Frank Thomas is the first Chicago White Sox player to hit a home run at New Comiskey Park. Chicago is an 8 – 7 winner over the Baltimore Orioles.

Robby Thompson of the San Francisco Giants hits for the cycle in a 7 – 5 loss to the San Diego Padres. Thompson triples in the 1st inning, hits a home run in the 3rd, singles in the 6th, and doubles in the 9th.

A sellout crowd of 42,191 watches the Chicago White Sox play their first game at New Comiskey Park and sees the home team get crushed by the Detroit Tigers, 16 – 0. Jack McDowell gives up the park’s first home runto Cecil Fielder.

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.

Nolan Ryan and his son, Reid, pitch against each other as the Texas Rangers take on the University of Texas at Austin. Reid, a 19-year-old freshman, gives up four runs in two innings, and is down 4 – 1 to his father when he leaves the game. Nolan gives up five hits, three runs, and strikes out seven in five innings, as the Rangers win, 12 – 5.