Baseball Guru
04-12-2003, 07:19 PM
Better late than never;)
SportsLine.com staff
"You always get a special kick on Opening Day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen." -- Joe DiMaggio
Opening Day Records
Most consecutive victories: The St. Louis Browns (1937-45) and New York Mets (1975-83) share the modern major league record for most consecutive Opening Day victories with nine.
Most consecutive losses: The Atlanta Braves lost nine consecutive Opening Day games from 1972-1980 to match the New York Giants' dubious streak of 1893-1901.
Most Opening Day victories by a pitcher: Walter Johnson was 9-5 with 14 complete games and seven shutouts in openers for the Washington Senators. Juan Marichal of the San Francisco Giants and Tom Seaver with the New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds share the NL record with six. Marichal was 6-2 in 10 starts; Seaver was 7-2 in 16 (one victory with the Chicago White Sox).
Most runs by a club in an Opening Day game: The Cleveland Indians defeated the St. Louis Browns 21-14 on April 14, 1925.
Most home runs, player: George Bell became the first hitter to blast three home runs on Opening Day as the Blue Jays downed the Royals 5-3 in Kansas City on April 4, 1988. Karl "Tuffy" Rhodes of the Cubs tied the mark when he hit three in a 12-8 loss to the Mets on April 4, 1994.
Most home runs, career: Frank Robinson holds the major league record for home runs on Opening Day with eight. Robinson hit three home runs in season openers for the Cincinnati Reds, three for the Baltimore Orioles and one each for the California Angels and Cleveland Indians. No other player has hit Opening Day roundtrippers for four teams.
Shutout, largest margin of victory: The Milwaukee Brewers shut out the Baltimore Orioles 12-0 on April 4, 1988, at Baltimore.
Most grand slams, career: Sixto Lezcano hit only three grand slams in his career, but two came in Opening Day games -- 1978 and 1980.
Opening Day historical notes
April 1, 1996 -- The New York Mets rallied from a 6-0 deficit to post a 7-6 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals, the biggest Opening Day comeback this century.
April 26, 1995 -- The Rockies and Mets opened Coors Field with an offensive barrage of 20 runs and 33 hits as Colorado won 11-9 in 14 innings. Colorado outfielder Dante Bichette won the game with a one-out home run in the 14th.
April 3, 1989 -- Ken Griffey Jr. doubled in his first Major League at-bat off Oakland's Dave Stewart, but the Mariners fell to the Athletics 3-2.
April 8, 1975 -- At Cleveland, Frank Robinson, debuting as the first black manager in Major League history, powered a first-inning home run as the Indians defeated the Yankees 5-3.
April 4, 1974 -- Hank Aaron hit a three-run, first-inning home run off Jack Billingham in Cincinnati to tie Babe Ruth's all-time home run record of 714.
April 11, 1961 -- Rookie Carl Yastrzemski banged the first of his 3,318 career hits off Kansas City's Ray Herbert at Fenway Park.
April 15, 1958 -- In San Francisco's Seals Stadium, the transplanted New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers played the first Major League game in California. The Giants' Ruben Gomez bested Don Drysdale 8-0.
April 18, 1950 -- At Fenway Park, the Red Sox, leading 9-0 over the Yankees in the sixth, wound up losing 14-10. It marked Billy Martin's debut and he celebrated it in a nine-run eighth inning in which he became the first rookie to get two hits in one inning.
April 15, 1947 -- At Ebbets Field, Jackie Robinson, hitless in three official at bats, became the first black man to play in the majors as his Dodgers beat the Braves 5-3.
April 16, 1940 -- At Comiskey Park, Cleveland's Bob Feller became the only pitcher ever to pitch an Opening Day no-hitter, beating the White Sox 1-0.
April 16, 1935 -- At Boston's Braves Field, Babe Ruth, in his initial NL appearance, hit a home run off Carl Hubbell as the hapless Braves, who went on to win only 37 more games that year, clipped the Giants 4-2.
