American baseball player Aaron Judge
Credit: © Jim McIsaac, Getty Images

Aaron Judge, one of the best players in Major League Baseball (MLB), hit his 62nd home run of the season on Tuesday, October 4, 2022. The previous record was set by Roger Maris back in 1961 with 61 home runs in a season. Before Maris, Babe Ruth held the record with 60 home runs. Judge batted the fateful home run in a game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Judge, a powerful right fielder, plays for the New York Yankees in the American League (AL). Judge is unusually large for an MLB player. He stands 6 feet 7 inches (2 meters) tall. Judge has displayed an exceptional ability to hit home runs. In 2017, in his first full MLB season, Judge set a rookie record by hitting 52 home runs—the most in the American League that year. (Pete Alonso of the New York Mets broke Judge’s record in 2019 by hitting 53.) In 2017, Judge also led the league in runs scored (128) and walks (127) and finished second in runs batted in (114), behind Nelson Cruz (119). He was named AL Rookie of the Year. Judge throws and hits right-handed. He has been named to four AL All-Star teams.

Aaron James Judge was born on April 26, 1992, in Linden, California. He excelled at baseball, basketball, and football in high school. Judge played baseball at California State University, Fresno, before being drafted by the Yankees in 2013. He played in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut in August 2016.

Roger Maris ​​held the major league record for home runs in one season from 1961 to 1998. Maris had set the record when he hit 61 homers in 1961. His team, the New York Yankees, played a 162-game schedule that year. In 1927, Babe Ruth, also a Yankee, hit 60 homers in a 154-game schedule. Both totals were considered records until 1991, when Maris’s 61 homers were recognized as the sole record. The record stood until 1998, when Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals hit 70 home runs. McGwire hit 583 career home runs, the 11th most in MLB history, but performance-enhancing drug (PED) use tarnished his career. He was a 12-time All-Star and led his league in home runs four times, including a then-MLB record 70 in 1998. Despite these achievements, McGwire has received little support for entering the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Barry Bonds later smashed McGwire’s record, hitting 73 home runs in 2001 with the San Francisco Giants. However, similar allegations have haunted that achievement.

January 27, 2020

On Tuesday, January 21, Major League Baseball (MLB) greats Derek Jeter and Larry Walker were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Jeter, an outstanding all-around shortstop, earned 99.7 percent of the possible votes (396 of 397) in his first year of eligibility. Walker, a powerful outfielder in his 10th and final year of eligibility, received 76.6 percent of votes cast, just exceeding the 75 percent required for election. The former catcher Ted Simmons, elected in December 2019 by the Modern Baseball Era Committee, will also be enshrined in the Hall of Fame on July 26, 2020. Joining the players will be the sportswriter Nick Cafardo, the broadcaster Ken “Hawk” Harrelson, and the former players’ union executive Marvin Miller.

The longtime Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter will headline baseball’s Hall of Fame class in 2020. Credit: © Rebecca Cook, Reuters/Landov

Derek Jeter, who was born in New Jersey and grew up in Michigan, played 20 MLB seasons from 1995 through 2014 with the New York Yankees. He won five Gold Glove awards as the best defensive shortstop in the American League (AL). He also won five Silver Sluggers as the best hitter at his position. A career .310 hitter, Jeter was a 14-time All-Star, hit 260 home runs, and his 3,465 career hits are the most ever by an MLB shortstop. Known for his leadership as well as his playing ability, Jeter served as team captain of the Yankees from 2003 through 2014. During Jeter’s time in New York, the Yankees won seven AL pennants and five World Series.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum honors players and other individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the sport. It is located in Cooperstown, New York. Credit: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

The Canadian Larry Walker played 17 seasons for the Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies, and St. Louis Cardinals from 1989 to 2005.  Walker blossomed in Montreal, where in 1992 he made the first of five career All-Star teams. It was in Denver, however, that Walker made his case for the Hall of Fame. In nine full seasons with the Rockies, he batted .300 or better seven times and led MLB in hitting in 1998 (.363), 1999 (.379), and 2001 (.350). In 1997, he hit .366 with 49 home runs and 130 runs batted in (RBI’s) and was named the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player. Walker ended his career with 2,160 hits, 383 home runs, 1,311 RBI’s, and a .313 lifetime batting average.

