TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY JULY 31

2005 Bengi and Jose Melina each hit a HR off Randy Johnson
2005 Ryne Sandberg and Wade Boggs inducted into the Hall of Fame
2004 Ichuro Suzuki gets his 50th hit of the month – 1st player since Joe Medwick (1936) to have two 50 hits months in the same season – 1st player since Pete Rose to have three 50 hit months in a career
2004 The Red Sox trade Nomar Garciaparra to the Cubs
1999 Barry Bonds hits a HR in his first two at bats for the second day in a row
1998 Chicago’s Albert Belle hits his 16th HR of the month – MLB record for July
1998 Losing by 9 runs to Oakland in the 8th, Cleveland sends outfielder Mark Whiten in to pitch – gave up a double, hit by a pitch, and 2 walks, but struck out 3 batters – only player in MLB history with at least one inning pitched to get every out with a strike
1997 Oakland trades Mark McGwire to St. Louis
1997 Red Sox trade for Jason Vatriek and Derek Lowe
1994 Giants Matt Williams hits his 40th HR of the year – NL mark for HRs through July – MLB record is 41 (Ruth in 1928 and Jimmie Foxx in 1932)
1994 Steve Carlton, Leo Durocher, and Phil Rizzuto inducted into the Hall of Fame
1988 Jose Canseco becomes the first player to have 30 or more HRs in his first three seasons in the league
1987 Eddie Murray hits his 300th HR – ends with 504
1983 Brooks Robinson, Juan Marichal, and Walter Alston are inducted into the Hall of Fame
1981 50 days after the strike began, MLB players and owners reach an agreement
1978 Pete Rose ties Willie Keeler’s 81 year old record of hitting in 44 consecutive games
1972 Chicago’s Dick Allen hits 2 inside the park HRs in the game – 1st since 1950 and only the 7th in MLB history