April 14

From BR Bullpen


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Stats of players who were born this day
Stats of players who died on this day
Standings on this day
Permanent link to Today's Entry
Sources
Baseball Library Chronology
Today in Baseball History

Events, births and deaths that occurred on April 14.

[edit] Events

1880 - The new Cincinnati's Bank Street Grounds is opened with an exhibition game between the Cincinnati Red Stockings and the visiting Washington Nationals. The park seats 3,490 and will serve professional teams in three leagues: National League in 1880, American Association in 1882 - 1883, and Union Association in 1884.
1903 - Ed Delahanty, one of five major league brothers, and the greatest natural hitter of his time, rejoins the Washington Nationals in accordance with the baseball peace terms. A three-year contract with the New York Giants at $8,000 a season, signed during the winter, is canceled. The Nationals reimburse the Giants for the $3,000 advanced to Delahanty.
1910:
- William Howard Taft becomes the first U.S. President to throw out a ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day. Attending the game in Washington, D.C., President Taft tosses the first ball to future Hall of Famer Walter Johnson, who pitches the first of his 14 Opening Day Washington games, striking out nine, en route to a 3 - 0 one hit shutout against Eddie Plank and the Philadelphia Athletics. A double by Home Run Baker- caused when right fielder Doc Gessler tripped over a fan who had spilled out of overflow seating- spoiled Johnson's chance at an opening day no-hitter. Gabby Street is the Senators catcher, the only opener in which he catches for Johnson.
- Frank Smith pitched a one-hitter in the season opener to give the Chicago White Sox a 3 - 0 victory against the St. Louis Browns. Ray Demmitt's single is the only hit for St. Louis. By season's end the American League will see 13 one-hitters - a league record.
- Cincinnati Reds pitcher Fred Beebe fires a three-hitter in stopping the Chicago Cubs, 1 - 0, in 10 innings. Wildfire Schulte has all three Chicago hits. Beebe was acquired in February from the Cardinals, along with Alan Storke, in exchange for Miller Huggins, Rebel Oakes, and Frank Corridon.
- In the season opener before 25,000 at New York's Hilltop Park, the Boston Red Sox, sport laced collars, the last major league team to wear a collar. Boston sends the New York Yankees into extra innings before the game is called at the end of 14 innings with the score, 4 - 4. Ed Cicotte starts for Boston, with Joe Wood relieving in the eigth inning. Hippo Vaughn goes all the way for New York, retiring Boston batters in the fourth and 12th innings on four pitches. He needs just three pitches in the 10th.
- Red Ames of the New York Giants pitches hitless ball for six innings but loses to the Boston Braves, 3 - 2, in 11 innings. Chick Evans, in relief of Al Mattern, is the winning pitcher.
1911 - Cleveland Naps star pitcher Addie Joss dies unexpectedly in Toledo, Ohio, from meningitis at the age of 31. Beset with arm injuries, Joss made just 13 appearances last season, but his 160 wins and ERA of 1.88, compiled in nine seasons, will earn him a plaque at Cooperstown in 1978.
1915 - In the opening game at Shibe Park, Philadelphia Athletics pitcher Herb Pennock shuts out the Boston Red Sox, 5 - 0. Pennock gave up only one hit, a scratch single by Harry Hooper with two outs in the ninth inning.
1917 - Ed Cicotte of the Chicago White Sox pitched an 11 - 0 no-hitter against the St. Louis Browns.
1925
- In the first regular-season Chicago Cubs game to be broadcast on the radio, Quin Ryan announced the contest from the grandstand roof for WGN. Grover Alexander won for the Cubs 8 - 2 over the Pirates and helped himself with a single, double, and home run.
- The Cleveland Indians opened the season with a 21 - 14 victory over the St. Louis Browns. The Indians scored 12 runs in the eighth inning when the Browns made five errors. Browns first baseman George Sisler had four errors in the game, and the Indians 21 runs set a major league record for the most runs scored by one club on Opening Day.
- Two future Hall of Famers make their major league debuts with the Philadelphia Athletics in the same game. Lefty Grove starts against the Boston Red Sox and leaves in the fourth inning after walking four and striking out nobody. He gives up five runs on six hits. In the eighth inning, Mickey Cochrane pinch-hits a single, while the Athletics go on to score nine runs in the last four innings to win, 9 - 8, in ten innings. Grove, known as Groves in Baltimore, is also listed that way in the New York Times box score. Grove will become the first pitcher to lead the American League in strikeouts and walks in the same year.
1931 - At Braves Field, Jack Quinn of the Brooklyn Robins becomes the oldest pitcher to start an Opening Day game. The 47-year old Pennsylvanian gets tagged with the lost as the Boston Braves beats Brooklyn, 7 - 4.
1955 - Elston Howard becomes the first black player in New York Yankees history. The 26-year-old catcher/outfielder makes his debut against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park as he hit a single with one RBI in the Yankees' 8 - 4 loss.
1960 - Eddie Sawyer resigns as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies just one day into the new season. Sawyer, the manager of the National League champion "Whiz Kids" of 1950, is replaced with Gene Mauch, who begins a 26-year managing career in the major leagues.
1961 - The "new" Washington Senators franchise wins its first game, defeating the Cleveland Indians, 3 - 2. Pitcher Joe McClain earns the victory for the Senators, one of two new expansion teams in the American League. The "old" Washington Senators had moved to Minnesota after the 1960 season.
