Tuesday 10/26/2000: Cleveland's Martinez earns Cy Young Award Pedro Martinez will never forget this year. His dominating season convinced the American League to name Cleveland's right-hander the Cy Young Award winner of 2000. In 34 starts this year Pedro struck out 301 batters in 281.1 innings of work. His ERA is 1.47, his record 29-1. He has 14 complete games and 7 shutouts. He's 1st in the American League in ERA and 1st in wins! Martinez wins the award for the 5th time in his 7-year career. Awards may not be the most important thing for John Smoltz, but San Diego's right-hander smiled as he was named the National League Cy Young Award winner. His ERA of 1.84 helped him to a 23-3 record this year. He struck out 192 and walked 62 in 255 innings. John has pitched one shutout and one complete game. He's 1st in the National League in ERA and 1st in wins! Smoltz wins the award for the 2nd time in his 10-year career. |
Tuesday 10/26/2000: Williams (TEX) and Everett (ARI) win MVP The American League MVP goes to Bernie Williams this year. He had an extraordinary season! Williams has hit for a .340 average this season. He has 80 extra base hits along with 343 total bases, resulting in a .694 slugging percentage. He's 1st in the American League in batting, 2nd in homeruns and 2nd in RBI! Williams wins the award for the 3rd time in his 8-year career. It was a day to remember for Arizona's Carl Everett, who won the National League MVP today. It put the finishing touches on what has been a tremendous season for the slugger. His season numbers are: .324 AVG, 184 hits, 33 doubles, 7 triples and 49 taters, along with 132 RBI and 116 runs scored. He's 2nd in the National League in RBIs and 1st in homeruns! |
Tuesday 10/26/2000: Tampa Bay's Ledee earns Rookie Of The Year Ricky Ledee was named the American League Rookie Of The Year winner today. Tampa Bay's centerfielder put up pretty good numbers for a rookie this year. This 26 year old kid will probably have a long and successful career! His season numbers are: .266 AVG, 150 hits, 31 doubles, 3 triples and 23 taters, along with 70 RBI and 87 runs scored. Geoff Jenkins was named the National League Rookie Of The Year winner today. New York (N)'s leftfielder put up pretty good numbers for a rookie this year. This 26 year old kid will probably have a long and successful career! His season numbers are: .334 AVG, 195 hits, 47 doubles, 2 triples and 31 longballs, along with 96 RBI and 95 runs scored. He's 6th in the National League in batting! |
Monday 10/4/2000: Player of the Week honors go to Konerko and Giles Paul Konerko wins his 2nd Player of the Week award. American League pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. Paul pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .414 with 4 HR and 9 RBI while slugging .897. This year Konerko drove in 113 and scored 101 runs while batting .318 with 33 taters. He's 4th in the American League in batting! The National League Player of the Week award goes to Brian Giles, New York (N)'s starting leftfielder. He hit .476 with 11 RBI and slugged 1.143 in 21 at bats. |
Friday 10/1/2000: Pitcher of the Month award winners announced Pedro Martinez pitched like a legend in September, and the American League named him Pitcher of the Month for his extraordinary performance. He went 6-0 in September and finished the month with an ERA of 1.20. He struck out 47 in 52.2 innings. Pedro fired two shutouts! Opposing players hit .179 against Pedro this season. While posting an ERA of 1.45 he went 28-1 in 33 starts, fanning 293 and walking 56 hitters. Pedro has pitched 7 shutouts and 14 complete games. He's 1st in the American League in ERA and 1st in wins! Esteban Yan couldn't have pitched much better than he did in September, and the National League thought so as well, naming the right-hander Pitcher of the Month. He had an ERA of just 1.64 in 33 innings of work in which he struck out 25 hitters. His record in September is 3-1. In 9 starts this year Esteban struck out 35 batters in 49.2 innings of work. His ERA is 1.81, his record 4-1. |
Friday 10/1/2000: Red hot Sheffield and Higginson win Batter of the Month award The American League Batter of the Month award goes to Gary Sheffield, New York (A)'s starting shortstop. Gary pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .454 with 4 and 34 RBI while slugging .711. His season numbers are: .315 AVG, 173 hits, 39 doubles, 7 triples and 24 longballs, along with 112 RBI and 113 runs scored. He's 6th in the American League in batting! The Batter of the Month award in the National League goes to Pittsburgh's Bobby Higginson this time, as the centerfielder displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. Bobby was on fire, hitting .432 with 7 homeruns and 26 RBI. This year Higginson drove in 116 and scored 111 runs while batting .337 with 26 homeruns. He's 4th in the National League in batting! |
Wednesday 9/29/2000: Mark Grace has 2000th career hits KANSAS CITY - Mark Grace got a standing ovation from 11399 fans in Kansas City, who witnessed his 2000th career hit. Along with his 2000 hits, Mark collected 172 homeruns and 1081 RBI in 12 seasons. 'This day is special, I'll probably remember it my whole life. Thank god I'm blessed with the talent to play this game.' With two outs in the 5th inning, Mark drilled a single, causing a standing ovation from the crowd. |
Monday 9/27/2000: Seattle's Neel wins Player of the Week award Troy Neel from Seattle wins his 1st Player of the Week award for putting up the best numbers this week in the American League. Troy pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .550 with 3 HR and 10 RBI while slugging 1.050. San Diego's rightfielder David Mccarty had some reason to celebrate as well, as the league named him the National League Player of the Week. He had an on base percentage of .517 and hit .500, while driving in 8 runs. David has gone 172 for 575 (.299) this season, hitting 36 taters and driving in 114 runs. He has scored 103 runs on his own. He's 10th in the National League in RBIs and 6th in homeruns! |
Friday 9/24/2000: Ben Grieve uncorks five hits against Montreal MONTREAL - Ben Grieve punished Montreal's pitching today, collecting five hits in 5 AB. That definitely helped Florida, they won the game 8 to 5. A pitch from Vicente Padilla in the 1st inning left his bat for a RBI double. Number 2 in the 3rd inning accounted for a double. A pitch from Vicente Padilla in the 5th inning left his bat for a double. His 4th hit was a two-run double off Derek Aucoin in the 6th inning. His 5th hit was a double off J.c. Romero in the 8th inning. Ben did drive in 3 while scoring 3 runs on his own. This season has been a good one for him so far, as he has 133 hits in 417 at bats, resulting in a .319 batting average. |
Wednesday 9/22/2000: San Francisco's White out for 5 weeks SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco's season has taken a hit after one of their best players, centerfielder Rondell White, injured himself while rounding a base. He is likely to miss 5 weeks. San Francisco wasted no time and rushed him to an hospital. Team officials were informed later that White had suffered a Strained Back Muscle. His season features a batting average of .321 (150 hits in 468 AB), 28 doubles, one triple and 13 bombs. White collected 68 RBI and 69 runs as well. |
Monday 9/20/2000: Boston's Pichardo severely injured BOSTON - Boston is without its right-hander Hipolito Pichardo for at least 5-6 weeks. He injured himself while throwing a pitch to John Jaha in a game against Anaheim. His face showed signs of pain immediately after the ball left his hand. Pulled Tricep Muscle was the diagnosis after x-rays were taken in a nearby hospital. The message shocked teammates and team officials. Opposing players hit .271 against Hipolito this season. While posting an ERA of 4.35 he went 5-7 in 26 starts, fanning 81 and walking 66 hitters. |
