On this Friday, we flashback to July 6, 1998 when one of the top pop songs of the year was Iris by Goo Goo Dolls, the Denver Broncos won Super Bowl XXXII, the Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan won their third straight championship, and Ken Griffey Jr. was hitting bombs at Coors Field during the Home Run Derby Contest.
Griffey beat out former Cleveland Indians DH and First-baseman Jim Thome with 19 home runs, including eight in the first round. There were 53 home runs hit in the first-round, which at the time was a record. To compare, Giancarlo Stanton in 2016 hit 61 home runs in the derby and Aaron Judge hit 47 last year.
Griffey initially declined to participate in the 98' Home Run Derby due to a scheduling issue, but changed his mind at the last minute to win his second derby. Good thing, because he ended up going back-to-back and winning the derby again in 1999.