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Jimmie Foxx was the youngest player to hit 500 homers, reaching the milestone at 32. Willie Mays, Sammy Sosa, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth also hit theirs at 34. Jung Keun Bong (1-1) allowed three hits in six scoreless innings and three relievers finished a combined four-hit shutout to end the Reds' nine-game road losing streak. The slump was the team's longest since they dropped 10 in a row from June 1-24, 1998. The star center fielder ended a frustrating stretch with the swing, which helped theCincinnati Reds beat theSt.
Morris (7-6), who had won his previous three starts, gave up six runs on six hits in six innings. He has allowed a major league-high 23 homers in 15 starts and wasn't overly perturbed about being a footnote to history. He ended up hitting 15 dingers for Cincinnati in 425 plate appearances prior to being dealt at the non-waiver trade deadline.
Hairston out 2-4 weeks
Griffey gave Crummley the jersey off his back and a large shopping bag filled with other memorabilia that included a signed bat from Casey. "But they would do it whatever the circumstances were because they appreciated it. That's why they're the best fans in baseball." The base coaches simply shook Griffey's hand as he passed by.
Fred McGriff needs seven homers to become the 21st player to hit 500. Who knows where Griffey could’ve landed on the all-time home run list if he didn’t miss the equivalent of two full seasons between 2002 and 2004 because of injuries. But still, finishing with 630 homers over the span of 22 years is incredible. And we can’t forget about the style/swag he brought to the game when nobody else was really doing it. The every-two-years-for-a-milestone-homer streak ended, but by the time Griffey entered the 500-homer club in 2004, he did it on what was already a memorable day.
Ken Griffey Jr. hits 600th homer
When Griffey crossed the plate, he tapped fists with teammate Adam Dunn, who then patted Griffey on the helmet. All of his teammates then came out on the field to congratulate him after the historic homer. “My father hit 152 home runs, and that’s who I wanted to be like,” said Griffey, whose father also played for the Reds.
His name has never come up in baseball's steroids scandal. Unlike Sosa, he's never been caught using a doctored bat. He went another 29 at-bats, and even got a day off during the week to work on his swing, before hitting No. 599. The game was the last one of an eight-game road trip for the Reds, who will return home Tuesday night to play the St. Louis Cardinals. Griffey received a standing ovation from the crowd of 16,003 and responded by coming out of the Reds dugout and waving his helmet to the fans.
Griffey Hits 600th Career Home Run
After coming up short a couple of times in the recent past, Griffey also etched his name among MLB’s Home Run Derby winners during the All-Star break. If you grew up in the 1990s and loved baseball, it was required that you spent time alone in your bedroom re-watching Ken Griffey Jr. home runs while imitating his swing and strut. To be real, though, if I had to watch him hit baseballs on loop for hours on end with no break, I wouldn’t be mad at all. Last season, he played in 144 games — his most since 2000 — and hit 30 homers, leaving him seven shy of No. 600.
It seemed like a sure bet that when his nine-year, $116.5 million contract was wrapping up this year, he'd be the next home run king, or close to it. Then, the city would have two of its own atop baseball's revered lists — Pete Rose as the hits king, Junior as the home run king. Then, the city would have two of its own atop baseball's revered lists - Pete Rose as the hits king, Junior as the home run king. Unlike Bonds and Sosa, Griffey has stayed clear of questions about whether he came by all of his homers legitimately.
When Griffey was traded to his hometown team before the 2000 season, he was significantly ahead of Aaron's record home run pace. Griffey hit No. 597 on April 23 at Great American Ball Park, then went 90 at-bats - the second-longest drought of his career - before connecting again in San Diego on May 22. The slugger hasn't enjoyed many golden moments since the Reds got him from Seattle in 2000. Police said they had found the fan with the baseball and would look at video tape to see if Kimball's claims could be supported. Justin Kimball, a 25-year-old from Miami, said he caught the home run ball, put it in a wool cap and then had the cap ripped from his hands.
The 13-time all-star is a lifetime .289 hitter with 600 HRs, 1,730 RBIs and 1,575 runs in 2,439 games over 20 MLB seasons with the Seattle Mariners and Reds. Cincinnati Reds outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. hit the 600th home run of his major-league career during the first inning of Monday's 9-4 victory over the Florida Marlins. Cincinnati Reds outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. hit the 600th home run of his major-league career in Monday's 9-4 victory over the Florida Marlins. Griffey hit a 2-2 fastball fromMatt Morris into the right-field stands to lead off the sixth inning Sunday, securing a spot in the record books as the 20th player with 500 homers.
At 34, he became the sixth-youngest player to reach the milestone. Yes, you read that date correctly – this was the second time in Griffey’s career that he hit a milestone home run on his father’s birthday. This one was a little extra special because he became the youngest to reach that number at the young age of 30.
"I guess people have been doing that 500 times, and it didn't work." Griffey hit a pair of high fly balls in his first two at-bats. He flied out to center near the warning track leading off the second, and hit a sacrifice fly to center to drive in the first run in the Reds' five-run fourth against Morris. Griffey is the second player to hit his 500th homer in St. Louis. Mark McGwire connected for his 500th off Andy Ashby of the San Diego Padres in 1999. The ball was caught by 19-year-old Mark Crummley of Mount Carmel, Ill., who gave it back to Griffey after the game.
"It is just one of those things where I'm going to pitch to these guys and don't back down from it. You're going to give up home runs." The Reds, who got a three-run homer from Jason LaRue in the fourth, also averted a three-game sweep and ended the Cardinals' six-game winning streak. "Under those circumstances, it wasn't like it was a game winner," Cardinals right fielder Reggie Sanders said.
After hitting his 400th dinger on his father’s 50th birthday, he hit number 500 on Father’s Day, with his dad in attendance. This was his first full season since that 1993 breakout, as he played just 111 games in 1994 because of the strike and 72 in 1995 because of a broken wrist. This ended up starting the unequivocal peak of his Hall of Fame career, which included five straight seasons with at least 40 homers and 115 RBI. Griffey, one of baseball's most prolific sluggers before injuries began to take their toll, started the season with 593 home runs. Griffey received a standing ovation from the relatively sparse crowd and responded by coming out of the Reds dugout and tipping his helmet to the fans.
Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. "It's awesome every time you see a milestone like that," Baker said. When Perez was the Reds’ hitting coach in the late 1980s, one of his Big Red Machine teammates brought him a special assignment.
Griffey hit 40 homers in his first season with the Reds, when he became the youngest to reach 400 career. Then came a succession of major injuries — torn hamstrings, torn patella tendon, separated shoulder, torn ankle — that knocked him way off Aaron's pace. Then came a succession of major injuries - torn hamstrings, torn patella tendon, separated shoulder, torn ankle - that knocked him way off Aaron's pace. Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 600th home run on Monday night, completing his long ascent and becoming the sixth player in history to reach that milestone. Barry Bonds is third on the career list with 676, Sosa has 549 and Rafael Palmeiro has 538.
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