Monday 9/20/2000: Chicago (N)'s Clark wins Player of the Week award The Player of the Week award in the American League goes to He hit .478 with 8 RBI and slugged 1.130 in 23 at bats. Tony Clark wins his 2nd Player of the Week award. National League pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. He hit .417 with 9 RBI and slugged 1.083 in 24 at bats. |
Wednesday 9/15/2000: Tony Clark clubs three rockets ST. LOUIS - Chicago (N)'s first baseman Tony Clark flexed his muscles and displayed his tremendous power, homering three times in a 13-5 win over St. Louis. In the 1st inning he unloaded a two-run homerun off Ricky Bones. His 2nd shot, off Ricky Bones in the 3rd inning, was a solo homerun and cleared the fence in left field. His 3rd shot, a solo homerun off Matt Anderson in the 6th inning, cleared the fence in right-center. Overall he went 5 for 5, doubling once, scoring three times and collecting 6 RBI. Chicago (N) scored 13 runs on 15 hits. |
Wednesday 9/15/2000: Chicago (N)'s Melvin Nieves gets the cycle ST. LOUIS - Melvin Nieves hits 'em where they ain't. St. Louis certainly agrees as Chicago (N)'s third baseman unloaded four hits and hitting for the cycle. A RBI triple off Ricky Bones in the 3rd inning, accounted for his 1st hit. A RBI double off Damaso Marte in the 4th inning accounted for his 2nd hit. A single in the 8th off Britt Reames accounted for his 3rd hit. In the 9th inning he unloaded a three-run homerun off Britt Reames. That drive completed the cycle, causing a smile on his face! Melvin did drive in 5 while scoring 3 runs on his own. He now has a total of 115 hits this season, accounting for a .261 batting average. 69 players in league history have so far hit for the cycle, including Melvin. On 8/18/2000, Roberto Mejia was the last player to hit for the cycle. |
Tuesday 9/14/2000: Shawn Green clubs three rockets ANAHEIM - Baltimore's leftfielder Shawn Green flexed his muscles and displayed his tremendous power, homering three times in a 14-9 win over Anaheim. His 1st blast, a solo homerun off Brian Moehler in the 3rd inning, landed an estimated 385 feet from home plate. A 368 foot drive to left field marked his 2nd bomb, a solo homerun off Brian Moehler in the 5th inning. His 3rd shot, a solo homerun off Robbie Beckett in the 10th inning, cleared the fence in right-center. Overall he went 3 for 4, scoring three times with 4 RBI. The final score of the game was 14-9. |
Monday 9/13/2000: Daubach and Higginson win Player of the Week award Brian Daubach from Minnesota wins his 1st Player of the Week award for putting up the best numbers this week in the American League. In 23 at bats he hit .609 with 3 HR and 9 RBI. The National League Player of the Week award goes to Bobby Higginson, Pittsburgh's starting centerfielder. He had an on base percentage of .609 and hit .550, while driving in 9 runs. |
Sunday 9/12/2000: Cory Bailey (CWS) will miss 5 weeks CHICAGO (A) - Chicago (A) is without its right-hander Cory Bailey for at least 5 weeks. He injured himself while throwing a pitch to Carlos Garcia in a game against Baltimore. His face showed signs of pain immediately after the ball left his hand. After being examined by several specialists the diagnosis is clear: Strained Bicep Muscle. Cory has a record of 13-1 this season, with an ERA of 4.04. In 136 Innings he was able to strike out 134 batters. |
Wednesday 9/8/2000: Seattle has no chance in a 2-hitter by Mark Redman SEATTLE - It was a great day for Baltimore's left-hander Mark Redman. The 26-year old recorded his first career shutout, a 2-hitter, against Seattle on Wednesday. The bid for a no-hitter was broken up when Gary Thurman singled with one out in the 7th inning. 'Things like that happen. You take the mound and everything works. My velocity was pretty good today and I guess it showed.' Redman (10-11) fanned 5 and walked none, throwing 102 pitches. Shawn Green provided Baltimore with the offense Redman needed as he collected 3 hits in 5 trips to the plate, blasting a homerun, stroking a double, scoring 2 runs. Baltimore scored 10 runs on 14 hits. |
Tuesday 9/7/2000: Brian Daubach drills 5 hits CHICAGO (A) - Minnesota's designated hitter Brian Daubach once again displayed his tremendous ability to make contact with that little white ball. He tore up Chicago (A)'s pitching staff with a 5 hit performance on Tuesday. His 1st hit was a RBI triple off Shannon Withem in the 1st inning. Number 3 in the 5th inning, a shot estimated at 393 feet, cleared the wall in left field. His 5th hit, a solo homerun off Donovan Osborne in the 9th inning, cleared the fence in left field. He collected singles in the 3rd inning (one RBI) and in the 6th inning (one RBI). Brian did drive in 5 while scoring 2 runs on his own. He is hitting .230 this season, with 31 HR and 91 RBI. The final score of the game was 8-5. |
Monday 9/6/2000: Ben Mcdonald dominates Chicago (N), gives up just 2 hits CHICAGO (N) - Arizona's right-hander Ben Mcdonald will never forget this day. The 32-year old recorded his first career shutout, a 2-hitter, against Chicago (N) on Monday. The bid for a no-hitter was broken up when Jesse Levis singled with one out in the 6th inning. 'Giving my team a chance to win is the most important thing for me. I was able to do it today.' Mcdonald (6-7) fanned 9 and walked 2, throwing 99 pitches. Carl Everett helped Mcdonald at the plate, he got 3 hits in 5 AB, blasting a homerun, and collecting 2 RBI. Arizona scored 6 runs on 11 hits. |
Monday 9/6/2000: Lankford (CWS) and Mccarty (SDN) win P.O.W. award Chicago (A)'s centerfielder Ray Lankford had some reason to celebrate, as the league named him the American League Player of the Week. He hit .522 with 12 RBI and slugged 1.130 in 23 at bats. David Mccarty wins his 6th Player of the Week award. National League pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. He had an on base percentage of .621 and hit .577, while driving in 10 runs. David is hitting .294 this year, with 146 hits in 497 at bats. He has driven in 101 runs, slugging .555. |
Thursday 9/2/2000: Pedro Martinez fires NO-NO against Anaheim ANAHEIM - Cleveland's right-hander Pedro Martinez is a really great pitcher. And he once again showed his stuff while making history, blanking Anaheim on no hits. Martinez (23-1) struck out 9 and walked 2, throwing 67 of 119 pitches for strikes. 'Giving my team a chance to win is the most important thing for me. I was able to do it today, and it's especially nice to do it in such fashion.' Carlos Baerga helped Martinez at the plate, he finished with 1 hit in 3 AB, homering once. Cleveland scored 2 runs on 9 hits. |
Thursday 9/2/2000: Shane Mack stars with 2000th career hit CHICAGO (A) - New York (A)'s leftfielder Shane Mack already had some highlights in his career, and today he added another one, getting his 2000th career hit. He hit a single in the 3rd off Chan ho Park for number 2000. In 12 years of big league action so far, Shane has compiled a batting average of .292, along with 317 homeruns and 1274 RBI. 'I'm out of words. I'll probably realize it tomorrow, but for now I'm done.' |
Wednesday 9/1/2000: Colorado's Palacios out for 5 weeks COLORADO - When it rains, it pours. Colorado's ace Vicente Palacios will not pitch for at least 5 weeks, handing the team a huge setback. He suffered a serious injury in a game against Houston where he left the field in the 2nd inning. Colorado wasted no time and rushed him to an hospital. Team officials were informed later that Palacios had suffered a Pulled Tricep Muscle. This season Palacios compiled an ERA of 3.11, going 7-6 in 27 starts. He fanned 122 while giving up 113 hits in 156.1 innings. |
