@zach

2mo

A No-No With No Strikeouts

Since 1898, there have been 283 no-hitters in Major League Baseball. In all but four of them, the pitcher responsible threw at least one strikeout. Two of these no-hitters came in the dead ball era, with Pete Dowling completing the feat in 1901 and Earl Hamilton doing the same in 1912. The live ball era saw Sad Sam Jones accomplish the oddity in 1923. However, the final strikeout-less no-hitter happened on August 19th, 1969, with Chicago Cubs pitcher Ken Holtzman going the distance with three walks allowed. Holtzman gave up 12 ground balls and 15 fly balls to the visiting Atlanta Braves, with his closest call coming in the seventh inning. Hank Aaron hit a deep fly ball to left field that had no business staying in the yard, but the Friendly Confines must have felt generous that day, with the ball landing in Billy Williams’ glove right in front of the ivy. Personally, I don’t think we will ever see another no-hitter without even a single strikeout. It’s beyond impressive that there’s been one in an era that even vaguely resembles modern baseball today.

Cubs

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Mr. Cub Joins the 500 Club

On May 12, 1970, Ernie Banks stepped up at Wrigley Field in the second inning against Atlanta Braves left-hander Pat Jarvis. He was sitting on 499. He hit the next pitch into the left-field bleachers. Career home run #500. Mr. Cub became just the 9th player in MLB history to reach the milestone, joining a club that to that point included Babe Ruth, Mel Ott, Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Eddie Mathews, and Hank Aaron — every name a Hall of Famer, every name an icon. Banks circled the bases under heavy May rain that delayed the game shortly after. The Cubs eventually won 4-3 in 11 innings. The 39-year-old Banks would play one more season after this one, retiring with 512 career home runs — every single one in a Cubs uniform. Banks never played a postseason game. His Cubs never won a pennant in his 19 seasons. But he was the most beloved player in Chicago history and "Let's play two!" lived on long after he hung up the glove.

@Landon

Max Max Muncy Muncy

Please take a moment to look at the picture up above. Yes, that is true. Though it seems like a glitch in the matrix it’s not. These two individuals share the exact same name, same profession, some position, drafted by the same team, mostly hit towards the bottom of the order, and don’t even know each other. Completely unrelated too! I’d love to see these two on the same team one day.

@ChuckieHussy

500 / 500 Club, Membership of One

On June 23rd, 2003 In a dramatic extra inning game at Pac Bell Park (now Oracle Park) against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers, Bonds delivered one of the signature moments of his career. In the bottom of the 11th inning of a 2-2 tie, he reached base and then swiped second against prime-time closer Éric Gagné (one of the most dominant relievers of that era). That theft was his 500th career stolen base. He famously pulled the base out of the ground, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and carried it off the field as the crowd erupted. The Giants went on to win 3-2 in walk-off fashion, with Bonds scoring the winning run later in the inning. This moment capped an incredible stretch for Bonds. In 2003, despite playing only 130 games, he hit .341 with 45 HR, slugged .749, and posted a .529 on-base percentage — walking 148 times. en.wikipedia.org Love him or hate him (and the era's PED controversies fuel plenty of debate), the 500-500 club remains a club of one more than two decades later. It perfectly symbolizes the rare blend of power, speed, plate discipline, and longevity that defined Bonds at his peak. No one else has come close. This moment capped an incredible stretch for Bonds. In 2003, despite playing only 130 games, he hit .341 with 45 HR, slugged .749, and posted a .529 on-base percentage — walking 148 times. Love him or hate him (and the era's PED controversies fuel plenty of debate), the 500-500 club remains a club of one more than two decades later. It perfectly symbolizes the rare blend of power, speed, plate discipline, and longevity that defined Bonds at his peak. No one else has come close.