June 3

1971 Pitcher Ken Holtzman of the Chicago Cubs throws the second no-hitter of his career, victimizing the hosts Cincinnati Reds 1–0. Holtzman scores the only run, unearned, in the third inning, to beat Reds pitcher Gary Nolan.


1990 Buck Rodgers becomes the fifth managerial casualty of the season, and the third in the National League East. Tom Runnels replaces Rodgers as the new Montreal Expos manager.

1993 With the first pick in the 1993 Major League Baseball Draft, the Seattle Mariners select Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod signs with the team August 30, 1993. Other notable selections include Trot Nixon (#7, Boston Red Sox), Billy Wagner (#12, Houston Astros), Derek Lee (#14, San Diego Padres), Torii Hunter (#20, Minnesota Twins), Scott Rolen (second round, Philadelphia Phillies), Kevin Millwood (11th round, Atlanta Braves), Gary Matthews Jr. (13th round, Padres), Jermaine Dye (17th round, Braves), John Rocker (18th round, Braves) and Kirk Presley, whom the New York Mets selected number eight overall. Presley never played in the majors; he is, however, the third cousin of Elvis Presley.

Born

Stephen John Lyons (born June 3, 1960) is a former Major League Baseball player and a television sportscaster. He is of French and Irish descent, and currently resides in Hermosa Beach, California.

Aaron David Ledesma (born June 3, 1971 in Union City, California) was an infielder for the Major League Baseball team the New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and Colorado Rockies.

Richard Lambert Rundles (born June 3, 1981) is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals organization. From 1999 to 2007, Rundles played in minor league baseball with six different organizations.

Died

George Hemming (December 15, 1868 – June 3, 1930), also known as Old Wax Figger, was a pitcher in major league baseball in the late-19th century. His first season was with the Cleveland Infants, most likely because his hometown, Carrollton was nearby. However, his career soon left Cleveland and went to teams such as the Brooklyn Grooms, Cincinnati Reds, Louisville Colonels, and Baltimore Orioles. His best performance was with the 1895 Baltimore Orioles, when he posted his career high in wins (20) and E.R.A. (4.05)

Andrew Lewis Cooper (April 24, 1898 - June 3, 1941), nicknamed "Lefty," was an left-handed pitcher, who hit right-handed, in baseball's Negro Leagues. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. Cooper, who was born in Waco, Texas, played nine seasons for the Detroit Stars and ten seasons for the Kansas City Monarchs. He also managed the Monarchs from 1928 to 1940, winning the pennant four times. He holds the Negro League career record for saves (29).

Frank Spruiell "Jakie" May (November 25, 1895 - June 3, 1970) was a former professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher over parts of fourteen seasons (1917-1921, 1924-1932) with the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs. For his career, he compiled a 72-95 record in 410 appearances, most as a relief pitcher, with an 3.88 earned run average and 765 strikeouts.

Frederick Lieb (March 5, 1888 – June 3, 1980) was an sportswriter and baseball historian. He and his wife Mary were especially close to Lou Gehrig. Walter Brennan's character in the movie The Pride of the Yankees was loosely based on him. He was also known for coming up with the nickname for Yankee Stadium - 'The House that Ruth Built.'