HOVG REWIND: May 24, 2016

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY courtesy of National Pastime

2000 – Mark McGwire becomes the fastest player to hit 20 home runs in one season, reaching the mark in 35 games. ‘Big Mac’ accomplishes the feat in six less contests than Mickey Mantle (1956) and his own record (1998).

2002 – After a container is seen being dropped from a low-flying plane hitting and bouncing off the stadium roof onto the street, Seattle hazardous materials crews close off the roads around Safeco Field for about an hour. The object turns outs to be the remains of an unidentified man’s cremated ashes.

2006 – Swinging on the first pitch in his first major league at-bat, Adam Wainwright homers in the fifth inning of the Cardinals’ 10-4 win over San Francisco at AT&T Park. The 24 year-old right-hander also tosses three innings in relief to record his second career victory.

And finally…in 2007, in his 1,000th major league game, Ichiro Suzuki goes 3-for-6, giving the Mariner outfielder a career total of 1,414 hits. Only Hall of Famer Al Simmons compiled more in a same span of games, collecting 1,443 from 1924-1931 for the Philadelphia A’s.

STAT OF THE DAY provided by @HighHeatStats

Five years ago today, Carlos Quentin became the third ever White Sox right fielder to hit three homers in a game. Harold Baines did it twice (1982 and 1984) and Claudell Washington(?!?) once, in 1979.

PLAYERS BORN TODAY

Greg Briley (1965), Rob Ducey (1965), Bartolo Colon (1973) and Brad Penny (1978)