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A huge sign at The Ballpark in Arlington on May 11, 2003, commemorates Rafael Palmeiro's 500th career home run. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

May 11 in sports history: Entry into 500-HR club but no Fame

By Jon Gold | Last updated 5/10/20

Here's a look back at notable sports news on May 11 through the years.

2003: He would later become infamous for his testimony at a Congressional hearing on steroids in sports, but for one day, Rafael Palmeiro was king.

The Rangers slugger blasted a full-count fastball from Indians pitcher David Elder into the right-field stands for his 500th career home run, becoming the 19th player to join the club.

"I tried to get a fastball in and just didn't get it there," Elder said. "He has 500 reasons why pitchers shouldn't make mistakes. That's not what I wanted to happen."

Palmeiro was the second player to join the 500-homer club that season. Sammy Sosa of the Cubs accomplished the feat on April 5.

"It's a big relief," Palmeiro told reporters after the game. "I tried really not to think about it too much when I went up to the plate, but it's kind of hard not to when you have a sign that is about 600 feet long [on the scoreboard] staring at you from behind the release point of the pitcher."

Palmiero would go on to play two more seasons, both with the Orioles, and he'd celebrate another milestone on July 15, 2005, when he joined Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Eddie Murray (and later, Alex Rodriguez), as the only players in MLB history with 500 home runs and 3,000 hits.

His name remains tainted by his March 17, 2005, testimony to Congress, when he denied using steroids while under oath, saying "Let me start by telling you this: I have never used steroids, period. I don't know how to say it any more clearly than that. Never."

In August 2005, Palmeiro was suspended 10 days for testing positive for using the anabolic steroid stanozolol. Although he retired in 2005 with elite numbers, Palmeiro has been shunned by Hall of Fame voters.

'THE KING' DOES HIS THING

2009: LeBron James led the Cavaliers to their record-extending eighth straight double-digit playoff win, an 84-74 victory over the Hawks in Game 4 of a second-round series.

James scored 27 points as the Cavs became the second team to sweep the first two rounds since the playoffs expanded the first round to best-of-seven in 2003.

But after the game, he made it clear he had bigger goals in mind.

"Why should we celebrate?" James told reporters. "We're playing for a championship. An advance is an advance. It doesn't matter if you win in four games or you win in Game 7. We're happy that we're playing great basketball, but we're not taking for granted what we're doing right now.”

SAY HEY, WHAT A DEAL

1972: It's as unthinkable as the Yankees trading Derek Jeter or the Angels swapping Mike Trout. On this date, the San Francisco Giants dealt legendary outfielder Willie Mays to the New York Mets for minor league pitcher Charlie Williams and cash.

At 41 years old and in his 21st major league season, Mays was far from his peak playing days. But he was a box-office draw in New York, where he started in MLB with the N.Y. Giants in 1951. A reporter asked him if the deal would be a psychological lift.

"When you're 41, there's not much psychology can do for you," Mays said, according to The Associated Press. "Your muscles just don't respond. I haven't played much this year. I have to play myself back into shape. ... I can still swing a bat. I can still run."

DIAMOND GEMS

1963: Sandy Koufax threw the second of his four no-hitters, blanking the San Francisco Giants, 8-0. Koufax walked two, struck out four and lowered his ERA to 1.15, but he made one major error: He forgot to leave game tickets for his parents.

It still was a pretty good day for the Dodgers great.

"Pitching a no-hitter against the Giants is the finest thing that can happen to you," he said afterward.

1996: In an 11-0 win over the Rockies, Al Leiter threw the first no-hitter in Marlins history. Leiter, who played for the World Series champion Blue Jays in 1992 and '93, struck out six, walked two and hit one batter.

"I'm numb; it's like when Joe Carter hit the home run to win the World Series in 1993. At the time, a lot of us felt like, 'What did we just do?'" Leiter said. "On a personal level, this is up there. It's going to take a while to digest it."

1998: Talk about an encore: After setting a National League record with 20 strikeouts in a win over the Houston Astros just five days prior, Cubs rookie star Kerry Wood whiffed 13 Diamondbacks, setting a two-game MLB strikeout record.

The 20-year-old's performance eclipsed the mark of 32 set by Luis Tiant in 1968 and matched by Nolan Ryan (1974), Dwight Gooden (1984) and Randy Johnson (1997).

Wood tried to downplay his early success, telling reporters, "I've had (six) starts. I don't think it's commercial time yet. I'm not one who goes looking for the spotlight. That's not me. I'm not playing this game for all that stuff. I'm a guy who relaxes, watches TV, makes some phone calls. That's how I get away from the game. I shut it down."

ALSO

1900: In a match scheduled for 25 rounds, James J. Jeffries knocked out "Gentleman" Jim Corbett in the 23rd round to retain the heavyweight boxing title. In his previous fight, Corbett knocked out Jack Finnegan 55 seconds into the first round.

1904: In a 1-0 over the Tigers in 15 innings, Boston's Cy Young, the namesake of the award for baseball's top pitcher, had his 23-inning no-hit streak ended. Just six days prior, he pitched a perfect game against the Philadelphia A's.

In addition to pitching a stellar complete game, Young excelled in another area: fielding. "In the first nine innings, the only chance afforded him was of a bunt, but in the 12th inning, he fairly brought the crowd to its feet by making the three assists of the inning — in succession — and in the 13th, he got two more," the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

1968: With a 3-2 win, the Montreal Canadiens completed a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Blues to win the Stanley Cup. The Habs would go on to sweep the Blues in the 1969 Stanley Cup Finals too.

1972: The Boston Bruins capped off arguably their best season in team history, closing out the New York Rangers, 3-0, in Game 6 to win their second Stanley Cup title in three years. Boston won 54 games and lost just 13 times in the regular season.

1992: The teams that would fall to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the 1992 and 1993 NBA Finals — the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns — set a record with the highest-scoring playoff game in NBA history. Portland won, 153-151, in double OT in the Western Conference semifinals.

Happy birthday ...

Cam Newton, the 2015 NFL MVP who led the Panthers to Super Bowl 50. Newton, who won the Heisman Trophy at Auburn, is currently a free agent (31).
Award-winning sports journalist Mike Lupica (68).
Matt Leinart, 2004 Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL quarterback. He was selected 10th overall by the Cardinals in the 2006 NFL Draft but quickly became a journeyman. He currently is a college football analyst for Fox Sports. (37)
Billy Bean, former MLB player for the Dodgers, Padres and Tigers. He made headlines in 1999 when he announced he was gay (56).

R.I.P.

2006: Floyd Patterson, two-time world heavyweight boxing champ and Olympic gold medalist. At age 21, he was the youngest boxer to win the title at the time. He was 71.

May 10: One giant leap for hockey great

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