April 8

Events, births and deaths that occurred on April 8.

[edit] Events

• 1909 - While at spring training, Hal Chase of the New York Highlanders contracts smallpox. The entire team is vaccinated and quarantined while traveling north.
• 1914 - An attempt to legalize Sunday baseball in Massachusetts is defeated.
• 1916 - Outfielder Tris Speaker is still a holdout as a reaction to Boston Red Sox owner Joseph Lannin's proposal to cut his salary from $11,000 to $9,000. Speaker wants $15,000. The Red Sox, in anticipation of resolving the contract dispute by trading Speaker, purchase OF Tilly Walker from the St. Louis Browns.
• 1922 - At Sportsman's Park, the St. Louis Cardinals wear their new uniforms (two red birds on a bat with the words "Cardinals" across the front) for the first time in an exhibition contest with the St. Louis Browns. Browns pitcher Urban Shocker tops the Cardinals' Willie Sherdel, 3 - 2, the same result as their matchup a week ago.
• 1927 - Four days before the season opens, recently-traded Rogers Hornsby breaks the impasse by selling his stock in the St. Louis Cardinals for $112,000. He receives $86,000 from owner Sam Breadon, $2,000 from each of the other seven National League clubs, and an extra $12,000 from the New York Giants, his new team.
• 1934 - At Shibe Park, 15,000 fans witness the first legal baseball game between major league teams played on a Sunday in the city of Philadelphia. In a hometown exhibition game, the Phillies defeat the Athletics, 8 - 1.
• 1946 - Jim (Catfish) Hunter is born in Hertford, North Carolina. The pitching ace of three World Series champions in Oakland in the 1970s and a member of two other Championship-winners with the New York Yankees, Hunter will make his major league debut in 1965 and will win election to the Hall of Fame in 1987.
• 1954 - Veteran pitcher Dave Koslo is purchased by the Baltimore Orioles from the New York Giants.
• 1963:
  • In his first major league at-bat, Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds works out a walk off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Earl Francis.
  • The Detroit Tigers claim little-known pitcher Denny McLain on waivers from the Chicago White Sox, who will regret their decision. After pitching brief stints for the Tigers in 1963 and 1964, McLain will win 108 games from 1965 through 1969.
• 1968 - The major leagues decide to postpone Opening Day because of the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. With 11 black players on their roster, the Pittsburgh Pirates vote not to play games on Monday - the day of the scheduled opener - or Tuesday. The Pirates will open the season on Wednesday.
• 1969:
  • Four expansion teams make their debuts. The Kansas City Royals, Seattle Pilots, Montreal Expos and San Diego Padres all win their inaugural games. At Shea Stadium, the Expos defeat the New York Mets, 11 - 10, to keep the Mets winless for openers. Pitcher Dan McGinn hits the Expos' first home run as the key hit, a three-run home run by Coco Laboy, is given up by Canadian-born Mets reliever Ron Taylor.
  • After a long recovery following a 1967 beaning, Tony Conigliaro starts his first game for the Boston Red Sox. His dramatic two-run 10th-inning home run gives the Red Sox a brief lead, and his 12th-inning run wins it, 5 - 4, over the Baltimore Orioles home team.
• 1974 - Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves blasts a historic home run at Fulton County Stadium, breaking Babe Ruth's career all-time record. The 715th home run of Aaron's career comes against Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Al Downing and results in a game-delaying celebration. Aaron will finish his career with a total of 755 home runs.
• 1975 - Frank Robinson makes his debut as major league baseball's first black manager. Rachel Robinson, the widow of Jackie Robinson, throws out the ceremonial first pitch before a crowd of 56,204. As the player-manager of the Cleveland Indians, Frank Robinson hits a home run in his first at-bat, helping Cleveland to a 5 - 3 victory over the New York Yankees. For Robinson, it is his eighth Opening Day home run, setting a major league record which will later be tied by Ken Griffey and Adam Dunn.