Wednesday 9/1/2000: Martinez (CLE) and Munro (LAN) win monthly pitcher award Pedro Martinez couldn't have pitched much better than he did in August, and the American League thought so as well, naming the right-hander Pitcher of the Month. He went 5-0 in August and finished the month with an ERA of 0.64. He struck out 47 in 42.1 innings. Pedro fired two shutouts! In 27 starts this year Pedro struck out 246 batters in 220.2 innings of work. His ERA is 1.51, his record 22-1. He has 10 complete games and 5 shutouts. He's 1st in the American League in ERA and 1st in wins! It's the 1st time that the National League Pitcher of the Month award goes to Los Angeles' pitcher Peter Munro. He started 6 games in August, going 4-1 and compiling an ERA of 1.69 in 37.1 innings. Peter fanned 12 hitters. In 6 starts this year Peter struck out 12 batters in 37.1 innings of work. His ERA is 1.69, his record 4-1. |
Wednesday 9/1/2000: Boston's Vaughn earns Batter of the Month award Boston's first baseman Mo Vaughn had some reason to celebrate, as the league named him the American League Batter of the Month. He hit .344 with 33 RBI and slugged .789 in 90 at bats. This year Vaughn drove in 65 and scored 53 runs while batting .231 with 22 bombs. The Batter of the Month award in the National League goes to Colorado's Nomar Garciaparra this time, as the shortstop displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. Nomar went 36 for 93 (.387), while hitting 7 HR and collecting 27 RBI. His season numbers are: .295 AVG, 135 hits, 32 doubles, 8 triples and 19 longballs, along with 79 RBI and 92 runs scored. |
Monday 8/30/2000: Vaughn (BOS) and Belle (MIL) win P.O.W. award The American League Player of the Week award goes to Mo Vaughn, Boston's starting first baseman. He had an on base percentage of .591 and hit .471, while driving in 13 runs. He now has homered in 3 consecutive games as well! This year Vaughn drove in 63 and scored 51 runs while batting .227 with 21 longballs. It's the 6th time that the National League Player of the Week award goes to Milwaukee's rightfielder Albert Belle. Belle helped his team with an average of .550 and 9 RBI in 20 at bats. |
Thursday 8/26/2000: Jose Rijo fires NO-NO against Milwaukee MILWAUKEE - Jose Rijo had a historical performance against Milwaukee on Thursday, pitching a no-hitter for his 1st shutout of the season. 'Giving my team a chance to win is the most important thing for me. I was able to do it today, and it's especially nice to do it in such fashion.' Rijo (7-7) fanned 8 and walked 7, throwing 121 pitches. Fernando Tatis provided Philadelphia with the offense Rijo needed as he finished with 2 hits in 3 AB, blasting a homerun, scoring 2 runs with 3 RBI. Philadelphia improved its record to 49-77, scoring 8 runs on 12 hits. |
Monday 8/23/2000: Mejia (KC) and Edmonds (MON) win P.O.W. award The American League's best player of the week was Kansas City's Roberto Mejia, who wins the award for the 1st time in his career. Roberto went 16 for 32 (.500), while hitting 4 HR and collecting 9 RBI. He got at least one hit each game this week and is on a 9 game hitting streak right now. He has hit 6 bombs while batting .275 this season. His 85 hits and 18 walks add up to a .321 on-base percentage. It's the 1st time that the National League Player of the Week award goes to Montreal's centerfielder Jim Edmonds. Jim pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .455 with 4 HR and 7 RBI while slugging 1.136. |
Wednesday 8/18/2000: Roberto Mejia ropes five hits, completes cycle TAMPA BAY - Kansas City's second baseman Roberto Mejia once again displayed his tremendous ability to make contact with that little white ball. He tore up Tampa Bay's pitching staff with a 5 hit performance on Wednesday. A pitch from Turk Wendell in the 2nd inning left his bat for a RBI triple. That one tied it at 1 runs apiece. His 2nd hit, a solo homerun off Turk Wendell in the 4th inning, landed an estimated 408 feet from home plate. A 417 foot drive to right-center marked his 3rd hit, a solo homerun off Dave Otto in the 6th inning. A single in the 7th off Kevin Tolar accounted for his 4th hit. In the 8th inning he belted a two-run double off Kevin Hodges. That drive completed the cycle, causing a smile on his face! Roberto scored 4 runs, and he collected 5 RBI as well! He now has a total of 78 hits this season, accounting for a .269 batting average. He becomes the 68th player in league history collect at least a single, double, triple and a homerun in a single game. On 8/2/2000, Travis Fryman was the last player to hit for the cycle. |
Tuesday 8/17/2000: Pittsburgh's Marty Cordova slams five hits PITTSBURGH - Marty Cordova hits 'em where they ain't. Atlanta certainly agrees as Pittsburgh's leftfielder unloaded five hits, adding to his reputation of being one of the best pure hitters in the game. A two-run double off Sterling Hitchcock in the 1st inning accounted for his 1st hit. A pitch from Sterling Hitchcock in the 2nd inning left his bat for a double. In the 7th inning he unloaded a solo homerun off Armando Benitez. He had singles in the 4th (two RBIs) and in the 8th . Marty scored 4 runs, and he collected 5 RBI as well! This season has been a good one for him so far, as he has 64 hits in 203 at bats, resulting in a .315 batting average. Pittsburgh improved its record to 75-43, scoring 18 runs on 20 hits. |
Monday 8/16/2000: Hipolito Pichardo (BOS) will miss 4 weeks BOSTON - Boston's ace Hipolito Pichardo suffered a severe injury on Monday and will be out for at least 4 weeks. In the 3rd of the game against Cleveland he experienced pain in his throwing arm and had to leave the game. After x-rays were taken the diagnosis did not surprise many: Torn Bicep Muscle. Surgery will be performed next week. Opposing players hit .277 against Hipolito this season. While posting an ERA of 4.55 he went 5-7 in 24 starts, fanning 79 and walking 61 hitters. |
Monday 8/16/2000: Chicago (A)'s Damon wins Player of the Week award Johnny Damon from Chicago (A) wins his 1st Player of the Week award for putting up the best numbers this week in the American League. He had an on base percentage of .630 and hit .565, while driving in 8 runs. The Player of the Week award in the National League goes to Cincinnati's Juan Guzman this time, as the pitcher displayed the best pitching perfomance in his league. Juan went 2-0 with an ERA of 2.40, while fanning 11 in 15 innings of work. He hurled a shutout as well. |
Saturday 8/14/2000: Kevin Brown dominates Cleveland, gives up just 2 hits CLEVELAND - Kevin Brown took the mound and never left. And Cleveland hitters couldn't touch him at all. New York (A)'s right-hander gave up just 2 hits in his 1st shutout of the season. He now has 27 career shutouts in 450 games started. 'Wow, what a nice day. I guess I had a good breakfast today.' Brown (13-6) struck out 5 and issued 1 BB, throwing 69 of 114 pitches for strikes. Gary Sheffield helped Brown at the plate, he went 2 for 5, homering once, scoring two runs with 3 RBI. The final score of the game was 8-0. |
Monday 8/9/2000: Player of the Week honors go to Ordonez and Garciaparra Detroit's rightfielder Magglio Ordonez had some reason to celebrate, as the league named him the American League Player of the Week. Magglio pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .522 with 6 HR and 13 RBI while slugging 1.391. He got at least one hit each game this week and is on a 8 game hitting streak right now. He now has homered in 3 consecutive games as well! Nomar Garciaparra wins his 3rd Player of the Week award. National League pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. Nomar was on fire, hitting .556 with 5 HR and 13 RBI. He now has homered in 3 consecutive games as well! Garciaparra has walked 40 times this year and posts a .360 OBP. While batting .291, 113 for 388, he has driven in 72 runs. |