April 11, 1928 -- Future Hall of Famers Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker are in the starting lineup for the Philadelphia A's, their first game as teammates.
April 13, 1926 -- In Washington, the aging Walter Johnson fanned a dozen when he outlasted Eddie Rommel and the A's 1-0 in 15 innings.
April 18, 1925 -- The Giants downed the Dodgers 7-1 in a Brooklyn opener that was saddened by the death of Dodgers' owner Charles H. Ebbets, who had succumbed to a heart attack that morning at his Waldorf-Astoria apartment.
April 18, 1923 -- Babe Ruth opened Yankee Stadium with a two-run homer off Boston's Howard Ehmke to spark the Yankees' 4-1 victory.
April 20, 1912 -- The Red Sox christened Fenway Park with a 7-6, 11-inning victory against the Yankees.
April 14, 1910 -- William Howard Taft became the first president to throw out the ceremonial first ball and Walter Johnson followed by one-hitting the A's 3-0.
April 15, 1909 -- The Dodgers opened at the Giants with the Giants' Leon Ames no-hitting Brooklyn for 9 1/3 innings before the Dodgers beat the right-hander 3-0 in 13.
April 25, 1901 -- In the American League's first game in Detroit, the Tigers scored 10 runs in the ninth inning for a 14-13 victory against Milwaukee.
April 19, 1900 -- The Braves and Phillies produced the National League's highest scoring opener when Boston scored nine in the ninth and went on to defeat Philadelphia 19-17 in 10 innings.
Presidential first-ball thowers
2001 -- George W. Bush (Milwaukee)
1996 -- Clinton (Baltimore)
1994 -- Clinton (Cleveland)
1993 -- Clinton (Baltimore)
1992 -- Bush (Baltimore)
1991 -- Bush (Arlington)
1990 -- Bush (Toronto) (with Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney)
1989 -- Bush (Baltimore)
1984 -- Reagan (Baltimore)
1985 -- Vice president Bush (New York Mets)
1976 -- Ford (Arlington)
1974 -- VP Ford (Cincinnati)
1973 -- Nixon (California)
1970 -- David Eisenhower (son-in-law)
1969 -- Nixon
1968 -- VP Humphrey
1967 -- Johnson
1966 -- VP Humphrey
1965 -- Johnson
1964 -- Johnson
1963 -- Kennedy
1962 -- Kennedy
1961 -- Kennedy
1960 -- Eisenhower
1958 -- Eisenhower
1957 -- Eisenhower
1956 -- Eisenhower
1955 -- Eisenhower
1954 -- Eisenhower
1953 -- Eisenhower
1952 -- Truman
1951 -- Truman
1950 -- Truman
1949 -- Truman
1948 -- Truman
1947 -- Truman
1946 -- Truman
1945 -- Speaker Sam Rayburn
1942 -- VP Henry Wallace
1936 -- Roosevelt
1935 -- Roosevelt
1933 -- Roosevelt
1932 -- Hoover
1931 -- Hoover
1930 -- Hoover
1929 -- Hoover
1927 -- Coolidge
1924 -- Coolidge
1923 -- Harding
1922 -- Harding
1921 -- Harding
1916 -- Wilson
1915 -- Wilson
1912 -- VP James Sherman
1911 -- Taft
1910 -- Taft
*Before 1972, all presidents who threw out the first ball did so in Washington, D.C.
Top 10 home opener crowds
Attendance Opponent/Home club Date
80,227 *Montreal @ Colorado April 9, 1993
78,672 **San Francisco @ Los Angeles April 7, 1958
74,420 Detroit @ Cleveland April 7, 1973
73,163 St. Louis @ Cleveland April 20, 1948
72,470 *Philadelphia @ Colorado April 4, 1994
71,067 Milwaukee @ Cleveland April 11, 1981
67,550 **Chicago @ Los Angeles April 12, 1960
65,744 Detroit @ Cleveland April 18, 1950
64,540 Baltimore @ Cleveland April 10, 1987
63,725 Detroit @ Cleveland April 22, 1949
(*) -- Mile High Stadium
(**) -- Los Angeles Coliseum
SportsLine.com staff
"You always get a special kick on Opening Day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen." -- Joe DiMaggio
Opening Day Records
Most consecutive victories: The St. Louis Browns (1937-45) and New York Mets (1975-83) share the modern major league record for most consecutive Opening Day victories with nine.