• 1977 - The Seattle Mariners record their first win by defeating the California Angels, 7 - 6, at the Kingdome. Bob Stinson and Larry Milbourne each hit run-scoring doubles in the 9th inning to seal the victory. Bill Laxton is the winning pitcher.
• 1984 - In a 3 - 1 loss to the Mets, Houston Astros shortstop Dickie Thon is hit in the face by a Mike Torrez pitch that breaks the orbital bone around his eye. Thon will be operated on April 11th, but will miss the rest of the season. When he returns, the All-Star SS will be plagued with blurred vision and be relegated to a back-up role for some time.
• 1985 - At Fenway Park, 46-year-old Phil Niekro starts for the New York Yankees, becoming the second oldest pitcher ever to start on Opening Day. Only Jack Quinn, for the Brooklyn Robins in 1931, was older at age 47. The Boston Red Sox chase Niekro after four innings and, behind the pitching of Oil Can Boyd, coast to a 9 - 2 win. Niekro walks four in the 3rd inning, including two with the bases loaded, to lose his seventh opener in a row (six with Atlanta), the worst opening day record ever. Outfielders Tony Armas, Dwight Evans and Jim Rice stroke home runs for Boston.
• 1986 - Facing Nolan Ryan of the Astros, Giants rookie Will Clark hits a home run in his first major league at-bat.
• 1987:
  • Cleveland Indians pitchers Phil Niekro and Steve Carlton combine to beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 14 - 3, making it the first time in major league history that two 300-game winners pitch for the same team in the same game. Niekro goes six innings to get his 312th career win and Carlton blanks Toronto for three innings.
  • Los Angeles Dodgers vice-president Al Campanis is fired after he made racist remarks on national TV two days earlier. Campanis suggested that blacks lacked the "necessities" to become managers or executives.
• 1989 - One-handed pitcher Jim Abbott makes his major league debut for the California Angels. Born without a right hand, Abbott bypassed the minors completely after starring at the University of Michigan, heading directly to the Angels' starting rotation. He lasts only four and two-thirds innings in a 7 - 0 loss to the Seattle Mariners, but will finish his rookie season with 12 wins and a 3.92 ERA, the most major league wins in a first pro season since St. Louis Browns pitcher Ernie Wingard won 13 in his first professional season, in 1925.
• 1991:
  • Starter Nolan Ryan and closer Goose Gossage pitch for the Texas Rangers in a 5 - 4 loss to Milwaukee. It marks the first time in major league history that a 300-game winner hurls in the same contest as a teammate with 300 saves.
  • Major league umpires strike on Opening Day, and amateur umpires are used as replacements. The arbiters, whose working agreement expired on December 31st, will settle and return to work the next day. Among the benefits won by the Major League Umpires Association is an increase in starting salaries from $41,000 to $60,000.
• 1993 - Carlos Baerga of the Cleveland Indians becomes the first player in major league history to switch-hit home runs in the same inning. In the 7th inning, Baerga connects against Yankees relievers Steve Howe and Steve Farr. Baerga's outburst helps the Indians to a 15 - 5 win.
• 1994 - Atlanta Braves pitcher Kent Mercker no-hits the Dodgers, 6 - 0, striking out 10 in the process. For Mercker, it is his first complete game in the majors. Chan Ho Park comes on to pitch in the 9th inning for the Dodgers, becoming the first Korean player to appear in a major league game.
• 1995 - Free agents signed include outfielder Larry Walker and pitcher Bill Swift by the Rockies, and pitcher Orel Hershiser by the Indians. In other transactions, the Red Sox trade third baseman Scott Cooper, pitcher Cory Bailey, and a player to be named to the Cardinals, in exchange for outfielder Mark Whiten and pitcher Rheal Cormier.
• 2000:
  • At Ameriquest Field in Arlington, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher David Wells allows nine hits in shutting out the Texas Rangers, 4 - 0. Pitcher Kenny Rogers loses at home ending his 19-game home winning streak, the third longest in Major league history. The streak dates to June 28, 1997 when Rogers was with the Yankees. Since then, Rogers has pitched for Oakland and the Mets.