Michigan’s Ted Simmons played 21 seasons with the Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Atlanta Braves from 1968 to 1988. Simmons become an everyday catcher in 1971, and in 1972 he made the first of eight All-Star teams. An exceptional switch-hitter, Simmons hit .300 or better seven times, hit 20 or more home runs six times, and topped 90 RBI’s eight times. He retired with 248 home runs, 2,472 career hits (second all-time to Iván Rodríguez among MLB catchers) and 1,389 RBI’s (second to Yogi Berra among catchers).

Nick Cafardo, a longtime beat writer for the Boston Red Sox, joined the Hall of Fame as the winner of the J. G. Taylor Spink Award “for meritorious contributions to baseball writing.” Hawk Harrelson, who hit 131 home runs as an MLB player in the 1960′s, broadcast MLB games–mainly for the Chicago White Sox–from 1975 through 2018 and entered the Hall as the winner of the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasters. Marvin Miller oversaw the advent of player free agency during his tenure as the executive director for the Major League Baseball Players Association from 1966 to 1982.

Hall of Fame voting is based upon a player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team or teams on which the player played. Votes are cast by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America with at least 10 consecutive years of service. To be eligible, ballplayers must have spent at least 10 seasons in the majors and been retired for 5 years. Exceptions are made in the case of severe injury or sudden death, such as with Roberto Clemente. Eligible players remain on the Hall of Fame ballot for 10 years, after which they can gain entry only though the select eras committees. The eras committees, made up of former executives, managers, players, and umpires, also choose nonplayers such as Cafardo, Harrelson, and Miller for entry into the Hall of Fame.

November 6, 2019

Last week, on Oct. 30, 2019, the Washington Nationals defeated the Houston Astros 6-2 to win the Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series four games to three. It was the first MLB title in the history of the Nationals, a team that originated in 1969 as the Montreal Expos. The franchise moved from Montreal to Washington, D.C., following the 2004 season. Washington entered the playoffs as a National League (NL) Wild Card team, having finished second in the NL East at 93-69. For the American League (AL) champion Astros, the World Series defeat was something of a surprise. The team was a heavy favorite to win it all after leading MLB with 107 regular season wins.

The Washington Nationals celebrate winning the World Series at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, on Oct. 30, 2019. The Nats beat the Astros 6-2 in game seven to win the series four games to three. Credit: © Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images

The Nats’ game seven win at Houston’s Minute Maid Park capped a World Series in which the visiting team won every game—a first in MLB history. The Nats won games one and two in Houston, dropped games three through five at home in D.C., and then rebounded in Houston to win games six and seven. Typically, teams playing at home have a slight advantage. For Washington, D.C., it is the city’s first baseball title since the Washington Senators, an AL team, won the World Series in 1924. That Senators’ team became the Minnesota Twins in 1961. A second Senators team floundered in D.C. until becoming the Texas Rangers in 1972. D.C. then went without an MLB team until the Nats arrived in 2005.

The Nats got off to a strong start in the 2019 World Series, defeating the two favorites for the AL Cy Young Award (given to the best pitcher in the league)—Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander—in games one (5-4) and two (12-3). Of course, the Washington starters were pretty good, too: veteran ace Max Scherzer won game one and 18-game winner Stephen Strasburg notched the “W” in game two.

The Astros had their work cut out for them as the series moved to D.C., and the team went to work in style. MLB’s best regular season ball club dominated the Nats on their home field, easily winning games three (4-1), four (8-1), and five (7-1). Momentum seemed to have fully swung in Houston’s direction as the series returned to Texas, but the orange-clad fans at Minute Maid Park were disappointed as the Nats and Strasburg beat Verlander a second time (7-2) in game six.

In the winner-take-all game seven, Astros starter Zack Greinke cruised early, giving up just one hit through six innings. For the Nats, a gassed and ailing Max Scherzer did not have his best stuff. He allowed numerous Astros to reach base, but Houston scraped across just two runs against him in five innings. Nationals lefty Patrick Corbin then took over, crisply throwing three scoreless innings to hold Houston at bay.

The Nats finally got to Greinke in the seventh inning as third baseman Anthony Rendon ripped a home run to left. After a walk to the young Nats slugger Juan Soto, Astros manager A. J. Hinch replaced Greinke with reliever Will Harris. Nats designated hitter Howie Kendrick touched Harris for a two-run homer, giving Washington a 3-2 lead. The Nats then added insurance runs in the eighth and ninth to make it a 6-2 game. Washington manager Dave Martinez brought in closer Daniel Hudson for the bottom of the ninth, and Hudson recorded the final three outs on just 12 pitches. Nats pitcher Stephen Strasburg was named World Series Most Valuable Player, but the award could have gone to a number of other Nats players who played brilliantly in the series.

