2002
» The Giants batter the Padres, 12–2, as Barry Bonds hits his 587th home run to move him into 4th place on the all–time list ahead of Frank Robinson.

High school players dominate the first round picks of the amateur as 16 of the 30 first rounders are prep stars. After Ball State righty Bryan Bullington is taken with the first pick, the next seven are high schoolers. Tampa Bay takes SS Melvin Upton with the #2 pick; the Reds take P Chris Gruler #3; the O's take LHP Adam Lower #4; the Expos choose P Clint Everts #5; KC takes SS Don Greinke #6; and the Brewers pick first baseman Prince Fielder, son of Cecil, with #7. Detroit takes SS Scott Moore at #8; and the Rockies take British Columbian P Jeff Francis #9. The Padres pick Clemson SS Khalil Greene with the #`13 pick; and the A's, picking #16, take OSU 1B Nicholas Swisher, son of Steve. With the 21st pick the Cubs choose Bob Brownlee, the #1 collegiate pitcher a year ago before injuries hit. On the 12th round, the Twins select Marshalltown's Jeff Clement, the high school home run champion with a record 71 this year. He broke the mark of 70 set by Drew Henson in 1998.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig announces that the sport will contract by at least two teams before the 2003 season.

The Astros announce that Astros Field is being renamed Minute Maid Park.

2001
» The Red Sox edge the Tigers, 4-3, in 18 innings on Shea Hillenbrand's home run over the Green Monster. Tim Wakefield, with a scoreless inning, is the winner. Sox DH Manny Ramirez is handed four intentional walks, tying the AL mark set by Roger Maris, on May 22, 1962. Maris did it in a 12 inning game. The major-league record is 5, by Andre Dawson, in a 16 inning game, on May 22, 1990.

At Coors Field, Mike Hampton (8–2) beats Houston, 9–4, and hits a pair of homers. Hampton, who came into the season homerless, now has four dingers: The Mets, Hampton's team last year, have a combined five homers from their outfielders.

Greg Maddux outduels Javier Vazquez to give the Braves a 3–1 win over the Expos. The lone Expo run comes in the 4th inning when Maddux throws two wild pitches, the only time in his career he's thrown two in the same inning. Maddux lost his last outing a week ago to Vazquez, but will go undefeated in June and July.

The Phillies trade P Paul Byrd to the Royals for P Jose Santiago.

2000
» The Braves send P John Rocker to the minors, a day after his latest confrontation with a reporter from Sports Illustrated.

In the 2000 amateur draft, the Marlins use the #1 pick on San Diego prep 1B Adrian Gonzales, who will sign for $3 million. The Cubs, picking 3rd, take Miami HS shortstop Luis Montanez. In between the two preps, the Twins take righty Adam Johnson from Cal State-Fullerton. he Expos pick Stanford's Justin Wayne with the 5th, while the Devil Rays go the prep route taking Rocco Baldelli with the 6th selection. The Rockies, picking 7th select prep fireballer Matt Harrington. Picking 12th, the White Sox take Stanford QB Joe Borchard, who will sign for $5.3 million, the highest bonus in the draft, and give up football. The Expos sign Borchard's Stanford teammate Justin Wayne, the #5 pick, for $2.5 million. The Giants take P Boof Bonzer in the first round: Bonzer will tube this year go 13–3 in the minors next year. Other picks on the low rounds are Anthony Gwynn, son of Tony Gwynn, by the Braves and Virginia Tech star QB Michael Vick, by the Rockies.

1999
» Dodger P Chan Ho Park aims a kick at Angels P Tim Belcher during a scuffle in LA's 7-4 victory. Park will be fined $3,000 for his actions and suspended for seven games.

The Braves score two runs in the top of the 9th inning to defeat the Red Sox, 6-5. Boston P Tom Gordon blows the save opportunity, ending his major league record consecutive save streak at 54 games.

The Rockies defeat the Brewers, 12-11, as 3B Vinny Castilla hits three home runs and drives home 5. Castilla also strokes a single in his five trips to the plate.

Mets manager Valentine reads in a newspaper report that pitching coach Bob Apodaca is out, and, arriving at the park, discovers that, along with Apodaca, GM Phillips has fired coaches Tom Robson and Randy Niemann. Phillips names replacement coaches Dave Wallace, Al Jackson, and Mickey Brantley.

1997
» Larry Walker bangs two homers, including a two-run shot in the 11th inning, as Colorado belts visiting San Diego, 9–7. Walker has three hits to raise his average to .411 and Colorado has a team-record six double plays to help Steve Reed earn his 1st victory in relief.

In Detroit, Alex Rodriguez becomes the 1st Seattle player to hit for the cycle in a nine-inning game as the Mariners collar the Tigers, 14–6. The only other Seattle player to hit for the cycle was Jay Buhner, who did it in 14 innings on June 23, 1993.

