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April 4
From BR Bullpen
| 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 4.
[edit] Events
- 1911 - Automobile maker Hugh Chalmers introduces the concept of a Most Valuable Player in major league baseball. Chalmers announces that he will award a new car to the player in each league who is selected MVP by a vote of baseball writers.
- 1948 - Philadelphia Athletics manager Connie Mack, who is 84 years old, challenges Washington Senators owner Clark Griffith, who is 78, to a foot race from home plate to first base. The contest ends in a photo finish tie.
- 1974 - Atlanta Braves slugger Hank Aaron blasts a historic three-run home run against Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jack Billingham on Opening Day. The home run is the 714th of Aaron's career, tying him with the great Babe Ruth for the most in major league history.
- 1977 - The Pittsburgh Pirates make a seemingly minor trade that will pay major dividends when they acquire outfielder Mike Easler from the California Angels for a minor league pitcher, Randy Sealy. Easler will contribute to the Pirates' World Championship in 1979, then will emerge as one of baseball's most dangerous hitters in the early 1980s.
- 1988:
- At Kauffman Stadium, George Bell of the Toronto Blue Jays becomes the first major leaguer to hit three home runs on Opening Day. Bell's homers, all coming against Kansas City Royals ace Bret Saberhagen, help the Jays to a 5 - 3 victory.
- At Olympic Stadium, the New York Mets set an Opening Day record by clouting six home runs in a 10 - 6 win over the Montreal Expos. Kevin McReynolds and Darryl Strawberry each hit a pair of homers and Lenny Dykstra and Kevin Elster both hit one apiece. One of Strawberry's blasts is a monster as he propulses a Randy St. Claire fastball into the ether, smashing on the rim 160 feet above the playing field and 300 feet away in right field.
- 1989 - On Opening Day, New York Yankees pitcher Tommy John ties a major league record by playing in 26 seasons. John beats the Minnesota Twins, 4 - 2, for his 287th win putting him 19th overall in career wins.
- 1993 - At Camden Yards, William Jefferson Clinton becomes the first U.S. President to throw the first pitch of the season from the pitcher's mound.
- 1994:
- At Wrigley Field, Chicago Cubs outfielder Tuffy Rhodes blasts three home runs on Opening Day victimizing New York Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden. Rhodes, who hit three home runs in all of 1993, becomes the first player in major league history to hit home runs in his first three at-bats of the season. In spite of Rhodes' unexpected home run barrage, the Cubs lose the game, 12 - 8.
- The Cleveland Indians inaugurate Jacobs Field with a 4 - 3 victory over the Seattle Mariners. Eddie Murray hits a home run for the Indians, who played their last game at Cleveland Stadium in 1993. Playing his 2,403rd game at first base, Murray becomes major league's all-time leader in games played at that position.
- In New York, a total of 56,706 fans attend Opening Day, making it the largest crowd since Yankee Stadium was renovated.
- 1998 - Mark McGwire hits a home run in his fourth consecutive game to start the season to tie the mark set by Willie Mays in 1971. McGwire's home run helps lead the Cardinals past the Padres, 8 - 6, and also ties another league mark as it is his seventh long ball in a six-game stretch, dating back to 1997.
- 1999:
- Opening Day takes place in Mexico, making it the first time that the major league season's first pitch comes outside the United States or Canada, as the Colorado Rockies defeat the National League defending champs, the San Diego Padres.
- Hall of Fame pitcher Early Wynn dies in Venice, Florida at the age of 79, from complications caused by a stroke. Known as one of the tough pitchers in the game, the highly-competitive Wynn won an even 300 games over a 23-year career with the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox.
- 2001 - At Camden Yards, Hideo Nomo hurls a 3 - 0 no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles in his Boston Red Sox debut. It is Nomo's second career no-hitter, making him the fourth pitcher in major league history to pitch one in both the National League and the American League, joining Jim Bunning, Nolan Ryan, and Cy Young in exclusive company. It is also the earliest no-hitter, by date, in major league history.
- 2003 - At Great American Ball Park, Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs hits his 500th career home run off Cincinnati Reds pitcher Scott Sullivan in the 7th inning, becoming only the 18th player in major league history to hit 500 or more home runs, as well as the first Hispanic player to do so. Despite Sosa's highlight, Cincinnati edges the Cubs, 10 - 9.
- 2005:
- Opening Day highlights include the Baltimore Orioles' Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro who become the first pair of teammates to have at least 500 career home runs apiece. Sosa opens the season with 574 career HR and Palmeiro 551.
- Detroit Tigers designated hitter Dmitri Young hits three home runs to lead his team to an 11 - 2 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
- Mark Buehrle yields two hits in eight shutout innings and Shingo Takatsu works a perfect 9th inning as the Chicago White Sox defeat the Cleveland Indians, 1 - 0, in a game that takes only an hour and 51 minutes to complete.
