1985 – In a battle between the major-league’s top two strikeout artists of all time, Nolan Ryan defeats Steve Carlton and the Phillies, 5-3. Ryan increases his career strikeout lead over Carlton to ten (3,887 to 3,877). Jose Cruz supports with three hits.
On April 13, 1985, future Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers breaks the record for most saves in American League history. The Milwaukee Brewers’ relief ace notches his 217th save in the AL, surpassing the mark established by former Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees reliever Sparky Lyle.
Cal Ripken, nursing a sprained left ankle suffered while covering second base on a pickoff play in yesterday’s game against the Rangers, is ordered by the doctor not to play in today’s game against the Midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy. The Orioles shortstop’s streak of consecutive games, which would have ended if not for the team’s exhibition contest in Annapolis, is in its infancy at 444 games.
1985 – Gorman Thomas hits three home runs and drives in six runs to lead the Seattle Mariners to a 14 – 6 victory over the Oakland Athletics.
1985 – On the Dome’s 20th Anniversary, Nolan Ryan leads a 2-1 victory over Los Angeles, surviving a first-inning kiss from Morganna who also smooches Dickie Thon before the police arrest her.
Tom Seaver establishes a big league record with his 15th Opening Day assignment, earning the victory in the White Sox’s 4-2 win over Milwaukee at County Stadium. The right-hander, who also got the first-day nods from the Mets (1968-77, 1983) and Reds (1978-79, 1981), will extend the mark previously held by Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators to 16 next season.
A year and a day after being hit in the face by a Mike Torrez pitch, shortstop Dickie Thon returns to the Houston Astros lineup and goes 1 for 4 off Fernando Valenzuela in Houston’s 2 – 1 win over the Dodgers. Thon will hit just .207 before going back on the disabled list with recurring vision problems.
At Fenway Park, 46-year-old Phil Niekro starts for the New York Yankees, becoming the second oldest pitcher ever to start on Opening Day. Only Jack Quinn, for the Brooklyn Robins in 1931, was older at age 47. The Boston Red Sox chase Niekro after four innings and, behind the pitching of Oil Can Boyd, coast to a 9 – 2 win. Niekro walks four in the 3rd inning, including two with the bases loaded, to lose his seventh opener in a row (six with Atlanta), the worst opening day record ever. Outfielders Tony Armas, Dwight Evans and Jim Rice stroke home runs for Boston.
On April 3, 1985, A major league owners’ proposal is agreed to by the Players Association the American and National League playoff formats are changed to best-of-seven formats. The League Championship Series had been played as a best-of-five since its inception in 1969 when the leagues divided into divisions, with both the Orioles and Mets…
1985 – Today’s issue of Sports Illustrated contains a fictitious article about a New York Mets pitching prospect named Sidd Finch, whose fastball has been timed at 168 miles per hour. Author George Plimpton offers bogus quotes from real-life members of the Mets, as well as several staged photos, and fools readers nationwide.
Enjoy our free trial and start listening to games, interviews and shows! Ruth, Mantle, Aaron, and Seaver!