Julio Franco announces his retirement as a player at age 49. He had been playing with the Tigres de Quintana Roo of the Mexican League and had last played in the major leagues in 2007.
The Phillies shatter their team home run mark for April when Chase Utley hits the team’s 39th dinger of the month in the team’s 4-2 loss to San Diego at Citizens Bank Park. The eventual World Champions had established the previous record of 29 set in 2006.
2008 – The Reds top the Giants, 10 – 1. Barry Zito falls to 0-6 with a 7.53 ERA. One of the highest-paid players in baseball, Zito is the third pitcher since 1956 to have gone 0-6 before May; Dave Stewart in 1984 and Mike Maroth in 2003 were the others.
Beating the Padres, 2-1, the Diamondbacks break the franchise mark for wins in April, having already won 17 games this month. Brandon Webb, who outduels Jake Peavy, becomes just the third hurler in major league history, joining teammate Randy Johnson (2000, 2002) and Dave Stewart (A’s – 1988), to post six victories before the start of May.
2008 – The Dodgers top the Rockies, 11 – 3. Mark Redman allows 10 1st-inning runs but is left in the contest; such a scenario had not taken place in the major leagues for over a century. Redman throws shutout ball for the next five frames, but still takes the loss. Los Angeles sends 13 batters to the plate in the 1st, with a Matt Kemp grand slam the key blow.
Brad Penny’s 96-mph fastball is missed by Dodger batterymate Russell Martin and knocks out umpire Kerwin Danley. After the players are asked to leave the field, the home plate arbitrator, who lost consciousness briefly, is placed on a stretcher and leaves the Dodgers-Rockies game in an ambulance.
Sara Tucholsky, a Western Oregon college senior, goes deep over the centerfield fence, but suffers a torn knee ligament rounding first and is unable to continue her trip around the bases. Any assistance from her teammates will turn the three-run homer into a two-run single and an out, but just before being lifted off the field, Central Washington senior Mallory Holtman comes forward along with other opposing players to carry their injured opponent around the bases in the ultimate display of sportsmanship.
“We can’t tell you to survive the storms of life, we can tell you to dance in the rain, and you can do it. You really can do it. Very difficult, but possible.” – VIN SCULLY, delivering the commencement address at Pepperdine University. Vin Scully receives an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Pepperdine University in Malibu, the institution’s highest honor. The Dodgers’ Hall of Fame broadcaster delivers a stirring commencement address to the 2008 Class of Seaver College, telling the graduates that achieving dreams may be “very difficult, but possible”.
On April 24, 2008 The David Ortiz jersey, which was secretly buried in cement at the new Yankee Stadium in an attempt to curse the team, is acquired in a Jimmy Fund charity auction for $175,100. More than 280 bidders vied for the jersey.
The Chicago Cubs become the second franchise in major league history to reach 10,000 wins. They top the Rockies, 7 – 6, in a 10-inning affair to join the Giants with 10,000. They trail, 5 – 4, entering the 9th but Derrek Leeconnects safely against Rockies closer Manuel Corpas and Aramis Ramirez homers to make it 6 – 5. Chicago closer Kerry Wood fails to hang on to the win; he retires two batters but Scott Podsednik singles and Ryan Spilborghs triples to tie it. In the 10th, Kip Wells allows a single to Geovany Soto; Ryan Theriot later drives in the run with a single for a 7 – 6 edge. This time, it holds up, as Carlos Marmol notches the save; Wood is credited with the win and Wells suffers the loss.
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