- Brad Wilkerson has the honor of being the first batter in Washington Nationals history, and he promptly responds with the first hit for his team. Nevertheless, Kenny Lofton hits a three-run homer and Jon Lieber pitches 5 2/3 effective innings, leading the home team Philadelphia Phillies to an 8 - 4 victory over the Nationals.
- 2010:
- Dee Brown of the Seibu Lions homers twice off Masaru Takeda in a 4 - 0 win over the Nippon Ham Fighters. His second circuit clout is the 90,000th in the history of Nippon Pro Baseball.
- The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox stage a classic battle to open the major league season at Fenway Park, with the Red Sox winning, 9 - 7, after trailing 5 - 1 and 7 - 5. Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson hit back-to-back homers in the 2nd and Brett Gardner steals home as the Yanks build an early lead against Josh Beckett, but a homer by Dustin Pedroia and three extra-base hits by Kevin Youkilis highlight the Sox's comeback. Chan Ho Park takes the loss in his Yankee debut, while Hideki Okajima is the winner.
- 2011:
- Rangers RF Nelson Cruz ties a mark set by Willie Mays in 1971 and Mark McGwire in 1998 by becoming the third player to homer in his team's first four games to start the season. SS Elvis Andrus joins in the fun, ending a 705 at-bat home run drought dating back to 2009 when he connects in the 1st inning. Texas defeats Seattle, 6 - 4, to move to 4-0 on the year. For the Mariners, Erik Bedard is the loser in his first major league start since undergoing shoulder surgery on August 14, 2009.
- The Orioles are also 4-0 after beating the Tigers, 5 - 1, in their home opener at Camden Yards. Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver throws the ceremonial first pitch, then Jake Arrieta takes over with six strong innings, the fourth straight outstanding performance by an Oriole starting pitcher. Brian Roberts hits a three-run homer off Rick Porcello to put the Birds ahead to stay.
- 2012 - The Miami Marlins inaugurate a new name and a new ballpark, Marlins Park, but lose, 4 - 1, to the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of the National League season. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali delivers the ceremonial first pitch. Kyle Lohse dowses the home fans' enthusiasm by holding the Marlins hitless until the 7th to earn the win, while World Series hero David Freese drives in two runs with a single in the top of the 1st.
- 2013:
- The Rangers sign SS Elvis Andrus to an eight-year contract extension thast will pay him $120 million through 2022, continuing a recent trend of teams signing their star players over the long term in order to ensure cost certainty.
- The Tigers bring back maligned closer Jose Valverde with a minor league contract, as neither of their back-up plans going into the season - rookie Bruce Rondon and a closer-by-committee led by Phil Coke - seems to be working.
- The Yankees record their first win of the season by turning to their storied past. Andy Pettitte picks up the win and Mariano Rivera gets the save in his first appearance following a serious knee injury that almost ended his career as they defeat the Red Sox, 4 - 2. It is Rivera's record 19th season as a Yankee, although Derek Jeter will join him when he is activated form the disabled list on which he has started the season.
[edit] Births
- 1859 - Joe Brown, pitcher (d. 1888)
- 1862 - John McCloskey, manager (d. 1940)
- 1866 - Jerry Kane, infielder (d. 1949)
- 1866 - John Schulze, catcher (d. 1941)
- 1866 - Harry Taylor, infielder (d. 1955)
- 1878 - Jake Volz, pitcher (d. 1962)
- 1881 - Bill Jackson, infielder (d. 1958)
- 1883 - Bill Hinchman, outfielder (d. 1963)
- 1883 - John Hummel, infielder (d. 1959)
- 1885 - Bill Dam, outfielder (d. 1930)
- 1888 - Tris Speaker, outfielder, manager; Hall of Famer (d. 1958)
- 1888 - Bill Upham, pitcher (d. 1959)
- 1889 - Dutch Lerchen, infielder (d. 1962)
- 1893 - Pete Kilduff, infielder (d. 1930)
- 1897 - Ray Miner, pitcher (d. 1963)
- 1899 - Jack Mealey, minor league catcher and manager
- 1900 - Jule Mallonee, outfielder (d. 1934)
- 1903 - Les Bartholomew, pitcher (d. 1972)
- 1910 - Joe Bokina, pitcher (d. 1991)
- 1910 - Joe Vosmik, outfielder; All-Star (d. 1962)
- 1915 - Yukio Eguchi, NPB infielder (d. ????)
