Today in Performance Sneaker History: Jose Canseco Initiates the 40-40 Club in Vintage Mizuno Cleats

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The 40-40 club is one of professional baseball's rarest and exclusive groups. To achieve the milestone, a player must hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a single season. In 2003, Jay-Z named his NYC nightclub after the elite distinction. But its history may not run quite as deep as you'd think. In fact, it's so modern that none of its members have been elected to the Hall of Fame. The unparalleled class began on September 23, 1988, when Jose Canseco of the Oakland Athletics stole his 39th and 40th bases of the season.

The A's defeated the Milwaukee Brewers in a close 9-8 showdown, and Jose Canseco went on to make history by becoming the first player to enter the 40-40 club. Making his feat even more impressive was the fact that months earlier, Canseco actually predicted that he would pull it off. Making good on his promise, Canseco wore a pair of vintage Mizuno cleats. This 25-year old model is long gone from retail shelves, but you can shop Mizuno's current baseball selection here.

Since Canseco's historic groundbreaking, only three other players have entered the 40-40 club: Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and Alfonso Soriano.

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