HOME FIELDS GALLERY CONTACT  US BASEBALL  TRIVIA PLAY ESCAPA! TAKE THE FROG TEST WEATHER REPORT Latest News   Mark Buehrle Makes History Again!                  45 Consecutive Batters Retired! MINNEAPOLIS (Tuesday, July 28, 2009) Mark Buehrle retired the first 17 Twins he faced to set a new Major League record with 45 consecutive outs. Buehrle's streak began in Baltimore on July 18, on a Nick Markakis flyout, continued through his perfect game July 23 against the Rays, and ended with the 18th Twin he faced tonight, Alexi Casillia, who drew a walk in the sixth inning.     Most Consecutive Batters Retired   Pitcher Team Batters    Duration Mark Buehrle White Sox 45 July 18 - 28, 2009 Bobby Jenks White Sox 41 July 17 - Aug 20, 2007 Jim Barr Giants 41 Aug 23 - 29, 1972 Tom Browning Reds 40 Sept 16 - 21, 1988 Randy Johnson D-backs 39 May 13 - 23, 2004 David Wells Yankees 38 May 12 - 23, 1998 Harvey Haddix Pirates 38 May 21 - 26, 1959                                           Mark Buehrle:   Perfection! CHICAGO (Thursday, July 23, 2009) Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle made history this afternoon by tossing a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays. It's the first perfect game in the majors since Randy Johnson (Diamondbacks, 5/18/04), and only the 18th in Major League Baseball History. Buehrle needed only 116 pitches to complete the feat. He owes a lot to center fielder Dewayne Wise for his fielding gem in the 9th inning. Wise had just entered the game in a defensive move by manager, Ozzie Guillen. Top of the Ninth...No Outs! Gabe Kapler connected on Buehrle's 105th pitch sending it arcing toward the left-center field bleachers. Everyone held their breath! Wise sprinted a dozen strides toward the fence. He leaped extending his glove above the 8-foot wall. The ball landed in his glove's webbing but then popped out for a split second as he collided with the wall. Stumbling, he grabbed the ball with his bare left hand, then fell to the ground and rolled. He bounced back up, proudly displaying the ball to the crowd and the umpires. Out Number Two! Buhehrle fell behind 3-1 in the count to Michael Hernandez, but then got a called strike 2, then got him to swing and miss for strike three. The Final Out! With the fans chanting Buehrle's name, Jason Bartlett got ahead 2-1, then hit a sharp grounder to shortstop Alexi Ramirez, who threw to first baseman Josh Fields for the final out. Buehrle put both hands on his head and was immediately mobbed by teammates in the center of the field.      Sox 5 - Rays 0 Important Phone Call! Buehrle received a congratulatory telephone call from President Barack Obama, a white sox fan, following the historic game. What Exactly Is A Perfect Game A perfect Game is a game in which a pitcher (or combination of pitchers) pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches 1st base. Thus the pitcher (or pitchers) cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any other reason...in short "27 up and 27 down". By definition, a perfect game must be both a no-hitter and a shutout. Since the pitcher cannot control whether or not his teammates commit any errors, the pitcher must be backed up by solid fielding. An error that does not allow a base runner, such as a misplayed foul ball, does not spoil a perfect game. Weather-shortened contests in which a team has no base runners and games in which a team reaches first base only in extra innings do not qualify as official perfect games under the present definition. Although it is possible for multiple pitchers to combine for a perfect game, to date, every major league perfect game has been thrown by a single pitcher.     Major League Baseball's 18  Perfect  Games   Pitcher Date    Game Lee Richmond (WOR)   Jun 12, 1880 Cleveland Blues, 0 Worcester Ruby Legs, 1 John Montgomery Ward (Prov) Jun 17, 1880 Buffalo Bisons, 0 Providence Grays, 5 Cy Young (BOS) May 5, 1904 Philadelphia A's, 0 Boston Americans, 3 Addie Joss (CLE) 74 pitches, 3 K Oct 2, 1908 Chicago White Sox, 0 Cleveland Naps, 1 Charlie Robertson (CHW) 90 pitches, 6 K Apr 30, 1922 Chicago White Sox, 2 Detroit Tigers, 0 Don Larsen (NYY) 97 Pitches, 7 K Oct 8, 1956 Brooklyn Dodgers, 0 New York Yankees, 2 Jim Bunning (PHI) 90 pitches, 10 K Jun 21, 1964 Philadelphia Phillies, 6 New York Mets, 0 Sandy Koufax (LAD) 113 pitches, 14 K Sept 9, 1965 Chicago