MLB History

Once upon a time, before CNN was born, Larry King hosted an all-night radio talk show. The show originated in Washington, D.C., and was syndicated across the USA. As far as over-night radio on the AM dial, Larry was the king of the airwaves.

The Larry King back then was not the kind and gentle, heart-healthy Larry King who we see on television today. The radio version of Larry was a curmudgeonly, sarcastic man who ate lots of pastrami and corned beef at Duke's Deli (a D.C. legend) daily, while seemingly divorcing wives annually. 

Milwaukee Brewer Ryan Braun did something pretty remarkable at Petco Park on Monday night. The left fielder blasted three home runs and hit a triple, resulting in six RBI and 15 total bases.

We've seen players hit three home runs in a game before. Heck, Curtis Granderson did it less than two weeks before Braun.

Marty Appel, in his latest book. Pinstripe Empire, explains why the New York Yankees fell on hard times following the 1964 season.

The Yankees won five consecutive pennants from 1960-64, but unlike the well-remembered first streak of five when they also won the World Series after each pennant (1949-53), this time the Yankees won only two world championships.

A home run in and of itself is a rare occurrence. However, not all home runs are created equal. Some home runs change seasons. Some home runs crush dreams at the same time as they fulfill others.

That is what we are going to talk about today. We are going to celebrate the 20 most memorable home runs in Major League Baseball history. Enjoy!

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USA Today is polling its readers with respect to each team's greatest player. Five "finalists" are selected and fans select the one they consider the best.

The Chicago White Sox have had many great stars. The five finalists for the greatest White Sox player are Luke Appling (.310/.399/.398),  Eddie Collins (.333/.424/.429), Nellie Fox (.288/.348/.363), Frank Thomas (.301/.419/.555) and Ted Lyons (26.-230, 3.67 ERA).

The situation is simple. It’s late in a scoreless ballgame, there are no outs and the number six batter gets a single up the middle. It would only make perfect sense for the next batter to bunt and move the base runner to second, right?

Sixty years ago to this day, Joe DiMaggio recorded a hit in his 56th consecutive game, an MLB record that stands to this day. Although other hitters have come close (most notably Pete Rose’s 44-game streak in 1978), DiMaggio’s streak stands as one of the most immortal accomplishments of all time.

Whitey Ford didn’t know he had been treated with cocaine in an attempt to alleviate the pain in his left shoulder during the 1957 season.

The New York Yankees ace spoke to his friend, Toots Shor, who recommended Dr. Milton Reder. Ford visited the good doctor, received the treatment and reported his shoulder felt better the next day.

Derek Jeter deserves all the praise in the world today.

The New York Yankees captain, who has spent the past decade serving as the de facto face of Major League Baseball, joined the exclusive 3,000-hit club in thunderous fashion, with a solo home run to left field at Yankee Stadium off of Tampa Bay Rays All-Star David Price.

Derek Jeter's quest for 3,000 hits has finally come to an end, becoming only the second player in MLB history to reach the milestone with a home run.

While the New York Yankees get back to business as usual, we as fans have the opportunity to put Jeter's career in perspective in comparison to the other 27 members of the 3,000-hit club.