It was on this day in 1979 that Carl Yastrzemski hit his 3,000th career hit.  He became the fifteenth player in Major League history to reach that milestone.

Carl Yastrzemski  played his entire 23-year baseball career with the Boston Red Sox, accumulating a total of 3,419 hits thanks to a .285 career batting average.  On September 12, 1979, Yaz recorded hit number 3000 with a single off New York Yankees pitcher Jim Beattie.  He was the first American League player to record both 3000 hits and 400 home runs over the course of a career, and he currently ranks 7th all-time in career hits.

Yaz’s most impressive season came in 1967, as he led the Red Sox to the American League pennant, won the AL MVP award, and became the last batter to win a triple crown in the Majors.  Unfortunately for him, he was never able to earn a World Series championship with the Red Sox.

Here is a look at Yaz’s 1967 dream season.

Notable Birthdays

Jesse Owens, Track – Born on September 12, 1913 in Oakville, Alabama

Yao Ming, NBA – Born on September 12, 1969 (age 43) in Shanghai, China

Ángel Cabrera, Golf – Born on September 12, 1980 (age 32) in Cordoba, Argentina