1996
» At Wrigley Field, the Cubs spot the Phillies a 4–0 lead, then Sammy Sosa drives home five runs on three homers to give Chicago a 9–6 win. Cubs' SS Rey Sanchez will be out 6-8 weeks following an operation today to repair a fractured bone in his left hand. Sanchez injured the wrist in 1995 and has been bothered by it ever since.

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).

The Twins score nine runs in the 4th inning to trim the Angels, 14–3. Chuck Knoblauch's grand slam is the inning's big blow.

The White Sox down the Red Sox, 8-6, despite Mo Vaughn's five hits. Frank Thomas' sac fly in the 12th inning drives home the game winner.

1995
» Reds owner Marge Schott is cleared of any wrongdoing by a jury in the Tim Sabo's suit about wrongful firing. Sabo was fired in August 1991.

1994
» OF Alex Ochoa and 1B Brent Miller, of the Class AA Bowie Baysox, each homer twice in the 4th inning of Bowie's 28-10 win over the Harrisburg Senators. It is only the 3rd time in minor league history that two players from the same team have homered in the same inning. A total of 11 home runs are hit in the game, including seven by the Baysox.

The International Baseball Association votes down a proposal to allow open competition in IBA events such as the world championships and the Olympics.

1989
» The Toronto SkyDome opens, but the Blue Jays lose 5–3 to the Brewers. Baseball's newest and most modern stadium features a $100 million fully retractable roof, a hotel, the world's largest video display board, and a Hard Rock Cafe. Construction crews work around the clock to get the stadium ready. Both teams had to skip batting practice before the game because the fences were being painted.

The Orioles select Louisiana State University pitcher Ben McDonald (14–3) with the first pick in the annual amateur draft. He'll sign August 19 and debut September 6, missing by three days being the first in this draft to debut. The Jays John Olerud, picked on the 3rd round, will debut September 3, singling in his first at bat. The next three picks are high schoolers: the Braves take Tyler Houston; the Mariners pick Roger Salkeld; and the Phillies choose Jeff Jackson. The White Sox get Frank Thomas with the 7th pick, while the Angels take Kyle Abbott with the 10th, and Chad Curtis on the 45th round. The Dodgers use their 1st round pick on Jamie McAndrew, son of former Mets P Jim McAndrew. Mo Vaughn goes to Boston on the 23rd pick and Chuck Knoblauch to the Twins on the 25th (he had been picked on the 18th round by the Phils in 1986, but did not sign). On the 4th round, the Twins select and sign P Scott Erickson, who was drafted but not signed in the previous three drafts.

1987
» Dwight Gooden returns from drug rehabilitation and allows one run in six 2/3 innings to earn the win as the Mets beat the Pirates 5–1 at Shea Stadium.

1985
» Expos Mickey Mahler (1–0), making his first start in six years, yields one hit in whitewashing the Giants, 6–0. The only hit is a 3rd inning single by Dan Gladden.

Rafael Ramirez has a two run double in the 3rd and a 2-run homer in the 11th to drive in all the runs in Atlanta's 4–2 win over the Chicago Cubs.

1983
» The Cubs beat the Pirates, 3–1, with Craig Lefferts winning over Lee Tunnell. Lee Smith strikes out four of the last five batters to earn his 8th save.

1982
» The Brew Crew connect for three consecutive homers -- by Robin Yount, Cecil Cooper, and Ben Oglivie -- in the 7th as Milwaukee pounds Oakland, 11–3. Ted Simmons and Gorman Thomas also homer to back Bob McClure's 3rd victory. It is the 2nd time in a week that Milwaukee sluggers have hit three consecutive homers.

1981
» Houston's Nolan Ryan passes Early Wynn as baseball's all-time walk leader, walking two batters in a 3–0 win over the Mets to raise his total to 1,777. Ryan also fans 10 batters while pitching a 5-hitter.

1979
» In Seattle, Willie Horton hits an apparent home run, his 300th, but the drive off John Hiller strikes a speaker in left centerfield and all Willie gets is a single. Butch Hobson hit the same speaker on April 25, but got a triple out of it. Jack Billingham and Hiller combine on a 4-hitter to beat Seattle, 3–1. Tomorrow, Horton belts his 300th, off Jack Morris, in Seattle's 4–3 win.

1977
» The Dodgers retire former manager Walt Alston's uniform, #24, on Old-Timer's Day. Doug Rau then pitches the current Dodgers to a 4–2 win over the Padres.

The Yankees hit six home runs, their most in three years, and barely edge the White Sox, 8–6. Bucky Dent, Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson, Carlos May, Graig Nettles and rookie George Zeber connect. Zeber's clout, his first ML homer, comes off Dave Hamilton, and is the game winner.

Johnny Bench clouts two homers and drives in five runs as the Reds rout the visiting Astros, 14–4.

