San Francisco Giants History: Steve Finley Joins 300-300 Club
By David Hill
The 300-300 club is a testament to a player’s longevity with both power and speed. On this day in 2006, San Francisco Giants outfielder Steve Finley became the sixth member of that prestigious fraternity.
Each year, we will see players show solid power and speed. They will hit around 30 to 40 homers, while stealing double digit bases. Every once in a while, there will be a player who either joins the 30-30 club, or comes close to those totals. However, more often than not, those players lose their speed over their careers, or the power goes away.
In rare instances, there are those players who can retain both their power and speed throughout their career. Over the course of major league history, five players had managed to hit 300 homers and steal 300 bases. On this day in 2006, San Francisco Giants outfielder Steve Finley became the sixth member of that club.
Sitting on 299 homers, Finley did not wait long to make history. Leading off against Claudio Vargas and the Arizona Diamondbacks, Finley launched the 2-2 offering to right for a home run. The Giants continued to pile on to the Diamondbacks afterwards, taking an 11-4 victory.
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Interestingly enough, when Finley joined the 300-300 club, he became the second player to do so within a week. Just four days previously, Reggie Sanders became a member of the 300-300 club while playing for the Kansas City Royals. Finley was also the fifth member of the club with ties to the Giants, as Sanders, Bobby Bonds, Willie Mays, and Barry Bonds all were a part of the organization. Carlos Beltran, who would join the group in 2012, also played for the Giants.
Finley ended his career linked to Mays in another way. He was the only other player to finish his career with 300 homers, 425 doubles, 125 triples, and 300 stolen bases, joining the all time great at that level of power and speed. Yet, Finley only received four votes for the Hall of Fame in 2013, falling off the ballot.
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An underrated player, Steve Finley had a solid career, showing impressive power and speed. On this day in 2006, the San Francisco Giants outfielder became the sixth member of the 300-300 club.