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1913 In a game which features President Woodrow Wilson throwing out the first pitch, Washington's Walter Johnson gives up an unearned run in the first inning of the home opener but will not yield another for 56 innings. The Senators beat the Yankees, 2-1.
1947 During the sixth inning of an exhibition game against their minor league team at Ebbets Field, the Montreal Royals, Dodgers' president Branch Rickey issues a two sentence statement to the press which will forever change the game. It reads "The Brooklyn Dodgers today purchased the contract of Jackie Roosevelt Robinson from the Montreal Royals. He will report immediately."
1950 Due to a salary dispute, Al Widmar quits team and threatens to sue baseball. The Browns' pitcher will sign a contract within the week.
1959 Nellie Fox, who goes 5-for-7, hits a 14th-inning Opening Day an unlikely home run off Don Mossi to beat the Tigers, 9-7. The White Sox second baseman did not homer in 623 at-bats the last season.
1961 In the last opener ever to be played at Griffith Stadium, rookie president JFK throws out the longest and hardest thrown ceremonial first pitch in history as the ball sails over the heads of the players lined up in front of the presidential box. The newly elected commander in chief, an avid Red Sox fan, stays for the entire game and sees the 'new' Washington Senators, the former team moved to Minnesota, play their first game losing to the White Sox, 4-3.
1962 At Colt Stadium in Houston, thanks to a pair of three-run home runs by Roman Mejias, the Colt 45's, in their first ever major league game, defeat the Cubs, 11-2. Former Yankee hurler Bobby Shantz gets the win for the new franchise.
1969 Met center fielder Tommy Agee hits a monster shot into the upper deck in left field making it the longest home run to reach the seats in Shea Stadium history; Disc commemorating Agee's historic homer at Shea Stadium.
1971 Despite temperatures in the low 40s, a crowd of 55,352, the largest in the history of Pennsylvania ever to watch a baseball game, witness the Phillies first game at Veterans Stadium. Jim Bunning throws the first pitch and Larry Bowa singles, for the park's first hit, as Philadelphia defeats the Expos, 4-1.
1973 A crowd of 39,464 chilly fans watch the first game at Royals Stadium and see the home team rout Rangers, 12-1.
1977 At Fenway Park, the Indians (13) and the Red Sox (6) established a major league record for the most runs scored by both teams in one inning. The eighth inning barrage proves to be too much too much for Boston as Cleveland beats the home team, 19-9.
1981 On Opening Day, White Sox catcher Carlton Fisk, playing the first game of his career while not wearing a Red Sox uniform makes a dramatic return to Fenway hitting a three-run homer in the eighth to knot the score at 3-3. Chicago will tack on two more runs in the ninth, and will beat Boston, 5-3.
1982 A crowd 62,443 fans show up with the game-time temperature 38 degrees with a wind chill of 17 to see the Indians drop the season opener to the Rangers, 8-3. Five hundred tons of snow had to be removed from the Municipal Stadium field prior to the game.
1985 Cal Ripken sprains his left ankle during a pick-off play in the third inning of a game (444 of the streak) against the Rangers. The 'Iron man' does not leave the game and X-rays taken later in the day will m reveal no fractures.
1989 Blue Jay's Dave Stieb pitches his third one-hitter in his past four starts beating the Yankees, 8-0.
1990 Wade Boggs is intentionally walked three times tying a major league mark for nine inning game.
2000 On his father's 50th birthday, Ken Griffey Jr. becomes the youngest player (30 years, 141 days) to hit 400 career homers beating Jimmie Foxx's previous mark (30 years, 248 days old).
2003 By hitting his 31st career leadoff homer, Astros' outfielder Craig Biggio breaks Bobby Bonds' National League record. The major league mark of 80 belongs to Rickey Henderson.
2003 In a 7-6 victory over the Cardinals at Coors Field, the Rockies turned the first triple play in club history. With Scott Rolen on second base and Tino Martinez on first, Colorado's first baseman Todd Helton catches Orlando Palmeiro's soft liner for the first out and throws to shortstop Jose Hernandez who steps on second for the second out and then tags Matinez to complete the triple killing.