  • The St. Louis Cardinals announce plans for a new $370 million ballpark, possibly to open in time for the 2004 season.
• 2001 - The Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the Houston Astros, 9 - 3, as third baseman Aramis Ramirez hits three home runs with six runs batted in.
• 2002:
  • Craig Biggio becomes the sixth player in Houston Astros history to hit for the cycle. Biggio also drives in four runs in the Astros' 8 - 4 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
  • After opening their season with six straight losses, the Detroit Tigers fire manager Phil Garner and general manager Randy Smith. Coach Luis Pujols takes over the reins on an interim basis while team president Dave Dombrowski assumes the GM's responsibilities.
• 2003:
  • On Opening Day at PNC Park, the Pittsburgh Pirates unveil a sculpture of Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner. Kiner, who is depicted in the bronze artwork gripping a Kiner-model Louisville Slugger bat, joins Willie Stargell, Honus Wagner and Roberto Clemente as other former Pirates honored with ballpark statutes.
  • By going 4 for 4 with three walks, Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton sets a club record by reaching base in all seven plate appearances. Chris Stynes also sets a franchise mark for most plate appearances in a game with eight.
  • At Yankee Stadium's home opener, with the fans chanting his name, Hideki Matsui hits his first major league home run, a grand slam, against the Minnesota Twins.
• 2005 - Jimmy Carter, who was not invited by the current administration to be part of the American delegation to attend today's funeral of Pope John Paul II, instead attends the Braves' home opener at Turner Field. The former U.S. President and his wife Rosalyn, who both stay for the entire game, watching the Braves beat the Mets, 3 - 1.
• 2008:
  • Chase Utley ties a major league record by being hit by pitch three times in a game as the Phillies top the Mets, 5 - 2. Utley is hit by an Oliver Perez pitch in the 1st inning and is again plunked by Perez in the 4th. In the 7th, he is hit by Scott Schoeneweis to tie the record.
  • Placido Polanco's major league record run of 186 consecutive errorless games and 911 consecutive errorless chances at second base ends. Polanco commits a throwing error that lets Manny Ramirez score on what would have been a triple otherwise. The Tigers lose, 5 - 0, to the Red Sox.
  • Top Atlanta Braves prospect Jordan Schafer, who was named the best prospect in the Carolina League in 2007, is suspended 50 games for using Human Growth Hormone. Schafer had hit only .240 in 2006 before leading the affiliated minor leagues in hits last year. He almost won the Braves' centerfield job in spring training.
  • Reds rookie Johnny Cueto strikes out eight and walks none; this gives him 18 strikeouts and no walks in his first two major league games. No pitcher has done that since 1900.
• 2009:
  • Trailing Atlanta, 10 - 3, in the bottom of the 7th inning, the Phillies score 8 runs off four pitchers on their way to a 12 - 11 win. Eight consecutive batters drive in a run - four on bases-loaded walks - during the fateful inning. Jordan Schafer and Brian McCann both hit two-run homers and Matt Diaz adds a solo shot in the 9th, but it is not enough to stop Brad Lidge's streak of 52 consecutive successful save opportunities, dating back to 2007.
  • Nick Adenhart of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitches six scoreless innings against Oakland in his first start of the season; he will be tragically killed in a car crash a few hours after the game.
  • After going 4,044 1/3 innings in the major leagues (a fair portion in the American League, it should be noted), Randy Johnson finally allows a home run to an opposing pitcher. Yovani Gallardo connects for the three-run shot as the Brewers edge Johnson's Giants, 4 - 2.
• 2010:
  • Randy Wells, one of the National League's top rookie pitchers in 2009, picks up where he left off, pitching six shutout innings in leading the Cubs to their first win of the season, a 2 - 0 blanking of the Braves and fellow sophomore Tommy Hanson. Tyler Colvin and Marlon Byrd hit solo homers for the game's only runs.
