In their home opener at the Oakland Coliseum, a 2-1 victory over Milwaukee, the A’s use gold-colored bases. This colorful innovation introduced by team owner Charlie O. Finley will quickly be banned by the MLB’s Rules Committee.
4/13/1969 – The White Sox were in Seattle playing the Pilots with the Pale Hose leading 11-1 after 3 ‘ innings. In the bottom of the fourth, the Pilots staged a rally, scoring four runs. During the inning, Sox manager Al Lopez replaced his battery but placed new hurler Wilbur Wood in the fifth spot in the order where the catcher had been and the new catcher, Duane Josephson, in the ninth spot. In the top of the fifth, the eighth-place hitter, Woody Held, reached second on an infield error. Then Wood mistakenly went to the plate instead of Josephson. Wood successfully sacrificed Held to third base and the lead-off hitter, Buddy Bradford, followed. The White Sox continued this error in the next inning when the fifth spot in the lineup came up. Josephson hit with a runner on first base and grounded into a double play. In the seventh, Josephson hit again in his proper ninth spot and they continued to bat in the correct order for the remainder of the game, which was won by the White Sox , 12-7.
Looking back on his career some 30 years later, Willie Mays will recall being gunned down going from first to third exactly once: “Roberto Clemente threw me out on a bang-bang play at third. I should have remembered what a tremendous arm he had.” If Willie’s memory is correct, this was the play, as witnessed by James K. McGee of the San Francisco Chronicle: “Willie Mays, leading off the 7th, lined a single into left for the Giants’ first hit. When Willie McCovey, the next hitter, bounced a single over Donn Clendenon’s outstretched glove into right field, it appeared the dam had been broken and runs would flow. Then came the key play of the game. Mays rounded second base and slowed down to draw a throw from right fielder Roberto Clemente. Mays, either overestimating his own speed or underestimating the power and accuracy of Clemente’s arm, was thrown out trying to reach third. Maury Wills tagged him as he slid by.”
On April 13, 1967, future Hall of Famer Tom Seaver makes his major league debut for the New York Mets. The 22-year-old right-hander allows six hits in five and a third innings and picks up a no-decision in the Mets’ 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
At Fenway Park, Frank Robinson and Brooks Robinson hit back-to-back home runs in the 1st inning off Dave Morehead, to lead the Baltimore Orioles to an 8 – 1 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Jim Palmer pitches a five-hit complete game and helps himself by hitting a homer in the 2nd.
1964 – Colt .45s win the league’s season opener in Cincinnati, defeating the Reds, 6-3. It is the only time in their three-year history that the Colts have sole possession of first place. President Lyndon Johnson watches while Ken Johnson, still grieving over the death of roommate Jim Umbricht, hurls a two-hit shutout before tiring in the ninth. Jim Wynn, who grew up in Cincinnati, belts a two-run shot in the victory.
After beating the Reds, 6-3, in the traditional Opening Day game in Cincinnati, Houston is in first place for the first and only time as the Colt .45’s. Next season, the team will be renamed the Astros, reflecting Houston’s role in the nation’s space program.
On April 13, 1963, Cincinnati Reds second baseman Pete Rose records his first major league hit, tripling against Bob Friend of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Rose, who had gone hitless in his first 11 at-bats, will go on to collect more hits than any player in major league history.
Boston Red Sox rookie Dave Morehead shuts out the Washington Senators, 3 – 0, in his first major league appearance. Morehead is the first Red Sox pitcher to debut with a shutout since Boo Ferriss in 1945.
On Opening Day, Detroit’s starting pitcher Frank Lary pulls a muscle legging out a seventh-inning triple in the team’s 5-3 victory over New York at Tiger Stadium. ‘The Yankee Killer’s’ career will be shortened when the righty suffers subsequent arm problems as a result of compensating for the injury.
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