1947 During the sixth inning of an exhibition game against their minor league team at Ebbets Field, the Montreal Royals, Dodgers' president Branch Rickey issues a two sentence statement to the press which will forever change the game. It reads "The Brooklyn Dodgers today purchased the contract of Jackie Roosevelt Robinson from the Montreal Royals. He will report immediately."
1950 Due to a salary dispute, Al Widmar quits team and threatens to sue baseball. The Browns' pitcher will sign a contract within the week.
1959 Nellie Fox, who goes 5-for-7, hits a 14th-inning Opening Day an unlikely home run off Don Mossi to beat the Tigers, 9-7. The White Sox second baseman did not homer in 623 at-bats the last season.
1961 In the last opener ever to be played at Griffith Stadium, rookie president JFK throws out the longest and hardest thrown ceremonial first pitch in history as the ball sails over the heads of the players lined up in front of the presidential box. The newly elected commander in chief, an avid Red Sox fan, stays for the entire game and sees the 'new' Washington Senators, the former team moved to Minnesota, play their first game losing to the White Sox, 4-3.
1962 At Colt Stadium in Houston, thanks to a pair of three-run home runs by Roman Mejias, the Colt 45's, in their first ever major league game, defeat the Cubs, 11-2. Former Yankee hurler Bobby Shantz gets the win for the new franchise.
1969 Met center fielder Tommy Agee hits a monster shot into the upper deck in left field making it the longest home run to reach the seats in Shea Stadium history; Disc commemorating Agee's historic homer at Shea Stadium.
1971 Despite temperatures in the low 40s, a crowd of 55,352, the largest in the history of Pennsylvania ever to watch a baseball game, witness the Phillies first game at Veterans Stadium. Jim Bunning throws the first pitch and Larry Bowa singles, for the park's first hit, as Philadelphia defeats the Expos, 4-1.
1973 A crowd of 39,464 chilly fans watch the first game at Royals Stadium and see the home team rout Rangers, 12-1.
1977 At Fenway Park, the Indians (13) and the Red Sox (6) established a major league record for the most runs scored by both teams in one inning. The eighth inning barrage proves to be too much too much for Boston as Cleveland beats the home team, 19-9.
1981 On Opening Day, White Sox catcher Carlton Fisk, playing the first game of his career while not wearing a Red Sox uniform makes a dramatic return to Fenway hitting a three-run homer in the eighth to knot the score at 3-3. Chicago will tack on two more runs in the ninth, and will beat Boston, 5-3.
1982 A crowd 62,443 fans show up with the game-time temperature 38 degrees with a wind chill of 17 to see the Indians drop the season opener to the Rangers, 8-3. Five hundred tons of snow had to be removed from the Municipal Stadium field prior to the game.
1985 Cal Ripken sprains his left ankle during a pick-off play in the third inning of a game (444 of the streak) against the Rangers. The 'Iron man' does not leave the game and X-rays taken later in the day will m reveal no fractures.
1989 Blue Jay's Dave Stieb pitches his third one-hitter in his past four starts beating the Yankees, 8-0.
1990 Wade Boggs is intentionally walked three times tying a major league mark for nine inning game.
2000 On his father's 50th birthday, Ken Griffey Jr. becomes the youngest player (30 years, 141 days) to hit 400 career homers beating Jimmie Foxx's previous mark (30 years, 248 days old).
2003 By hitting his 31st career leadoff homer, Astros' outfielder Craig Biggio breaks Bobby Bonds' National League record. The major league mark of 80 belongs to Rickey Henderson.
2003 In a 7-6 victory over the Cardinals at Coors Field, the Rockies turned the first triple play in club history. With Scott Rolen on second base and Tino Martinez on first, Colorado's first baseman Todd Helton catches Orlando Palmeiro's soft liner for the first out and throws to shortstop Jose Hernandez who steps on second for the second out and then tags Matinez to complete the triple killing.
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