The first Virginia Tech home athletic event, a game against Miami, since the campus massacre, which claimed 32 lives of students and staff, draws 3,132 fans. The overflow crowd is the largest ever recorded in the 18-year history of English Field, home of the Hokies college baseball team.
On April 18, 2007, David Wright singles against the Florida Marlins to extend his hitting streak to 25 games, the longest in New York Mets’ history. Wright’s streak stretches back to the end of the 2006 season, and breaks the previous franchise mark held jointly by Hubie Brooks (1984) and Mike Piazza (1999).
On April 17, 2007, Alex Rodriguez hits his eighth homer of the young season, in the Yankees’ 12th game. He becomes just the third player to hit eight homers in the first 12 games or less, joining Mike Schmidt (1976) and Luis Gonzalez (2001).
On April 17, 2007, members of the Washington Nationals wear Virginia Tech baseball caps in their game against the Atlanta Braves, to honor the victims of the deadly shooting on that school’s campus the day before.
On April 15, 2007, on the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s debut, the entire Dodger team wears uniform #42 in his honor. At least one player on each MLB team wears #42, after Ken Griffey Jr. had asked commissioner Bud Selig for permission to do so. In Oakland, Yankee closer Mariano Rivera, who is the only major leaguer still grandfathered in to wear #42, allows a three-run walk-off homer to Marco Scutaro of the A’s.
To honor Jackie Robinson, some players on each team, including Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter and Braves’ outfielder Andruw Jones, wear the Dodger immortal’s uniform No. 42 on the 60th anniversary of his historic breaking the color barrier in baseball. In the Cardinals and Brewers contest at Busch Stadium, every player and coach on both teams dons Jackie’s revered number.
The Indians became the first team in almost 55 years to notch a victory with their only hit coming in the team’s first at-bat when Grady Sizemore doubles leading off the first inning in Tribe’s eventual 2-1 win over Chicago at Jacobs Field. The last time the Tribe won while getting just one hit or less was in 1992, a 2-1 victory over Boston with the team being no-hit by Matt Young.
On April 2, 2007, the Tribune Company announces that they will sell the Chicago Cubs at the conclusion of the season. The Tribune Co. had purchased the franchise for $20.5 million in 1981. Analysts predict that the company can fetch as much as $600 million for the team, which hasn’t won a World Series since 1918.
On April 2, 2007, Troy Percival throws out the first pitch for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim prior to their opening day game against the Rangers. Percival, who pitched for the Angels from 1995-2004 and was one the mound when the team won the 2002 World Series, had signed a minor league contract earlier in the day to allow him to retire as a member of the organization.
At New York’s Gracey Mansion, Major League Baseball announces the 2008 All-Star Game will be played at Yankee Stadium for the fourth time (1939, 1960, 1977) in the ballpark’s history. The annual Midsummer Classic will showcase the historic ‘House that Ruth Built’ in its final season as the home of the Bronx Bombers.
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