Barry Bonds becomes the second player in baseball history to begin a season with consecutive two-homer games. Eddie Mathews also hit a pair of homers in each of the Braves’ first two games against the Pirates to start the 1958 season.
At McAfee Coliseum, the Texas Rangers defeat the Oakland Athletics, 9 – 6. The loss snaps the Athletics’ string of 20 straight wins at home, stretching back to August 24th of last year. Oakland moves past the 1974-1975Cincinnati Reds for most consecutive home wins over two seasons. The Reds’ mark was 17.
In his major league debut, right-hander Jon Rauch of the White Sox pitches a perfect 1.1 innings in a 7-4 loss to the Mariners at Safeco Field. The 6′-11″ Louisville, Kentucky native, who was a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team, becomes the tallest pitcher to appear in a big league game.
In beating the Padres, 9 – 0, the Diamondbacks become the first defending World Champions to open the season with back-to-back shutouts since the Boston Red Sox in 1919. Curt Schilling is the winning pitcher today, following Randy Johnson’s two-hitter yesterday.
In his major league debut, 6′ 11″ pitcher Jon Rauch of the Chicago White Sox throws a perfect 1 1/3 innings in a 7 – 4 loss to the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. The Louisville, Kentucky native, who was a member of the 2000 US Olympic baseball team, becomes the tallest pitcher to appear in a major league game.
Cinci Freedom, who evaded capture for ten days after jumping a six-foot fence to avoid slaughter, is excused from her scheduled appearance in the Reds’ traditional Opening Day parade. Before the Reds’ 5-4 walk-off victory over the Cubs at Cinergy Field, the Charolais cow, after receiving a key to the city, is deemed too jumpy to participate in the Findlay Market activities.
The Mets, with a 6-2 victory over the Bucs at Shea Stadium, improve their mark for Opening Day victories to 26-15 (.634), a major league record. The New York expansion team didn’t win their first season opener until the ninth year of the franchise’s existence.
On January 2, 2002 The Pittsburgh Pirates sign free agent pitcher Mike Williams to a two-year contract. Williams began last season with Pittsburgh until being traded to Houston in July. Source Baseball Reference January 2
2001 – San Francisco Giants left fielder Barry Bonds is named National League Most Valuable Player by the Baseball Writers Association of America with 30 of 32 first-place votes. Bonds, who hit .328 with an all-time record 73 home runs and 137 RBI, wins the award for an unprecedented fourth time. Previously, he was awarded as a Pittsburgh Pirates member in 1990 and 1992 and with the Giants in 1993. Three-time MVP Award winners include Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial and Mike Schmidt, all of them Hall of Famers.
“The welfare, recreation, prestige, prosperity, trade and commerce of the people of the community are at stake. The Twins brought the community together with Homer Hankies and Bobblehead dolls. The Twins are one of the few professional sports teams in town where a family can afford to take their children to enjoy a hot dog and peanuts and a stadium. The vital public interest, or trust, of the Twins substantially outweighs any private interest.” – HARRY SEYMOUR CRUMP, Hennepin County District Judge ruling that thwarts the baseball owners’ plan to eliminate two major league teams next season. In a four-page decision, Hennepin County District Judge Harry Seymour Crump rules the Twins must continue to play the home portion of their games at the Metrodome next season and prohibits Twins owner Carl Pohlad from selling the team unless the new owner also agrees to play next season’s games in the team’s current ballpark. The lower court decision, which is likely to be appealed, is the result of MLB’s decision to contract two teams, one of which is likely to be Minnesota.
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