Johnson, Martinez, Smoltz, and Biggio Headed To Cooperstown

 
For the first time ever, three starting pitchers have been elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in the same year, and four players have been elected to the Hall for the first time since in 60 years.

Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and John Smoltz make up the triumverate of pitchers headed to upstate New York this July. They will be joined by catcher-turned-second baseman Craig Biggio, who spent 20 seasons with the Houston Astros.

Johnson struggled early in his career as a 6'10" member of the Montreal Expos, but once dealt to the Seattle Mariners, saw his Hall of Fame career get kicked into gear. Johnson won 303 games, five Cy Young Awards, and struck out 4,875 batters playing for the Mariners (10 yrs), Houston Astros (post deadline 1998), Arizona Diamondbacks (8), New York Yankees (2), San Francisco Giants (1), and the Expos (2).

The "Big Unit" was the 2015 top vote getter with 97.43% of the tally, the eighth highest total in Major Leauge History. A 10-time All-Star, Johnson received a no-decision when he struck out 20 Cincinnati Reds on May 8, 2001. He is one of five pitchers to throw a no-hitter in both leagues and was the 2001 World Series Co-MVP with teammate Curt Schilling, after he won Games 2, 6, and 7.

Martinez, a slightly built power pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers, saw his career begin to blow up after he was traded to the Expos prior to the 1993 season. But it was his time in Boston that made Martinez a household name. The crown jewel of pitching statistics, the Triple Crown, was accomplished by Martinez grabbed in 1999 when he topped the American League with 23 wins, a 2.07 ERA, and 313 strikeouts.

A three-time CY Young winner (once with Montreal, twice with Boston), Martinez was a character on and off the mound; a pitcher who wasn't afraid to throw inside at hitters of any stature. He won 219 games in parts of 18 years with the Dodgers (2 years), Expos (4), Red Sox (7), Mets (4), and Phillies (1). The native of the Dominican Republic produced two seasons - 1997 (1.90) and 2000 (1.74), with ERA numbers under 2.00), struck out 3,154 batters.

Martinez, who inexplicably received just 91.1% of the vote, won a World Series ring with the 2004 Red Sox and pitched in the 2009 World Series for the Phillies.

Smoltz is the only pitcher in MLB history to win at least 200 games and save at least 150, and just the second pitcher (Dennis Eckersley the other) to win at least 20 games and save a minimum of 50 games in separate seasons. Acquired  for the Detroit Tigers' Doyle Alexander in a 1987 deadline deal, Smoltz spent 20 seasons with the Atlanta Braves. He won the NL Cy Young Award in 1996 when he earned 24 victories and struck out a league high 276 batters. After missing the 2000 season due to Tommy John surgery, Smoltz came back as a reliever and led the NL with a league record 55 saves in 2002. He would save 45 and 44 games the next two seasons before moving back into the starting rotation in 2005. A year later he tied for the NL lead in wins with 16.

An eight-time All-Star, Smoltz finished his career in 2009 with the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. He compiled a 213-155 record with 154 saves and 3,084 strikeouts.  "Smoltzie" won a World Series ring in 1995 and was a member of four other NL pennant winning teams. He'll join former teammates and fellow pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, and his former manager Bobby Cox, all of whom were induced into the Hall last year. Smoltz received 82.9% of the vote.

Craig Biggio came into Major League Baseball as a catcher out of Seton Hall University in New Jersey. Selected by the Houston Astros as the 22nd overall pick in the 1987 draft, Biggio spent his entire career in an Astros uniform. After four years behind the plate, Biggio moved to second base prior to the 1992 season and went on to win five Gold Glove Awards.

A five-time winner of the Silver Slugger Award, Biggio reached 3,000 hits in his final season (2007) and ended up with 3,060 for his career. He led the league in doubles three times, and topped the league in being hit by pitches, five times. He stole 414 bases, including a league best 39 in the strike shortened 1994 campaign. Biggio finished in the top five in the NL MVP vote  in 1997 and 1998 and was a member of the 2005 Astros NL pennant winning team. (It's the only Houston team to reach the World Series.).

Biggio just missed out last season, his second year on the ballot, when he came up .2% shy of the required 75%. This year was no problem as he finished with 82.7% of the vote. He is the first player to entre the Hall as a Houston Astro.

