Fifty-seven years after the historic event, major league baseball begins the tradition of Jackie Robinson Day

ByBaseball

Fifty-seven years after the historic event, major league baseball begins the tradition of Jackie Robinson Day, an annual celebration marking the day the color line was broken. At big league parks across the country there are ceremonies honoring the ground-breaking Brooklyn Dodgers second baseman, including Commissioner Bud Selig joining his widow, Rachel Robinson, for a Shea Stadium tribute.

2004 – A day after Yankees teammate Mike Mussina earned his 200th career victory, Kevin Brown reaches the same plateau, beating the Devil Rays, 5 – 1. It is the first time in major league history members of the same pitching staff have won their 200th career victory in consecutive starts.

ByTom

2004 – A day after Yankees teammate Mike Mussina earned his 200th career victory, Kevin Brown reaches the same plateau, beating the Devil Rays, 5 – 1. It is the first time in major league history members of the same pitching staff have won their 200th career victory in consecutive starts.

Pitchers Dennis Eckersley and Bruce Hurst, catcher-manager Bill Carrigan and infielders Wade Boggs, Billy Goodman and Pete Runnels are selected for induction into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame. The club’s Hall of Fame selection committee conducted its voting at a meeting the previous fall.

ByThis Day in Baseball

Pitchers Dennis Eckersley and Bruce Hurst, catcher-manager Bill Carrigan and infielders Wade Boggs, Billy Goodman and Pete Runnels are selected for induction into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame. The club’s Hall of Fame selection committee conducted its voting at a meeting the previous fall.

At the Giants’ home opener at SBC Park, the torch is passed both literally and figuratively as Barry Bonds hit his 660th career homer to tie his godfather, Willie Mays, for third on the all-time home run list. The 72 year-old Hall of Famer Mays greets his godson at home plate with a torch studded with $18,000 of diamonds forming the numbers 660, 25, which is Barry’s number, and 1, the number to needed move ahead.

ByTom

At the Giants’ home opener at SBC Park, the torch is passed both literally and figuratively as Barry Bonds hit his 660th career homer to tie his godfather, Willie Mays, for third on the all-time home run list. The 72 year-old Hall of Famer Mays greets his godson at home plate with a torch studded with $18,000 of diamonds forming the numbers 660, 25, which is Barry’s number, and 1, the number to needed move ahead.

The New York Yankees and Joe Torre agree to a three-year contract extension. The contract also includes an additional six-year deal in which the 62-year old manager will serve as a team advisor through the 2013 season. That adjunct to the deal will never be implemented.

ByBaseball

The New York Yankees and Joe Torre agree to a three-year contract extension. The contract also includes an additional six-year deal in which the 62-year old manager will serve as a team advisor through the 2013 season. That adjunct to the deal will never be implemented.

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41-year-old Roger Clemens makes his debut as an Astro a memorable one, blanking the Giants on one hit over seven innings to earn his 311th career victory, a 10-1 blowout

ByTom

2004 – What retirement? 41-year-old Roger Clemens makes his debut as an Astro a memorable one, blanking the Giants on one hit over seven innings to earn his 311th career victory, a 10-1 blowout. Homers by Richard Hidalgo, Jeff Bagwell and Jeff Kent support The Rocket who fans nine, including slugger Barry Bonds twice. Clemens also singles in his first at-bat as a National Leaguer. 

2004 – Adam LaRoche of the Atlanta Braves collects the first two hits of his career in one inning. En route to an 18 – 10 win over the Mets, the rookie first baseman singles and doubles during the Braves’ 33-minute, 11-run 4th inning.

ByTom

2004 – Adam LaRoche of the Atlanta Braves collects the first two hits of his career in one inning. En route to an 18 – 10 win over the Mets, the rookie first baseman singles and doubles during the Braves’ 33-minute, 11-run 4th inning.

In an on-line poll in which nearly 8,000 fans participate, Still We Believe: The Boston Red Sox Movie is selected as the title of a documentary about the 2003 season. Other choices offered by the team and the Boston Globe web sites included This Is the Year, The Ecstasy and the Agony and Always the Bridesmaid in addition to fan’s wry suggestion of I Know What You Did Last Summer, I Wish I Didn’t Know What You Did Last Fall.

ByBaseball

In an on-line poll in which nearly 8,000 fans participate, Still We Believe: The Boston Red Sox Movie is selected as the title of a documentary about the 2003 season. Other choices offered by the team and the Boston Globe web sites included This Is the Year, The Ecstasy and the Agony and Always the Bridesmaid in addition to fan’s wry suggestion of I Know What You Did Last Summer, I Wish I Didn’t Know What You Did Last Fall.

The World Champion Florida Marlins open their season with a 4 – 3 win over the Montreal Expos. The game marks the first time that two World Series MVPs oppose each other on Opening Day‚ with 2003 winner Josh Beckett going for Florida and 1997 winner Livan Hernandez on the mound for Montreal. Like Beckett, Hernandez was a member of the Marlins when he was named World Series MVP.

ByBaseball

The World Champion Florida Marlins open their season with a 4 – 3 win over the Montreal Expos. The game marks the first time that two World Series MVPs oppose each other on Opening Day‚ with 2003 winner Josh Beckett going for Florida and 1997 winner Livan Hernandez on the mound for Montreal. Like Beckett, Hernandez was a member of the Marlins when he was named World Series MVP.

The Mets open their season with a 7 – 2 win over the Braves. SS Kazuo Matsui, making his American baseball debut, opens the game with a home run on the first pitch from Russ Ortiz‚ becoming only the 20th player in baseball history to homer on the first major league pitch he sees. Matsui adds a pair of doubles and two walks in his debut. He is the third player in Met history to homer in his first at bat‚ joining Mike Fitzgerald and Benny Ayala.

ByBaseball

The Mets open their season with a 7 – 2 win over the Braves. SS Kazuo Matsui, making his American baseball debut, opens the game with a home run on the first pitch from Russ Ortiz‚ becoming only the 20th player in baseball history to homer on the first major league pitch he sees. Matsui adds a pair of doubles and two walks in his debut. He is the third player in Met history to homer in his first at bat‚ joining Mike Fitzgerald and Benny Ayala.