Rafael Palmeiro Stats

Did you know that Rafael Palmeiro is one of only five ballplayers ( Jimmie Foxx , Mark McGwire , Ken Griffey, Jr. & Manny Ramirez are the other four) in Major League history to hit at least two-hundred career home runs with two different ball clubs?

Did you know that Rafael Palmeiro once held the record for most games played (2,831) by a player born outside of the United States until 2010, when it was broken by Omar Vizquel ?

Did you know that Rafael Palmeiro holds the Major League record for most games played (2,831) without ever appearing in a World Series (#2. 2,671 by Ken Griffey, Jr. , #3. 2,627 by Andre Dawson )?

Did you know that Rafael Palmeiro won three consecutive Gold Glove Awards at first base , 1997 through 1999, but in his final year he played only twenty-eight games at the position?

Did you know that Rafael Palmeiro was inducted into the Mississippi State University Hall of Fame on October 11, 2008, and the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009? As a Bulldog , Palmeiro became the first player from the SEC to win the Triple Crown.

Rafael Palmeiro is a member of both the 500 Home Runs Club and the 3,000 Hits Club - only the fourth player in history to be a member of both. The other three - Hank Aaron , Willie Mays and Eddie Murray - are all in the Hall of Fame. Palmeiro, who had his 3,000th hit on July 15, 2005 , was suspended for violating Major League Baseball's drug program on August 1, 2005, less than three weeks after he joined the "club" and upon returning from his 10-day suspension he retired later that same month. Palmeiro's Hall of Fame hopes ended in 2014, after he was removed from the ballot. His totals: 2011 11.0%, 2012 12.6%, 2013 8.8% and 2014 4.4%.

A press release issued by Rafael Palmeiro said, "I have never intentionally used steroids. Never. Ever. Period. Ultimately, although I never intentionally put a banned substance into my body, the independent arbitrator ruled that I had to be suspended under the terms of the program." To this day, Palmeiro stands by his story that he took a vitamin B-12 shot given to him by Miguel Tejada that was tainted. Share your thoughts about this with fellow baseball fans on Baseball Fever .