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In the first baseball game ever played at Citi Field, John Franco throws out the ceremonial first pitch

ByThis Day in Baseball

In the first baseball game ever played at Citi Field, John Franco throws out the ceremonial first pitch to a standing ovation from the crowd attending the collegiate matchup between St. John’s and Georgetown. Before tossing his signature pitch, a breaking ball in the dirt, the former Mets reliever goes to the mound wearing a familiar blue and orange jacket, but takes it off, revealing the colors of his alma mater, a Red Storm jersey with his number 45.

The Dodgers celebrate the 50th anniversary of their move to Los Angeles and set the attendence record for a single game

ByThis Day in Baseball

2008 – The Dodgers celebrate the 50th anniversary of their move to Los Angeles, CA by playing an exhibition game against the Boston Red Sox in their original home, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. A crowd of 115,300 is present, the largest ever assembled at a baseball game anywhere. The previous record of 93,103 had been set in the Dodgers’ second season in L.A., for an exhibition game against the New York Yankees in honor of paralyzed catcher Roy Campanella on May 7, 1959.

Outfielder Marquis Grissom announces his retirement after a 17-year major league career that saw him play with six teams. A two-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner, he finished with 429 stolen bases, including a career-high 78 in 1992. Grissom leaves as one of seven players with 2,000 hits, 200 home runs and 400 stolen bases.

ByTom

Outfielder Marquis Grissom announces his retirement after a 17-year major league career that saw him play with six teams. A two-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner, he finished with 429 stolen bases, including a career-high 78 in 1992. Grissom leaves as one of seven players with 2,000 hits, 200 home runs and 400 stolen bases.

Lenny Harris, the career leader in pinch hits, is released from the Florida Marlins after being told he would not make the team. Harris, 41, has 212 career pinch hits, 62 more than second-place Manny Mota. Last year, Harris batted .314 with one home run and 13 RBI, as he set Marlins franchise records with 19 pinch hits and 13 pinch-hit RBI.

ByTom

Lenny Harris, the career leader in pinch hits, is released from the Florida Marlins after being told he would not make the team. Harris, 41, has 212 career pinch hits, 62 more than second-place Manny Mota. Last year, Harris batted .314 with one home run and 13 RBI, as he set Marlins franchise records with 19 pinch hits and 13 pinch-hit RBI.

2005 – First baseman Andres Galarraga announces his retirement. A five-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner in a 19-year major league career, Galarraga was a .288 hitter with 399 home runs and 1425 RBI in 2,257 games played.

ByThis Day in Baseball

2005 – First baseman Andres Galarraga announces his retirement. A five-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner in a 19-year major league career, Galarraga was a .288 hitter with 399 home runs and 1425 RBI in 2,257 games played.

Rickey Henderson’s makes the Red Sox Opening Day roster

Rickey Henderson’s makes the Red Sox Opening Day roster

ByTom

After the team purchases Rickey Henderson’s contract from Pawtucket, the Red Sox, places future Hall of Fame outfielder on their Opening Day roster. The ‘Man of Steal,’ who joined the exclusive 3,000-hit club on the final day of last season, will begin his 24th year in the majors, appearing with his eighth different club.

Major League baseball announces there will be a minute of silence at 9:11 at every major league team’s first-night game this season to remember September 11th’s tragic events. The song ‘God Bless America’ will continue to be sung during the seventh-inning stretch of all contests.

ByTom

Major League baseball announces there will be a minute of silence at 9:11 at every major league team’s first-night game this season to remember September 11th’s tragic events. The song ‘God Bless America’ will continue to be sung during the seventh-inning stretch of all contests.

The night before the exhibition game scheduled to be played at Miller Park, team officials announce that the stadium’s retractable roof will be used only on a limited basis at the start of the season as engineers try to eliminate persistent noise coming from the year-old roof. The problem in the pivot system, located behind and above home plate in the so-called Uecker seats, is not a hazard, according to the engineers who designed the structure.

ByThis Day in Baseball

The night before the exhibition game scheduled to be played at Miller Park, team officials announce that the stadium’s retractable roof will be used only on a limited basis at the start of the season as engineers try to eliminate persistent noise coming from the year-old roof. The problem in the pivot system, located behind and above home plate in the so-called Uecker seats, is not a hazard, according to the engineers who designed the structure.

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2002 – Lance Berkman drills two home runs and Roy Oswalt scatters seven hits as Houston tops the Boston Red Sox, 5-1, in an exhibition at the newly-renamed Astros Field. Scrubbed are virtually all signs of Enron, whose naming-rights deal for the ballpark fell into bankruptcy court. The win is also a little sweeter for manager Jimy Williams who was fired by the Sox midway through the 2001 season. 

ByTom

2002 – Lance Berkman drills two home runs and Roy Oswalt scatters seven hits as Houston tops the Boston Red Sox, 5-1, in an exhibition at the newly-renamed Astros Field. Scrubbed are virtually all signs of Enron, whose naming-rights deal for the ballpark fell into bankruptcy court. The win is also a little sweeter for manager Jimy Williams who was fired by the Sox midway through the 2001 season. 

2001 – First baseman Todd Helton signs a nine-year, $141.5 million contract extension making him the highest-paid player in Colorado Rockies history. in 2000, Helton posted a .372 average with 42 home runs and 147 RBI.

ByTom

2001 – First baseman Todd Helton signs a nine-year, $141.5 million contract extension making him the highest-paid player in Colorado Rockies history. in 2000, Helton posted a .372 average with 42 home runs and 147 RBI.