» June 7, 1986: University of Arkansas's Jeff King, The Sporting News college player of the year, is the first choice in the June draft. The Pirates take the third baseman. U. of Texas P Greg Swindell is the next pick by Cleveland. Neither will sign for six weeks but Swindell will be in the major leagues after going 2–1 in the minors. The Giants take UNLV's Matt Williams with the 3rd pick; Texas, picking 4th, selects Kevin Brown, followed by high schooler Kent Mercker (Braves), Gary Sheffield (Brewers) and Brad Brink (Phillies). After being skipped over because scouts are convinced the Heisman Trophy winner is headed to the NFL, Bo Jackson is taken in the 4th round by the Royals. College Pitcher of the Year Mike Loynd is taken by Texas in the 7th Round. A total of 331 high schoolers are drafted, the most since 1979, due mainly to the dissolution of the January draft.

» October 8, 1989: Matt Williams snaps a 4–4 tie with a 5th-inning home run, and the Giants hold on to win 5–4.

» August 15, 1990: The Phillies Terry Mulholland spins the major leagues' 8th no-hitter of the season. Mulholland faces the minimum 27 batters in blanking the Giants 6–0, as just one runner reaches base on a throwing error by Charlie Hayes. But Hayes makes the last putout by grabbing a Gary Carter line drive. John Kruk also makes a crucial play by reaching into the stands to pull back a one-out popup by Matt Williams in the 8th.

» May 14, 1993: At San Diego in the top of the 8th, Matt Williams is at bat with runners on 1B and 3B. Padres pitcher Greg Harris than picks off Barry Bonds at 1B unassisted for the 2nd out.

» June 29, 1994: The Dodgers defeat the Giants, 6-2, as SF 3B Matt Williams homers off Ramon Martinez in the 4th inning. It is Williams' 29th home run of the season, breaking Willie Stargell's National League mark for homers before July.

» July 31, 1994: The Giants beat the Rockies, 9-4, as 3B Matt Williams hits his 39th and 40th home runs of the year. This gives him a new National League mark for homers through July. The previous standard was 36. The all-time record of 41 was set by Babe Ruth in 1928, and tied by Jimmie Foxx four years later.

» May 12, 1995: Against the Pirates, Matt Williams hits his 7th and 8th home runs of the season, and in the process breaks, in a manner of speaking, Roger Maris' 162-game home run record. Williams hit 62 home runs in 161 games spread over three seasons: 11 home runs in the last 30 games of 1993, 43 homers in 115 games in 1994, and eight home runs in the first 16 games of 1995.

» June 14, 1995: Giants' utility IF Mike Benjamin, filling in for injured Matt Williams, compiles one of the best 3-game streaks this century. On June 11, Benjamin went 4-for-6 against the Expos, followed with 4-for-6 against the Cubs on June 13, and finishes with a 6-for-7 against Chicago today. The 14 hits in three games sets a new ML mark, and his 10 hits in two games ties the league record.

» May 21, 1996: In San Francisco, the fans and players ignore a light earthquake at 3Com Park—4.8 on the Richter scale—in the 3rd inning, and the Giants break a 6th-inning tie to win 8–5 over the Expos. Matt Williams hits his 11th home run and drives in three runs for SF, while Henry Rodriguez hits his 17th homer for the Expos. His three ribbies give him 51 to lead the NL.

» June 5, 1996: In Cincy, the Giants score in each of the first seven innings to beat up the Reds, 15–4. Matt Williams and Marvin Benard drive in four apiece to make it easy for Mark Gardner (7–1).

» November 13, 1996: The Indians trade P Julian Tavarez, 2B Jose Vizcaino, IF Jeff Kent, and a player to be named to the Giants in exchange for slugging 3B Matt Williams and a player to be named. Williams, with the Giants for 10 years, underwent shoulder surgery in mid-August and missed the remainder of the season.

» April 25, 1997: The Indians defeat the Brewers, 11-4, clouting a club record eight homers. 3B Matt Williams has three home runs and four RBIs, while David Justice adds a pair. The Brewers go deep three times, giving the two teams a ML-record tying 11 for the game.

» June 28, 1997: Yankees' P David Wells starts the game against Cleveland wearing Babe Ruth's autographed cap from the 1934 season. Manager Joe Torre makes him take it off after the 1st inning since it doesn't conform to the team's current uniform. Without the cap, Wells blows a 3-0 lead as the Indians go on to a 12-8 victory. The Indians mount a 19-hit attack, as CF Marquis Grissom accounts for five of the hits, while 3B Matt Williams gets four hits, including a pair of homers, and drives home six runs.