For those that missed out this year, catcher Mike Piazza came the closest to making it a five-player induction when he received 69.9% of the vote. It's a good sign for him to get enough votes next year when Ken Griffey Jr. is the only first year eligible player who is a sure thing.

Carlos Delgado was the top player with under 5% of the vote required to remain on future ballots. Don Mattingly receievd 9.1% in his final year of eligibility, now that the rule has changed from 15 years to 10 years to be voted for.

It's the Most Hall Time of the Year

Happy New Year means that it is just about time for the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY to announce who this year's inductees are.

The ballot for this year's class was loaded - the first-year eligible players alone include Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, and Gary Sheffield. In all, there were 34 names on this year's ballot for voters to choose from.

As you may recall, it takes a 75% vote count to gain induction via the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). With that in mind, Craig Biggio should be a shoe-in for this year's class. If not, an investigation should take place ASAP. Biggio finished with 74.8% last year, his third year on the ballot. The next highest on the 2014 ballot was Mike Piazza, who was hampered by performance enhancing drug rumors, and finished with 62.2%. He too should be elected this year.

I won't get on my soapbox about players that were never "caught" using PEDs, other than to say it's not fair of the voters to leave someone off their ballot that they think was a cheater. Jeff Bagwell has been thrown into this same category (he finished third in 2014 with 54.3%).

Johnson and Martinez are no brainers. Smoltz should join former teammates Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, who were inducted together in 2014. The right-hander is the only pitcher in Major League Baseball history with at least 200 wins (207) and 150 saves (154).
 
Though Sheffield finished his career as a memeber of the 500 home run club, PEDs could definitely derail his Hall bid. In 2003, Sheffield told a grand jury that he had "unwittingly" used a steroid cream that he had obtained from BALCO. He was introduced to the company by its most well known client, Barry Bonds.

At the time, Sheffield said he thought it was a cortisone cream and was angry when he found out otherwise. ESPN tried to ask Bonds about it in 2004, but Bonds, via a spokesman, ignored the elephant in the room and wished Sheffield all the best. So did Sheffield lie about "oops" moment? The guess is that the voter's will think so. With a .907 career OPS. nine All-Star appearances, and a World Series ring, it would be hard to make an argument to keep Sheffield out otherwise.

At the other end of the spectrum are those players who are near elimination from future ballots. A candidate must receive at least 5% to remain on future ballots. PED prime suspect Sammy Sosa received 7.2% of the vote in 2014 and is likely to drop off in this year's vote. Don Mattingly, who could have ended up with Hall numbers had he stayed healthy, managed to receive barely over 10% last year.

As much as I loved Mattingly as a player, I don't believe he belongs in the Hall of Fame. Many do though and point to Kirby Puckett, who I don't believe should be in either, whose statistics are similar to that of Mattingly's. The biggest difference between the two are the two World Series rings Puckett earned, while Mattingly's mediocre Yankees teams made the post-season just once in his 14 years.

No matter what happens this year, these things hold true - no one will get a unanimous vote; the steroid players will see their perecentages drop; fans, media, and players will not like all the results. It's that Hall time of the year, what else would you expect?

UPDATE (toh to @rebeccapbp):

A's fan and HoF tracker Ryan Thibs has made a spreadsheet of vote totals available to the public. If these numbers hold true, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Craig Biggio, Mike Piazza, and John Smoltz are headed to Cooperstown this Summer.

As of 1:55 PM ET, Both Johnson (98.63%) and Martinez (97.95%) approached Tom Seaver's all-time record of 98.8%, but as usual some voters left them out. Inexplicably, Twins beat writer Mike Berardino left both pitchers off.

Looks like Sheffield did indeed take a big hit. So far just over 8% of the vote. Don Mattingly and Sammy Sosa are both below the required 5% minimum. Jeff Bagwell increased to 66.44%, so there is still hope for him in future years.

UPDATE 7:50 PM

As of now, Randy Johnson has tied Tom Seaver with 98.8% of the vote. Pedro Martinez is closing in at 98.2%. Going the wrong way - that would be Mike Piazza, who has dipped below the 75% minimum.

MLB Hall of Fame Time: Why is it the Most Miserable Time of the Year?

Finding out which players, executives, announcers, etc. were elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame used to be one of the most exciting, highly anticipated days of the year. Then the Internet and social media took off and suddenly a day that should be joyous for a number of people became overshadowed by the disdain nominees, fans, and media - specifically the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) had for one another.

