Alarmed by the White Sox’s threatened move to St. Petersburg, Florida, Illinois lawmakers grant state subsidies for a new stadium to replace venerable but decaying Comiskey Park.
On June 30, 1986, the New York Yankees acquire journeyman outfielder Claudell Washington and infielder Paul Zuvella from the Atlanta Braves for outfielder-first baseman Ken Griffey. The Yankees become Washington’s sixth team-after the Braves, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, and Oakland A’s.
Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson makes his professional baseball debut with the Memphis Chicks of the AA Southern League and goes 1 for 4 with two strikeouts.
Cleveland beats Seattle, 7 – 3, to snap the Mariners’ club-record 9-game winning streak.
In his final at bat of the month, Pedro Guerrero delivers a 2-run home run off Bruce Sutter to give the Dodgers a 4 – 3 win over the Braves. It is Guerrero’s 15th home run in June (19th overall), tying the major league record.
Lance Junker hits two grand slams in the ninth inning of the Redwood Pioneers’ 16-5 victory over the Class-A Padres at Reno’s Moana Stadium. The 23 year-old California League slugger, who comes to bat for the second time in the frame after the catcher drops a two-out pop up in front of home plate, becomes the third professional player to accomplish the feat, joining Ken Myers (1947 – Las Vegas/Sunset League) and Armando Flores (1952 – Laredo Apaches/Gulf Coast League).
The Reds score eight runs in the 1st inning and go on to beat the visiting Giants, 15 – 5. Paul Householder drives in four runs, two on a freak inside-the-park homer. With Ron Oester on first base, Householder hits a shallow fly that LF Chris Smith loses in the sun and it bounces over his head. Smith then slips going after the ball and the two baserunners race around the bases. Oester slides across the plate just ahead of Householder’s slide, which is so close he spikes Oester’s knee.
1979 – J.R. Richard blanks the Padres on three hits, 3-0. Cesar Cedeno belts a homer and Jose Cruz adds three hits to spark the offense.
On June 30, 1979, the fledgling Inter-American League folds after a stormy half-season of existence. The league, which featured teams in Miami and five Latin American cities, had been plagued by poor weather, high transportation costs, and financial instability.
Led by Mike Vail’s grand slam, the Mets score six runs in the top of the 11th to break a 3 – 3 tie with the Cubs. Chicago storms back with five runs in the bottom of the frame, but New York hangs on to win the game, 9 – 8.
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