On This Day In Baseball...

Yesterday I pointed out how bad Albert Pujols was doing compared to his former self in 2008, although you can use any year given the slump he's having. And what happened? He hit a home run! Let's see what happens after today's OTDIB!

1919: The Detroit Tigers purchased Dutch Leonard from the New York Yankees for $12,000. In 1914, left-hander Dutch Leonard had a season for the ages for the Red Sox - in 224 2/3 innings and 26 games (25 starts) Leonard was 19-5 with a .96 ERA, and a .886 WHIP. The next two seasons Leonard would pitch pretty well even earning victories in World Series games in 1915 and 1916 for the Red Sox. And if that wasn't enough, Leonard pitched two no-hitters - one in 1916 and one in 1918 against the Detroit Tigers, who probably didn't want to be no-hit again and signed him a year later. Leonard would pitch a few more seasons for the Tigers, having a feud with his manager Ty Cobb, leaving in 1922 and 1923 over a salary dispute to play in an independent league, and returning in 1924 before finally retiring in 1925. Also of note, the hilarity of a player of Leonard's caliber (certainly a pretty good major league) being sold for a mere $12,000.  In today's world Leonard would have signed a $60M deal! 


1925: Tris Speaker gets his 3,000th hit


1970: Hank Aaron gets his 3,000th hit. There seems to be something magical about May 17th and 3,000 hits so what are the chances that Omar Vizquel gets 157 hits today for his 3,000th? 

1978: Carlos Pena is born. From 2001-2006, the former top prospect never played particularly bad, but he was pretty productive posting a 111 OPS+ during that time. Then, in 2007 after playing in fewer than 100 games in the previous two years combined, Pena became the Rays every day first basemen and ripped 46 home runs. Since then, Pena has remained productive (123 OPS+) for the Rays, then the Cubs and now the Rays again. Carlos Pena is a great example of a player with a unique skillset coming with a good pedigree (former top prospect) that wasn't always fully appreciated, and finally excelled once given a full time chance. This year the Orioles are hoping Chris Davis can be that guy.

1994: The Montreal Expos lead baseball with a 53-23 record and the Boston Red Sox are in the cellar with a 30-48 record. Some things would change over the next decade.

2011: Harmon Killebrew passes away. The Killer was an 11-time All-Star, 6-time home run champion en route to 573 homers, MVP and finished with a career 143 OPS+. Not. Too. Shabby. The Killer was an all-time great, but explain to me this - why did it take him 4 years to make the Hall of Fame?

UPDATE:
How did I forget this one?
1998: David Wells throws a perfect game while apparently being "half-drunk" - what a bad fat ass!