The first opening night game is held in St. Louis. The Cardinals, behind a complete game by Gerry Staley and home runs from Red Schoendienst and Stan Musial, beat the Pirates, 4 – 2, at Sportsman’s Park.
Sam Jethroe, former Cleveland Buckeyes star of the Negro American League, becomes the first black player for the Braves. The 33 year-old highly-touted prospect, who will lead the majors with 35 stolen bases, will be named the National League’s Rookie of the Year.
U.S. President Harry Truman throws out two balls at the Washington Senators opener – one left-handed and the other right-handed – then watches the Senators beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 8 – 7. When rain starts falling in the 6th inning, he puts on a raincoat and remains to the end.
Vin Scully calls the first game of his illustrious 67-year career with the Dodgers, detailing Brooklyn’s 9-1 defeat to the Phillies on Opening Day at Philadelphia’s Shibe Park. The 22-year old broadcaster, who will be awarded the Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award by Bud Selig in 2014, will become the team’s primary announcer just three seasons later.
At Fenway Park, Commissioner Happy Chandler gives Ted Williams his American League MVP Award, and then Governor Paul Dever tosses out the first ball. To the delight of 31,822 fans, Boston rips New York Yankees starter Allie Reynolds with a five-run 4th inning to drive him from the game and take a 9 – 0 lead. But the Yankees score four runs in the 6th off Mel Parnell and then, down 10 – 4, unload for nine runs in the 8th. Billy Martin becomes the first player in major league history to get two base hits in one inning in his first game. He doubles against Parnell in his first at-bat in the 8th inning, and then singles off Al Papai. Walt Masterson gives up Tommy Henrich’s second triple of the game before giving way to four more Boston pitchers. Boo Ferriss, pitching in his last game, allows the last two runs in the 9th inning as the Yankees chalk up a 15 – 10 victory, the biggest blown lead the Red Sox have ever had at Fenway Park; on June 4, 1989, they’ll blow a 10-run lead at home. Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Vern Stephens, and Bobby Doerreach have three hits. Don Johnson is the winning pitcher, his last victory for New York, with Joe Page pitching a perfect 8th and 9th innings in relief.
The Phillies play their first game with name official changed back from Blue Jays, routing the Dodgers at Shibe Park, 9-1. The team wears red pinstriped uniforms designed by manager Eddie Sawyer that are reminiscent of club’s look in the early 1900s in the early 1900s.
April 10, 1950 – Due to a salary dispute, St. Louis Browns pitcher Al Widmar quits the team and threatens to sue baseball. Widmar will sign a contract within the week. [jetpack_subscription_form title=”Join the Community” subscribe_text=”We bring you cool stories about the game, players, ballparks and the people that shaped the game!” subscribe_button=”Join us!” show_subscribers_total=”1″]…
1950 – The phrase “bullpen baron” — which will be applied much more famously to Pirates reliever ElRoy Face by beat writer Jack Hernon in 1959 — is coined by Joe Reichler of the Associated Press in his pre-season profile of the St. Louis Cardinals: “For relief they have Ted Wilks, the league’s bullpen baron with a 10-3 record for 59 assignments last year.”
Considered a well-guarded secret, Mel Parnell reveals he pitched all but three of his 39 games for Boston last season with a sore elbow. The 27 year-old ‘Dusty’ finished the season 25-7 with a 2.77 ERA for the second-place Red Sox.
Pacific Coast League Hollywood Stars wear shorts and rayon shirts as their Opening Day uniform. In 1976, the White Sox will also don shorts in the first game of a doubleheader against Kansas City.
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