Wednesday 8/4/2000: Chicago (N)'s Converse out for 4-5 weeks CHICAGO (N) - Chicago (N) is without its right-hander Jim Converse for at least 4-5 weeks. He injured himself while throwing a pitch to Scott Spiezio in a game against St. Louis. His face showed signs of pain immediately after the ball left his hand. Doctors examined him after the game and diagnosed a Strained Tricep Muscle which will require surgery. His ERA of 4.97 helped him to a 6-11 record this year. He struck out 86 and walked 60 in 128.2 innings. |
Tuesday 8/3/2000: Milwaukee's Eric Davis laces 2000th career hit PITTSBURGH - Milwaukee's players had every reason to congratulate Eric Davis, who reached a milestone today, collecting his 2000th career hit! Along with his 2000 hits, Eric collected 415 homeruns and 1353 RBI in 15 seasons. 'I guess I'll celebrate a bit today. But the most important thing is winning, and my whole career I gave everything I could to help my team.' He hit a single in the 5th off Jon Lieber for number 2000. |
Monday 8/2/2000: Chicago (N) has no chance in a NO-HITTER by Ed Correa ST. LOUIS - Great things can happen when you throw strikes. And Ed Correa did so today, in a no-hit shutout against Chicago (N). Correa (3-7) was overpowering, fanning 10 while walking 6, throwing 120 pitches. 'I was able to keep´em off balance. That certainly helped. What a day!' Frank Thomas helped Correa at the plate, he got 4 hits in 5 AB, homering once, hitting 2 doubles, scoring twice with 4 RBI. The final score of the game was 12-0. |
Monday 8/2/2000: Travis Fryman punishes Atlanta with four hits, cycle CINCINNATI - Cincinnati's third baseman Travis Fryman once again displayed his tremendous ability to make contact with that little white ball. He tore up Atlanta's pitching staff with a 4 hit performance on Monday. A single in the 2nd off Sean Bergman accounted for his 1st hit. Hit number 2 followed in the 3rd inning, a RBI triple. In the 7th inning he unloaded a two-run homerun off Armando Benitez. In the 8th inning he belted a RBI double off Will Cunnane. That drive completed the cycle, causing a smile on his face! Travis scored 3 runs, and he collected 4 RBI as well! He now has a total of 99 hits this season, accounting for a .276 batting average. 67 players in league history have so far hit for the cycle, including Travis. On 5/9/2000, Ivan Rodriguez was the last player to hit for the cycle. |
Monday 8/2/2000: Player of the Week honors go to Helton and Stevens It's the 3rd time that the American League Player of the Week award goes to Tampa Bay's first baseman Todd Helton. He had an on base percentage of .538 and hit .520, while driving in 4 runs. Helton has hit 23 longballs this year while batting .293. He adds 29 doubles, along with 70 runs scored. Houston's first baseman Lee Stevens had some reason to celebrate as well, as the league named him the National League Player of the Week. Lee pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .444 with 3 HR and 10 RBI while slugging .889. |
Sunday 8/1/2000: Martinez (CLE) and Mahomes (CIN) win monthly pitcher award Cleveland's Pedro Martinez had a terrific July, and it earned him the American League Pitcher of the month award. His ERA of just 1.07 helped him to a 5-0 record in July. He worked 42 innings, striking out 46 hitters while walking 7. Pedro pitched a shutout as well. His ERA of 1.72 helped him to a 17-1 record this year. He struck out 199 and walked 38 in 178.1 innings. Pedro has pitched 3 shutouts and 7 complete games. He's 1st in the American League in ERA and 1st in wins! Pat Mahomes couldn't have pitched much better than he did in July, and the National League thought so as well, naming the right-hander Pitcher of the Month. He had an ERA of just 0.71 in 25.1 innings of work in which he struck out 12 hitters. His record in July is 1-0. This season Mahomes compiled an ERA of 3.39, going 8-4 in 21 starts. He fanned 65 while giving up 118 hits in 119.1 innings. Pat has pitched one shutout and one complete game. |
Sunday 8/1/2000: Cleveland's Kelly earns Batter of the Month award The American League Batter of the Month award goes to Mike Kelly, Cleveland's starting rightfielder. Mike pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .431 with 2 and 17 RBI while slugging .657. While compiling an on base percentage of .402, Mike hit .334 and slugged .508. He has collected 51 runs batted in this year. He's 1st in the American League in batting! Houston's leftfielder Henry Rodriguez had some reason to celebrate as well, as the league named him the National League Batter of the Month. Henry went 36 for 88 (.409), while hitting 8 HR and collecting 32 RBI. While compiling an on base percentage of .427, Henry hit .342 and slugged .664. He has collected 80 runs batted in this year. He's 4th in the National League in batting and 9th in RBI! |
Saturday 7/31/2000: Texas has no chance in a 2-hitter by Pedro Martinez TEXAS - Cleveland's right-hander Pedro Martinez is clearly one of the best pitchers in the game. Texas found out the hard way, getting just 2 hits. Martinez 3rd shutout this season was a masterpiece, as he was almost untouchable. He has now hurled 28th shutouts in his career. Martinez (17-1) was overpowering, fanning 10 while walking 1, throwing 97 pitches. 'I felt early that I was on top of my game. Fortunately I was able to keep that feeling the entire game.' Ivan Rodriguez helped Martinez at the plate, he finished 2 for 4, blasting a homerun, doubling once, and collecting 2 RBI. The final score of the game was 6-0. |
Friday 7/30/2000: Chad Curtis parks three against Tampa Bay TAMPA BAY - Chad Curtis was in a groove, and the results spoke for themselves. He powered Toronto to a 9-5 win over Tampa Bay by homering three times. In the 2nd inning he unloaded a solo homerun off Omar Daal. A pitch from Omar Daal in the 4th inning left his bat for a two-run homerun, landing 426 feet from home plate in center field. His 3rd shot, a solo homerun off Kevin Brown in the 9th inning, cleared the fence in left field. Overall he collected 3 hits in 5 trips to the plate, scoring FOUR runs and driving in 4 runs. On 7/17/2000, Henry Rodriguez was the last player to hit 3 dingers in a single game. |
Monday 7/26/2000: Arizona's Lee wins Player of the Week award The American League's best player of the week was Kansas City's Lyle Mouton, who wins the award for the 1st time in his career. He had an on base percentage of .531 and hit .552, while driving in 10 runs. Mouton has walked 18 times this year and posts a .377 OBP. While batting .327, 71 for 217, he has driven in 42 runs. It's the 1st time that the National League Player of the Week award goes to Arizona's rightfielder Carlos Lee. He hit .393 with 11 RBI and slugged .857 in 28 at bats. |
Monday 7/19/2000: Player of the Week honors go to Martin and Rodriguez Cleveland's leftfielder Al Martin had some reason to celebrate, as the league named him the American League Player of the Week. Al went 11 for 22 (.500), while hitting 3 HR and collecting 13 RBI. While compiling an on base percentage of .307, Al hit .263 and slugged .483. He has collected 25 runs batted in this year. The National League's best player of the week was Houston's Henry Rodriguez, who wins the award for the 14th time in his career. He hit .391 with 12 RBI and slugged .957 in 23 at bats. Rodriguez has walked 38 times this year and posts a .416 OBP. While batting .333, 83 for 249, he has driven in 67 runs. |
