Exactly three years to the day he hit his 500th round-tripper, Alex Rodriguez eclipses Babe Ruth in becoming the youngest major leaguer to hit 600 career home runs when he blasts a two-run first-inning shot into Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. The 35 year-old Bronx Bomber third baseman is the seventh player in baseball history to reach the milestone.
On October 3, 2009 The Toronto Blue Jays fire General Manager J.P. Ricciardi with one year left on his contract. 32-year-old Alex Anthopoulos, a Canadian who began his career as an unpaid intern with the late Montreal Expos, takes over the job.
2008 – The Blue Jays release former superstar Frank Thomas, who has 516 major league home runs and a 979 career OPS to his name. A five-time All-Star and two-time MVP, Thomas has gotten into conflict with manager John Gibbons, who benched him. After a clubhouse meeting, Toronto G.M. J.P. Ricciardi and the designated hitter reach a “mutual agreement,” that gives the disgruntled player an opportunity to continue to be a full-time player on another team. Thomas is 12th all-time in major league history in OPS, 9th in walks and 18th in home runs. It is the third major player-manager conflict for Gibbons in his time with Toronto; he will be fired and replaced by Cito Gaston in a few weeks.
Frank Thomas hit his 500th home run. He is the 21st member of the 500 home run club. He connects with a 3-run shot in the first against Carlos Silva, going 396 feet to left field. The hit is the difference in a 5 – 4 victory by the Jays.
On May 30, 2007, Johnny Damon collects his 2,000th career hit, a single against the Blue Jays in Toronto.
2005 – Toronto Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi signs former Baltimore Orioles standout B.J. Ryan to the richest contract ever for a reliever in a 5-year, $47 million deal.
SkyDome is renamed the “Rogers Centre” several days after Rogers Communications completed its purchase of the Toronto Blue Jays’ stadium. Fans react to the naming with derision, but the name will stick.
On October 3, 2004.00 On the last day of the season, Blue Jays television announcer John Cerutti is found dead in his SkyDome hotel room. The death of the 44 year-old Albany, N.Y. native, who was a former big league pitcher, is due to natural causes with foul play not being suspected.
2004 – In a scene that gave Astro veterans flashbacks, shortstop Adam Everett is hit in the face by a fastball from Toronto’s Miguel Batista. Fortunately, the throw glances off Everett’s shoulder before striking him in the mouth, unlike the blow that another Houston shortstop, Dickie Thon, took in 1984 that significantly altered his career. Bloodied and sore, Everett leaves the game, a 5-3 win over the Blue Jays, but returns before the regular season began.
Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay pitches the first extra inning complete game shutout in the majors since Jack Morris did so in the classic Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. The last time it was done in the regular season was by Dave Stewart‚ on August 1‚ 1990. Halladay takes a no-hitter into the 8th against Detroit‚ and finishes with a 3-hit‚ 1 – 0 victory. Tiger starter Nate Cornejo pitches 9 shutout innings before giving way to Fernando Rodney. Bobby Kielty’s single drives home the winner.
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