With the announcement coming up tomorrow, Wednesday, the fury has already gotten off to a great start thanks to MLB.com beat writer Ken Gurnick. As part of this year's process, all of the MLB.com writers made their ballots public on Tuesday which put a bullseye right on Gurnick's back due to this statement by the Dodgers' beat writer:

"(Jack) Morris has flaws -- a 3.90 ERA, for example. But he gets my vote for more than a decade of ace performance that included three 20-win seasons, Cy Young Award votes in seven seasons and Most Valuable Player Award votes in five. As for those who played during the period of PED use, I won't vote for any of them."

With that simple act Gurnick threw the baby out with the bathwater. It means he completely ignored legitimate candidates like pitcher Greg Maddux and slugger Frank Thomas. It also means there will still be no unanimous electee to the Hall. It's also an embarrassment to the game and to those are tasked with the privilege of electing the Hall entrants.

While I agree that players that were caught or admitted using performance enhancing drugs should not gain entrance to the Hall, you cannot lump other players (i.e. Jeff Bagwell) that you believe were PED users in with the "bad guys". And you certainly shouldn't be leaving out those, like Thomas, who have been anti-PED activists.

This year's election process also became farcicle when one voter sold a ballot to Deadspin.com, which then allowed its readers to fill out the ballot. Deadspin is trying to make a point of how much the process has degraded over the years, but the anonymous seller of the ballot should be permanently stripped of the honor of being part of the vote.

My ballot, if I had a vote, would look like this:

Greg Maddux
Frank Thomas
Jack Morris
Craig Biggio
Jeff Bagwell
Mike Piazza
Tom Glavine

BBWAA Snubs MLB Eligibles For Hall

Everyone knew that this year's Baseball Hall of Fame vote would be an interesting one. Accused performance enhancing (PED) drug users Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa were on the ballot for the first time, as were anti-PED self appointed spokesman Curt Schilling, and perennial All-Star Craig Biggio. Holdovers from past ballots, such as Jack Morris, were expected to have a greater chance to get in with players from the Steroid Era expected to be ignored by most of the voters. 

It turns out everyone was ignored to a point. The accumulated votes of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) did not elevate a single player to the 75% minimum tally necessary to gain entrance to Cooperstown. 

It's the first time since 1976 that the BBWAA did not elect at least one player. Biggio, who spent 20 years as a catcher and second baseman for the Houston Astros, came the closest with 68% of the vote.¹ Morris received 66.7% in 2012, but was only able to attain one more percentage point (67.7%) this time around. 

I can totally understand and respect any writer's opinion that players that fall into the Bonds/Clemens/Sosa category should not be allowed in the Hall, but voters who left deserving, "clean" players off their ballots did a poor job with the power that wield. 

Opinions differed among the writer's when it came to the handling of the Steroid Era group. Moss Klein, who covered the Yankees for the Star Ledger from 1976 - 1992, included Bonds, Clemens, and Sosa on his ballot because they were the best of the "tainted era".² Klein felt that cheating was widespread and so you either needed to eliminate the entire era or elect who was the best of that period. He chose the latter when he filled out his ballot. 

16 writers that work for MLB.com had votes this year and 87.5% of them felt Biggio should gain entry. But some did not include them on their ballots. Whether it is the usual bias of making sure no one gets a unanimous vote or the reluctancy to vote a player in on his first shot, it's ridiculous that Biggio was left off so many ballots. Two of the ballots belonged to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick and Marty Noble, who both only voted for Morris.³ 

Jeff Bagwell gained a few percentage points from last year's vote, but his ability to garner the necessary percentage is iffy due to the (unfounded thus far) suspicion that he was a cheater. Earlier today ESPN Radio reported that Mike Piazza, one the best offensive catchers in the game, could also be prevented from entrance due to whispers of PED use. He received 57.8% of the vote in his first year of eligibility and, to me, was deserving of induction his first time through the process. 

