» June 5, 1974: The June draft produces just 725 picks, the fewest in history, and only 300 of these are from the college ranks, with the low number blamed on the introduction of aluminum bats this past season. The Padres, with their 3rd number-one free-agent pick in five years, select Brown University SS Bill Almon, the TSN College Player of the Year. They had selected him three years earlier out of high school, but he attended college instead. The Rangers take P Tommy Boggs with the 2nd pick and the Phils follow with prep OF Lonnie Smith. With the 5th pick, the Braves select Dale Murphy; the Angels, picking 10th take the ill-fated Mike Miley, who quarterbacked LSU to a win in the Orange Bowl. the Tigers take Lance Parrish with the 16th pick, the Royals pick prep football star Willie Wilson with the 18th, and the Red Sox, picking 20th, take SS Eddie Ford, son of Whitey Ford. Picking next, the Dodgers get Rick Sutcliffe. The Orioles, with the 24th pick in round one pick Rich Dauer, the top player for USC's championship team; four of their other picks will end up in the NFL (QB's Andy Johnson, Steve Bartkowski, and John Sciarra, and Anthony Davis). The Cards use a pick on the NFL Giants Brad Van Pelt, the 5th time he's been selected. The Twins pick up prep C Butch Wynegar, who will make the American League All-star team at age 20.

» May 25, 1979: Seven different Dodgers, including P Rick Sutcliffe, hit home runs as Los Angeles buries the visiting Reds 17–6. Sutcliffe poles his off Tom Seaver. The last homer for LA comes when Davey Lopes hits a 3–0 pitch in the 6th with the Dodgers up, 14–2. In his next at bat, Dave Tomlin decks Lopes four straight times inciting a brawl.

» November 28, 1979: P Rick Sutcliffe, who went 17-10 for the sub-.500 Dodgers, receives 20 of 24 votes to earn the NL Rookie of the Year honors.

» December 9, 1981: The Dodgers trade 1979 Rookie of the Year Rick Sutcliffe, unhappy with his exile to the Dodger bullpen, and infielder Jack Perconte to the Indians for OF Jorge Orta. Orta will hit just .217 for the Dodgers next season, while Sutcliffe will lead the AL in ERA.

» June 13, 1984: In a deal that will pay off in the short run with an NL East Championship, the Cubs trade outfielders Mel Hall and Joe Carter and minor leaguer Darryl Banks to the Indians for P George Frazier, C Ron Hassey, and P Rick Sutcliffe. Sutcliffe will go 16–1 for the Cubs the rest of the season and win the NL Cy Young Award. Because Cubs GM Dallas Green neglected to renew waivers on Hall and Carter, the status of the trade is in doubt for a while, and the two will not play for a week.

» June 29, 1984: In Los Angeles, Steve Sax hits a 1st inning triple, then swipes home, and Orel Hershiser scatters nine hits to lead the Dodgers past the Cubs and Rick Sutcliffe 7–1. Hershiser will not miss another start until he injures his shoulder in 1990, and Sutcliffe will not lose again in the regular season.

» August 7, 1984: The Cubs sweep a pair from the visiting Mets, winning 8–6 and 8–4. Rick Sutcliffe (9–1) beats Ron Darling (10-5) in the opener, benefiting from a 6-run 5th inning. Keith Moreland hits a 3-run home run and Ron Cey a 2-run shot in the 5th. A 5-run 4th in game two propels Chicago to the win for reliever Tim Stoddard. Lee Smith notches his 25th save. o

» September 24, 1984: Rick Sutcliffe pitches a 2-hitter in a 4–1 win over Pittsburgh to clinch the National League East title for the Cubs, who will be making their first post-season appearance since 1945. The win is Sutcliffe's 14th in a row. Sutcliffe strikes out nine Bucs, including Joe Orsulak for the final out.

» October 2, 1984: In the first LCS game played with replacement umpires, the Cubs clobber the Padres 13-0 to take a 1–0 lead in the National League series. Chicago hits five home runs at Wrigley Field, including one by starting pitcher Rick Sutcliffe, and another by Bob Dernier to lead off the game.

» October 23, 1984: Rick Sutcliffe, who was 16–1 for the Cubs after arriving from Cleveland two days before the June 15th trading deadline, is a unanimous choice as National League Cy Young Award winner. Overall, Sutcliffe was 20–6 with a 3.64 ERA.

» May 8, 1985: Ryne Sandberg's homer, off Mike Krukow, is the only score as Rick Sutcliffe and the Cubs beat the Giants, 1–0.

» November 10, 1987: In the closest vote in the award's history, Steve Bedrosian edges Rick Sutcliffe 57-55 to win the National League Cy Young Award. Bedrosian is the 3rd reliever ever to win the award in the NL.

» July 19, 1988: In the top of the 9th at Wrigley Field, Cubs pitcher Rick Sutcliffe picks Brett Butler off 1B unassisted. With Jose Uribe at 2B, Butler wanders too far off the bag and the Cubs pitcher nabs him for the out. But Sutcliffe loses, 3–1, to Rick Reuschel.

» July 29, 1988: In the Cubs' 8–3 win over the Kevin Gross and the host Phillies, Rick Sutcliffe swipes home, the first pitcher since Pascual Perez in 1984 to steal home. It comes on the front end of a double steal with Mitch Webster. Sutcliffe is the first Cubs pitcher to steal home since Hippo Vaughn in 1919.

» April 6, 1992: A crowd of 44,568 sees the Orioles defeat the Indians, 2–0, as they play the 1st game ever in Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Rick Sutcliffe hurls the shutout for Baltimore.