Saturday 7/17/2000: Henry Rodriguez homers three times against San Diego HOUSTON - Houston beat San Diego 8-7, but that was not the real story of the game. Henry Rodriguez was, as he went deep three times. A 402 foot drive to right-center marked his 1st bomb, a solo homerun off Brian Holman in the 2nd inning. His 2nd blast, a three-run homerun off Mark Acre in the 8th inning, landed an estimated 418 feet from home plate. It tied the ballgame at 5. Number 3 in the 9th inning, a shot estimated at 456 feet, cleared the wall in center field. His final homerun proved to be the game winner as well! Henry collected 3 hits in 4 trips to the plate, scoring three runs with 7 RBI. In 4334 career at bats, he has hit 244 homeruns and collected 856 RBI. |
Saturday 7/17/2000: Al Martin on fire, laces five hits ANAHEIM - 'Wow, five hits in one game is something special, isn't it?' said Cleveland's leftfielder Al Martin after the 12-0 win over Anaheim. His 1st hit, a three-run homerun off Tim Drew in the 2nd inning, landed an estimated 436 feet from home plate. A two-run triple off Kevin King in the 3rd inning, accounted for his 2nd hit. He collected singles in the 4th inning (one RBI) , in the 8th and in the 9th inning (two RBIs). Al scored 3 runs, and he collected 8 RBI as well! He now has a total of 31 hits this season, accounting for a .263 batting average. |
Monday 7/12/2000: Daubach and Everett win Player of the Week award The Player of the Week award in the American League goes to Brian pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .250 with 1 HR and 3 RBI while slugging .500. Daubach has hit for a .214 average this season. He has 37 extra base hits along with 138 total bases, resulting in a .468 slugging percentage. The National League Player of the Week award goes to Carl Everett, Arizona's starting centerfielder. He had an on base percentage of .250 and hit .250, while driving in 7 runs. He got at least one hit each game this week and is on a 17 game hitting streak right now. While compiling an on base percentage of .415, Carl hit .328 and slugged .774. He has collected 85 runs batted in this year. He's 1st in the National League in RBIs and 1st in homeruns! |
Monday 7/5/2000: Detroit's Hunter wins Player of the Week award The American League Player of the Week award goes to Torii Hunter, Detroit's starting centerfielder. He hit .455 with 5 RBI and slugged .909 in 22 at bats. While compiling an on base percentage of .327, Torii hit .248 and slugged .394. He has collected 32 runs batted in this year. The National League Player of the Week award goes to Henry Rodriguez, Houston's starting leftfielder. Henry pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .579 with 2 HR and 9 RBI while slugging 1.105. Rodriguez has hit 16 bombs this year while batting .326. He adds 13 doubles, along with 49 runs scored. |
Thursday 7/1/2000: New York (N)'s Geoff Jenkins has great day with five hits COLORADO - Geoff Jenkins hits 'em where they ain't. Colorado certainly agrees as New York (N)'s leftfielder unloaded five hits, adding to his reputation of being one of the best pure hitters in the game. A pitch from Tyler Green in the 1st inning left his bat for a solo homerun, landing 428 feet from home plate in center field. A 348 foot drive to right field marked his 2nd hit, a two-run homerun off Tyler Green in the 3rd inning. That one tied it at 4 runs apiece. His 3rd hit was a double off Tyler Green in the 6th inning. He collected singles in the 7th inning (one RBI) and in the 8th inning (one RBI). Geoff did drive in 5 while scoring 4 runs on his own. This season has been a good one for him so far, as he has 96 hits in 290 at bats, resulting in a .331 batting average. New York (N) improved its record to 36-45, scoring 14 runs on 15 hits. |
Thursday 7/1/2000: Brown (NYY) and Smoltz (SDN) win monthly pitcher award New York (A)'s pitcher Kevin Brown is the American League winner of the Pitcher of the Month award in June. He started 6 games in June, going 4-1 and compiling an ERA of 1.64 in 49.1 innings. Kevin fanned 25 hitters. Kevin has a record of 8-3 this season, with an ERA of 3.23. In 119.2 Innings he was able to strike out 81 batters. It's the 7th time that the National League Pitcher of the Month award goes to San Diego's pitcher John Smoltz. He struck out 40 hitters in his 6 starts, putting together a record of 4-0 while pitching 40 innings. His ERA in June was 1.45. In 18 starts this year John struck out 94 batters in 128.2 innings of work. His ERA is 1.47, his record 13-1. John has pitched one shutout and one complete game. He's 1st in the National League in ERA and 1st in wins! |
Thursday 7/1/2000: Arizona's Everett named Batter of the Month The American League's best player of the month was Tampa Bay's Vinny Castilla, who wins the award for the 2nd time in his career. Castilla helped his team with an average of .351 and 31 RBI in 97 at bats. Castilla has hit 24 taters this year while batting .317. He adds 22 doubles, along with 57 runs scored. He's 9th in the American League in batting, 1st in homeruns and 4th in RBI! The National League Batter of the Month award goes to Carl Everett, Arizona's starting centerfielder. He had an on base percentage of .467 and hit .378, while driving in 38 runs. His season features a batting average of .331 (90 hits in 272 AB), 18 doubles, one triple and 33 homeruns. Everett collected 76 RBI and 65 runs as well. He's 1st in the National League in RBIs and 1st in homeruns! |
Monday 6/28/2000: Toronto's Konerko wins Player of the Week award The Player of the Week award in the American League goes to Toronto's Paul Konerko this time, as the first baseman displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. He had an on base percentage of .452 and hit .393, while driving in 11 runs. It's the 7th time that the National League Player of the Week award goes to Cincinnati's rightfielder Tim Salmon. Tim pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .500 with 3 HR and 8 RBI while slugging 1.188. |
Monday 6/21/2000: Player of the Week honors go to Jefferies and Gutierrez Minnesota's second baseman Gregg Jefferies had some reason to celebrate, as the league named him the American League Player of the Week. Gregg went 11 for 26 (.423), while hitting 3 HR and collecting 9 RBI. He has hit 15 longballs while batting .296 this season. His 73 hits and 17 walks add up to a .341 on-base percentage. Ricky Gutierrez wins his 1st Player of the Week award. National League pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. Gutierrez helped his team with an average of .419 and 8 RBI in 31 at bats. This year Gutierrez drove in 23 and scored 28 runs while batting .252 with 6 homeruns. |
Monday 6/14/2000: Segui (CWS) and Fullmer (MON) win P.O.W. award The Player of the Week award in the American League goes to Chicago (A)'s David Segui this time, as the first baseman displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. David was on fire, hitting .647 with 3 HR and 5 RBI. Brad Fullmer wins his 1st Player of the Week award. National League pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. Brad went 11 for 19 (.579), while hitting 1 HR and collecting 7 RBI. He got at least one hit each game this week and is on a 7 game hitting streak right now. This year Fullmer drove in 49 and scored 29 runs while batting .330 with 11 homeruns. |
Tuesday 6/8/2000: Corey Koskie out for 5 weeks SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco's Corey Koskie suffered a serious injury Tuesday in a game against Pittsburgh. Koskie fell down while running the bases and couldn't get up without help. He will miss probably 5 weeks. After being taken to a local hospital, Koskie was examined by specialists. The diagnosis revealed the sad truth, a Torn Abdominal Muscle. Koskie has hit for a .309 average this season. He has 26 extra base hits along with 104 total bases, resulting in a .510 slugging percentage. |