Cubs, 0 Los Angeles Dodgers, 1 Catfish Hunter (OAK) 107 pitches, 11 K May 8, 1968 Minnesota Twins, 0 Oakland A's, 4 Len Barker (CLE) 103 pitches, 11 K May 15, 1981 Toronto Blue Jays, 0 Cleveland Indians, 3 Mike Witt (CAL) 94 pitches, 10 K Sept 30, 1984 California Angels, 1 Texas Rangers, 0 Tom Browning (CIN) 102 pitches, 7 K Sept 16, 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers, 0 Cincinnati Reds, 1 Dennis Martínez (MON) 95 pitches, 5 K July 28, 1991 Montreal Expos, 2 Los Angeles Dodgers, 0 Kenny Rogers (TEX) 98 pitches, 8 K July 28, 1994 California Angels, 0 Texas Rangers, 4 David Wells (NYY) 120 pitches, 11 K May 17, 1998 Minnesota Twins, 0 New York Yankees, 4 David Cone (NYY) 88 pitches, 10 K July 18, 1999 Montreal Expos, 0 New York Yankees, 6 Randy Johnson (ARI) 117 pitches, 13 K May 18, 2004 Arizona D-backs, 2 Atlanta Braves, 0 Mark Buehrle (CHW) 116 pitches, 6 K July 23, 2009 Tampa Bay Rays, 0 Chicago White Sox, 5 Source Cited:  wikipedia.org; chicagowhitesox.com           Southside Express 15-U Takes 1st Place In Two Major Tourneys The SOUTHSIDE EXPRESS 15-U Team has won their first two tourneys of the season.  The 15-U's won 1st place in the Schaumburg Seminoles Tourney and 1st place in the Best of The Midwest 2009 Challenge Tourney  at Benedictine College!  Our congratulations go out to Manager, Chuck Williams, Coachs, Keith Bauer, Todd Reks, Rick Marks, Bill DeYoung, Eddie Schmitt, and all the 15-U players. We are all very proud of you!          Randy Johnson Joins the "Club" Earns 300th career win WASHINGTON (June 4, 2009) Randy Johnson, San Francisco Giant left-hander, became the 24th pitcher to reach the 300-win milestone in the Giants' 5-1 victory over the Washington Nationals in the opener of a doubleheader Thursday. The 45-year-old Johnson is the sixth left-hander to win 300 games and the second-oldest pitcher to reach that milestone. Phil Niekro was 46 when he won his 300th with the New York Yankees in 1985. Family and friends from all over flew in to see Johnson (5-4) become the first pitcher to get 300 on his first try since Tom Seaver in 1985. At a news conference afterward, the game ball was presented to his wife as his three daughters looked on. His son served as bat boy during the game.   Pitchers With 300 or more Wins         1.   Cy Young 511   2.   Walter Johnson 417   3.   Grover Cleveland Alexander 373   4.   Christy Mathewson 373   5.   Pud Galvin 365   6.   Warren Spahn 363   7.   Kid Nichols 361   8.   Greg Maddux 355   9.   Roger Clemens 354 10.   Tim Keefe 342 11.   Steve Carlton 329 12.   John Clarkson 328 13.   Eddie Plank 326 14.   Nolan Ryan 324 15.   Don Sutton 324 16.   Phil Niekro 318 17.   Gaylord Perry 314 18.   Tom Seaver 311 19.   Hoss Radbourn 309 20.   Mickey Welch 307 21. * Tom Glavine 305 22.   Lefty Grove 300 23.   Early Wynn 300 24. * Randy Johnson 300                * Active Player                                                 I t may be a while before we see another 300 game winner. After Randy Johnson, the closest pitcher, Jamie Moyer, is still 50 wins away.     Pitcher Age Wins / Losses Team Jamie Moyer 46 250-190 Phillies Andy Pettitte 36 220-128 Yankees John Smoltz 42 210-147 Braves Tim Wakefield 42 184-160 Red Sox Bartolo Colon 36 153-101 Red Sox Livan Hernandez 34 151-140 Rockies Tim Hudson 33 146-77 Braves Kevin Millwood 34 146-115 Rangers Mike Hampton 36 144-109 Braves Roy Halladay 32 139-67 Blue Jays                                                                                                                           Yankees Set Errorless Record CLEVELAND (June 1, 2009)  The New York Yankees played error-free baseball for the 18th straight game in last night's 5-2 win over the Indians, surpassing Boston's mark of 17 games set in 2006. New York's last error came on May 13.           