingman's personality traded the outfielder
back to the New York Mets.
In
his last six seasons he hit thirty or more home runs four times. Including the
last three seasons with the Oakland
A's. Despite hitting 35 home runs with 94 RBI , he wasn't offered a contract.
Despite lofty home run totals Kingman was plagued by a poor slash his entire
career finishing .236/.302/.478. He hit 442 home runs in his career with 1210
RBI. He became the first hitter with more than 400 home runs not to be elected
to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
He
was entertainment on many mediocre teams in New York,
Chicago, and Oakland.
It is a mystery to many why Gil Hodges isn't in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Hodges was key member of the great Brooklyn Dodger teams of the late 1940's and 1950's. He hit 20 or more home runs in 11 consecutive seasons for the Dodgers, including six seasons of 30 or more home runs.
Hodges made his Major League debut at 19 in 1943, but he would miss the 1944-1945 due to military service in World War II, and didn't make it back to Brooklyn until 1947. 1949 was his break out season, when Hodges hit 23 home runs and knocked in 115 runs. His slash line was .285/.360/.453. He would drive in over 100 runs in seven consecutive seasons. He wasn't just a slugger, but also considered to be one of the best defensive first basemen in the game during his career. 1957-1959, he was award the Gold Glove. On August 31, 1950, he would hit four home runs in one game against the Boston Braves. He would play his last two seasons with the hapless New York Mets. After his playing career was over he managed the Washington Senators and New York Mets. He died while playing golf at the age of 47 on April 2, 1972.
Hodges was an eight-time all-star, he part of two World Series champions. The 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, and the 1959 Los Angeles Dodgers. In 1969, he would manage the Amazing Mets to the World Series championship. During his career he hit 370 home runs with 1,274 RBI. His #14 has been retired by the New York Mets, and he is a member of the New York Mets Hall of Fame.
Joe Glasgow is
a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play
Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h
Ken Boyer was only the second third baseman to cross the 250 home runs mark (Pie Traynor was the other at the time). He was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1949, and made his major league debut in 1955. He would hit 18 home runs and knock in 62 runs in his rookie campaign, and would solidify the third base position for the Cardinals for 10 of the next 11 seasons (In 1957, he played centerfield).
From 1958-1964, he would hit over twenty home runs. Seven time he would drive in 90 or more runs in a season. Including a league leading 119 in 1964. He would finish his career with 282 home runs and 1,141 RBI. He was the 1964 National League Most Valuable Player. Boyer was a National League All-Star eleven times, was a member of the 1964 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. He was a five-times Gold Glove winner.
In October 1965, St. Louis traded him to the New York Mets, where played until be traded to the Chicago White Sox. Boyer signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in May of 1968 after being released by the White Sox. Boyer would retire after the 1969 season. He managed the St. Louis Cardinals 1978-1980. Tragically, he would die from cancer at the age of 51, and the St. Louis Cardinals retired his #14. He is also a member of the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame, but didn't get enough support for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In the 1968 World Series southpaw Mickey Lolich registered three complete game wins, and walked away with the MVP trophy. He sparked the Tigers to comeback from a 3 games to 1 deficit to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals. He his three complete game victories haven't been matched in World Series play since. It wasn't until 2001, when another southpaw Randy Johnson would get three World Series wins. In game two of the World Series (8-1 Tiger win), he would hit the only home run of his career.
Lolich would sign with the Detroit Tigers out of high school and toiled in their farm system for five seasons until making his major league debut in the fifth season in 1963, when he went 5-9 splitting time between being a starter and reliever. It all changed in when he had a won-loss record of 18-9, tossed six shutouts finished with an ERA of 3.26. Lolich would be a consistent starter for the Tigers, he won 14 or more games in 11 consecutive seasons. From 1969 through 1974, Lolich would strike out 200 or more in six consecutive seasons. His best season would be in 1971, when he would lead MLB with 25 wins, 308 strike outs, 45 starts, 29 complete games, 376 innings pitched. He was an American League all-star three times in 1969, and 1971-1972. He would follow up the 1971 with 22 wins in 1972, and sending the Tigers into postseason as the American League East champions.