August 9, 2016

Sunday afternoon, August 7, Miami Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki collected his 3,000^th career hit in Major League Baseball (MLB). Ichiro, as he is widely called, reached the milestone with a sky-high triple off the right field wall in the 7^th inning of a game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver. Rockies fans—despite their team’s 8-6 deficit at the time—gave Ichiro a standing ovation as the 42-year-old outfielder was mobbed at third base by his Marlins teammates. Ichiro politely doffed his helmet to the Coors Field faithful before resuming the game and scoring the Marlins’ 9^th run. Ichiro—just the 30^th player in MLB history to gather 3,000 hits—is a sure-fire bet to join most of the other “3,000-hit club” members in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, including Paul Molitor, the only other player to triple for his 3,000^th hit.

Miami Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki watches his 3,000 career hit soar toward the right field wall during a game against the Colorado Rockies at Denver’s Coors Field on Aug. 7, 2016. Credit: © Michael Reaves, The Denver Post/Getty Images

Ichiro Suzuki was born in Kasugai, Japan, on Oct. 22, 1973. Before playing in the United States, he was a star in Japanese baseball. As a member of the Orix Blue Wave, Ichiro led Japan’s Pacific League in batting for a record seven consecutive seasons. He won seven Gold Glove awards as the best defensive player at his position and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player three times. Ichiro had 1,278 hits while playing in Japan. He became an international star—and an even bigger hero in Japan—in 2001 when he joined the Seattle Mariners, becoming the first Japanese position player (nonpitcher) in MLB history.

Ichiro’s impact was immediate, winning American League Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in his first MLB season. He then ran off 10 straight seasons with at least 200 hits (an MLB record), including 262 in 2004 (an MLB season record). Seattle traded Ichiro to the New York Yankees during the 2012 season. Ichiro joined the Miami Marlins in 2015. In June 2016, his 2,979^th MLB hit gave him a combined career hit total (including those in Japan) of 4,257, one more than Pete Rose’s career MLB record of 4,256.

Alex Rodriguez—the last player to join the 3,000-hit club (in 2015) and the only active member other than Ichiro—announced he would play his final game this Friday, August 12, for the New York Yankees. Rodriguez’s retirement will end a stellar 22-year career. Unfortunately, Rodriguez’s legacy is tainted by the use of performance-enhancing drugs—something that may keep him from joining Ichiro in the Hall of Fame.

July 13, 2016

Tuesday night, July 12, the powerful All-Star bats of the American League (AL) triumphed over the National League (NL) 4-2 at the Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game at PETCO Park in San Diego, California. The annual “Midsummer Classic” features the best MLB players and determines which league will have home field advantage in that year’s World Series.

Chicago Cubs star Kris Bryant (seen here at Wrigley Field) homered for the National League All-Stars, but the American League won the All-Star Game 4-2 on July 12, 2016.
Credit: MBDChicago (licensed under CC BY 2.0)

The NL jumped to a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Chicago Cubs star Kris Bryant homered off the AL starting pitcher and crosstown rival, Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox. The AL quickly rallied in the second, however, as Kansas City Royals teammates Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez each hit home runs off NL starter Johnny Cueto of the San Francisco Giants for a 3-1 lead. Hosmer drilled a run-scoring single in the third inning, as well, and the NL added a run in the fourth, but the pitching took over after that and no more All-Stars crossed home plate. The only hold-your-breath moment came in the eighth when the NL loaded the bases with two outs. Houston Astros closer Will Harris fanned St. Louis Cardinals rookie Aledmys Diaz on a 3-2 pitch to end the NL threat. Hosmer was named the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player.

Much fanfare surrounded the final All-Star appearance by Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, who has announced he will retire at season’s end. Ortiz is having a superb season, capping a career that began in 1997 with the Minnesota Twins but really took off once he reached Boston in 2003. Ortiz has over 500 career home runs and 1,700 runs batted in–stats that get most players into the Hall of Fame. Ortiz started the All-Star Game at designated hitter and left for a pinch-runner in the third inning after drawing a walk.

In other All-Star festivities, Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton pounded a record 61 home runs to win the Home Run Derby on Monday. On Sunday, the best of Minor League Baseball squared off in the All-Star Futures Game. The World Team downed the United States side 11-3.

The first MLB All-Star Game was played on July 6, 1933, at Comiskey Park on Chicago’s south side. That first game, which featured legendary players Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Babe Ruth, and other Hall of Famers, was expected to be a one-time event and was thus called the “Game of the Century.” The AL beat the NL 4-2 in that game, too.