There still will be a Hall of Fame induction ceremony this summer, but will there really be an interest? Large crowds normally gather to cheer on their favorites as they are inducted. One would imagine the turn out on Sunday, July 28 at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, N.Y will not be a large one. The 2013 class is former umpire Hank O'Day, former New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert and 19th century player Deacon White, all of whom were elected by the Pre-Integration Committee.⁴ 

The Baseball Hall of Fame is not for everyone, - there are already players in there that many feel don't belong (Kirby Puckett's name is often mentioned) - it is for the very best of the best. But it's disappointing that no one was elected by the BBWAA. You will not convince the fans that not one of the players on the 2013 ballot deserved enshrinement, whether they are cheaters or not. 

My feeling is that eventually those with tarnished reputations will be inducted when the BBWAA is comprised of younger voters, ones that were not in their formative years during the Steroid Era. It would seem the average baseball fan doesn't care about steroids any more. They would just like to see their favorite players, warts and all, inducted. Guys like Craig Biggio. 

1 - ESPN.com 
2 - NJ.com 
3 - MLB.com 
⁴ - The Sporting News

The Captain Adds to His Record Book

With one swing in Friday night's game against the Boston Red Sox, Derek Jeter added a couple of more achievements to his storied career.

That swing resulted in a home run into the left field seats, the 250th such hit in the Yankee captain's career. That gave the Yankees 10 players with a minimum of 10 home runs this season. The last time the Yankees accomplished that feat? Yup, Jeter was there too...the 1998 Yankees were quite prodigious with the long ball as well.

Besides Jeter, there was Tino Martinez, Bernie Williams, Scott Brosius, Paul O'Neill, Shane Spencer, Darryl Strawberry, Jorge Posada, Chuck Knoblauch, and Chad Curtis on the '98 team.

This years squad is comprised of Jeter, Nick Swisher, who went deep twice Friday night, Curtis Granderson, who also hit one out against Boston, Alex Rodriguez, Raul Ibanez, Eric Chavez, Robinson Cano, Andruw Jones, Mark Teixeira, and Russell Martin.

Jeter also became the 5th players in MLB history with 3,000 hits, 250 home runs, and 250 stolen bases. He joined Willie Mays (the only other player with at least 1,200 RBI), Rickey Henderson, Craig Biggio, and Robin Yount on that short list. Seven more hits of any kind will put Jeter in a tie with Eddie Murray for 7th place in the MLB career hit list with 3,255.

As for as team records go, Jeter also tied third baseman Graig Nettles for 10th place on the all-time franchise home run list. He sits 25 back of his good buddy Jorge Posada, who turned 41 yesterday, for 9th place. Jeter is also approaching Bernie Williams for 6th place all-time in RBI (21 to go) and Willie Randolph for 7th place in sac flies (one more).

Another day, another addition to Derek Jeter's Hall of Fame credentials.

The Daily Yankeeland - 8/22

We woke up this morning and it was still true: Carl Pavano is pitching tomorrow. The Yankees should just run Phil Hughes out there and stop treating him with kid gloves.

"I'm not asking him to make amends," Manager Joe Girardi said. "I'm just asking him to come and compete. I tell every player when they come here, it's a clean slate. I'm just expecting him to do his thing."

That was what Joe Girardi told Tyler Kepner about Pavano's comeback.

Joba Chamberlain is expected to throw 35 pitches in his Saturday bullpen session.

Phil Mushnick takes a dig at some of Michael Kay's hypocrisy.

The Steinbrenner boys are reportedly in negotiations with Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney for a farewell concert at Yankee Stadium. Can't be outdone by the Wilpons, ya know?

Hal Steinbrenner used Derek Jeter as a conduit last week. As several beat writers have pointed out, Hal- and not Hank- is the Steinbrenner son who is really running the show. Hank may be making the headlines, but he never goes to games, wasn't at Bobby Murcer's Memorial service, etc..

Mike Ashmore reports on the Trenton Thunder's playoff-clinching win last night.

The Staten Island Yankees have won 8 straight.

What a difference a year makes. One year ago today, 8/22/07, the Orioles got lambasted by the Rangers, 30-3. The Yankees can't score 30 runs in a month.

Forgot to mention this the other day: Craig Biggio joined Mickey Mantle as the only MLB player to have number 7 retired.

The Daily Yankeeland - 8/22

We woke up this morning and it was still true: Carl Pavano is pitching tomorrow. The Yankees should just run Phil Hughes out there and stop treating him with kid gloves.

"I'm not asking him to make amends," Manager Joe Girardi said. "I'm just asking him to come and compete. I tell every player when they come here, it's a clean slate. I'm just expecting him to do his thing."