1964 - Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax throws his ninth complete game without allowing a walk as he beats the St. Louis Cardinals, 4 - 0, in his only career start on Opening Day.
1967 - Boston Red Sox rookie pitcher Billy Rohr makes a memorable debut by no-hitting the New York Yankees for eight and two-thirds innings. Elston Howard spoils Rohr's masterpiece with a two-out single in the ninth, but the Red Sox still win, 3-0. Despite his impressive debut, Rohr will win only two more games in his major league career.
1968:
- Jim Bunning wins his first game for the Pittsburgh Pirates, a 3 - 0 shutout over the Dodgers. For Bunning, it is his 40th career shutout and includes his 1,000th National League strikeout, becoming the first pitcher since Cy Young to reach the 1,000 mark in both the National and American Leagues.
- At Astrodome, New York Mets pitcher Nolan Ryan earns the first of his 324 major league victories. The 21-year-old right-hander hurls six and two-thirds innings of three-hit, shutout baseball to lead the Mets over the Houston Astros, 4 - 0. Danny Frisella takes the save in two and one innings of relief. Tommie Agee goes 2-for-3 with two runs and Art Shamsky 2-for-3 with two RBI. Larry Dierker is the losing pitcher.
1969 - The expansion Montreal Expos host their first game north of the border, marking the first time a regular season major league game is played outside of the United States. The Expos win their debut at Jarry Park, edging the St. Louis Cardinals, 8 - 7. Mack Jones hits a three-run home run and two-run triple and Dan McGinn takes the win in 5-1/3 innings of relief. Jones' blast is also the first MLB home run hit outside the United States.
1990:
- Starter Bret Saberhagen gets the win and reliever Mark Davis earns the save as Kansas City beats Toronto 3 - 1. It is the first time ever that two reigning Cy Young Award winners have figured in the same victory.
- Cal Ripken, Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles begins a streak which leads to a major league record for the most errorless games (95) and total chances (431) by a shortstop.
1991 - Nolan Ryan becomes the 12th pitcher in major league history to surpass 5,000 innings pitched and gets plenty of hitting help as Texas whips Baltimore 15 - 3.
1993:
- After establishing the all-time career major league record last night with his 358th save, St. Louis Cardinals reliever Lee Smith breaks the National League mark recording his 301st save in the senior circuit.
- The first-ever Australian battery comes from the Milwaukee Brewers. Left-handed pitcher Graeme Lloyd and catcher Dave Nilsson, who make up half of the total number of Australian players to ever make the major leagues, make history in the Brewers' 12 - 2 loss to the California Angels.
1998 - Mark McGwire hits three home runs, breaking an eight-game homerless drought, to help the Cardinals 15 - 5 victory over Arizona. After tying Willie Mays' major league record by homering in the first four games of the season, McGwire had not homered since April 4.
1999:
- John Franco struck out the side in the ninth inning of the New York Mets 4 - 1 win over the Florida Marlins, becoming the second relief pitcher in major league history to reach 400 career saves.
- Jose Canseco became the 28th player in major league history to reach the 400 home run plateau. Canseco hit a 386-foot shot in the third inning of Tampa Bay's 7 - 6 loss to the Blue Jays.
2001:
- By scoring in their 175th consecutive game, the Cincinnati Reds set a modern National League record for not being shut out by an opponent. Coincidentally, to break the record, Cincinnati beats Al Leiter and the New York Mets, 1 - 0, the last pitcher and team to shut out the franchise.
- A total eleven one-run games (six in AL and five in NL) breaks a 1967 record set on May 30 when there were a combined 10 one-run contests in the major leagues.
2004 - A day after Yankees teammate Mike Mussina earns his 200th career victory, Kevin Brown reaches the same plateau beating the Devil Rays, 5 - 1. It is the first time in major league history members of the same pitching staff have won their 200th career victory in consecutive starts.
2005 - On a historic night at RFK Stadium, Livan Hernandez and Vinny Castilla are up to the task. Hernandez carries a one-hitter into the ninth inning and Castilla falls a single shy of the cycle as the Washington Nationals post a 5 - 3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first major league game in Washington, D.C. in over 33 years. After beginning their first season in the nation's capital with a nine-game road trip, the Nationals open the first game at RFK Stadium since the departure of the Washington Senators with former pitcher Joe Grzenda handing a ball to U.S. President George W. Bush, who throws the ceremonial first pitch. Grzenda tossed the final pitch in Senators history against the Yankees on September 30, 1971.
2007 - Junior Oberto of Grosseto throws the fifth perfect game in Serie A1 history, beating San Marino 6-0 and striking out nine.
2008:
- Alex Rodriguez moves up to a tie for 15th on the all-time major league home run leader list, even with Ted Williams and Willie McCovey. Rodriguez hits his 521st career homer as part of a 4-for-5 day; Andy Sonnanstine allows the shot. The Yankees top the Rays, 8-7.
- Nate McLouth continues his stellar start to 2008. Down 4-3 with two outs in the 9th, he cracks a 3-run homer off of Dodger closer Takashi Saitoh to give the game to Pittsburgh.
2009 - In a 6-1 Reds win over the Brewers, David Weathers retires both batters he faces. It is his 900th game in the majors, the 20th player to accomplish that feat.