Call The Cops!        3 Thefts in One Inning! PHILADELPHIA - (Tuesday, May 12, 2009)  Jayson Werth, Phillie Right Fielder, had a record-setting day. He tied a franchise record with four stolen bases in one game, becoming the first Phillie to accomplish this feat since Garry Maddox stole four bases against the Pirates on May 29, 1978. Three in one inning! In the seventh inning, Werth stole second, then third and then home, becoming the first Phillie to accomplish the feat since Pete Rose stole three against the Reds on May 11, 1980. Only 39 ballplayers have ever achieved this feat in major league history. "Martin never looked my way." Standing on third base, Werth noticed the Dodger catcher's lapse. "I figured I'd steal home if Feliz worked the count to two strikes." Feliz did. So, on the fifth pitch, Werth inched his way toward home plate as the 2-2 fastball arrived......it was ball 3. Martin, as we said, hadn't bothered to check on Werth at any point during the at-bat, lightly tossed the ball back to Belisario. As soon as Martin threw, Werth broke for home. He arrived safely! Phillies fans gave Werth a standing ovation as he returned to the dugout, and they demanded a curtain call too. It was the first time Werth had stolen home at any point in his baseball career, from Little League to the big leagues. Stealing Second, Third, and Home in a Single Inning A Brief History               National League      25  (since 1899)           American League      24  (since 1902)           Ty Cobb, cf        4  (AL Record)           Honus Wagner, ss        4  (NL Record)           Max Carey, cf        2  (Pirates, 1923 - 1925)           Jackie Tavener, ss        2  (Tigers, 1927 - 1928)           Wilbur Good, of        1  (Cubs, 1915)           Buck Weaver, 3b        1  (White Sox, 1919)           Dusty Baker, of        1  (Giants, 1984)         Source Cited:  http://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/stealing_second_third_home.shtml                           Cubs Retire Number 31 Jenkins; Maddux:  Shared Number; Shared Honor CHICAGO (Sun., May 3, 2009)  Greg Maddux and Ferguson Jenkins were honored today as their number 31 was retired prior to the Cubs' game against the Florida Marlins. Jenkins and Maddux both played 10 years with the Cubs, using pinpoint accuracy and a workhorse ethic. Each won a Cy Young in Chicago. With their families in attendance, Cubs chairman Crane Kenney introduced them; they were presented with portraits of themselves painted by Chicago artist John Hanley. They each gave a brief speech, then watched as teammates Randy Hundley and Glenn Beckert hoist Fergie's no.31 up the fowl pole in left field, while former catcher Jody Davis raised Maddox's No. 31 in right field. They played in different eras Jenkins Jenkins played for the Cubs from 1966-1973 and 1982-1983, winning the Cy Young in 1971 after going 24-13 with 30 complete games, a 2.77 ERA and 263 strikeouts. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Cub in 1991. As a Cub, Fergie went 167-132 with 2,038 strikeouts. In his 19-year major league career, he went 284-226 with 3,192 strikeouts and walked only 997. Maddux Maddux played for the Cubs from 1986-1992 and 2004-2006 going 133-112. He won career wins No. 1 and No. 300 in a Cub uniform. He also won six of his record 18 Gold Glove Awards in Chicago. As a Cub, Maddux won the first of four Cy Young Awards in 1992 when he went 20-11 with a 2.18 ERA.         Jackie  Honored NEW YORK (Wednesday, April 15, 2009) On the 62nd anniversary of the day he broke baseball's color barrier, Jackie Robinson was honored throughout the major leagues with the annual Jackie Robinson Day. In tribute, all players, managers, coaches and umpires wore Jackie's No. 42. Jackie Robinson was the first African-American to play in baseball's major leagues in the modern era. In 1947, Branch Rickey, general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, signed Robinson as their new second baseman. Robinson performed brilliantly; mainly at second base, but he also played at first and third. He earned Rookie-of-the-Year honors in 1947. During his nine years with the Dodgers, Robinson also won a Most Valuable Player award and a batting title. He was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame in 1962.       White Sox Teammates Each Hit 300th Homer... In the Same Game... Back-To-Back!        Dye, Konerko:  Back-To-Back Milestones DETROIT - (Monday, April 13, 2009) Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko of the Chicago White Sox have hit back-to-back home runs -- the 300th career homer for each player. It was the second inning Dye led off, drilling a 2-1 pitch over the left-center field fence and Konerko followed by hitting a full-count pitch over the left-field barrier. It was the second homer for each so far this year. First Time Ever According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it's the first time teammates hit milestone home runs of at least 300 in the same game.             