April 15, 1997: Ken Griffey Jr. wears number 42 to honor Jackie Robinson on 50th anniversary
April 15, 1997, was the 50th anniversary of one of the most impactful…
April 22, 1997: College pitcher Scott Barnsby joins Fenway Park no-hit pantheon
The honor roll of great Fenway Park pitching performances would…
May 7, 1997: Expos score record 13 runs in sixth inning
“If the wheels come off, it’s better they come off all at…
May 16, 1997: Widger helps Expos win a wild one
Fans arriving at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium on Friday, May…
May 30, 1997: Mike Mussina retires 25 straight batters while firing brilliant 1-hitter
The Baltimore Orioles were flying high as June 1997 approached.…
June 5, 1997: Alex Rodriguez hits for million-dollar cycle
When Alex Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners stretched a blooper…
June 13, 1997: Minnesota Twins win first interleague game in the Astrodome
After decades of attempts to get the American and National Leagues…
June 16, 1997: Mark Smith’s homer lifts Pirates over Twins in Metrodome’s first-ever interleague game
Interleague play brought National League clubs to American League…
June 16, 1997: Mets win their first regular-season game against Yankees
The New York City subway system, established in 1904, brings…
June 22, 1997: Louisville Redbirds manage only two hits against Iowa Cubs
Sunday, June 22, 1997, saw the rubber match in the series between…
June 30, 1997: Montreal-Toronto rivalry finds a new outlet in baseball
The old-timers still talk about the melee that broke out at the…
July 1, 1997: Expos beat Blue Jays in a Canada Day Classic
On Tuesday, July 1, 1997, Canada celebrated its 130th birthday…
July 8, 1997: Hometown hero Sandy Alomar Jr. homers in All-Star MVP performance
As the 1997 All-Star break came into view, Sandy Alomar Jr. was…
July 10, 1997: Hideki Irabu brings Japan to Yankee Stadium
“[Hideki Irabu] literally took on a nation to come here. He…
July 12, 1997: Cordova, Rincon, and Smith provide fireworks for Pirates in 10-inning no-hitter
It took the dual attractions of a Jackie Robinson number-retirement…
July 28, 1997: Brewers’ Steve Woodard whiffs 12 in first big-league start
Steve Woodard proved to be just what the doctor ordered for the…
August 2, 1997: Todd Helton homers in major-league debut, but Pirates edge Rockies
In 1997 Todd Helton was one of baseball’s most prominent prospects…
August 12, 1997: After Rex Barney’s death, a quiet night at Camden Yards
The regular season was starting to wind down. The Orioles had…
August 29, 1997: Braves return to Boston for interleague play
When Major League Baseball announced that interleague play would…
August 31, 1997: Loss ends Expos’ affiliation with West Palm Beach after almost 30 years
On the first day of November 1968, minor-league baseball fans…
September 1, 1997: Boston, Montreal take their rivalry to the baseball diamond as Vladimir Guerrero walks it off
Boston and Montreal — two cities tied together by one of the…
September 2, 1997: ‘Freak Show’ Pirates get closer in NL Central race with Shawon Dunston’s two-homer debut
With two shortstops sidelined and their improbable run for the…
September 10, 1997: Buffalo Bisons win final American Association championship
The American Association prepared to crown its final victor at…
September 13, 1997: Mets not quite dead and buried after Gilkey’s walk-off home run
The walk-off home run is the most dramatic and exhilarating of…