Most consecutive losses: The Atlanta Braves lost nine consecutive Opening Day games from 1972-1980 to match the New York Giants' dubious streak of 1893-1901.
Most Opening Day victories by a pitcher: Walter Johnson was 9-5 with 14 complete games and seven shutouts in openers for the Washington Senators. Juan Marichal of the San Francisco Giants and Tom Seaver with the New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds share the NL record with six. Marichal was 6-2 in 10 starts; Seaver was 7-2 in 16 (one victory with the Chicago White Sox).
Most runs by a club in an Opening Day game: The Cleveland Indians defeated the St. Louis Browns 21-14 on April 14, 1925.
Most home runs, player: George Bell became the first hitter to blast three home runs on Opening Day as the Blue Jays downed the Royals 5-3 in Kansas City on April 4, 1988. Karl "Tuffy" Rhodes of the Cubs tied the mark when he hit three in a 12-8 loss to the Mets on April 4, 1994.
Most home runs, career: Frank Robinson holds the major league record for home runs on Opening Day with eight. Robinson hit three home runs in season openers for the Cincinnati Reds, three for the Baltimore Orioles and one each for the California Angels and Cleveland Indians. No other player has hit Opening Day roundtrippers for four teams.
Shutout, largest margin of victory: The Milwaukee Brewers shut out the Baltimore Orioles 12-0 on April 4, 1988, at Baltimore.
Most grand slams, career: Sixto Lezcano hit only three grand slams in his career, but two came in Opening Day games -- 1978 and 1980.
Opening Day historical notes
April 1, 1996 -- The New York Mets rallied from a 6-0 deficit to post a 7-6 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals, the biggest Opening Day comeback this century.
April 26, 1995 -- The Rockies and Mets opened Coors Field with an offensive barrage of 20 runs and 33 hits as Colorado won 11-9 in 14 innings. Colorado outfielder Dante Bichette won the game with a one-out home run in the 14th.
April 3, 1989 -- Ken Griffey Jr. doubled in his first Major League at-bat off Oakland's Dave Stewart, but the Mariners fell to the Athletics 3-2.
April 8, 1975 -- At Cleveland, Frank Robinson, debuting as the first black manager in Major League history, powered a first-inning home run as the Indians defeated the Yankees 5-3.
April 4, 1974 -- Hank Aaron hit a three-run, first-inning home run off Jack Billingham in Cincinnati to tie Babe Ruth's all-time home run record of 714.
April 11, 1961 -- Rookie Carl Yastrzemski banged the first of his 3,318 career hits off Kansas City's Ray Herbert at Fenway Park.
April 15, 1958 -- In San Francisco's Seals Stadium, the transplanted New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers played the first Major League game in California. The Giants' Ruben Gomez bested Don Drysdale 8-0.
April 18, 1950 -- At Fenway Park, the Red Sox, leading 9-0 over the Yankees in the sixth, wound up losing 14-10. It marked Billy Martin's debut and he celebrated it in a nine-run eighth inning in which he became the first rookie to get two hits in one inning.
April 15, 1947 -- At Ebbets Field, Jackie Robinson, hitless in three official at bats, became the first black man to play in the majors as his Dodgers beat the Braves 5-3.
April 16, 1940 -- At Comiskey Park, Cleveland's Bob Feller became the only pitcher ever to pitch an Opening Day no-hitter, beating the White Sox 1-0.
April 16, 1935 -- At Boston's Braves Field, Babe Ruth, in his initial NL appearance, hit a home run off Carl Hubbell as the hapless Braves, who went on to win only 37 more games that year, clipped the Giants 4-2.
April 11, 1928 -- Future Hall of Famers Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker are in the starting lineup for the Philadelphia A's, their first game as teammates.