Phillies Win World Series Defeat Rays in 5 Games   PHILADELPHIA - (October 29, 2008)  The Phillies won the 2008 World Series, their second championship in their 126 year history. (They won the 1980 Series over the Kansas City Royals).     GAME 1 GAME 2   Philadelphia   3   Philadelphia   2   Tampa Bay   2   Tampa Bay   4       GAME 3 GAME 4 GAME 5   Tampa Bay   4   Tampa Bay   2   Tampa Bay   3   Philadelphia   5   Philadelphia  10   Philadelphia   4     World Series Facts         This was the 104th World Series         The 'Fall Classic' has been played continually since 1903,            except 1904 (series not held) and 1994 (players strike)         This year, the American League won the All-Star Game            giving the Rays home-field advantage for the series.         Monday, Octoberr 27:  Game 5 was suspended due to rain,            making it the first in World Series history not to be played            through to completion.            Rain continued to fall in Philadelphia on Tuesday, further            postponing the game to Wednesday, October 29.           Most World Series Appearances TEAM APPEARANCES CHAMPIONSHIPS New York Yankees 39 26 St. Louis Cardinals 17 10 Brooklyn Dodgers   9   1 Los Angeles Dodgers   9   5 Philadelphia A's   8   5 Oakland A's   6   4   Cole Hamels:            World Series MVP Hamels wins both Playoff and Series MVP PHILADELPHIA - (October 29, 2008)  Cole Hamels, the Phillies 24 year-old left-hander received the World Series MVP award in an on-field ceremony just after the Phillies defeated the Rays, 4-3, on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Hamels gets Playoff MVP too! Hamels was also awarded the NL Playoff MVP, after defeating Milwaukee in Game 1 of the Division Playoff Series and then the Dodgers in Games 1 and 5 of the National League Championship Series. Double-Winners Since the advent of the League Championship Series (1969), Hamels is the fifth player to enjoy the double-award, joining:         outfielder Willie Stargell of the Pirates (1979)         catcher Darrell Porter of the Cardinals (1982)         pitcher Orel Hershiser of the Dodgers (1988)         pitcher Livan Hernandez of the Marlins (1997)       The    World Series Trophy Known as The Commissioner's Trophy, it is awarded each year by Major League Baseball to the team winning the World Series. It is the only championship trophy of the 'Big Four' that is not named after a particular person:       Stanley Cup (NHL)       Vince Lombardi Trophy (NFL)       Larry O'Brien Trophy (NBA). The current trophy, made by Tiffany & Co., was redesigned slightly in 1999.       It is 24 inches tall, excluding the base, and has a diameter of 11 inches       It weighs approximately 30 pounds and is made of sterling silver       The trophy features 30 gold-plated, hand-furled flags, one for each          of the Major League teams, which rise above an arched oxidized-          silver baseball with latitude and longitude lines symbolizing the world       The baseball also contains 24-karat vermeil baseball stitches       The baseball itself weighs over 10 pounds       The base contains an inscription and the signature of the          commissioner of baseball       It has an estimated value of $15,000         2008  MVP  Awards Pujols named in NL SAINT LOUIS - (Monday, Nov 17, 2008) Albert Pujols has just won the National League Most Valuable Player Award. It's his second (2005). The 29 year old Cardinal hit .357 with 37 home runs and 116 RBI's while playing with a sore right elbow that required surgery. Pujols got 18 of the 32 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America and had 369 points. Multiple MVP awards are rare. Only four National League players -- Barry Bonds, Roy Campanella, Stan Musial and Mike Schmidt -- have won MVP three times or more. Pujols won despite the Cardinals' fourth-place finish in the NL Central. The award is not "Most Valuable Player on a Division Winner."  Andre Dawson won in 1987, and the Chicago Cubs wound up sixth. However, playing on a winner obviously bolsters an MVP candidacy, but it is not an absolute necessity. In any case, the performance of Pujols transcended the argument. His worth simply cannot be overstated; and he can be expected to win additional MVP's in the future.   