Babe Ruth Retires

June 2, 1935 - Babe Ruth announces his retirement as a player at age 40.

June 2, 1941 - New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig dies of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at age 37 in New York. From that time on, the illness is known primarily as Lou Gehrig's Disease.
June 2, 1942 - Red Sox star Ted Williams enlists as a Navy aviator. He will finish the season with his team, as will many other players who enlist or await draft. Among A.L. regulars of 1941 who are now in the service: Johnny Rigney, Joe Grace, Johnny Berardino, Cecil Travis, Bob Feller, Pat Mullin, Buddy Lewis, Sam Chapman, and Johnny Sturm.

June 2, 1958 - Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford fans six in a row to tie an A.L. record as he shuts out the White Sox 3-0.

June 2, 1987 - The Mariners select Cincinnati high schooler Ken Griffey, Jr., the son of Braves outfielder Ken Griffey, with the first overall pick in the free-agent draft.

June 2, 1990 - Seattle's Randy Johnson, at six feet ten inches the tallest pitcher in major-league history, pitches the first Mariners' no-hitter, a 2-0 win over the Tigers. He walks six and strikes out eight.

Catfish Hunter Tosses A Perfect Game Randy Johnson Strikes Out 20 Batters!

May 8, 1929 - Carl Hubbell of the New York Giants pitched a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the first by a left-hander in the majors in thirteen seasons.

May 8, 1947 - According to a story by league president Ford Frick, a movement among Cardinals players to protest their first meeting with Jackie Robinson and the Dodgers is aborted by a clubhouse talk from owner Sam Breadon (who denies the story). Suspended manager Leo Durocher and his wife, Larraine Day, are in the stands as the Dodgers win 7-6 on a Pee Wee Reese home run.

May 8, 1966 - The St. Louis Cardinals closed old Busch Stadium with a 10-5 loss to the San Francisco Giants.

May 8, 1968 - Jim "Catfish" Hunter of the Oakland A's pitched a perfect game to beat the Minnesota Twins 4-0.

May 8, 1998 - Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire connects for his 400th career home run in the third inning at Shea Stadium. McGwire, who has homered every 11.82 at-bats in his career, reaches the milestone in his 4,726th at-bat, beating babe Ruth to that plateau by 128 at-bats. McGwire is the 26th major league player to hit 400 home runs.

May 8, 2001 - Randy Johnson became only the third pitcher to strike out twenty batters in nine innings, but didn't finish the game as Arizona went on beat Cincinnati 4-3 in 11 innings. The Big Unit, the first left-hander to fan twenty, missed out on the chance to join Roger Clemens and Kerry Wood as the record-holders for a nine-inning game because Arizona could not finish off the Reds in regulation.