April 13, 1926 -- In Washington, the aging Walter Johnson fanned a dozen when he outlasted Eddie Rommel and the A's 1-0 in 15 innings.
April 18, 1925 -- The Giants downed the Dodgers 7-1 in a Brooklyn opener that was saddened by the death of Dodgers' owner Charles H. Ebbets, who had succumbed to a heart attack that morning at his Waldorf-Astoria apartment.
April 18, 1923 -- Babe Ruth opened Yankee Stadium with a two-run homer off Boston's Howard Ehmke to spark the Yankees' 4-1 victory.
April 20, 1912 -- The Red Sox christened Fenway Park with a 7-6, 11-inning victory against the Yankees.
April 14, 1910 -- William Howard Taft became the first president to throw out the ceremonial first ball and Walter Johnson followed by one-hitting the A's 3-0.
April 15, 1909 -- The Dodgers opened at the Giants with the Giants' Leon Ames no-hitting Brooklyn for 9 1/3 innings before the Dodgers beat the right-hander 3-0 in 13.
April 25, 1901 -- In the American League's first game in Detroit, the Tigers scored 10 runs in the ninth inning for a 14-13 victory against Milwaukee.
April 19, 1900 -- The Braves and Phillies produced the National League's highest scoring opener when Boston scored nine in the ninth and went on to defeat Philadelphia 19-17 in 10 innings.
Presidential first-ball thowers
2001 -- George W. Bush (Milwaukee)
1996 -- Clinton (Baltimore)
1994 -- Clinton (Cleveland)
1993 -- Clinton (Baltimore)
1992 -- Bush (Baltimore)
1991 -- Bush (Arlington)
1990 -- Bush (Toronto) (with Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney)
1989 -- Bush (Baltimore)
1984 -- Reagan (Baltimore)
1985 -- Vice president Bush (New York Mets)
1976 -- Ford (Arlington)
1974 -- VP Ford (Cincinnati)
1973 -- Nixon (California)
1970 -- David Eisenhower (son-in-law)
1969 -- Nixon
1968 -- VP Humphrey
1967 -- Johnson
1966 -- VP Humphrey
1965 -- Johnson
1964 -- Johnson
1963 -- Kennedy
1962 -- Kennedy
1961 -- Kennedy
1960 -- Eisenhower
1958 -- Eisenhower
1957 -- Eisenhower
1956 -- Eisenhower
1955 -- Eisenhower
1954 -- Eisenhower
1953 -- Eisenhower
1952 -- Truman
1951 -- Truman
1950 -- Truman
1949 -- Truman
1948 -- Truman
1947 -- Truman
1946 -- Truman
1945 -- Speaker Sam Rayburn
1942 -- VP Henry Wallace
1936 -- Roosevelt
1935 -- Roosevelt
1933 -- Roosevelt
1932 -- Hoover
1931 -- Hoover
1930 -- Hoover
1929 -- Hoover
1927 -- Coolidge
1924 -- Coolidge
1923 -- Harding
1922 -- Harding
1921 -- Harding
1916 -- Wilson
1915 -- Wilson
1912 -- VP James Sherman
1911 -- Taft
1910 -- Taft
*Before 1972, all presidents who threw out the first ball did so in Washington, D.C.
Top 10 home opener crowds
Attendance Opponent/Home club Date
80,227 *Montreal @ Colorado April 9, 1993
78,672 **San Francisco @ Los Angeles April 7, 1958
74,420 Detroit @ Cleveland April 7, 1973
73,163 St. Louis @ Cleveland April 20, 1948
72,470 *Philadelphia @ Colorado April 4, 1994
71,067 Milwaukee @ Cleveland April 11, 1981
67,550 **Chicago @ Los Angeles April 12, 1960
65,744 Detroit @ Cleveland April 18, 1950
64,540 Baltimore @ Cleveland April 10, 1987
63,725 Detroit @ Cleveland April 22, 1949
(*) -- Mile High Stadium
(**) -- Los Angeles Coliseum