BOSTON - (Tuesday, Nov 18, 2008) Dustin Pedroia has been named the Most Valuable Player of the American League for the 2008 season. Pedroia drew 16 of the 28 first-place votes cast by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America and finished with 317 points. Pedroia's achievements:         Hits:  213, tying Mariner's, Ichiro Suzuki         Doubles:  54, to lead the Majors         Runs:  118, to lead the AL         Multi-hit games:  61, to lead the AL         Total Bases:  322, finishing fourth in the AL         Extra-base Hits:  73, finishing seventh in the AL         Batting Title:  with an avg. of .326, he lost by just four points to            Twins Catcher Joe Mauer An elite 'tablesetter', Pedroia also contributed in the power department (17 homers, 83 RBIs) and speed (20 stolen bases). Pedroia became the 10th Red Sox MVP and the first since Mo Vaughn in 1995. Previous Red Sox winners were Jimmie Foxx ('38), Ted Williams ('46 and '49), Jackie Jensen ('58), Carl Yastrzemski ('67), Fred Lynn ('75), Jim Rice ('78) and Roger Clemens ('86). Pedroia joins Cal Ripken Jr. and Ryan Howard as the only players to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in consecutive years. He is the first second baseman to win the AL MVP since Nellie Fox of the White Sox in 1959. No position has produced fewer MVPs overall -- just 10 since the MVP awards were first presented in 1931.       Soto: NL Rookie of the Year Receives 31 of 32 first-place votes; credits Blanco, Dempster CHICAGO - (Monday, Nov 10, 2008) Geovany Soto was named winner of the Jackie Robinson NL Rookie of the Year award on Monday by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Soto was an overwhelming winner, receiving 31 out of 32 first-place votes. Soto batted .285 with 23 homers and 86 RBIs in his freshman season and is the first catcher to win the league honor since Mike Piazza did so 15 years ago. The Cubs backstop was the only player named on all ballots. Gives credit to Henry Blanco and Ryan Dempster "It felt good to have veterans like Henry Blanco and Ryan Dempster help me on catching and game calling." "If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be doing the things I was doing this year." Soto led all Major League rookies in RBIs and handled a veteran pitching staff, which finished with the third lowest ERA in the league. He was the first rookie catcher to start in an All-Star Game, doing so at Yankee Stadium in July. He won NL Rookie of the Month honors twice -- in April and August. On Sept. 14, he was behind the plate for Carlos Zambrano's no-hitter. Soto was called up in September 2007 from the Pacific Coast League, where he had been named Player of the Year. His .426 batting average impressed Cubs manager Lou Piniella enough to start him in two of the team's three playoff games in 2007. Soto is the fifth Cubs player to win the award, the first since Kerry Wood did so his rookie season in 1998. Other Cubs to win the freshman honor include Jerome Walton (1989), Kenny Hubbs (1962) and Billy Williams (1961).       Tim  Lincecum  wins  NL  Cy  Young  Award SAN FRANCISCO - (Tuesday, Nov 11, 2008) Tim Lincecum became the second pitcher in Giants history to win the N. L. Cy Young Award, in balloting released by the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Tuesday. Tim captured 23 of 32 first-place votes joining Giants ace, Mike McCormick, who won the award in 1967. Lincecum was named to the NL All-Star team and was the only player who didn't appear in the 15-inning marathon at Yankee Stadium. He had the flu and was hospitalized because of dehydration. Asked if the Cy Young Award made up for his wasted trip to New York, Lincecum smiled. "And then some," he said.       Cliff  Lee  wins  AL  Cy  Young  Award CLEVELAND - (Thursday, Nov 13, 2008) Indians 30-year-old lefthander Cliff Lee was recognized for his brilliant season Thursday as he was named the American League Cy Young Award winner. Lee received 24 of 28 first-place votes and 132 points overall from the Baseball Writers' Association of America to easily outdistance Roy Halladay of the Toronto Blue Jays. Lee was the first 20-game winner for the Indians since Gaylord Perry in 1972. He certainly earned his start in this years All-Star Game. Lee became the third Indian to win the Cy Young, joining Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry (1972) and lefthander Charles "CC" Sabathia (2007).                   