This Date in Baseball - Ken Griffey Jr. hits career HR #500 and Sammy Sosa hits career HR #600

This date in baseball history is defined by two milestones. In 2004, Ken Griffey Jr. hit the 500th home run of his Hall of Fame career, a solo shot off Matt Morris that helped the Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-0. Griffey’s milestone reinforced his status as one of the game’s most durable sluggers. Four years later, Sammy Sosa reached 600 career homers with a solo drive off Jason Marquis in a Texas Rangers–Cubs matchup, making him the fifth player to join the club. Sosa was with the Rangers after a year away from baseball, reigniting discussions about longevity and power.

Beyond these marquee moments, the date weaves a tapestry of notable performances. In 1956, Mickey Mantle hit two homers into Briggs Stadium’s right-center in a 7-4 win over Detroit. Cy Acosta became an AL pitcher to bat since DH rule took effect, though he struck out and earned the win in Chicago’s 8-3 victory over California. In 1980, Freddie Patek, at 5-foot-5, homered three times and doubled as the Angels routed the Red Sox 20-2 at Fenway. Scherzer carried a no-hitter into the ninth in 2015 before a hit-by-pitch ended the perfect game in a 6-0 win.