Monday 6/7/2000: Houston's Rodriguez wins Player of the Week award The American League Player of the Week award goes to Todd Helton, Tampa Bay's starting first baseman. He had an on base percentage of .529 and hit .400, while driving in 10 runs. The Player of the Week award in the National League goes to Houston's Henry Rodriguez this time, as the leftfielder displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. Henry went 15 for 28 (.536), while hitting 3 HR and collecting 10 RBI. |
Tuesday 6/1/2000: Pitcher of the Month award winners announced Winner of this months American League Pitcher of the Month award is Cleveland's Pedro Martinez. His ERA of just 1.45 helped him to a 5-0 record in May. He worked 49.2 innings, striking out 61 hitters while walking 6. Pedro also fired a shutout. Pedro has a record of 10-0 this season, with an ERA of 0.99. In 91.1 Innings he was able to strike out 104 batters. Pedro has pitched 2 shutouts and 4 complete games. He's 1st in the American League in ERA and 1st in wins! San Diego's John Smoltz had a terrific May, and it earned him the National League Pitcher of the month award. He started 6 games in May, going 4-1 and compiling an ERA of 1.49 in 42.1 innings. John fanned 21 hitters. His ERA of 1.48 helped him to a 9-1 record this year. He struck out 54 and walked 25 in 85.1 innings. He has one complete game and one shutout. He's 1st in the National League in ERA and 1st in wins! |
Tuesday 6/1/2000: Red hot Walker and Stevens win Batter of the Month award The American League's best player of the month was Boston's Larry Walker, who wins the award for the 7th time in his career. Larry was on fire, hitting .386 with 9 homeruns and 32 RBI. Walker has walked 25 times this year and posts a .411 OBP. While batting .309, 55 for 178, he has driven in 40 runs. The National League Batter of the Month award goes to Lee Stevens, Houston's starting first baseman. Lee was on fire, hitting .439 with 9 homeruns and 32 RBI. Lee is hitting .368 this year, with 67 hits in 182 at bats. He has driven in 49 runs, slugging .692. He's 3rd in the National League in batting, 3rd in homeruns and 3rd in RBI! |
Monday 5/31/2000: Player of the Week honors go to Polonia and Dye It's the 1st time that the American League Player of the Week award goes to Anaheim's rightfielder Luis Polonia. He hit .609 with 5 RBI and slugged .739 in 23 at bats. His season numbers are: .343 AVG, 60 hits, 8 doubles, 2 triples and no homeruns, along with 19 RBI and 36 runs scored. He's 3rd in the American League in batting! It's the 2nd time that the National League Player of the Week award goes to Colorado's rightfielder Jermaine Dye. Jermaine pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .611 with 2 HR and 8 RBI while slugging 1.278. Jermaine managed to drive in at least one run in every game he played this week. He has hit 7 homeruns while batting .372 this season. His 64 hits and 13 walks add up to a .429 on-base percentage. He's 3rd in the National League in batting! |
Friday 5/28/2000: Ramon Martinez quiets Chicago (A) bats with shutout MINNESOTA - Minnesota's right-hander Ramon Martinez is clearly one of the best pitchers in the game. Chicago (A) found out the hard way, getting just 2 hits. Martinez 1st shutout this season was a masterpiece, as he was almost untouchable. He has now hurled 7th shutouts in his career. 'I felt early that I was on top of my game. Fortunately I was able to keep that feeling the entire game.' Martinez (4-3) fanned 8 and walked 1, throwing 109 pitches. The hitting star for Minnesota was catcher Mike Piazza, he stroked 2 hits in 4 AB, hitting a double, with 2 RBI. Minnesota improved its record to 25-24, scoring 5 runs on 9 hits. |
Tuesday 5/25/2000: Dmitri Young collects five hits against Houston CINCINNATI - Dmitri Young hits 'em where they ain't. Houston certainly agrees as Cincinnati's leftfielder unloaded five hits, adding to his reputation of being one of the best pure hitters in the game. A triple off Tommy Greene in the 1st inning, accounted for his 1st hit. His 4th hit, a solo homerun off Troy Percival in the 6th inning, landed an estimated 434 feet from home plate. He had singles in the 3rd , in the 4th and in the 8th inning (one RBI). Dmitri did drive in 2 while scoring 3 runs on his own. He's having a very good season so far, batting .383. The final score of the game was 9-0. |
Monday 5/24/2000: Montreal's Jim Edmonds laces five hits SAN FRANCISCO - 'Wow, five hits in one game is something special, isn't it?' said Montreal's rightfielder Jim Edmonds after the 18-7 win over San Francisco. His 3rd hit, a two-run homerun off Darrell Einertson in the 4th inning, cleared the fence in right field. A pitch from Mike Dyer in the 8th inning left his bat for a two-run homerun, landing 458 feet from home plate in right-center. A pitch from Steve Kline in the 9th inning left his bat for a two-run double. He collected singles in the 1st inning (one RBI) and in the 3rd inning . Jim scored 4 runs, and he collected 7 RBI as well! He's having a very good season so far, batting .314. |
Monday 5/24/2000: Walker (BOS) and Rodriguez (HOU) win P.O.W. award Boston's rightfielder Larry Walker had some reason to celebrate, as the league named him the American League Player of the Week. He had an on base percentage of .565 and hit .556, while driving in 17 runs. He got at least one hit each game this week and is on a 7 game hitting streak right now. Walker has walked 20 times this year and posts a .404 OBP. While batting .303, 46 for 152, he has driven in 34 runs. He's 10th in the American League in RBIs and 4th in homeruns! Henry Rodriguez wins his 11th Player of the Week award. National League pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. In 21 at bats he hit .476 with 4 HR and 11 RBI. His season features a batting average of .269 (21 hits in 78 AB), one double, one triple and 8 taters. Rodriguez collected 20 RBI and 21 runs as well. |
Sunday 5/23/2000: Pedro Martinez pitches 2-hit shutout against Detroit DETROIT - Cleveland's right-hander Pedro Martinez is clearly one of the best pitchers in the game. Detroit found out the hard way, getting just 2 hits. Martinez 2nd shutout this season was a masterpiece, as he was almost untouchable. He has now hurled 27th shutouts in his career. Martinez (9-0) was overpowering, fanning 12 while walking none, throwing 126 pitches. 'They took some ugly cuts at my breaking stuff, so I kept throwing it. Fortunately they were not able to adjust in time.' Cleveland's first baseman Jim Thome went 3 for 4, homering once, with 2 RBI. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Martinez. Cleveland improved its record to 27-18, scoring 4 runs on 7 hits. |
Friday 5/21/2000: Larry Walker knocks lights out with three homeruns BOSTON - Boston beat Minnesota 14-4, but that was not the real story of the game. Larry Walker was, as he went deep three times. His 1st shot, a solo homerun off Doug Drabek in the 4th inning, cleared the fence in right-center. Number 2 in the 5th inning, a shot estimated at 338 feet, cleared the wall in right field. In the 6th inning he unloaded a solo homerun off Grant Roberts. Larry finished with 4 hits in 5 AB, scoring three times and collecting 5 RBI. On 5/15/2000, Manny Ramirez was the last player to hit 3 dingers in a single game. |
Monday 5/17/2000: Houston's Stevens wins Player of the Week award Scott Rolen wins his 1st Player of the Week award. American League pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. Scott pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .360 with 4 HR and 13 RBI while slugging 1.000. Houston's first baseman Lee Stevens had some reason to celebrate as well, as the league named him the National League Player of the Week. Lee went 13 for 27 (.481), while hitting 3 HR and collecting 11 RBI. |