2008  GOLD GLOVE  WINNERS       NATIONAL  LEAGUE   AMERICAN  LEAGUE P Greg Maddux Dodgers   P Mike Mussina Yankees C Yadier Molina Cardinals   C Joe Mauer Twins 1B Adrian Gonzalez Padres   1B Carlos Pena Rays 2B Brandon Phillips Reds   2B Dustin Pedroia Red Sox 3B David Wright Mets   3B Adrian Beltre Mariners SS Jimmy Rollins Phillies   SS Michael Young Rangers OF Shane Victorino Phillies   OF Grady Sizemore Indians OF Carlos Beltran Mets   OF Ichiro Suzuki Mariners OF Nate McLouth Pirates   OF Torii Hunter Angels Piniella  honored. . .     NL  Manager of the Year Third time for Lou, donates prize money CHICAGO - (Monday, Nov 10, 2008) Lou Piniella, who guided the Cubs to the best record in the National League this year, was named NL Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Wednesday. And one of the first things he did was donate the award money ($100,000) to the McCormick Foundation's Cubs Care, a charitable partner of the Chicago Cubs. It's the third time for Piniella, 65 (his first in the National League). He was named the AL top manager in 1995 and 2001, when he was skipper of the Seattle Mariners. This season, Piniella and the Cubs posted a 97-64 record and won the NL Central for the second consecutive year. He's the first skipper to lead the Cubs to back-to-back postseason appearances since Frank Chance did so in 1906-08. Piniella is the third skipper in Cubs history to earn Manager of the Year honors. Don Zimmer won in 1989 and Jim Frey won the award in 1984. Piniella now has 1,701 wins and ranks 14th in Major League history. He admits he's thought about whether this will earn him a spot in Cooperstown.       2008 Fred Hutchinson Award Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester was selected as the 2008 recipient of the Fred Hutchinson Award. The award is given annually to the major league player who best exemplifies the honor, courage and dedication of former major league pitcher and manager Fred Hutchinson, who died of cancer in 1964 at age 45. Sidelined by cancer himself in 2006, Lester battled his way back into the Red Sox lineup in 2007. He pitched the final game of the 2007 World Series against the Rockies. On May 19th of this year, Lester threw a no-hitter against the Royals.       Cubs say bye-bye to Kerry Wood CHICAGO - (Monday, Nov 10, 2008) On Thursday, the Cubs traded Minor League pitcher Jose Ceda to the Florida Marlins for reliever Kevin Gregg, but also gave notice that they are not expected to re-sign Wood, who is a free agent. Cubs General manager Jim Hendry said Wood was deserving of a three- or four-year deal and the Cubs are not prepared to offer him one. "I don't think we could do for [Wood] right now what he deserves and what he'll get by going elsewhere," Hendry said. "We're just in a situation -- and Kerry fully understands -- that length of deal for the kind of salary that he could command right now is not our first priority," Hendry said during a conference call. Wood's career began in 1998, when he burst onto the scene with a 20-strikeout game in his fifth start. He won the National League Rookie of the Year award that season, won 14 games in 2003, but was switched to a relief role to ease some of the strain on his right shoulder. This year, he was named to the National League All-Star Team and completed 34 of 40 save situations. Wood has been the one constant on the Cubs and is the only one to have played on four postseason teams, doing so in '98, '03, '07 and '08. He has a career 77-61 record, 3.65 ERA and 1,407 strikeouts.       MILWAUKEE - (Sunday, September 14, 2008) - Carlos Zambrano, making his first start in 12 days, threw his first career no-hit, no-run game defeating the Astros, 5-0 in a makeup game played in front of a very pro-Cubs crowd of 23,441 at Miller Park. It was the first no-hitter by a Cub pitcher since Milt Pappas did it on September 2, 1972, and the ninth since 1900. It was the second no-hitter in the Majors this year. Boston's Jon Lester threw one on May 19 against Kansas City. Zambrano struck out 10 in his first complete game since June 16, 2007. He got Darin Erstad out swinging on a split-finger to end the game, then pointed to the sky as his teammates swarmed him on the mound in celebration. The Cubs weren't sure what to expect from Zambrano (14-5), who was making his first start since Sept. 2. That was against the Astros, but he had taken himself out early in that game because of tendonitis in his right shoulder. "I'm very happy for him!" - Lou Piniella "He had everything going," Manager, Lou Piniella said. "From the start you knew his arm was live and the ball was coming out easy. "It had good movement on it. He located for the most part the whole ballgame, and he used his split-finger and slider to keep hitters honest. "It was just a great performance, and we needed that. He had been struggling. To do this, it's really special. I'm very happy for him." This was baseball's first neutral-site no-hitter, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Hurricane "Ike" forced Major League Baseball to move the Cubs-Astros series to Milwaukee, and plenty of the faithful traveled up I-94 once again transforming the Brewer's ballpark into "Wrigley North."         600  Milestone for Griffey! MIAMI - (Monday, June 9, 2008) - Ken Griffey, Jr. just became the newest member of the elite club. The 38-year-old Griffey became only the sixth player in MLB history to reach the 600 home run mark when he launched a rocket 413 feet into the right field seats in the first inning of the Red's 9-4 victory over the Marlins. Enjoy the Moment Griffey completed his perfect power stroke and then paused a moment to admire the arc of his record-breaking shot before rounding the bases. Who could blame him for savoring the moment? The journey to this milestone took a lot longer than anyone expected. When Griffey was traded to Cincinnati, his hometown, before the 2000 season, he was significantly ahead of Hank Aaron's record home run pace. He hit 40 homers in his first season with the Reds (2000), becoming the youngest player to reach the 400 mark. Injuries Then came a succession of major injuries - - torn hamstrings, torn patella tendon, separated shoulder, torn ankle - - that knocked him way off Hank Aaron's pace. It took him more than four years to get to 500. It seemed he might never make it to 600. One Year Later In 2005, he was back in the swing. Griffey hit 35 homers, winning the comeback player award. He followed that with 27 homers in 2006. Last season (2007), he played in 144 games, his most since 2000, and hit 30 homers, leaving him just seven shy of 600. Homer No. 36 was one of his most satisfying. In the 1990 season, Griffey followed his father in the Mariner's batting order which is remarkable in itself. Homer No. 36 came on Sept. 14, 1990. His father, Ken Griffey Sr. (Mariner's Left Fielder), had just homered off California's Kirk McCaskell. Father and son back-to-back homers was truly unprecedented in major league history. In Good Company Griffey joins Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, and Sammy Sosa as the only players to reach this milestone.     ALL - TIME HOME   RUN    LEADERS   1 Hall of Fame             2 Active Player             (XX) Players Age Rank   Player Name Home  Runs     1   Barry Bonds 762     2   Hank Aaron1 755     3   Babe Ruth1 714     4   Willie Mays1 660     5   Sammy Sosa 609     6   Ken Griffey, Jr.2 (38) 600     7   Frank Robinson1 586     8   Mark McGwire 583     9   Harmon Killebrew1 573   10   Rafael Palmeiro 569   13   Micky Mantle1 536   16   Jim Thome2 (37) 521   20   Ernie Banks1 512   25   Lou Gehrig1 493   28   Stan Musial1 475   38   Cal Ripken1 431   40   Billy Williams1 426   69   Joe DiMaggio1 361   72   Yogi Berra1 358   80   Ron Santo 342  133   Paul Konerko2 (32) 284  170   Alfonso Soriano2 (32) 256  182   Derrek Lee2 (32) 252                         Triple Steal Indians Pull Off Rare Triple Steal CLEVELAND - (Tuesday, May 27, 2008) - David Delluccio was minding his own business, taking a lead off third base. Next thing he knew, he was a part of baseball history. After completing a rare unassisted triple play a few weeks ago, the Cleveland Indians pulled off an even stranger feat last night......a triple steal. The Indians accomplished the feat in at 8-2 victory against the Chicago White Sox. With the bases loaded and Ben Francisco batting, White Sox, pitcher Ehren Wasserman faked a throw to third, then, threw to first, which caught Jamey Carroll off the bag. First baseman Paul Konerko had Carroll in a brief rundown. Delluccio immediately broke from third and Konerko's throw1 to catcher Toby Hall was in the dirt, allowing Delluccio to score. All three base runners, Delluccio, Carroll and Grady Sizemore (on second at the time) advanced. The last triple steal came on October 1, 1987, by Atlanta against Houston according to the Elias Sports bureau.                                                                         