1976
» Pittsburgh loses a 15 inning, 11–9 marathon at home to the Padres despite three home runs by Bucs' OF Bill Robinson.

1974
» Oakland's Reggie Jackson and Bill North engage in a clubhouse fight at Detroit. Jackson injures his shoulder, and Ray Fosse, attempting to separate the combatants, suffers a crushed disk in his neck He'll spend 12 weeks on the DL, virtually ending his season.

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.

1973
» In Cincinnati, the Mets score three runs in the 10th inning, then watch as the Reds come back with four runs to win, 6–5. Johnny Bench ends the scoring with a 3-run homer.

1970
» In a sign of things to come, Minnesota rookie Bert Blyleven gives up a homer to the first batter he faces in the majors, Lee Maye. Blyleven settles down and allows just four more hits in seven innings and beats Washington, 2–1. Blyleven was brought up from Evansville (AA) to replace the injured Tiant.

1967
» Playing his first game for the Senators, Mike Epstein hits a 200 foot drive down the LF line for an inside the park homer, off New York rookie Thad Tillotson. Mickey Mantle breaks a 2–2 tie in the 8th with a homer of Darold Knowles, and New York wins, 4–2.

1966
» In a 10–5 Bucs win over Houston, Willie Stargell goes 5-for-5, giving him nine consecutive hits in two days.

Reds SS Leo Cardenas hits four homers two in each game—in a doubleheader split with the Cubs. The Reds win the opener, 8–3, then drop the nitecap, 9–5. Cardenas drives in eight runs.

1965
» At Yankee Stadium, Mel Stottlemyre goes 10 innings to win 4–3 over the White Sox. Stottlemyre also clouts a 4th inning homer, off Gary Peters, for the first Yankee score in 24 innings. Mickey Mantle adds a homer in the 6th off Peters, and Elston Howard, recovering from elbow surgery a month ago, wins the game with a single in the 10th.

1964
» At Crosley field, the Reds plate four runs in the 9th inning to edge the Cards, 5–4. Deron Johnson drives home the tying and winning run with a single.

1963
» Mickey Mantle fractures a bone in his left foot and suffers ligament and cartilage damage to the left knee running into the chain link fence at Baltimore chasing down a Brooks Robinson drive. The Mick will be out for 61 games. Whitey Ford beats Milt Pappas 4–3, as the Yankees return to first place.

1961
» In the first of two games at the Stadium, Mickey Mantle hits an 8th inning homer to help New York top the Twins 6–2. Mantle, Roger Maris, and Colavito each have hit 15.

1960
» The Yankees sweep two from the Red Sox, taking the opener on homers by Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. Roger's blow is a three run shot to give New York a 5–4 victory. Art Ditmar is the CG winner in the nitecap, winning 8–3.

1958
» The Giants again top the Braves in extra innings, 5–4. In the 12th, Jim Finigan doubles after Mays singles, but Willie is thrown out at the plate by Hank Aaron. Orlando Cepeda, with three hits already, then hits a Gene Conley fastball for the game-winning home run. Cepeda also helps in the field, nabbing Wes Covington in the 9th with a hidden ball trick.

In the opener of two, the Yanks rout Sox starter Early Wynn for a 12–5 win at the Stadium. In the 3rd, Mickey Mantle legs out his 3rd inside-the-park homer in a month. The Sox take the nitecap, edging New York, 3–2.

1957
» In Jersey City, Don Drysdale pitches the first of his 49 major-league shutouts, as the Dodgers win 4-0 over the Cubs.

1954
» Ted Williams catches pneumonia, sidelining him for three weeks.

1951
» The Pirates rookie knuckler Paul LaPalme hurls a 8–0 shutout against the Boston Braves in his first major-league start.

1950
» After beating Chicago yesterday, 17–7, the Red Sox wallop Chicago again, winning 12–0. Mickey McDermott, replacing Ellis Kinder who leaves with a bad hip in the 1st inning, allows four hits to win. Billy Pierce is the loser.

1949
» Commissioner Happy Chandler lifts the ban on all players who jumped to Mexico, starting in 1946. Only Sal Maglie will make a significant mark after the exile. Lou Klein will be the first jumper to make a major-league box score, successfully pinch-hitting on June 16.

1948
» Richie Ashburn of the Phillies hits safely in a 6-5 win at Chicago. It is his 23rd consecutive game starting May 9, a 20th-century NL record for a rookie (Jimmy Williams had streaks of 27 and 26 games in 1899). Alvin Dark will tie it this year and Mike Vail will match it in 1975.

1939
» The Philadelphia A's sign Duke University All-American running back Eric Tipton.

1938
» The Cubs take first place, beating the Phillies, 7–1, behind Tex Carleton. Meanwhile, the Reds top the Giants.