  • Dontrelle Willis pitches six solid innings in his return to the major leagues as the Tigers beat Kansas City, 7 - 3. Willis went on the disabled list after pitching poorly last June and was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. Miguel Cabrera goes 4 for 5 with a homer for Detroit.
  • The Brewers sign pitcher Yovani Gallardo to a five-year contract extension worth $30.1 million. The 24-year-old was the Brewers' best pitcher in 2009, going 13-12, 3.73 and topping 200 strikeouts, as well as their opening day starter this year.
• 2011:
  • The 2011 Hoofdklasse season opens. Diegomar Markwell, Berry van Driel and Arshwin Asjes team up on a three-hit shutout for DOOR Neptunus against the L&D Amsterdam Pirates. The Pirates also get quality pitching, as Rob Cordemans fans ten in six innings of one-run ball; Neptunus wins, 2 - 0. Jeffrey Arends drives in Benjamin Dille with the first run of the year.
  • Slugger Manny Ramirez, who signed with the Tampa Bay Rays in the off-season, announces his retirement after a failure to conform with Major League Baseball's drug policy. After having been suspended for 50 games in 2009 because of PED use, he would have faced an unprecedented 100-game suspension if, as rumored, he has failed another drug test. The retirement under a cloud casts a doubt over his eventual election to the Hall of Fame­. He will change his mind in a few months and return to organized baseball in 2012, but fail to make it back to the majors.
  • The Red Sox finally record their first win of the season after starting 0-6, defeating their arch-rivals the New York Yankees, 9 - 6, in their home opener. Dustin Pedroia hits a homer in his first at-bat with his team down 2 - 0 and finishes the day with 3 hits and as many RBI to lead the Boston attack. John Lackey is the winner in spite of giving up 6 runs over 5 innings.
  • Jose Tabata doubles off Franklin Morales to end a 14-inning, 5 hour 11 minute, marathon between the Rockies and Pirates. With the Pirates' bench and bullpen both depleted, the score tied at 3-all with two outs and Josh Rodriguez on first, Rockies' manager Jim Tracy declines to issue and intentional walk to Tabata, who hit a solo homer earlier in the game, in order to face P Garrett Olson, and pays the price. The Pirates bullpen puts together a stellar performance: 6 pitchers combine to keep Colorado off the scoreboard for 11 1/3 innings after relieving starter Ross Ohlendorf with a 3 - 0 deficit in the 3rd inning.
• 2012:
  • The Red Sox and Tigers stage an epic battle on Easter Sunday. Detroit takes an early 5 - 0 lead off Clay Buchholz, but Boston roars back to chase Max Scherzer in the 3rd inning after he has coughed up 7 runs. Sox closer Alfredo Aceves takes the mound in the bottom of the 9th with a 10 - 7 lead, but gives up a pair of singles and a three-run homer to Miguel Cabrera without retiring anyone. Boston scores two runs off Joaquin Benoit in the top of the 11th, but this time it's Mark Melancon who can't close the game. After giving up a sacrifice fly to Delmon Young, he has two strikes on Alex Avila with two outs when the Tigers' catcher hits a ball off the top of the railing of the right field fence for a game-winning two-run homer after 4 hours and 45 minutes of baseball.
  • For only the second time in the history of the American League, the Yankees and Red Sox are both 0-3. Tampa Bay completes a sweep of the Bronx Bombers at home as Jeremy Hellickson throws a three-hit shutout on his 25th birthday.
• 2013:
  • Joe Nathan picks up his 300th career save for the Rangers with a bit of assistance from umpire Marty Foster. With Texas up, 5 - 4, the tying run on third and a full count on Ben Zobrist of Tampa Bay, Nathan throws a change-up that appears to be both low and outside. Zobrist tosses his bat and begins walking to first base when Foster makes a belated strike call, ending the game, to the disbelief of both Nathan and Rays manager Joe Maddon. Foster later admits he blew the call.