Sunday 5/16/2000: Arizona's Dwight Smith gets milestone hit ARIZONA - Arizona's leftfielder Dwight Smith already had some highlights in his career, and today he added another one, getting his 2000th career hit. His best year so far was 1990 where he hit .341 with 21 homeruns and 145 RBI. 'I'm out of words. I'll probably realize it tomorrow, but for now I'm done.' He hit a single in the 6th off Curtis King for number 2000. |
Sunday 5/16/2000: Luis Polonia stars with 2000th career hit CHICAGO (A) - Luis Polonia got a standing ovation from 27428 fans in Chicago (A), who witnessed his 2000th career hit. His best year so far was 1994 where he hit .348 with 7 homeruns and 48 RBI. 'My firends always told me that I will do it one day. I never believed it. Good that I was wrong!' He hit a single in the 5th off Todd Stottlemyre for number 2000. |
Saturday 5/15/2000: Manny Ramirez clubs three rockets FLORIDA - Manny Ramirez beat San Diego, but he did it without mercy, playing like a one man wrecking crew. Florida's rightfielder slugged three homeruns, once again proving that he is among the elite sluggers. His 1st shot, a two-run homerun off Juan Pena in the 1st inning, cleared the fence in left field. In the 3rd inning he unloaded a solo homerun off Juan Pena. Number 3 in the 8th inning, a shot estimated at 387 feet, cleared the wall in left field. Manny got 3 hits in 5 AB, scoring three times and collecting 7 RBI. In 2827 career at bats, he has hit 161 homeruns and collected 520 RBI. Manny Ramirez was the last player to hit 3 homeruns in a game, doing it 4/29/2000. Florida improved its record to 21-18, scoring 11 runs on 11 hits. |
Saturday 5/15/2000: Oakland's Rusch out for 6-7 weeks OAKLAND - When it rains, it pours. Oakland's left-hander Glendon Rusch will not pitch for at least 6-7 weeks, handing the team a huge setback. He suffered a serious injury in a game against Toronto where he left the field in the 6th inning. Rusch was rushed to an hospital near the ballpark, where doctors took x-rays. Those revealed the serious injury, Strained Bicep Muscle. In 8 starts this year Glendon struck out 33 batters in 52.1 innings of work. His ERA is 4.30, his record 2-2. He has one complete game and one shutout. |
Friday 5/14/2000: Season ending injury strikes Chicago (N)'s Avery CHICAGO (N) - Chicago (N)'s southpaw Steve Avery experienced probably the worst case scenario for a pitcher, a season ending injury. After pitching in the 3rd inning of the game against Cincinnati, Avery complained about serious pain in his throwing arm. He had to leave the game. After x-rays were taken the diagnosis did not surprise many: Torn Back Muscle. Surgery will be performed next week. Steve has a record of 2-3 this season, with an ERA of 3.04. In 47.1 Innings he was able to strike out 30 batters. |
Monday 5/10/2000: Seattle's Jeff Kent pounds five hits TORONTO - Jeff Kent led Seattle to a 19-8 win over Toronto by squeezing five hits out of his bat. A 413 foot drive to left-center marked his 2nd hit, a three-run homerun off John Halama in the 2nd inning. Number 3 in the 5th inning accounted for a three-run double. His 4th cleared the based, a three-run double off Scott Linebrink in the 6th inning. A pitch from Scott Linebrink in the 8th inning left his bat for a double. He collected a single in the 1st. Jeff scored 3 runs, and he collected 9 RBI as well! He's having a very good season so far, batting .325. |
Monday 5/10/2000: Lankford and Brown win Player of the Week award The Player of the Week award in the American League goes to Chicago (A)'s Ray Lankford this time, as the centerfielder displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. Ray was on fire, hitting .360 with 3 HR and 12 RBI. This year Lankford drove in 31 and scored 25 runs while batting .300 with 8 longballs. He's 3rd in the American League in RBIs and 5th in homeruns! The Player of the Week award in the National League goes to Philadelphia's Brant Brown this time, as the rightfielder displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. Brant pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .520 with 4 HR and 6 RBI while slugging 1.160. |
Sunday 5/9/2000: Ivan Rodriguez hits for the cycle against Boston CLEVELAND - Cleveland's catcher Ivan Rodriguez once again displayed his tremendous ability to make contact with that little white ball. He tore up Boston's pitching staff with a 4 hit performance on Sunday. Number 1 in the 1st inning accounted for a double. A two-run triple off Javier Vazquez in the 2nd inning, accounted for his 2nd hit. A 365 foot drive to right field marked his 3rd hit, a GRAND SLAM off Elmer Dessens in the 3rd inning. A single in the 5th off Pete Young accounted for his 4th hit. That drive completed the cycle, causing a smile on his face! Ivan did drive in 6 while scoring 3 runs on his own. He is hitting .296 this season, with 9 HR and 28 RBI. He's now the 66th player in league history to hit for the cycle! On 5/5/2000, Ray Lankford was the last player to hit for the cycle. |
Sunday 5/9/2000: Kansas City's Martinez severely injured KANSAS CITY - Kansas City's first baseman Tino Martinez will miss at least 5-6 weeks after he got hurt seriously while running hard toward second base. He began limping and then fell down, causing a scary moment for his teammates. He had to be carried off the field. After being examined by several specialists the diagnosis is clear: Torn Calf Muscle. While compiling an on base percentage of .289, Tino hit .220 and slugged .459. He has collected 16 runs batted in this year. |
Wednesday 5/5/2000: Chicago (A)'s Ray Lankford gets the cycle CHICAGO (A) - Chicago (A)'s centerfielder Ray Lankford once again displayed his tremendous ability to make contact with that little white ball. He tore up Texas' pitching staff with a 4 hit performance on Wednesday. A single in the 1st off Carl Pavano accounted for his 1st hit. A pitch from Carl Pavano in the 4th inning left his bat for a double. His 3rd hit, off Carl Pavano in the 5th inning, was a GRAND SLAM and cleared the fence in right field. A RBI triple off Kirk Bullinger in the 7th inning, accounted for his 4th hit. That drive completed the cycle, causing a smile on his face! Ray did drive in 5 while scoring 2 runs on his own. His 4 hit performance increases his batting average to .292. He becomes the 65th player in league history collect at least a single, double, triple and a homerun in a single game. Kenny Lofton was the last player to hit for the cycle, doing it 4/13/2000. |
Monday 5/3/2000: Helton and Ramirez win Player of the Week award It's the 1st time that the American League Player of the Week award goes to Tampa Bay's first baseman Todd Helton. In 26 at bats he hit .500 with 2 HR and 8 RBI. This year Helton drove in 22 and scored 19 runs while batting .362 with 5 taters. He's 4th in the American League in batting and 7th in RBI! Manny Ramirez from Florida wins his 7th Player of the Week award for putting up the best numbers this week in the National League. Manny pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .429 with 5 HR and 13 RBI while slugging 1.107. Manny has gone 27 for 95 (.284) this season, hitting 8 taters and driving in 26 runs. He has scored 19 runs on his own. He's 1st in the National League in RBIs and 2nd in homeruns! |
Saturday 5/1/2000: San Diego's Smoltz named Pitcher of the Month It's the 10th time that the American League Pitcher of the Month award goes to Cleveland's pitcher Pedro Martinez. He had an ERA of just 0.43 in 41.2 innings of work in which he struck out 43 hitters. His record in April is 5-0. Pedro also fired a shutout. The best month of April in the National League certainly had San Diego's right-hander John Smoltz, earning him the Pitcher of the Month award. His ERA of just 1.47 helped him to a 5-0 record in April. He worked 43 innings, striking out 33 hitters while walking 9. John pitched a shutout as well. |