1937
» Gus Suhr's NL record of 822 consecutive games, started on September 11, 1931, ends when he attends his mother's funeral in San Francisco.

1936
» Lou Gehrig plays in his 1,700th consecutive game, as the Yankees beat Cleveland 4-3.

1935
» Rookie White Sox P John Whitehead, who had won his first eight starts, loses to the Browns 2–0.

1934
» A tough way to end a streak. In the opener of two, Dodger outfielder Buzz Boyle cracks four hits to run his hit streak to 25-straight games. The skein is stopped in game two when Boyle pinch hits for Hack Wilson and makes out. The Phils use two late-inning rallies to beat Brooklyn, 11–10 and 5–4.

1932
» The Red Sox sell star P Danny MacFayden to the Yankees for $50,000 and players.

1927
» Pete Alexander shuts out the visiting Robins, 5–0 for a Cards victory.

1920
» A's vice president Thomas Shibe denies charges that the baseballs currently being used are livelier. Shibe, a member of the firm that manufactures the balls, cites the abolition of the spitball and other "freak" pitches as the reason for the increase in HRs this season.

1918
» The Giants score three in the ninth to beat Pittsburgh 4-3 and move into first place.

1916
» At Boston, Chicago's Heinie Zimmerman swipes home in the 4th inning for the only score as the Cubs top the Braves, 1–0. Lefty Gene Packard prevails over Art Nehf and helps his own cause with seven assists and a put out at home.

In Cleveland, Babe Ruth shuts out the Indians, 5–0, on five hits, and has now thrown 24 straight scoreless innings. The Boston lefty is 2-for-3 at the plate.

1915
» Philadelphia's Grover Cleveland Alexander loses his no-hitter, when the Cards' Artie Butler punches a single with two outs in the 9th. Alex then fans Bob Bescher for the final out to win 3–0. He will pitch three more one-hitters this season.

1914
» Opelika (Georgia-Alabama League) P John Cantley slugs three grand slams and a single for 15 RBI in a game against Talladega, winning the contest 19–1.

1913
» Chris Von der Ahe, 65, owner of the champion St. Louis Browns in the 1880s and 1890s, dies of cirrhosis of the liver.

The Phillies trade John Dodge and Red Nelson to Cincinnati for Beals Becker.

1911
» In Pittsburgh, Pete Alexander tops the Pirates, 5–4, in the 10th, with the Phils winning run scoring on a fumble by Honus Wagner. Pirate Freddie Leach also helps the Phils by losing a fly ball in the sun that drops for a triple. Rookie star Alexander, pitching in his 100th inning, commits a balk, the only balk he'll make in his career of 5,088.2 innings.

At Chicago, the Giants jump on Harry McIntire for seven runs in the 9th to win, 7–1. New York is led by Fred Merkle who doubles and triples in the big inning. Christy Mathewson wins for New York, to even the series at two games apiece and keep New York atop the NL.

Boston reliever Smoky Joe Wood strikes out three White Sox pinch hitters in the 9th inning to save a 5–4 Red Sox win.

1909
» St. Louis admirers give Roger Bresnahan a diamond ring and the rest of the team silk umbrellas, then Cardinal errors give the Giants six runs and the game, 8-7. John McGraw and Larry Doyle are tossed by umpire Charlie Criger.

The Red Sox ship off pitcher Cy Morgan one day after he turns gun shy on a tag at the plate on Ty Cobb. The Sox get pitcher Biff Schlitzer in exchange. Cobb, on 2B when Morgan tossed a wild pitch, never slowed rounding 3B and headed home. Morgan had the ball in plenty of time for the tag at home, but preferred to stand aside and execute a Veronica instead of blocking the plate. Cobb easily avoided the tag.

1907
» At Chicago, Christy Mathewson loses his 2nd game of the year, this one again to Three Finger Brown. The Cubs scorch Matty for 16 hits to beat the Giants, 8-2. Brown has now topped the Giants ace their last five meetings.

1904
» The White Sox fire manager Nixey Callahan, replacing him Fielder Jones.

1903
» The Pirates rack up 17 hits against Boston's Togie Pittinger and pitcher Ed Doheny coasts to a 9-0 victory, Pittsburgh's 4th shutout in a row, setting a new major-league record. Clarke is 5-for-5 and Ginger Beaumont goes 4-for-5, connecting for his 2nd homer in a week. It is an off day for Claude Ritchey, who strikes out three times, makes two errors, and is picked off base. For Pittinger, the 17 hits will help him set a NL record for hits allowed in a season (396). Togie will also lead in losses (22), runs allowed (196), earned runs allowed (136), home runs allowed (12) and walks (143). No pitcher this century will lead in as many negative categories.

The Pilgrims, led by Hobe Ferris' grand slam, defeat Chicago, 10-8, at the Huntington Avenue Grounds.