Lolich would be traded after the 1975 season to the New York Mets. He went 8-13 with a 3.22 ERA, and retired at the end of the season. After sitting out the 1977 season, he signed as a free agent with the San Diego Padres pitching two seasons making only seven starts in 47 appearances.
He retired with a career won-loss record of 217-191 with an ERA of 3.44, and 2,832 strike outs.
May 20, 1999. Robin Ventura of the New York Mets becomes the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit grand slams in both ends of a doubleheader. The feat occurs in a sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com,
and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h
May 16, 1983. Rookie outfielder Darryl Strawberry hits his first career home run off the Pittsburgh Pirates Lee Tunnell. Strawberry would hit 335 home runs during the course of his often troubled 17-year career.
Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com,
and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h
May 5, 2004. Mike Piazza of the New York Mets hits his 352nd home run as a catcher off pitcher Jerome Williams of the San Francisco Giants. The home run passes Carlton Fisk, and makes Mike Piazza the all-time leader for home runs at catcher.
April 26, 1962, Harry Chiti a catcher known for his defense is traded by the Cleveland Indians to the New York Mets for a player to be named later. June 15, 1962, Harry Chiti is the player to be named later in the deal. He becomes the first player in Major League Baseball to be traded for himself. Dickie Noles, Brad Gulden, and John McDonald would allow follow Chiti being traded for themselves. He never played in another major league after being traded. He played two more years at AAA before calling it a career. He played for the Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Athletics, Detroit Tigers, and New York Mets.
April 26, 2006, Mike Piazza becomes the 41st player in Major League Baseball History to hit 400 home runs. He hits an upper deck shot against the Arizona Diamondbacks to enter the 400-home run club. In his career he will hit 427 home runs with 1335 RBI. Piazza was a 12 time All-Star, 10 time Silver Slugger Award winner, and 1993 Rookie of the Year. He was elected to Baseball Hall of Fame 2016.
April 20, 2006. Julio Franco becomes the oldest player to homer in a Major League Baseball history surpassing Jack Quinn of the Philadelphia A's (ironically Quinn was a pitcher). The feat was accomplished at PetCo Park in New York Mets 7-2 win over the San Diego Padres. He will go on to hit another home run for the New York Mets in the following season at 48, it will be his last after 23 seasons in the major leagues.
April 20, 1967. The New York Mets Tom Seaver earns his first major league baseball victory beating the Chicago Cubs 6-1 at Shea Stadium. Seaver would earn another 310 major league wins in his Hall of Fame career. He will finish career 311-205 with an ERA of 2.86, and fanned 3,640 major league hitters. During his career, he will hurl for the Mets, Reds, White Sox, and Red Sox. He was a 12 time All-Star, won the Cy Young Award three times, pitched a no-hitter, and 1967 National League Rookie of the Year. He was a member of the 1969 World Series Champion New York Mets. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992. His #41 has been retired by the New York Mets.
April 17, 2006. The New York Mets Pedro Martinez earns his 200th win beating the Atlanta Braves 4-3 at Shea Stadium. Martinez would finish his career with 219-100 record, and an ERA of 2.93. He would win only eight more games the rest of the season.
April 17, 2016. Forty year-old Gary Sheffield with the New York Mets in his final major league playing season hit his 500th career home run. He enjoyed a 22-year career in the major leagues. He hit 509 home runs and had 1676 RBI. He had a career batting average of .292, on base percentage of .393, his slugging percentage was .514. He began his career with the Milwaukee Brewers and played for a total of eight teams in his career. Sheffield tended to polarize fans, but he was always a tough out at the plate.
At 36, Duke Snider played his lone season for the New York Mets, where he hit this three-run home run that was a walk off shot against the St. Louis Cardinals. Snider was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980, played the majority of his career with the Dodgers in Brooklyn. He hit 407 career home runs with 1333 RBI, with a career slash line of .295/.380/.540 (batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage). Snider known also as the Duke of Flatbush was an eight time all-star.