» July 15, 1997: Despite a sluggish performance, Hideki Irabu wins his second major league start, leading the Yankees over Cleveland, 12-6. Irabu gives up five runs and nine hits in five innings, allowing homers to Tony Fernandez, Marquis Grissom, and Matt Williams. Cecil Fielder, the Yank's 270-pound DH, tries to score from first on a double and his head first slide results in a broken right thumb. Fielder will miss eight weeks.

» August 27, 1997: Indian teammates honor Jim Thome by wearing their socks high, a fashion statement they'll continue into the World Series. But today they might've shaved their heads instead as Matt Williams drives in a major-league record tying six runs in a 10-run 4th as the Indians beat California, 10–4. Williams has a 3-run double and a 3-run home run. In between his hits, Marquis Grissom clouts a grand slam. Williams six ribbies in an inning is a club record. The last batter to knock in six in a frame was Matt Stairs, on July 5, 1996.

» September 16, 1997: Jimmy Key, 0–7 in his last nine starts at Camden Yards, beats the Cleveland Indians 7-2 to give the Orioles a split in a day-night doubleheader. Roberto Alomar has three hits and three RBIs and Brady Anderson and Rafael Palmeiro homer in the win. In the opener, Charles Nagy pitches five-hit ball into the seventh inning and Matt Williams drives home two runs to lead the Indians to a 4-2 victory.

» September 19, 1997: Matt Williams must have an honest face, because he's pulls the hidden ball trick for the third time, nabbing rookie Jed Hansen, in the Indians' 6-2 win over the Royals in game 2, Williams uses the same ploy in all three instances. He asks the runner if he would step away from the bag so that he can brush off the dirt. The runners comply, and Williams slaps the tag on. The Royals win the opener, 10–3.

» October 2, 1997: The Indians even their series with a 7-5 win over the Yankees behind a strong effort by rookie P Jaret Wright. Matt Williams homers for the Tribe, while light-hitting Omar Vizquel garners three hits.

» October 22, 1997: The Indians ride home runs by Manny Ramirez and Matt Williams to a 10-3 victory over Florida to even the Series at two games apiece. Williams and Sandy Alomar get three hits each to give Jaret Wright the win.

» December 1, 1997: The Diamondbacks obtain 3B Matt Williams from the Indians in exchange for 3B Travis Fryman, P Tom Martin, and $3 million.

» April 14, 1998: Mark McGwire of the Cardinals hits three home runs and notches five ribbies in a 15–5 victory over the Diamondbacks. Matt Williams hits a grand slam, the first in Diamondbacks history.

» August 7, 1998: The Indians home run leader Matt Williams breaks his right hand when he is hit by a Wilson Alvarez pitch. Williams will not make another appearance till September 16.

» September 16, 1998: Cleveland defeats Minnesota by a score of 8–6. Indians' OF Manny Ramirez homers in his 1st at bat, giving him round–trippers in four consecutive ABs to tie a major league mark. After grounding out his 2nd time up, he will homer again in the 5th inning. Matt Williams, out of action for a month with a broken wrist, homers in his first at bat since August 7.

» August 22, 1999: The Diamondbacks defeat the Pirates, 7-5. Luis Gonzalez, Matt Williams, and Erubiel Durazo hit consecutive home runs for Arizona in the 1st inning.

» March 29, 2000: Diamondbacks slugger Matt Williams breaks a bone in his right foot in the D'Backs last exhibition game in Tucson versus the Mariners when the All-star 3B fouls a Frankie Rodriguez pitch off his foot. Williams broke the same bone in 1995 and missed 68 games.

» October 28, 2001: Arizona jumps out to a 2-0 Series lead as Randy Johnson hurls a 3-hit shutout. Matt Williams hits a 3-run homer for the Diamondbacks. Andy Pettitte takes the loss for New York.

» September 28, 2002: The Diamondbacks clinch the NL West title by virtue of a 17–8 win over the Rockies. The 17 runs ties a club mark. Matt Williams and Steve Finley each homer twice and Rod Barajas has four hits and four RBIs.

» November 22, 2002: A Diamondbacks–Rockies trade falls apart when Matt Williams chooses to remain in Arizona, so he wouldn't have to move his children. Larry Walker also wouldn't agree to the Diamondbacks' desire to defer some of his salary.