The Cincinnati Reds became the 5th franchise to win the 10,000th game in franchise history by defeating the Cubs, 9 – 4, on a cold blustery day at Wrigley Field. Cubs starter Chris Volstad gives up four runs in the 1st to send the Reds on their way. They joined the Giants, Dodgers, Cardinals and Braves.
Two anniversaries clash in New York, as the Mets celebrate a half century of existence, and Washington Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg the second anniversary of his professional debut. Strasburg has the upper hand, pitching 6 scoreless innings to earn his first win of the year, 4 – 0. His opponent Johan Santana, also coming back from arm surgery, gives up a single run in 5 innings when Mark DeRosa scores on a wild pitch in the 2nd, but it’s enough to saddle him with the loss.
The Indians and Blue Jays set a record by playing 16 innings on Opening Day before Toronto wins the game, 7 – 4, on a three-run homer by J.P. Arencibia off Jairo Asencio. The Indians take a 4 – 0 lead in the 2nd as Jack Hannahan hits a three-run homer off Ricky Romero, but do not score again over the next 14 frames. The Jays rally for 3 runs in the 9th off closer Chris Perez to negate a great start by Justin Masterson and send the game into extra innings.
The Cardinals’ Lance Berkman plays an April Fools prank on teammate Adam Wainwright. Before the 3rd inning of a Grapefruit League game, Wainwright’s white Chevrolet Silverado pick-up truck is driven on the warning track at Roger Dean Stadium as the public address announcer states that it will be given away to a lucky fan. A stunned Wainwright watches from the bench as the supposed prize winners, a father and his son, climb into the bed of the truck when it stops in front of the home dugout and Berkman, who is driving, pokes his head out of the window, waves to everyone, and drives away.
2012 – New Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen is already in mid-season form. He gets ejected in the 6th inning of an otherwise placid Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox for arguing a foul ball call with umpire Tim Timmons. As Ozzie explains afterwards: “I don’t mind getting ejected, man. That’s my job. If I get ejected protecting my players, I can sleep at night.”
In an important step in his recovery from shoulder surgery in 2010, Mets pitcher Johan Santana faces hitters for the first time in spring training. The team is hopeful he will be ready for Opening Day.
On their Twitter account, the Mets send out an image of the patch the team will wear this season in memory of Gary Carter, who died earlier in the month of brain cancer at the age of 57. The black oval will feature the nickname of the former New York catcher, Kid, and his number 8.
Before a 3-1 loss to the Devils at the Bell Centre, the NHL’s Canadiens pay an emotional tribute to the late Gary Carter with a five-minute video set to The Eagles’ New Kid in Town. The players don No. 8 Carter jerseys during warmups, and the team’s mascot Youppi!, who once represented the city’s National League team, wears the Expos colors in place of his usual bleu-blanc-rouge (blue, white, and red), honoring the memory of the only Montreal player enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
2012 – Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter dies of brain cancer in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. After becoming a perennial All-Star with the Montreal Expos, Carter led the New York Mets to a World Series title in 1986.
An arbitration panel rules in favor of 27 year-old Anibal Sanchez (8-9, 3.67), awarding the Marlin right-hander with a record-breaking $8 million salary for this season. The decision, which puts aside the team’s counteroffer of $6.9 million, represents the largest amount ever given to a starting pitcher who went to arbitration.
Enjoy our free trial and start listening to games, interviews and shows! Ruth, Mantle, Aaron, and Seaver!