Due to renovations in the Coliseum, the Oakland Athletics play their season opener in Las Vegas, NV, losing to the Toronto Blue Jays, 9 – 6, in front of only 7,296 fans at Cashman Field.
Detroit Tigers first baseman Cecil Fielder steals the first base of his eleven-year major league career. His theft of second base comes in the 1,097th game that Fielder has played, establishing the longest duration a player had ever gone without a stolen base.
With an Opening Day 7-1 victory over the Indians at Jacobs Field, Joe Torre wins the first of his 1,173 victories as the manager of the Yankees. During his 12-year tenure, the Bronx Bombers will reach the postseason each year, winning ten American League East Division titles, six American League pennants, and four World Championships.
1995 – The longest strike in major league history comes to an end. Having the first 23 days of this major league season canceled and 252 games of the last season lost, the owners accept the players’ March 31st unconditional offer to return to work. The players’ decision to return to work is made after a US District Court issued an injunction restoring terms and conditions of the expired agreement. Teams will play 144-game schedules. The strike had begun on August 12, 1994.
1993 – Nolan Ryan pitches in the Dome for the last time, a 4-3 exhibition loss for his Texas Rangers. A packed house of over 53,000 cheer the 46-year-old Alvin legend. Luis Gonzalez’ three hits help to stake Pete Harnisch to a 4-0 lead over the future Hall-Of-Famer, who struck out only one batter in six innings.
The Phillies acquire right-hander Curt Schilling from Houston in exchange for Jason Grimsley, who will never throw a pitch in an Astros uniform. ‘Schil’ plays nine seasons in the City of Brotherly Love, compiling a 101-78 (.564) record, along with 3.35 ERA during his 242 appearances with team.
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.
On April 2, 1982, Oakland A’s pitcher Steve McCatty walks to the plate during a spring training game carrying a 15-inch toy bat. A’s manager Billy Martin had ordered McCatty to use the toy bat as a protest of the rule preventing the use of the DH in National League ballparks. Umpire Jim Quick refuses to let McCatty use the bat.
On April 2, 1976, the Oakland A’s trade two key members from their recent World Series championship teams, sending All-Star outfielder Reggie Jackson and pitcher Ken Holtzman to the Baltimore Orioles for outfielder Don Baylor and pitchers Mike Torrez and Paul Mitchell…
On April 2, 1975 the Pittsburgh Pirates signed pitched Sam McDowell as a free agent. The 32-year-old was a Pittsburgh native, signing with the Indians in 1960 right out of Central Catholic HS in Pittsburgh. He was one of the most intimidating pitchers of his time, possibly the hardest thrower of his day, who not…
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