The Upper Deck: Happy Birthday Mike Trout
Welcome to The Upper Deck, Baseball America’s daily look at the biggest stories around the game and some lighter fare.
BIRTHDAY BOY’S BIG BASH
Mike Trout celebrated his 26th birthday the only way Mike Trout knows how — by playing baseball at an extremely high level.
The two-time American League MVP collected his 1,000th career hit with a fourth-inning double Monday night against the Baltimore Orioles, and then added his 23rd home run of the season two innings later.
It was the fourth time Trout has homered on his birthday and he now joins Mel Ott, Jimmie Foxx and Mickey Mantle as the only players in MLB history to have 1,000 hits, 500 runs and 500 walks before their age-26 season.
Before the game, Trout’s teammates sang the “Happy Birthday” song and doused the six-time All-Star with an array of messy objects and liquids.
Birthday Gift from the boys !! #Angels pic.twitter.com/fRUlEsn07I
— Mike Trout (@MikeTrout) August 7, 2017
150 AND COUNTING
That’s 150 dingers for Mr. Harper. pic.twitter.com/fjEmVgkGt9
— MLB (@MLB) August 8, 2017
Bryce Harper became the 14th player in MLB history to hit his 150th career home run before his 25th birthday Monday night, when he unloaded a solo shot in the fourth inning of the Nationals’ 3-2 win over the Miami Marlins.
Harper’s homer, which was his 29th of the season, came at the exact same age that Mike Trout hit his 150th career home run back in 2015 — 24 years and 295 days.
GREAT CANADIAN BALL PARK
With his two-run homer in the bottom of the third inning Monday night, Joey Votto set the all-time record for most career home runs at Great American Ball Park with 136.
The blast, which was Votto’s 30th of the season and third in the past three days, broke a tie between the current Reds first baseman and former teammate Jay Bruce. Great American Ball Park opened in 2003.
Votto, who was born in Toronto, has hit 251 career home runs and is now tied with Ted Kluszewski for fifth-most in Reds franchise history.
SPEEDY BAEZ
🎶 Everyday I’m hustling. 🎶 pic.twitter.com/5sMUocnVSI
— MLB (@MLB) August 8, 2017
According to Statcast, Javier Baez needed just 16.11 seconds to record his first career inside-the-park home run during the Chicago Cubs 3-0 win over the San Francisco Giants.
Baez’ quick feat was the 10th inside-the-park home run in the 18-year history of AT&T Park and it was the first by a Cubs player since Anthony Rizzo did so on June 29, 2016 in Cincinnati.
SAYING GOODBYE
Former American League MVP and 1995 National League Manager of the Year Don Baylor died Monday at the age of 68, just one day after Philadelphia Phillies legend Darren Daulton passed away at the age of 55.
Baylor, who was the 1979 AL MVP as an outfielder for the then-California Angels, died after a bout with multiple myeloma. Daulton, a three-time All-Star as a member of the Phillies from 1983-1997, suffered from a form of brain cancer known as glioblastoma.
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