Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hits a home run in an interleague game against the Oakland Athletics, tying his home run count with that of Babe Ruth at 714. The ball is hit at the McAfee Coliseum against pitcher Brad Halsey, a left-hander. Because of interleague play, Bonds is the designated hitter rather than his normal spot in the outfield.

Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hits a home run in an interleague game against the Oakland Athletics, tying his home run count with that of Babe Ruth at 714. The ball is hit at the McAfee Coliseum against pitcher Brad Halsey, a left-hander. Because of interleague play, Bonds is the designated hitter rather than his normal spot in the outfield.

ByThis Day in Baseball

Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hits a home run in an interleague game against the Oakland Athletics, tying his home run count with that of Babe Ruth at 714. The ball is hit at the McAfee Coliseum against pitcher Brad Halsey, a left-hander. Because of interleague play, Bonds is the designated hitter rather than his normal spot in the outfield.

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Oakland Athletics reliever Huston Street and Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard are named the American League and National League rookies of the year

ByThis Day in Baseball

Oakland Athletics reliever Huston Street and Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard are rewarded for their efforts by being named the American League and National League rookies of the year, respectively. Street became Oakland’s closer when incumbent Octavio Dotel went down in May with an elbow injury that required surgery. Street saved 23 games in 27 chances to go along with a 5-1 record and a 1.72 ERA. Only Mariano Rivera’s 1.38 ERA for the Yankees was better among AL relievers. Street had 72 strikeouts in 78 1/3 innings pitched, and opposing hitters batted only .194 against him. Howard became the Phillies’ everyday first baseman in early July when slugger Jim Thome was sidelined for the season with an elbow injury. Howard, who led all major league rookies with 22 home runs, also posted a .288 average and 63 RBI in 312 at bats. He had 11 homers and 27 RBI in September and October as the Phillies battled the Houston Astros for the NL wild card until getting eliminated on the last day of the season.

Bobby Crosby wins the American League Rookie of the Year Award

ByThis Day in Baseball

Receiving 27 of 28 first-place votes, Bobby Crosby (.239, 22, 64) wins the American League Rookie of the Year Award. The Oakland shortstop, who is the son of former big leaguer infielder Ed Crosby, joins Harry Byrd (1952), Jose Canseco (1986), Mark McGwire (1987), Walt Weiss (1988), and Ben Grieve (1998) as the sixth A’s freshman to be honored by the BBWAA.

Oakland retires Reggie Jackson jersey number 9, honoring the slugger who played his first nine Hall of Fame seasons with the A’s, helping the team club capture three consecutive World Series (1972-74). The former Athletics’ right fielder, who had his number 44 retired by the Yankees in 1993, becomes the eighth player to have his number retired by two or more teams.

Oakland retires Reggie Jackson jersey number 9, honoring the slugger who played his first nine Hall of Fame seasons with the A’s, helping the team club capture three consecutive World Series (1972-74). The former Athletics’ right fielder, who had his number 44 retired by the Yankees in 1993, becomes the eighth player to have his number retired by two or more teams.

ByTom

Oakland retires Reggie Jackson jersey number 9, honoring the slugger who played his first nine Hall of Fame seasons with the A’s, helping the team club capture three consecutive World Series (1972-74). The former Athletics’ right fielder, who had his number 44 retired by the Yankees in 1993, becomes the eighth player to have his number retired by two or more teams.

The Boston Red Sox complete a three-game playoff comeback, beating the Oakland Athletics, 4 – 3, in Game 5 of their American League Division Series.

The Boston Red Sox complete a three-game playoff comeback, beating the Oakland Athletics, 4 – 3, in Game 5 of their American League Division Series.

ByThis Day in Baseball

2003 – The Boston Red Sox complete a three-game playoff comeback, beating the Oakland Athletics, 4 – 3, in Game 5 of their American League Division Series.

Kevin Millar as a Los Angeles City College freshman doing an impersonation of Bruce Springsteen

Kevin Millar as a Los Angeles City College freshman doing an impersonation of Bruce Springsteen

ByBaseball

Much to the delight of the 34,844 fans at Fenway Park and the embarrassment of the team’s first baseman, the “Rally Karaoke Guy” makes his debut as a video of Kevin Millar as a Los Angeles City College freshman doing an impersonation of Bruce Springsteen singing “Born in the USA,” is shown on the scoreboard prior to the start of the 6th inning. The video, which was played at a clubhouse meeting in Texas as a prank by a college friend of Millar’s who is now a FBI agent, appears to be Boston’s answer to the Rally Monkey of Anaheim as the Red Sox win their first game in a week, beating the A’s, 14 – 5.

Mets unable to sign Pinella make Art Howe there manager

Mets unable to sign Pinella make Art Howe there manager

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The New York Mets, after being unable to get permission to talk to manager Lou Piniella from Seattle, and deciding not to wait ten days after the World Series for the availability of San Francisco skipper Dusty Baker, give Art Howe a four-year, $9.4 million deal to manage the team. Howe managed the Oakland Athletics to two AL West titles in 2000 and 2002 with his teams winning 383 games during the last four seasons, matching Joe Torre’s total for the Yankees. A day later, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays will name Piniella as their team’s new skipper, signing him to a four-year contract. As compensation to sign Piniella away from Seattle, Tampa Bay will send All-Star outfielder Randy Winn, who hit .298 with 14 home runs and 75 RBI, to Seattle for minor leaguer Antonio Perez.

The Oakland Athletics’ 20-game winning streak is snapped as Brad Radke pitches the Minnesota Twins to a 6 – 0 victory at home. The Athletics fall short of matching the second-longest winning streak in history. The Chicago National League teams of 1880 and 1935 both won 21 straight.

ByBaseball

The Oakland Athletics’ 20-game winning streak is snapped as Brad Radke pitches the Minnesota Twins to a 6 – 0 victory at home. The Athletics fall short of matching the second-longest winning streak in history. The Chicago National League teams of 1880 and 1935 both won 21 straight.

ESPN becomes the first network to ask players, coaches, and umpires to wear a microphone during a game

ByTom

ESPN becomes the first network to ask players, coaches, and umpires to wear a microphone during a game. The innovative concept begins when A’s catcher Ramon Hernandez is wired during the nationally televised Sunday night contest, a 6-5 Oakland victory over Seattle at Safeco Field.

Oakland Athletics second baseman Randy Velarde turns an unassisted triple play, just the 11th in major league history, on a line drive hit by Shane Spencer of the New York Yankees. With runners on first and second base running with the pitch, Velarde tags Jorge Posada as he nears second base, then touches the base to retire Tino Martinez. In 1995 spring training, while with the Yankees, Velarde turned an unassisted triple play against the Dodgers.

ByThis Day in Baseball

Oakland Athletics second baseman Randy Velarde turns an unassisted triple play, just the 11th in major league history, on a line drive hit by Shane Spencer of the New York Yankees. With runners on first and second base running with the pitch, Velarde tags Jorge Posada as he nears second base, then touches the base to retire Tino Martinez. In 1995 spring training, while with the Yankees, Velarde turned an unassisted triple play against the Dodgers.