Greatness On This Day In MLB History- May 17, 1970 and 1998

Two significant achievements took place on May 17 in Major League Baseball history. In 1970, Hank Aaron joined the 3,000 hit club during the second game of a doubleheader. In 1998, David Wells threw a perfect game in Yankee Stadium. It was the first there since Don Larsen’s perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1956 World Series. 

May 17, 1970- Hank Aaron hits No. 3,000

Hank Aaron became the ninth player in MLB history to record 3,000 hits. He also became the first player to ever have that many hits, along with at least 500 home runs. The Braves legend’s 3,000th hit was a single on the road against the Cincinnati Reds. He added his 570th career home run later in the game. “Hammerin’ Hank” finished his career with a .305 batting average, 3.771 hits, and 755 home runs. Aaron was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. 

May 17, 1998- David Wells Throws a Perfect Game

David Wells threw a perfect game in a 4-0 win for the New York Yankees against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium. “Boomer” recorded 11 strikeouts that day, even after a disastrous pregame bullpen session. There have been stories shared about Wells partying all throughout the night before and morning of his perfect game which included some of the “Saturday Night Live” crew.

No matter what, Wells was brilliant. After the final out, his teammates mobbed him and carried him off the field on their shoulders. It was the 15th perfect game in MLB history. He ended that season with an 18-4 record while helping the Yankees win another World Series title.

Final Thoughts

May 17 was an exciting day in Major League Baseball. Two players made history on this day. The teams playing in the league today will look to add their name to the history books on this special day.