That was what Joe Girardi told Tyler Kepner about Pavano's comeback.

Joba Chamberlain is expected to throw 35 pitches in his Saturday bullpen session.

Phil Mushnick takes a dig at some of Michael Kay's hypocrisy.

The Steinbrenner boys are reportedly in negotiations with Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney for a farewell concert at Yankee Stadium. Can't be outdone by the Wilpons, ya know?

Hal Steinbrenner used Derek Jeter as a conduit last week. As several beat writers have pointed out, Hal- and not Hank- is the Steinbrenner son who is really running the show. Hank may be making the headlines, but he never goes to games, wasn't at Bobby Murcer's Memorial service, etc..

Mike Ashmore reports on the Trenton Thunder's playoff-clinching win last night.

The Staten Island Yankees have won 8 straight.

What a difference a year makes. One year ago today, 8/22/07, the Orioles got lambasted by the Rangers, 30-3. The Yankees can't score 30 runs in a month.

Forgot to mention this the other day: Craig Biggio joined Mickey Mantle as the only MLB player to have number 7 retired.

A Night of Memories, Laughter, and Tears

The 27th annual Thurman Munson Award dinner was held last night at NYC's Marriot Marquis. The Yankees' Melky Cabrera and Alex Rodriguez were among the award winners. Proceeds from the dinner went to the AHRC New York City Foundation, which helps serve children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Thurman's widow Diane has helped to raise nearly $9 million for the foundation.

Some, such as the granddaughter Thurman never knew, were awestruck by his legacy. 12-yr old Madison was attending her first awards dinner.

"Is Grandpa really this loved in New York?" she asked her grandmother, Diana Munson.

Oh yes he was; still to this day. Amazingly, Diane Munson has never been to her late husband's locker in Yankee Stadium. With the Yankees moving across the street next season, that is about to change.

"To me, it's very touching," she said. "I want this to be a private moment in my life and in the lives of my children."

Another award recipient last night was Craig Biggio, the recently retired Houston Astro. A catcher, Biggio idolized Munson while growing up on Long Island, and attending Seton Hall University in NJ. When the Astros came to Yankee Stadium for an interleague game in 2004, Biggio made sure he stopped by The Captain's locker.

"The way that he played the game, his uniform was always dirty," Biggio said. "He truly was my hero growing up."

Melky and the Mets' David Wright weren't even born when Munson died, but both appreciated the magnitude of the evening.

"To be associated with Thurman and everything he did -- not only for New York, but everything off the field -- is just an incredible honor," Wright said. "I take a lot of pride in doing everything that I can in giving back to the New York fans.

Melky was also happy to still be in New York.

"I was a little worried about getting traded because I wanted to stay with my teammates. I'm really happy the trade didn't go through."

The Giants had a representative in Defensive End and Super Bowl champ Justin Tuck, who stopped by to express his good wishes.



Melky poses with the Knicks' Jamal Crawford, Diane Munson , and friends.








Sources - Anthony DiComo of MLB.com and Peter Abraham of the Journal News.

A Night of Memories, Laughter, and Tears

The 27th annual Thurman Munson Award dinner was held last night at NYC's Marriot Marquis. The Yankees' Melky Cabrera and Alex Rodriguez were among the award winners. Proceeds from the dinner went to the AHRC New York City Foundation, which helps serve children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Thurman's widow Diane has helped to raise nearly $9 million for the foundation.

Some, such as the granddaughter Thurman never knew, were awestruck by his legacy. 12-yr old Madison was attending her first awards dinner.

"Is Grandpa really this loved in New York?" she asked her grandmother, Diana Munson.

Oh yes he was; still to this day. Amazingly, Diane Munson has never been to her late husband's locker in Yankee Stadium. With the Yankees moving across the street next season, that is about to change.

"To me, it's very touching," she said. "I want this to be a private moment in my life and in the lives of my children."

Another award recipient last night was Craig Biggio, the recently retired Houston Astro. A catcher, Biggio idolized Munson while growing up on Long Island, and attending Seton Hall University in NJ. When the Astros came to Yankee Stadium for an interleague game in 2004, Biggio made sure he stopped by The Captain's locker.

"The way that he played the game, his uniform was always dirty," Biggio said. "He truly was my hero growing up."

