With 23,370 fans in attendance, the Padres dedicate Jack Murphy Stadium, which was formerly called San Diego Stadium, posthumously honoring the sports editor and columnist for the San Diego Union, who was responsible for garnering much of the support to bring an expansion team to the southern California city. Visiting Mets broadcaster Bob Murphy continued to refer to the ballpark using his older brother’s name when the multi-purpose venue became known Qualcomm Stadium after the corporation paid $18 million for the naming rights in 1997.

At the Astrodome, the Astros and Dodgers play baseball’s first game on synthetic grass. Thanks to the Monsanto chemical company, who proposed using an experimental playing surface of nylon grass, the plan to play on an all-dirt field, necessitated by the need to paint the dome’s glass panes to reduce the glare which prevented natural grass from growing, was alleviated by the use of ‘AstroTurf.’

Five days before the start of the season, right-hander Jim Umbricht, the only pitcher to post a winning record in Houston’s first two seasons, loses his well-publicized battle with cancer when he succumbs to a malignant melanoma. The popular 33 year-old Colt .45’s relief pitcher, whose uniform number 32 will be retired by Houston, underwent surgery to remove a tumor from his leg before the 1963 season, returning to the club to post a 4-3 record along with a 2.61 ERA in 35 games.

In his first major league at-bat, Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds works out a walk off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Earl Francis.