[adrotate banner=”35″] Are you interested in owning your own business but don’t know where to start? Contact Franchising Connection today for a free consultation and we will help you through your journey! April 16, 1964 Tony Conigliaro makes his debut against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. The Red Sox win 4-3, in extra…
1964 – Colt .45s win the league’s season opener in Cincinnati, defeating the Reds, 6-3. It is the only time in their three-year history that the Colts have sole possession of first place. President Lyndon Johnson watches while Ken Johnson, still grieving over the death of roommate Jim Umbricht, hurls a two-hit shutout before tiring in the ninth. Jim Wynn, who grew up in Cincinnati, belts a two-run shot in the victory.
On May 19, 1963, Billy Bruton of the Detroit Tigers ties a major league record by collecting four doubles in one game. Curiously, Bruton will total only 21 doubles on the season.
April 16, 1963: On Opening Day at County Stadium, Eddie Mathews hits the 400th home run of his career off of Phillies’ Jack Hamilton. It was a two-run shot, driving in Hank Aaron. At the time, Mathews became 7th on the all-time home run list. Trailing only Ruth, Foxx, Williams, Ott, Gehrig & Musial.
Wally Post hits the first home run in Dodger Stadium history, a two-out, three-run shot in the seventh inning off Johnny Podres that proves to be the difference in the Cincinnati’s 6-3 victory. The left fielder’s round-tripper to center field is a fair ball, unlike some others hit in the ballpark where the foul poles are discovered to be positioned in foul territory, requiring special permission from the National League to be recognized as fair during the first year in the team’s new home in Chavez Ravine.
The Twins, formerly known as the Washington Senators before moving to Minnesota, play their first home game, losing to the ‘new’ expansion Washington Senators, 5-3 in front of a crowd of 24,606 at Metropolitan Stadium. The club’s move to the North Star State will attract 1,256,723 fans, third best in the American League, and far better than their last season in the nation’s capital, where the team drew only 743,404 fans, the worst gate in the league.
On April 11, 1959, Don Drysdale of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits his second Opening Day home run, becoming the only pitcher to hit more than one career homer in opening games. Drysdale’s historic blast doesn’t prevent the Dodgers from losing their game, 6-1, to the Chicago Cubs…
On April 9, 1959, the Baltimore Orioles become the first team in major league history to turn a triple play on Opening Day. The O’s turn the triple killing in front of Vice-President Richard Nixon, who throws out the ceremonial first pitch as a substitute for President Dwight Eisenhower.
The Los Angeles Dodgers play their first game at the Los Angeles Coliseum in front of a crowd of 78,672. Carl Erskine gets the win, besting Al Worthington and the San Francisco Giants, 6 – 5.
1958 – Major League Baseball comes to California as the transplanted Giants and Dodgers play the first game on the Pacific Coast. The Californian contest at San Francisco’s Seals Stadium sees Ruben Gómez blanking Los Angeles and Don Drysdale. Daryl Spencer hits the first home run and Orlando Cepeda also homers in the Giants’ 8 – 0 victory in front of 23,448 fans.
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