TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

June 2, 1986, future Hall of Famer Rod Carew announces his retirement at the age of 40. Carew leaves the game with a .328 batting mark, compiled over 19 years in the major leagues. The former Minnesota Twins’ and California Angels’ infielder will gain election to the Hall of Fame in 1991

Chasing .400
For years baseball experts had been saying that Rod Carew, the line-drive hitting infielder of the Minnesota Twins, could bat .400 for a season. For years Carew had been winning the batting title – five times between 1969 and 1975. Finally in 1977, Carew began to believe he could hit .400 as well.

The left-hander with the picture-perfect stroke won each batting title from 1972 to 1975. He also won the crown in 1969, at the age of twenty-three, batting .332. It was the first time he had ever reached the .300 level. In 1977, after losing a tight batting race in 1976, Carew was ready to challenge the .400 mark.

Carew began the season red-hot, and continued his pace into June. On June 26th he collected four hits against the White Sox, raising his batting average to .403. His highest mark was .411, on July 1st. After slumping a bit in August and early September, he caught fire and raced to the finish line to bat .388 – the highest mark since Ted Williams hit the same in 1957.

In September Carew was slowed when he contracted lymphangitis – an infection in his right forearm. Though it sidelined him very shortly, the distraction and medication didn’t help his batting.

Despite falling eight hits shy of .400, Carew had a phenomenal season. He won the AL batting title by a whopping 52 points over teammate Lyman Bostock. He reached the century mark in RBI for the first time, quite a feat for a singles hitter on a mediocre team. He scored 128 runs – leading the league. He also paced the AL in triples, with 16.

Carew’s 239 hits were the most by an AL hitter since Heinie Manush collected 241 for the St. Louis Browns in 1928. In addition, Carew set Minnesota single-season records for runs, hits, batting average, and triples. He safely bunted for a hit seven times with two strikes against him.

Against right-handers, Carew hit .398 (154-for-387). Against southpaws he batted .371 (85-for-229). He hit well during the day (.403), at night (.379), at home (.401), and on the road (.374). With men on base he hit an amazing .422 (116-for-275), with a .596 slugging mark and a .489 OBP. He was at the top of his game. Carew was known for his soft, sweet stroke, but it was ironic that he employed as many as twelve different batting stances throughout his career. He was also rare in that he used thin handled bats.

Carew's best month was June, when he hit an incredible .486 (54-for-111) with seven doubles, eight triples, three homers, and 30 RBI in 28 games. July was unkind to him: he hit .304 in 29 games with just nine extra-base hits. He got hot after September 1, hitting .439 as the season closed. His favorite victims were the White Sox, of whom he hit a blistering .492, with 29 hits in 14 games. He also hit .450 against the Yankees, .446 against Texas pitching, and .432 off the Blue Jays.

During his magical 1977 season, Carew battered many AL pitchers: going 9-for-12 off Ed Figueroa, 5-for-6 against Gaylord Perry, 6-for-10 against Doc Medich, and 6-for-12 off Paul Splittorff. The pitchers who shut him down and cost him his .400 chance where the same pitchers the rest of the league struggled with: he was 1-for-10 off Ron Guidry, 2-for-12 against Detroit rookie right-hander Dave Rozema, and 3-for-14 facing Nolan Ryan, who struck him out four times.

He was named the AL Most Valuable Player, beating out Al Cowens and Ken Singleton. The Sporting News named him Player of the Year, an honor voted by his peers. Perhaps the most amazing fact about the 1977 season came after the playing was over. Faced with the overwhelming evidence that his six-time batting champ was the best hitter in baseball, notorious cheapskate Twins' owner Calvin Griffith voluntarily gave Carew a $100,000 bonus!

Features OVER 60 Games -

Interview vault includes:

Many of highlights and interviews including a 1977 ABC News Profile, and Hall of Fame Speech

June 2 1937 — National League President Ford Frick suspends Dizzy Dean for refusing to retract statements made after a balk call in a game on May 19th, which led to an on-field brawl. Dean forces a meeting with the press at which he denies the statements, and his suspension will be lifted a few days later.

