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.
The Toy Cannon hit this shot over the 58 foot scoreboard at Crosely Field with the ball bouncing onto Interstate 75. It occurred in the 8th inning on June 10, 1967, only five days later he would become the first Houston Astro to hit three home runs in one game. He would go on to hit total 37 home runs with 107 RBI in 1967, losing the home run crown in the last few games of the season to Hank Aaron of the Braves, who would finish with 39.
Wynn's first two trips to the major leagues were unremarkable. He hit only nine home runs and had 45 RBI total in his first 468 at-bats. The Colt .45s stuck with their young power hitting outfielder, and in 1965 at only 23 years old, Wynn produced his break out season hitting 22 home runs with 73 RBI. He was no slouch on the bases swiping 43 that season in 47 attempts. His slash line for that season was .275/.371/.470.
Before the 1974 season the outfielder was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitcher Claude Osteen. In his first season in LA, he 32 home runs with 108 RBI with a slash line of .271/.387/.497. Shoulder problems in the 1975 necessitated a move from centerfield to leftfield for Wynn. The Dodgers traded him to the Atlanta Braves for outfielder Dusty Baker after the 1975 season. Wynn would be make brief stops with the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers to finish his career.
In his career he would hit 20 or more home runs in eight seasons. Three times he would hit thirty or more home runs. He was named as a National League all-star three times 1967, 1974 and 1975. He would hit 291 home runs in his career with 964 RBI. Playing in the Astrodome no doubt suppressed his home run totals. I would have enjoyed seeing what damage he could at the current Astros home at Minute Maid Park with the short leftfield fence. His #24 has been retired by the Houston Astros.
1979 was a banner year for the Pittsburgh Pirates and slugger Willie Stargell. Stargell would be named National League MVP, NLCS MVP, and World Series MVP in winning the three awards he became the only player to take home the awards. More remarkable he did it at age 39. He hit 32 home runs and had 82 RBI.
Overcoming racial prejudices in the minors leagues Stargell, he would make his debut with the Pirates in 1962 with his official rookie season in 1963. He spent 21 seasons with the Pirates. He hit 475 home runs and had 1540 RBI. After his award winning career in 1979, Stargell career went into decline. When Stargell retired in 1982, the Pirates retired his #8.
Stargell was a seven-time National League all-star. The Pirates would win the World Series championship in 1971 and 1979. In 1971, he would hit a league leading 48 home runs with 125 RBI both would be career highs. In 1988 he would be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Ron Santo was a nine time National League All-Star, he won the Gold Glove Award five times. He hit 342 career home runs, and knocked in 1,331 runs with 2,254 career hits. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012. His #10 was retired by the Chicago Cubs.
May 2, 1988. Chicago Cubs rookie Mark Grace gets his first hit against the San Diego Padres. Grace would go on to notch 2,445 hits in a sixteen-year career with the Cubs and Diamondbacks. He would win four Gold Glove Awards playing first base. Grace was a three time All-Star, and played on the 2001 World Series champion Arizona Diamondbacks.
April 28, 1961, 40-year old Warren Spahn no-hits the San Francisco Giants 1-0 with Hank Aaron driving in the only run of the game. Spahn was an All-Star seventeen times, 1957 Cy Young Award winner, and he tossed two no-hitters. He had a won-loss record of 363-245 with an ERA 3.09, and 2,583 strikeouts during his career. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.
On this date in baseball history, Ryne Sandberg of the Chicago Cubs hits his 267th home run. Breaking Joe Morgan's record, Sandberg would end up with 282 career home runs. He retired with .285 batting average with 2,386 hits. Sandberg was a 10 time All-Star, 1984 National League Most Valuable Player, 9 time Gold Glove Award winner, 7 time Silver Slugger Award winner, and his #23 has been retired by the Chicago Cubs. In 2005, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
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, 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 16, 1940. Bob Feller no-hits the Chicago White Sox 1-0 on opening day. It is the only no-hitter to have been thrown in a Major League Baseball opener. He would go on to win a career high 27 games that year. He enjoyed an 18-year career, but missed three seasons during World War II. He was 266-162 over the length of his career with an ERA of 3.25. He would throw two more no hitters during his career. He was an eight time All-Star elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.
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.
On this day in baseball history Ken Griffey jr. connected on the first pitch he saw at the Kingdome off the White Sox's Eric King for a home run. It is his father Ken Griffey Sr's birthday, he is an outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds. It is the first of the 630 home runs that he would hit in his career
Griffey, or Junior as he was known was an 13 times All-Star, awarded with 10 Gold Gloves, 7 Silver Slugger award, 1997 American League MVP, and will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as a part of the class of 2016.
