THIS DAY IN BÉISBOL November 19: Sammy Sosa wins NL MVP over Mark McGwire after historic HR race

Sammy Sosa may have lost the single-season home run record race to Mark McGwire in 1998, but on this day in béisbol, November 19, the Chicago Cubs slugger beat the Cardinals first baseman for National League MVP.

Sosa slammed 66 homers to McGwire’s MLB-best 70 in a thrilling competition that captivated the nation and was widely credited for bringing disgruntled fans back to the game after the strike-shortened 1994 season that canceled the World Series for the first time ever.

Both players shattered Yankees outfielder Roger Maris’s record of 61 homers in 1961. But Sosa — who hit more than 60 homers three times in the four-year span from 1998 to 2001 — and McGwire would later fall under the cloud of PED use and their historic feats tarnished.

Also on this day: In 2002, 44-year-old relief pitcher Jesse Orosco signed a one-year, $800,000 deal with the San Diego Padres. The veteran southpaw debuted in 1979 with the New York Mets and played for nine different teams over a 24-year career. He retired in 2003 at age 46 after setting the MLB record for games pitched with 1,252.