1Official scorer Chuck Murr credited all three runners with stolen bases. Murr thought Konerko had an unusually difficult play and didn't think it proper to charge him with a throwing error. "He had to catch the ball from Wasserman, engage in a brief rundown, and then quickly throw across his body to the plate," Murr said. "I thought that constituted more than an ordinary or routine 'chance'."       No-Hitter BOSTON - (May 19, 2008) - Jon Lester, a 24 year old cancer survivor, has just added pitching a no-hitter to his already amazing list of accomplishments. Lester struck out nine, fanning Alberto Callaspo to end the game, shutting out Kansas City 7-0. It was Lester's first complete game, and what a way to do it! Afterwards, Lester said:  "If I can help out just one person who's down in the dumps because they have cancer and it's not going very well for them, maybe they'll say, 'If Lester can do it, I can do it, too'". And now he has added this to his resume - the first no-hitter by a Red Sox left hander since Mel Parnell in 1956..... ...and it's only Lester's 37th major league start. In addition to nine strikeouts, Lester received exceptional defensive help in the form of Jacoby Ellsbury's diving catch of Jose Guillen's fourth inning line drive, and a pick up of a low throw by first baseman Kevin Youkilis in the third inning. Lester threw 20 of 29 first-pitch strikes, establishing his fastball, then working in breaking balls and changeups when he was ahead in the count. That helped him make history in only 130 pitches. Lester has a lot to celebrate. He missed the end of the 2006 season after he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Just ten months after completing chemotherapy, Lester was back in the Red Sox lineup, and on October 28, 2007 he went in to Coors Field, Denver, to pitch 52/3 shutout innings to clench the final game of the 2007 World Series, sweeping the Rockies in four games.       Unassisted Triple Play Being alert on defense pays big dividends! CLEVELAND - (Monday, May 13, 2008) - Indians second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera turned the 14th unassisted triple play in major league baseball history. He accomplished the feat in the second game of a doubleheader against Toronto. Cleveland Pitcher Cliff Lee (6-0) gave up consecutive singles to Toronto's Kevin Mench and Marco Scutaro to open the Blue Jay fifth. The Hit 'n Run was on! The runners took off on a 1-0 pitch to Lyle Overbay who hit a line drive up the middle. Cabrera, moving to his right, grabbed the ball on the fly with a backhanded dive, then holding up his glove to show the umpire he'd made the catch, stepped on second forcing Mench who by this time, was almost to third base, then tagged Scurato who had already run past the bag at second. Watch the video very closely......the play is completed in just seconds. Click here:   Video:  Unassisted Triple Play       October 8, 2007 SCOREKEEPING IN BASEBALL This weekend, I decided to write a tutorial on how to fill out a baseball scorecard. Scorekeeping is something all baseball fans should know how to do properly. Keeping score enhances your enjoyment of the game. You're creating a record of the action as the game unfolds. As luck would have it, I discovered a website that contains an excellent scoring tutorial. The instructions are so clear and user-friendly that I am recommending this tutorial to everyone. It is far superior to anything that I could ever create myself. This tutorial was created by Patrick McGovern at the Churchland Little League Website, and covers every aspect of scorekeeping. Scorekeeping Tutorial Click here:   Churchland Little League Website  ...then navigate to the "Tips & Tricks" page...on the "Tips and Tricks" page, click the link to the "Baseball Scorekeeping" website   "You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I'm not hungry enough to eat six."   - - Yogi  Berra   Back To Top COOPERSTOWN MAJOR   LEAGUE BASEBALL HALL   OF   FAME CHICAGO   CUBS HOMER   GLEN MEGAPLEX BALLPARK SPORTS   ACADEMY