  • The Reds spoil the Cardinals' home opener by scoring 9 runs in the top of the 9th to break a 4 - 4 tie and win, 13 - 4. Stand-in closer Mitchell Boggs gives up the first seven runs while recording only a single out. Shin-Soo Choo, who committed a couple of errors on dropped fly balls earlier in the game, starts the ball rolling by drawing a lead-off walk off Boggs, then hits a three-run double when the Reds bat around. Before the game, the Cardinals unveil a huge number 6 on the outfield fence at Busch Stadium, in tribute to team great Stan Musial who passed away during the winter.

[edit] Births

• 1850 - John Peters, infielder (d. 1924)
• 1856 - George Radbourn, pitcher (d. 1904)
• 1857 - Bill Crowley, outfielder (d. 1891)
• 1859 - Lady Baldwin, pitcher (d. 1937)
• 1860 - Charlie Ingraham, catcher (d. 1906)
• 1864 - Pete Daniels, pitcher (d. 1928)
• 1866 - Henry Lynch, outfielder (d. 1925)
• 1870 - John Stafford, pitcher (d. 1940)
• 1873 - Pete Cassidy, infielder (d. 1929)
• 1874 - Bert Myers, infielder (d. 1915)
• 1875 - Reddy Grey, outfielder (d. 1934)
• 1877 - Frank Foutz, infielder (d. 1961)
• 1878 - Pop Foster, outfielder (d. 1944)
• 1881 - Bert Daly, infielder (d. 1952)
• 1883 - Shag Shaughnessy, outfielder (d. 1969)
• 1887 - Bill Jones, outfielder (d. 1946)
• 1888 - Hap Myers, infielder (d. 1967)
• 1895 - Eddie Bacon, pitcher (d. 1963)
• 1897 - Dick Attreau, infielder (d. 1964)
• 1899 - Ted Kleinhans, pitcher (d. 1985)
• 1899 - Lerton Pinto, pitcher (d. 1983)
• 1901 - Carr Smith, outfielder (d. 1989)
• 1902 - Carl Husta, infielder (d. 1951)
• 1903 - Frank Mulroney, pitcher (d. 1985)
• 1908 - Buck Fausett, infielder (d. 1994)
• 1910 - Charlie English, infielder (d. 1999)
• 1913 - Manuel Fortes, minor league pitcher/outfielder and manager
• 1914 - Andy Karl, pitcher (d. 1989)
• 1915 - Kirby Higbe, pitcher; All-Star (d. 1985)
• 1918 - Bob Mavis, pinch runner (d. 2005)
• 1920 - Dick Adams, infielder
• 1920 - Stan Wasiak, minor league manager (d. 1992)
• 1921 - Dee Sanders, pitcher (d. 2007)
• 1924 - Masami Nakamura, NPB player (d. 1945)
• 1927 - Charlie Maxwell, outfielder; All-Star
• 1931 - Jack Stallings, college coach
• 1933 - Lloyd Merritt, pitcher
• 1934 - Turk Farrell, pitcher; All-Star (d. 1977)
• 1935 - Takao Kajimoto, NPB pitcher and manager (d. 2006)
• 1935 - Dick Luebke, pitcher (d. 1974)
• 1938 - Tom Butters, pitcher
• 1939 - Motoo Ando, NPB player
• 1941 - Shiro Takegami, NPB infielder and manager
• 1942 - Jose Herrera, outfielder
• 1942 - Dallas Parks, umpire
• 1943 - John Hiller, pitcher; All-Star
• 1945 - Calvin Bailey, college coach
• 1946 - Catfish Hunter, pitcher; All-Star, Hall of Famer (d. 1999)
• 1949 - Randy Marsh, umpire
• 1949 - Mac Scarce, pitcher
• 1954 - Gary Carter, catcher; All-Star, Hall of Famer (d. 2012)
• 1956 - Roger Holt, infielder
• 1958 - Yasuo Kubo, NPB pitcher
• 1959 - Yoshihiro Nakada, NPB pitcher
