On September 24, 2006, As the Petco Park sellout crowd roars, Trevor Hoffman retires all three Pittsburgh batters he faces in the ninth inning, ensuring a 2-1 San Diego victory. The Padres closer’s 479th career save surpasses Lee Smith’s total (1980-1997), making the 38 year-old reliever the all-time leader in saves.
At Camden Yards, Orioles outfielder Jay Gibbons hits a foul ball straight back over the screen that hits a fan in the rib cage. The injured patron is the batter’s wife, Laura. `
With one home game left on the schedule, the Dodgers break their single-season attendance record established in 1982 as the team sells 3,708,723 tickets to its games played in Chavez Ravine. The previous record of 3,608,881 was determined by former National League rules which counted fans by turnstile count.
In Milwaukee’s Miller Park, Barry Bonds hits his 734th career homer, surpassing Hank Aaron, and establishes a new all-time National League home run mark. The historic long ball hit by the unpopular 42 year-old Giants slugger receives little fanfare in the city in which ‘Hammerin’ Hank’, a former player for the Braves and Brewers, is a local legend.
David Ortiz, hits his 51st and 52nd homers, breaking the Red Sox’s franchise record of 50 in a single-season, established by Jimmie Foxx in 1938. ‘Big Papi’ also breaks his own major league mark for home runs set by a DH with 45, two more than the standard he set last season.
Although the team bows to the Blue Jays at the Stadium, the Yankees capture their ninth consecutive AL East title thirty minutes later when the Twins defeat second-place Red Sox. The Bronx Bombers become the second team in the Big Apple this week to pop the champagne as their crosstown rivals, the Mets, clinched the NL East Division two days ago.
KC skipper Buddy Bell, after a Royals 3-0 loss to the Angels, announces he needs to take a medical leave to treat a growth in his tonsils and will be replaced in the dugout by bench coach Billy Doran. The manager’s wife, Gloria, has also battled tonsil cancer.
Heritage Toronto commemorates the spot where Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run with a plaque at Canada’s Hanlan’s Point. The historic home run, the only one the Bambino would hit as a minor leaguer, came on September 5, 1914, as the visiting Providence Grays’ hurler goes deep against the Maple Leafs in the International League contest.
In a game against Florida, Julio Franco starts at third base for the Mets, who clinched the NL East flag yesterday. The 48 year-old infielder has not played the hot corner since his rookie year in 1982, marking 24 years between starts at the position.
test On September 18, 2006, the Dodgers stage an amazing comeback to defeat the Padres, relying on the long ball. Down by four in the bottom of the ninth, Jeff Kent led off with a homer. He was followed by J.D. Drew, who also homered. The Padres brought in closer Trevor Hoffman, who was greeted…
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