On April 13, 1984, Pete Rose collects the 4,000th hit of his major league career. The Montreal Expos first baseman achieves the milestone by doubling against Jerry Koosman of the Philadelphia Phillies. Rose receives a three-minute standing ovation from the fans at Olympic Stadium.
Martha and the Vandellas’ iconic hit Dancing in the Streets, which was recorded a couple of miles north of the ballpark twenty years ago at the Motown Studios, finally is played over the public address system at Tiger Stadium. Jim Campbell, the Detroit’s GM who thought the lyrics might cause rowdiness in the stands, finally gives into the wishes of his younger fans, resulting in a ballpark tradition of the crowd cheering when Martha Reeves belts out the immortal words,“Can’t Forget the Motor City.”
In a 3 – 1 loss to the Mets, Houston Astros shortstop Dickie Thon is hit in the face by a Mike Torrez pitch that breaks the orbital bone around his eye. Thon will be operated on April 11th, but will miss the rest of the season. When he returns, the All-Star SS will be plagued with blurred vision and be relegated to a back-up role for some time.
On April 7, 1984, Davey Johnson wanted ideal conditions for the debut of highly-touted prospect Dwight Gooden, so the Mets manager held off Gooden’s first start until the Mets arrived in the pitcher-friendly Astrodome on April 7, 1984. Not only would Gooden be protected from adverse weather factors but the Astros were expected to draw…
On April 7, 1984, Detroit Tigers ace Jack Morris hurls a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox. Morris strikes out eight and walks six in shutting down the Sox at Comiskey Park.
After committing a two-out error in the bottom of the eighth inning to allow the eventual winning run to score in the Yankees’ 7-6 loss to the Rangers at Arlington Stadium, New York shortstop Bobby Meacham is sent to the minors after the fourth game of the season on the orders of owner George Steinbrenner. The move, which stuns manager Yogi Berra, will prove to be a precursor to the ‘Boss’ firing him next season after the team drops ten of its first sixteen decisions.
On Opening Day, Tiger rookie Barbaro Garbey becomes the first Cuban refugee to play in the majors when he grounds out in the seventh inning as a pinch-hitter for Dave Bergman. The 27 year-old utility player will stay in the game, playing first base in Detroit’s 8-1 rout of Minnesota in the Metrodome.
Arbitrator Richard Bloch rules that the Royals’ Willie Wilson and the Mets’ Jerry Martin can return to action on May 15th, the day their year-long suspensions for cocaine abuse are first due to be reviewed.
After rain washed out yesterday’s opener at Royals Stadium, Yul Brynner tosses out the first ball and Kansas City opens with a 4 – 2 win over the Yankees. The threat of snow holds the crowd to just 10,006. Starter Bud Black, with relief help from Dan Quisenberry, tops Ron Guidry, still winless in Openers. Onix Concepción hits Guidry’s first pitch of the game for a home run, while Dave Winfield has a two-run homer for the Yankees.
For the first time in ten years, the Mets lose on Opening Day, bowing to the Reds, 8-1. The last time the team dropped a season opener was in 1974, when Mike Schmidt hit a two-run walk-off home run off Tug McGraw, giving the Phillies a 5-4 victory over New York at Veterans Stadium.
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