: Archive

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Smells like teen spirit in Washington

There have been tremendous prospects who have captured the nation upon their arrival to the big leagues, but Ken Griffey Jr.’s debut in 1989 feels most similar to Bryce Harper’s first game this past Saturday, April 28. While Griffey went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and scored a run in his debut for the Mariners against the Athletics on April 3, 1989, Harper was 1-for-3 with a double and picked...

Apr 30th

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McGwire dents scoreboard with blast

On April 30, 1997, Mark McGwire took the term home run blast to another level when he hit a monster shot at Jacobs Field in Cleveland. According to reports, the homer would have traveled 533 feet if it was not impeded by the stadium itself. Oakland won the game, 11-9, and Jason Giambi scored on the two-run McGwire homer. To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps...

Apr 30th

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Harper in good company with extra base hit

At 19 years old, Bryce Harper became just the fourth teenager since 1969 to record an extra-base hit in his Major League debut. He is in excellent company with that feat, joining Ken Griffey Jr. (1989), Adrian Beltre (1998) and Jose Reyes (2003). Harper hit a double in his debut on Saturday, April 28 in a 4-3 loss to the Dodgers. To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the...

Apr 29th

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Historic Game of the Day: Aaron hits No. 600

Hank Aaron hit 755 home runs, but No. 600, which came on April 27, 1971, was a special milestone since the Braves great joined Babe Ruth and Willie Mays as the only players to cross that plateau at the time. The homer came off a 350-foot blast at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium against Gaylord Perry and the San Francisco Giants. To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps...

Apr 27th

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Historic Game of the Day: Coors Field Opener

The Rockies opened Coors Field on April 26, 1995 with an 11-9 victory over the Mets. The game lasted 14 innings and tied the National League record for number of innings played in a season opener. To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today. -Chris R. Vaccaro

Apr 26th

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Player Box Comparison: Darvish vs. Nomo

Each day, Topps Pennant will do a box score comparison between players, usually in different eras or decades. Seventeen years ago, Hideo Nomo stormed onto the major league scene with promise and poise and captured two countries in his quest to play in America. This year, Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish, who like Nomo, hails from Japan, will devour the international highlight reel. In analyzing their...

Apr 25th

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Apr 25th

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Topps Pennant Historical Game of the Day

On April 24, 1962, Sandy Koufax tied a record with 18 strikeouts in a 10-2 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Koufax, who also struck out 18 against the Giants in 1959, shared the record with Indians pitcher Bob Feller, who struck out 18 in 1938 against the Tigers. Of course, Roger Clemens (1986 and 1996) and Kerry Wood (2001) both went on to strikeout 20 batters in a game to share the...

Apr 24th

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Humber grabs spotlight on Letterman

White Sox pitcher Philip Humber made an appearance on the “Late Show” with David Letterman Monday night to celebrate his perfect game. After spending a couple of minutes discussing his pitches – he topped out at 94 mph on his fastball – they had the usual give and take about the historical moment. “If I were you, I’d retire now,” Letterman quipped. Humber’s short stay with the Mets came up...

Apr 24th

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Remember when ... this day in baseball history...

In keeping with the pastime of baseball, Topps Pennant will be bringing you daily historical posts about the game and its greatest moments. Here’s what happened on April 23 … Hodges, Reese make history Here’s a throwback for you: During a 7-6 loss to the Cubs in 1958, Gil Hodges hit his 300th career home run and Pee Wee Reese played in the 2000th game of his career. The Mets win their...

Apr 23rd

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Wagner card sells for $1.2 million

There are only a limited amount of Honus Wagner cards in existence, some say between 60 and 200, so whenever a significant purchase is made involving the hall of famer, it makes news. This past weekend, a Wagner card sold for $1.23 million to an unidentified man from New Jersey at an auction hosted by Goodwin & Co. This particular card is part of the T206 series released in 1909 by the...

Apr 23rd

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Showtime pulls in Marlins for "The Franchise"

It didn’t take 15 seconds before you heard Ozzie Guillen drop an f-bomb. Then he dropped another. And another. That’s the expected and obvious first impression of “The Franchise: A Season with the Miami Marlins” on Showtime, which debuts Wednesday, July 11. Last year the San Francisco Giants were featured on Showtime’s version of “Hard Knocks,” a series HBO has perfected with the NFL. The sneak...

Apr 22nd

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Humber perfect for White Sox

Prior to Saturday’s pitching gem, Philip Humber had never thrown a complete game in his 29 previous Major League starts. So Humber rang in the distance game on the mound with the grandest of performances, throwing the 21st perfect game in baseball history. Humber threw 96 pitches and struck out 9 in the 4-0 victory over Seattle at Safeco Field. This was the first perfect game since Roy Halladay...

Apr 21st

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Red Sox, Yankees play in baseball spectacle

The baseball gods were swirling above Fenway Park Friday as the Red Sox played host to the Yankees on the 100th anniversary of one of the most storied facilities in all of sports and certainly in American culture. Leave it up to the Yankees to spoil an otherwise engaging and capturing day in Red Sox history after beating the boys from Beantown, 6-2. The Bombers struck hard with five home runs...

Apr 21st

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Remember when ... this day in baseball history...

In keeping with the pastime of baseball, Topps Pennant will be bringing you daily historical posts about the game and its greatest moments. Here’s what happened on April 20 … Tom Terrific gets first win Tom Seaver may have won a slew of important games in his illustrious career as a pitcher, but only a few can be as memorable as victory No. 1, which occurred on April 20, 1967. The Mets beat...

Apr 20th

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Remember when ... this day in baseball history...

In keeping with the pastime of baseball, Topps Pennant will be bringing you daily historical posts about the game and its greatest moments. Here’s what happened on April 19 … Baseball Jersey Boys style In 1956, the Brooklyn Dodgers beat Philadelphia, 5-4, in a 10-inning battle at Roosevelt Stadium in what was the first major-league game ever held in New Jersey. According to...

Apr 19th

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