June 2, 1941, Upon their arrival in Detroit, the Yankees learn the sad news that their captain, Lou Gehrig, seventeen days before his 38th birthday, has died in his sleep due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in his Riverdale home. ALS which will become known as “Lou Gehrig’s disease.” Gehrig, had seen his major league record of 2,130 consecutive games end because of the disease. It was on this day exactly 16 years ago that he broke into the Yankees’ starting line-up.

June 2, 1949, At Shibe Park the Philadelphia Phillies tie a major league record by hitting five home runs in one inning against the Cincinnati Reds set by the 1939 New York Giants. Andy Seminick homers twice and hit three for the game, while Del Ennis, Willie “Puddin’ Head” Jones, and Schoolboy Rowe each hit one during the eighth inning barrage. ones adds a triple as Granny Hamner’s double jumps the extra bases total to 18, still a record. Seminick collects three home runs overall.The Phillies win the game, 12-3

June 2 1950 — George Kell of the Detroit Tigers hits for the cycle in the 16 – 5 second-game sweep of a doubleheader with the Philadelphia Athletics. The Tigers win the opener, 8 – 2, behind the pitching of Ted Gray and home runs by Vic Wertz and Hoot Evers. Wertz has five runs batted in in the opener, and two more in the second game.

June 2, 1952 – Sal Maglie heads for the visitors clubhouse at Sportsman’s Park after being pinch hit for in the 6th inning on 6/2/52 with the Giants trailing St. Louis 5-4. The Cards held the one-run lead, handing Sal his first loss after 9 straight victories.

June 2, 1957 — Moe Drabowsky sets a National League record for the most hit batsmen in a single game when he plunks four Reds in the Cubs’ 4-3 loss at Crosley Field. Cincinnati’s right fielder Frank Robinson is drilled in consecutive innings by the right-hander, who was born in Ozanna, Poland.

June 2, 1959, a swarm of gnats delays the game between the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park. After a half-hour interruption, the White Sox’ grounds crew disposes of the gnats by using a smoke bomb. The Orioles eventually defeat the White Sox, 3-2.

June 2 1958 — Whitey Ford of the New York Yankees strikes out six batters in a row to tie an American League record as he shuts out the Chicago White Sox, 3 – 0. White Sox pitcher Jim Wilson allows just six hits, but three of them are home runs by Hank Bauer (two) and Mickey Mantle (one). On a botched hit-and-run attempt, Luis Aparicio is thrown out at by Yogi Berra attempting to steal second base, ending his streak of 26 consecutive stolen bases.

June 2, 1986, future Hall of Famer Rod Carew announces his retirement at the age of 40. Carew leaves the game with a .328 batting mark, compiled over 19 years in the major leagues. The former Minnesota Twins’ and California Angels’ infielder will gain election to the Hall of Fame in 1991

June 2, 1987 At Wrigley Field the Chicago Cubs hammer the Astros and Nolan Ryan 13-2, Andre Dawson leads the way he has a single, triple, 2 home runs and 7 RBI. Keith Morland drives in 4 runs and Shawn Dunston collects 4 hits. Ryan lasts 2 innings and gives up 5 runs. For Ryan it will be the most runs he gives up all season and despite his 8-16 record, he will lead the league with a 2.76 ERA.

June 2, 1990, Randy Johnson of the Seattle Mariners pitches the first no-hitter in the history of the franchise. The dominating left-hander handcuffs the Detroit Tigers, 2-0, at the Kingdome. Johnson strikes out eight batters and walks six. “This is indescribable,” said Johnson, soaked in beer and sweat. “This is a moment I’ll never forget.”

June 2, 1995 — The Expos pick Serra High School (San Mateo, CA) standout Tom Brady in the 18th round, the 507th player selected overall, in baseball’s amateur draft. The tall, athletic 17 year-old catcher with a powerful left-handed swing and a rocket arm elects to play football at the University of Michigan, before making his record-setting eight Super Bowl appearances as the quarterback for the NFL Patriots.

TRIVIA

TRIVIA: Which Hall of Famer is the most recent fifty-year-old to get a hit in a regular-season major league game?

Hint: #1 He died at age 89 or maybe he was 92.

Hint: #2 He led the American League in being hit-by-pitch for ten of his first eleven full seasons there.

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