- 1916 - Mickey Owen, catcher; All-Star (d. 2005)
- 1916 - Willie Ramsdell, pitcher (d. 1969)
- 1924 - Gil Hodges, infielder, manager; All-Star (d. 1972)
- 1926 - J.R. Miner, minor league manager
- 1927 - Wille Brown, Negro League infielder (d. 1996)
- 1927 - Don Hasenmayer, infielder
- 1928 - Frank Smith, pitcher (d. 2005)
- 1929 - Tookie Gilbert, infielder (d. 1967)
- 1933 - Ted Wieand, pitcher
- 1937 - Gary Geiger, outfielder (d. 1996)
- 1937 - Al Kenders, catcher
- 1938 - A. Bart Giamatti, commissioner (d. 1989)
- 1939 - Hiroyasu Tanaka, NPB infielder-outfielder
- 1941 - Eddie Watt, pitcher
- 1942 - Tom Fisher, pitcher
- 1942 - Jim Fregosi, infielder, manager; All-Star
- 1942 - Ron Locke, pitcher
- 1943 - Mike Epstein, infielder
- 1945 - Nick Bremigan, umpire (d. 1989)
- 1947 - Ray Fosse, catcher; All-Star
- 1947 - Fred Nelson, scout
- 1947 - Bill Seinsoth, minor league infielder (d. 1969)
- 1948 - Leon Hooten, pitcher
- 1952 - Herm Schneider, trainer
- 1955 - Nick Giaquinto, college coach
- 1956 - Tom Herr, infielder; All-Star
- 1957 - Martin Ronnenbergh, minor league pitcher
- 1958 - Marty Mason, coach
- 1959 - Pedro Hernandez, designated hitter
- 1960 - John Lickert, catcher
- 1961 - Brad Komminsk, outfielder
- 1962 - Myong-lok Oh, KBO pitcher
- 1965 - Mike Farr, minor league pitcher
- 1968 - Jim Dedrick, pitcher
- 1969 - Carlos Reyes, pitcher
- 1969 - Mark Strittmatter, catcher
- 1972 - Guillermo Garcia, catcher
- 1972 - Jeff Sparks, pitcher
- 1972 - Matt Wagner, pitcher
- 1974 - Osamu Nogami, Japanese national team infielder
- 1975 - Johan Lopez, minor league pitcher
- 1975 - Scott Rolen, infielder; All-Star
- 1977 - Eric Valent, outfielder
- 1978 - Jason Ellison, outfielder
- 1978 - Junhui Li, China Baseball League pitcher
- 1981 - Casey Daigle, pitcher
- 1986 - Raul Barron, minor league infielder
- 1986 - Anthony Carter, minor league pitcher
- 1986 - Louis Coleman, pitcher
- 1986 - Grant Desme, minor league outfielder
- 1986 - Mitch Einertson, minor league outfielder
- 1986 - Matt Ryan, minor league infielder
- 1987 - Cameron Maybin, outfielder
- 1987 - Alwin Pérez, minor league infielder
- 1987 - Michelle Snyder, US women's national team infielder
- 1988 - Steven Bumbry, minor league outfielder
- 1988 - Moegamat-Zaid Hendricks, South African national team outfielder
- 1988 - Matt Sweeney, minor league infielder
- 1989 - Loudelis Moreno, Venezuelan women's national team pitcher
- 1991 - Yury Bakalets, Russian national team infielder
- 1991 - Martin Perez, pitcher
[edit] Deaths
- 1902 - Charlie Sweeney, pitcher (b. 1863)
- 1921 - Pop Corkhill, outfielder (b. 1858)
- 1924 - George Wood, outfielder, manager (b. 1858)
- 1934 - Dick Johnston, outfielder (b. 1863)
- 1937 - Earl Howard, pitcher (b. 1893)
- 1941 - Alex Jones, pitcher (b. 1869)
- 1945 - Dick Cotter, catcher (b. 1889)
- 1947 - Jot Goar, pitcher (b. 1870)
- 1949 - George Suggs, pitcher (b. 1882)
- 1956 - Dolly Gray, pitcher (b. 1878)
- 1956 - Clay Roe, pitcher (b. 1904)
- 1962 - Snooks Dowd, infielder (b. 1897)
- 1966 - Herb McQuaid, pitcher (b. 1899)
- 1969 - Chuck Ward, infielder (b. 1894)
- 1969 - Les Wilson, outfielder (b. 1885)
- 1971 - Carl Mays, pitcher (b. 1891)
- 1974 - Danny Silva, infielder (b. 1896)
- 1978 - Joe McDermott, scout (b. ????)
- 1982 - Mel Queen, pitcher (b. 1918)
- 1988 - Jack Aragon, pinch runner (b. 1915)
- 1988 - Charlie Snell, catcher (b. 1893)
- 1989 - Manuel Magallón, minor league infielder and manager (b. 1926)
- 1991 - Johnny Moore, outfielder (b. 1902)
- 1995 - Minoru Yamashita, Japanese Baseball Hall of Famer (b. 1907)
- 1996 - Don Ross, infielder (b. 1914)
- 1999 - Early Wynn, pitcher; All-Star, Hall of Famer (b. 1920)
- 2004 - George Bamberger, pitcher, manager (b. 1923)
- 2006 - Walt Rabb, college coach (b. 1914)
- 2008 - Jerry Crider, pitcher (b. 1941)
- 2009 - Rochell Broome, Negro League player (b. 1938)
- 2011 - Donald Spencer, minor league infielder (b. 1927)
