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FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»June 4, 1996:
Pitching dominates the baseball draft as 14 of the first 22 selections are moundsmen. Clemson pitcher Kris Benson is the top choice, going to Pittsburgh, while the Twins pick power hitting Travis Lee from San Diego State as the 2nd choice. The Cards follow with Wichita State P Braden Looper. Picking 14th, the White Sox take lefty Bobby Seay, but will declare him a free agent in August when the can't reach an agreement with his agent, Scott Boras. Lee, John Patterson (Expos), and Matt White (Giants) will also not sign and become free agents: the four will ink contracts with the Devil Rays and Diamondbacks, with White getting a $10.2 bonus, the largest in history. The Marlins use their 1st pick, 9th overall, on college player of the year, Mark Kotsay, and will ink him to a $1,125,000 contract. The Royals take high schooler Dee Brown in the first round. Boston picks Shea Hillenbrand in the 10th round.
»March 31, 1998:
Cardinals' rookie P Braden Looper makes an auspicious major league debut in St. Louis' 6–0 win over the Dodgers. Looper enters the game in the 9th inning and strikes out all three batters he faces—Todd Zeile, Raul Mondesi, and Paul Konerko. The Dodgers are held to three hits by four St. Louis pitchers.
»September 2, 2002:
Braden Looper (1–5) in his 66th relief appearance of the year, extends the Mets home losing streak to 15 in the 12–inning first game of a doubleheader. Florida wins 3–2. Preston Wilson ties the game in the 9th with a home run, and Juan Encarnacion wins it with an RBI double. The Mets take the nitecap, 11–5, overcoming back-to-back home runs in the 2nd by Derrek Lee and Mike Lowell. Mike Piazza drills a pinch 3-run home run. The win snaps the Mets home loss streak at 15 games, a National League record set the 1911 Braves. They last won at home on July 31.
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