Melky and the Mets' David Wright weren't even born when Munson died, but both appreciated the magnitude of the evening.

"To be associated with Thurman and everything he did -- not only for New York, but everything off the field -- is just an incredible honor," Wright said. "I take a lot of pride in doing everything that I can in giving back to the New York fans.

Melky was also happy to still be in New York.

"I was a little worried about getting traded because I wanted to stay with my teammates. I'm really happy the trade didn't go through."

The Giants had a representative in Defensive End and Super Bowl champ Justin Tuck, who stopped by to express his good wishes.



Melky poses with the Knicks' Jamal Crawford, Diane Munson , and friends.








Sources - Anthony DiComo of MLB.com and Peter Abraham of the Journal News.

Biggio Wins Munson Award

Craig Biggio grew up idolizing Thurman Munson, so it was appropriate that he win the Thurmon Munson Award for excellence in competition and philanthropic work within the community. Biggio retired after 20 years in the bigs, that included picking up his 3,000th hit this past season.

Joining Biggio in receiving awards are the Yankees Melky Cabrera, the Mets David Wright, Knicks guard Jamal Crawford and figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi. The awards will be presented at the 28th annual Thurman Munson Awards Dinner at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York.

The AHRC New York City Foundation benefits from the event, with money going to assist children and adults with developmental disabilities.

photo courtesy of mlb.com

Biggio Wins Munson Award

Craig Biggio grew up idolizing Thurman Munson, so it was appropriate that he win the Thurmon Munson Award for excellence in competition and philanthropic work within the community. Biggio retired after 20 years in the bigs, that included picking up his 3,000th hit this past season.

Joining Biggio in receiving awards are the Yankees Melky Cabrera, the Mets David Wright, Knicks guard Jamal Crawford and figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi. The awards will be presented at the 28th annual Thurman Munson Awards Dinner at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York.

The AHRC New York City Foundation benefits from the event, with money going to assist children and adults with developmental disabilities.

photo courtesy of mlb.com

500/3000

It was a big milestone day in major league baseball yesterday, as two long time veterans helped their efforts to gain entry into the Hall of Fame.

First it was the Blue Jays' Frank Thomas slugging a 1st inning, 3-run shot for career home run #500. In an odd twist, Thomas was thrown out of the game in the 9th by home plate umpire Mark Wegner after arguing balls and strikes.

Later in the evening, Craig Biggio had a remarkable 5 hits again the Colorado Rockies, the 3rd of which was career hit # 3000. Biggio was thrown out trying to advance to 2nd on the play, but was still able to enjoy the applause and love shown him by the home fans. The next highest hit total among active players is Barroid Bond with 2,896.

Frank Thomas' milestone HRs

1 – Aug. 28, 1990 @ MIN vs. Gary Wayne
100 – Aug. 31, 1993 @ NYY vs. Sterling Hitchcock
200 – June 9, 1996 @ BAL vs. Jimmy Haynes
300 – Aug. 7, 1999 @ OAK vs. Kevin Appier
400 – July 25, 2003 @ TB vs. Jorge Sosa
500 – June 28, 2007 @ MIN vs. Carlos Silva

500/3000

It was a big milestone day in major league baseball yesterday, as two long time veterans helped their efforts to gain entry into the Hall of Fame.

First it was the Blue Jays' Frank Thomas slugging a 1st inning, 3-run shot for career home run #500. In an odd twist, Thomas was thrown out of the game in the 9th by home plate umpire Mark Wegner after arguing balls and strikes.

Later in the evening, Craig Biggio had a remarkable 5 hits again the Colorado Rockies, the 3rd of which was career hit # 3000. Biggio was thrown out trying to advance to 2nd on the play, but was still able to enjoy the applause and love shown him by the home fans. The next highest hit total among active players is Barroid Bond with 2,896.

Frank Thomas' milestone HRs

1 – Aug. 28, 1990 @ MIN vs. Gary Wayne
100 – Aug. 31, 1993 @ NYY vs. Sterling Hitchcock
200 – June 9, 1996 @ BAL vs. Jimmy Haynes
300 – Aug. 7, 1999 @ OAK vs. Kevin Appier
400 – July 25, 2003 @ TB vs. Jorge Sosa
500 – June 28, 2007 @ MIN vs. Carlos Silva