April 7

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays retire uniform number 12 in honor of Wade Boggs. Although the former Red Sox and Yankees third baseman only spent two seasons with Tampa Bay, he hit the franchise’s first home run and became the 23rd member of the 3,000-Hit Club as a member of the team.

In 15 games, a record total of 57 home runs are hit in the major leagues – two more than the August 13, 1999 mark established in 17 games. The 36 American League homers set the record for a league in one day, surpassing the previous mark by six.

Berley W. Visgar is sentenced to 90 days in jail and is fined $1,000 by Circuit Judge Michael Brennan for going on Milwaukee County Stadium’s field last season and jumping onto the back of Astros outfielder Bill Spiers. Although Visgar has no prior criminal record, the judge believes a harsh sentence will hopefully stop fans from similar actions in the future.

In a ceremony before the team’s home opener, the Devil Rays retire Wade Boggs’ uniform number 12. Although the former Red Sox and Yankees infielder spent only two years with Tampa Bay, he hit the first home run in franchise history and collected his 3000th hit with the team at Tropicana Field.

1998 – On the same day that Major League Baseball returned to Wisconsin 28 years earlier, National League baseball returns to Milwaukee for the first time in 32 years. It’s a complicated story with a happy ending: The Milwaukee Braves were a National League team that moved to Atlanta in 1966, and the Seattle Pilots, who were formed as an American League expansion team in 1969, moved to Milwaukee and played their first game as the Brewers on this day in 1970. Five years after their team owner, Bud Selig, became Commissioner of baseball, the Brewers became a National League club, as part of the shuffle created by this year’s expansion. And on this day they are 6 – 4 winners over the Expos in their home opener.

The Phillies sweep the season’s opening series against Houston with a ten-inning 6-3 victory at the Astrodome. The comeback victory, which will become a trademark of the eventual National League champs, marks the first time the franchise had won its first three away games since 1915, when Pat Moran’s men won their first six games on the road, playing in Boston and New York.

Chris Sabo, playing in just his second big league game, ties a major league record, handling eleven assists at third base in the Reds’ 8-1 victory over the Cardinals at Riverfront Stadium. The Cincinnati freshman infielder will beat out Chicago’s Mark Grace for Rookie of the Year honors this season.