• 1963 - Juan José Pacho, minor league infielder and manager; Salon de la Fama
• 1966 - Alex Sanchez, pitcher
• 1967 - Rich Batchelor, pitcher
• 1969 - Kirk Dressendorfer, pitcher
• 1969 - Pete Walker, pitcher
• 1970 - Enrico Vecchi, Serie A1 outfielder and manager
• 1971 - Todd Genke, minor league pitcher
• 1973 - Alex Gonzalez, infielder
• 1974 - Jason Mackey, minor league pitcher
• 1974 - Eddie Priest, pitcher
• 1975 - Jeremy Fikac, pitcher
• 1975 - Timo Perez, outfielder
• 1976 - Chia-Hsien Hsieh, CPBL infielder-outfielder
• 1979 - Jeremy Guthrie, pitcher
• 1979 - Dane Sardinha, catcher
• 1980 - Juan Pablo Angrisano, Italian Baseball League catcher
• 1980 - Frederich Cepeda, Cuban league outfielder
• 1981 - Brian Burres, pitcher
• 1981 - Nai-Wen Cheng, CPBL outfielder-infielder
• 1981 - Mike Hernandez, minor league player
• 1981 - Matt Ford, pitcher
• 1982 - Kason Gabbard, pitcher
• 1983 - Chris Iannetta, catcher
• 1983 - Eric Patterson, outfielder
• 1983 - Bobby Wilson, catcher
• 1984 - Gustavo Ogassawara, Brazilian national team pitcher
• 1985 - Juan Abreu, pitcher
• 1985 - Matt Antonelli, infielder
• 1985 - Jose Ramazzini, Guatemalan national team pitcher
• 1986 - Felix Hernandez, pitcher; All-Star
• 1986 - Eddie Kunz, pitcher
• 1986 - Carlos Santana, catcher
• 1987 - Yonder Alonso, infielder
• 1987 - Jeremy Hellickson, pitcher
• 1988 - Pil-joon Jang, minor league pitcher
• 1988 - Myung-sung Kim, KBO pitcher
• 1989 - Elys Blanco, minor league designated hitter
• 1989 - Lendy Castillo, pitcher
• 1990 - Argenis Martinez, minor league infielder
• 1994 - Zach Eflin, minor league pitcher

[edit] Deaths

• 1916 - Bill Moran, catcher (b. 1869)
• 1924 - Jimmy Macullar, infielder, manager (b. 1855)
• 1940 - Bill Abstein, infielder (b. 1883)
• 1940 - Dave Murphy, infielder (b. 1876)
• 1942 - Pat Bohen, pitcher (b. 1891)
• 1950 - Curley Maloney, minor league outfielder and manager (b. ????)
• 1951 - Whitey Guese, pitcher (b. 1872)
• 1952 - Willie Ludolph, pitcher (b. 1900)
• 1961 - Fred Brickell, outfielder (b. 1906)
• 1964 - George Moriarty, infielder, manager (b. 1884)
• 1964 - Mickey O'Neil, catcher (b. 1898)
• 1964 - Jim Umbricht, pitcher (b. 1930)
• 1968 - Bob Pepper, pitcher (b. 1895)
• 1969 - Win Noyes, pitcher (b. 1889)
• 1970 - Lee Handley, infielder (b. 1913)
• 1972 - Gus Fisher, catcher (b. 1885)
• 1975 - Jim Peterson, pitcher (b. 1908)
• 1978 - Ford Frick Hall of Famer (b. 1894)
• 1985 - Joe Sullivan, pitcher (b. 1910)
• 1989 - Andy Karl, pitcher (b. 1914)
• 1990 - Bill Kelly, infielder (b. 1898)
• 1997 - Bob Cain, pitcher (b. 1924)
• 1997 - Homer Peel, outfielder (b. 1902)
• 1997 - Alejo Peralta y Diaz de Ceballos, minor league executive (b. 1916)
• 2003 - Bing Russell, minor league player (b. 1926)
• 2005 - Al Gettel, pitcher (b. 1917)
• 2005 - Eddie Miksis, infielder (b. 1926)
• 2008 - Hersh Lyons, pitcher (b. 1915)
• 2012 - Al Veigel, pitcher (b. 1917)