Saturday 5/1/2000: Texas' Williams earns Batter of the Month award Texas' centerfielder Bernie Williams had some reason to celebrate, as the league named him the American League Batter of the Month. Williams helped his team with an average of .410 and 27 RBI in 83 at bats. The National League's best player of the month was Arizona's Carl Everett, who wins the award for the 3rd time in his career. Carl was on fire, hitting .345 with 10 homeruns and 22 RBI. |
Thursday 4/29/2000: Manny Ramirez slams 3 HR MILWAUKEE - Florida's rightfielder Manny Ramirez showed the world why he is one of the most amazing sluggers in a 14-4 win over Milwaukee. He almost knockes the cover off the ball, resulting in three homeruns. His 1st blast, a two-run homerun off Jose Jimenez in the 1st inning, landed an estimated 413 feet from home plate. A 355 foot drive to left field marked his 2nd bomb, a solo homerun off Anthony Telford in the 3rd inning. A pitch from Dave Burba in the 7th inning left his bat for a solo homerun, landing 415 feet from home plate in right-center. Manny got 5 hits in 6 AB, doubling twice, with FIVE runs scored with 6 RBI. Lee Stevens was the last player to hit 3 homeruns in a game, doing it 10/10/1999. Florida scored 14 runs on 18 hits. |
Monday 4/26/2000: Boston's Harris wins Player of the Week award The American League's best player of the week was Boston's Lenny Harris, who wins the award for the 3rd time in his career. He hit .545 with 6 RBI and slugged .864 in 22 at bats. It's the 1st time that the National League Player of the Week award goes to Houston's rightfielder Tony Tarasco. Tony went 11 for 21 (.524), while hitting 4 HR and collecting 7 RBI. This year Tarasco drove in 12 and scored 14 runs while batting .364 with 4 taters. He's 7th in the National League in batting! |
Monday 4/19/2000: John Smoltz pitches 1-hit shutout against St. Louis SAN DIEGO - San Diego's right-hander John Smoltz is a great pitcher. And he once again showed his stuff, blanking St. Louis on just one hit. It's his 1st shutout this season, and the 6th time he has done it in his career. With one out in the 6th inning Homer Bush singled to break up the no-hitter. 'Today I just felt fine. I had a good feeling while warming up.' Smoltz (4-0) showed excellent control, walking nobody and fanning 7. The hitting star for San Diego was second baseman Andy Fox, he got 1 hit in 4 AB, and driving in 3 runs. San Diego improved its record to 9-5, scoring 7 runs on 7 hits. |
Monday 4/19/2000: Texas' Kile wins Player of the Week award The American League Player of the Week award goes to Darryl Kile, one of Texas' best starting pitchers. He was in a zone all week, compiling an ERA of 1.62 while going 2-0. He hurled a shutout as well. The National League Player of the Week award goes to Glenallen Hill, Chicago (N)'s starting leftfielder. In 25 at bats he hit .520 with 5 HR and 13 RBI. His season numbers are: .308 AVG, 16 hits, 3 doubles, one triple and 5 homeruns, along with 13 RBI and 11 runs scored. |
Sunday 4/18/2000: Moises Alou collects five hits against Cleveland TORONTO - Moises Alou saw the ball really well, leading Toronto to a 16-4 win over Cleveland. His five hits thrilled his teammates and coaches, and Moises seemed happy as well after the game. His 3rd hit, a two-run homerun off Ricky Bottalico in the 4th inning, cleared the fence in right field. His 4th hit was a RBI double off Ricky Bottalico in the 5th inning. Number 5 in the 6th inning accounted for a double. He collected singles in the 1st and in the 2nd inning (one RBI). Moises scored 3 runs, and he collected 4 RBI as well! This season has been a good one for him so far, as he has 19 hits in 48 at bats, resulting in a .396 batting average. |
Saturday 4/17/2000: Ruben Sierra collects 2000th hit against Milwaukee PHILADELPHIA - Ruben Sierra got a standing ovation from 23818 fans in Philadelphia, who witnessed his 2000th career hit. His hit in the 7th inning was a single off Rene Arocha. His best year so far was 1991 where he hit .324 with 44 homeruns and 135 RBI. 'Wow. That is all I can say now. I'm thrilled.' |
Thursday 4/15/2000: Kansas City has no chance in a 2-hitter by Tony Saunders DETROIT - Detroit's southpaw Tony Saunders will never forget this day. The 25-year old recorded his first career shutout, a 2-hitter, against Kansas City on Thursday. Saunders (1-1) showed excellent control, walking nobody and fanning 7. 'I felt early that I was on top of my game. Fortunately I was able to keep that feeling the entire game.' The hitting star for Detroit was designated hitter Magglio Ordonez, he collected 3 hits in 3 trips to the plate, homering twice, scoring two runs and collecting 2 RBI. Detroit scored 4 runs on 10 hits. |
Wednesday 4/14/2000: Gary Sheffield socks five hits for New York (A) BALTIMORE - 'You know, in batting practice I didn't really feel that comfortable about my stroke today, but baseball is more than hitting. Then, when you're not trying to force a hit, you slug them in droves,' says Gary Sheffield after his 5 hit game, which New York (A) won 9-8 against Baltimore. In the 3rd inning he unloaded a solo homerun off Charles Nagy. His 3rd hit, a solo homerun off Charles Nagy in the 6th inning, cleared the fence in right field. He collected singles in the 1st , in the 8th and in the 9th . Gary did drive in 2 while scoring 3 runs on his own. He is hitting .306 this season, with 3 HR and 3 RBI. |
Tuesday 4/13/2000: Kenny Lofton uncorks cycle hits against Detroit CLEVELAND - Kenny Lofton hits 'em where they ain't. Detroit certainly agrees as Cleveland's centerfielder unloaded four hits and hitting for the cycle. His 1st hit, off David Nied in the 1st inning, was a solo homerun and cleared the fence in center field. A two-run double off David Nied in the 2nd inning accounted for his 2nd hit. A single in the 4th off Jose Melendez accounted for his 3rd hit. In the 6th inning he unloaded a RBI triple off Lance Carter. That drive completed the cycle, causing a smile on his face! Kenny did drive in 4 while scoring 2 runs on his own. This season has been a good one for him so far, as he has 16 hits in 32 at bats, resulting in a .500 batting average. He's now the 64th player in league history to hit for the cycle! Torey Lovullo was the last player to hit for the cycle, doing it 9/12/1999. |
Monday 4/12/2000: Los Angeles' Erickson out for 5 weeks LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles is without its right-hander Scott Erickson for at least 5 weeks. He injured himself while throwing a pitch to Pat Borders in a game against Pittsburgh. His face showed signs of pain immediately after the ball left his hand. After being taken to a local hospital, Erickson was examined by specialists. The diagnosis revealed the sad truth, a Ruptured Bicep Tendon. |
Monday 4/12/2000: Player of the Week honors go to Delgado and Everett The American League's best player of the week was Baltimore's Carlos Delgado, who wins the award for the 1st time in his career. Carlos pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .440 with 2 HR and 12 RBI while slugging .920. He hit in every game this week and extended his hitting streak to 8 games. It's the 3rd time that the National League Player of the Week award goes to Arizona's centerfielder Carl Everett. He hit .444 with 9 RBI and slugged .963 in 27 at bats. |
Sunday 4/11/2000: St. Louis' Smiley severely injured, out for season ST. LOUIS - St. Louis' ace John Smiley experienced probably the worst case scenario for a pitcher, a season ending injury. After pitching in the 6th inning of the game against Cincinnati, Smiley complained about serious pain in his throwing arm. He had to leave the game. Torn Tricep Muscle was the diagnosis after x-rays were taken in a nearby hospital. The message shocked teammates and team officials. |