Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Tony Fernandez becomes the Dominican-born career hits leader with his 2,178th hit to move ahead of Julio Franco. Fernandez’s hit plates the winning run with two outs in the 9th in Toronto’s 2 – 1 victory over the Kansas City Royals. Franco, deemed washed-up by the baseball world and out of the majors at this time, will reclaim the record several years later.

On June 21, 1999 Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Tony Fernandez becomes the Dominican-born career hits leader with his 2,178th hit to move ahead of Julio Franco. Fernandez’s hit plates the winning run with two outs in the 9th in Toronto’s 2 – 1 victory over the Kansas City Royals. Franco, deemed washed-up by the baseball world and out of the majors at this time, will reclaim the record several years later.