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Luis Gonzalez began his 18-year big league career in 1990. By the time left the game in 2008 he solidified his legacy as a baseball legend.

Gonzalez worked to get his big league footing in Houston from 1990 through June of ’95. His time with the Astros was highlighted by his 1993 campaign when he hit an even .300. He mixed in 162 hits – 52 for extra bases – 72 RBI, and 20 stolen bases.

Gonzalez was shipped to the Cubs on June 28th, 1995. After a year and and a half in Chicago, he returned to Houston as a free agent for 1997. The Florida native spent a season with the Astros and another in Detroit before finding a home in the Arizona desert in 1999.

With the Diamondbacks, Gonzalez blossomed. In his initial year there, Gonzo hit .336 with a .403 on-base percentage and a .549 slugging mark. An All Star for the first time, he had a league-leading 206 hits, with 45 doubles, 26 homers, and 111 RBI.

The performance started a five-year run in which Gonzalez slashed .314/.405/.564 and averaged 39 doubles, 34 homers, 115 RBI, and 5.0 WAR per season. During that peak his OPS+ was 141.

His finest season came in 2001. Gonzo put up career-best numbers in runs (128), homers (57), RBI (142), on-base percentage (.429), slugging (.688), OPS+ (174), and WAR (7.9). His campaign included 419 total bases, a figure surpassed by only 8 men in baseball history. All 8 are enshrined in Cooperstown.

The same year Gonzalez hit a walk-off Game 7 RBI single off of Mariano Rivera. It remains the biggest moment in Diamondback franchise history. More on that moment is on this page under the picture of Rivera.

In his age-36 season, Gonzalez’ career began to wind down. From ’04-’08, he suited up for Diamondbacks, Dodgers, and Marlins. Those final five years of his career saw him hit .269 and average 16 homers and 63 RBI per season.

Gonzalez left the game with 1,412 runs, 2,591 hits, 1,55 walks, 596 doubles, 354 homers, 1,018 extra-base hits, 4,385 total bases, and 1,439 RBI. Each of those figures rank in the top-100 in baseball history.

When Gonzalez appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2014 he received less than 0.9% of the vote. Any hopes of induction at Cooperstown now rest in the hands of the Veterans Committee.

In the collection is this Luis Gonzalez autographed Strat-O-Matic card from 1996. Bucknell University math major Hal Richman originated the Strat-O-Matic game in 1961. Advertised in Sports Illustrated and sold out of Richman’s basement, Strat-O-Matic gave its players the ability to make managerial decisions based on MLB statistics.

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After Stan Musial recorded 103 extra-base hits in 1948, baseball had to wait almost a half-century before seeing another triple-digit extra-base hit total. As the use of performance-enhancing drugs became commonplace, the feat was accomplished six times from 1995-2001.

Albert Belle slammed 50 home runs with 52 doubles and one triple in 1995. Five years later Todd Helton not only had 105 extra-base hits, he also tallied 216 hits overall. That put him in a group with Musial, Hank Greenberg, Jimmie Foxx, Chuck Klein, Lou Gehrig, Rogers Hornsby, and Babe Ruth as the only 200/100 men.

In 2001 offense exploded. Helton was one of four players to reach the century mark. Barry Bonds’ 73 homers helped him to 107 XBH while Sammy Sosa’s 64 bombs pushed him to 103. Arizona’s Luis Gonzalez’ career year in ’01 included 57 homers, 36 doubles and 7 triples.

Shown here is a contract signed by Bonds agreeing to have lend his signature to souvenir baseballs with stamped signatures. Bonds was compensated one penny per ball sold. The twice-signed contract is dated May 13, 1988.

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Mariano Rivera is the greatest closer in baseball history. His 652 career saves rank #1 on the all-time list. At his best when it mattered most, Rivera has an MLB-record 42 postseason saves and a stingy 0.70 ERA. In 96 postseason appearances spanning 141 October innings he gave up just 11 earned runs.

Rivera pitched into playoff baseball in 16 seasons covering 32 Series. Despite his regular October appointment, more men have walked on the moon than have scored an earned run off the pitcher.

One of the few runs he did give up a run involved the most memorable hit in Arizona Diamondbacks history. It came courtesy of Luis Gonzalez in 2001.

Appearing in the franchise’s first World Series, the Snakes took the first two games against Rivera’s Yankees. New York stormed back with three-straight Series victories.

Game 6 in Arizona was a lopsided affair as the Snakes pummeled Andy Pettitte for 7 runs in the first two innings. After the lefty’s exit, Arizona tacked on 8 more to force a deciding Game 7.

Roger Clemens got the ball for New York against Arizona’s Curt Schilling. The two hurlers men did not disappoint. Clemens allowed just one run through 6 1/3. Schilling held the Yankees scoreless through the 6th before allowing a run to score in both the 7th and the 8th innings

With just six outs needed for the championship, Yankee skipper Joe Torre summoned Rivera out of the pen for the bottom of the 8th. The right-hander responded by striking out the side. With the nearly-unhittable Rivera on the hill a one-run lead in the 9th felt secure.

The Diamondbacks had other plans.

First baseman Mark Grace opened the inning with a single to center then gave way to a pinch runner. After a fielder’s choice and a throwing error, followed by a failed bunt attempt, Arizona had runners on first and second with one out.

Tony Womack shocked the baseball world by lacing a line-drive double to right to tie the game. Rivera then hit Craig Counsell to load the bases.

As Gonzo came to the plate, play-by-play announcer Joe Buck set the scene. “A chance of a lifetime for Luis Gonzalez. Two-two, bottom of the 9th, Game 7 of the World Series. Bases loaded. Infield in, one out.”

Gonzales fouled off Rivera’s first offering.

Color man Tim McCarver surveyed the situation. “The one problem is Rivera throws inside to left-handers and left-handers get a lot of broken-bat hits into shallow outfield, the shallow part of the outfield. That’s the danger of bringing the infield in with a guy like Rivera on the mound.”

As if on cue, Gonzalez broke his bat on Rivera’s next pitch. The ball landed just past the edge of the infield dirt behind second base.

Buck made the call. “Floater, centerfield. The Diamondbacks are World Champions!”

With the one swing, Gonzalez etched his name into World Series lore and earned the love of Diamondback fans forever.

In the collection is a photo taken of the last Major League pitch in old Yankee Stadium. Fittingly Mariano Rivera is on the hill and has signed, this image adding the inscription, “Final Out 9.21.08”.