Four expansion teams make their debuts. The Kansas City Royals, Seattle Pilots, Montreal Expos and San Diego Padres all win their inaugural games. At Shea Stadium, the Expos defeat the New York Mets, 11 – 10, to keep the Mets winless for openers. Pitcher Dan McGinn hits the Expos’ first home run as the key hit, a three-run home run by Coco Laboy, is given up by Canadian-born Mets relieverRon Taylor.
1969 – In addition to this year’s lower mound and tightened strike zone, Major League Baseball tries an experimental ball with 10% more resiliency for a spring training game between the Mets and Tigers in Lakeland, Florida. It has an all-rubber center instead of a cork and rubber core, and the seams are higher than the regular ball. Mets pitcher Don Cardwell surrenders three home runs in the 4th inning to Dick McAuliffe, Norm Cash, and Gates Brown in the Tigers’ 7 – 4 victory. Tomorrow, in Phoenix, Arizona, the same ball is used in the Giants’ 13 – 1 win over the Angels, with Bobby Bonds hitting the only two homers off George Brunet. The players agree the ball is definitely livelier and sounds louder coming off the bat.
Mets manager Gil Hodges, during a game against the Braves in Atlanta, suffers a mild heart attack. The New York skipper, who will die of a massive coronary in 1972, is hospitalized until October 20, when doctors give him a clean bill of health, but warned him about the continued risks of stress and smoking.
Jerry Koosman ties the National League rookie record when he hurls his seventh shutout of the season, blanking Pittsburgh on just three singles. The left-hander’s 2-0 victory, the Mets’ 67th win of the season – a franchise high, equals the mark shared by Irving Young (Braves, 1905) and Grover Cleveland Alexander (Phillies, 1911).
1968 – Jim Wynn homers off Tom Seaver with two outs in the ninth to tie New York, 1-1. Bob Aspromonte’s two-run opposite-field double in the 12th wins it for Houston. Tom Dukes, who fanned two with the bases full of Mets in the 11th, picks up the 3-1 victory.
1968 – A hard slide by Doug Rader into third base on a triple knocks out New York third baseman Kevin Collins and ignites a brawl. Houston police enter the fray. The donnybrook climaxes hostility that began when Mets outfielder Tommy Agee spiked Joe Morgan while sliding into second base. Amazingly, Rader stays in the contest and scores the eventual game-winner on a sacrifice fly by Dick Simpson. Larry Dierker bests Tom Seaver in the 4-3 victory.
Bat Day at Candlestick Park is postponed when the Mets refuse to play their scheduled game in San Francisco, out of respect for recently assassinated New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy, whose funeral is being held today. Prompted by baseball commissioner William Eckert’s edict to cancel games only taking place in New York and Washington, the team, led by first baseman Ed Kranepool, had voted to take this action, even under the threat of forfeiting the contest, a decision that is fully supported by manager Gil Hodges and the organization.
On June 1, 1968, Joe Hoerner of the St. Louis Cardinals ties the National League record for most consecutive strikeouts by a relief pitcher. The side-arming left-hander fans the final six batters he faces and earns the win in a extra innings 6-5 victory over the New York Mets at Shea. Hoerner who pitched 4…
1968 – Judge Roy Hofheinz gives San Francisco’s Willie Mays a 569-lb. cake for his 37th birthday. Rusty Staub serves the dessert with six RBIs in a 10-2 Houston win.
At the Astrodome, New York Mets pitcher Nolan Ryan earns the first of his 324 major league victories. The 21-year-old right-hander hurls six and two-thirds innings of three-hit, shutout baseball to lead the Mets over the Houston Astros, 4 – 0. Danny Frisella takes the save in 2 1/3 innings of relief. Tommie Agee goes 2 for 3 with two runs and Art Shamsky 2 for 3 with two RBI. Larry Dierker is the losing pitcher.
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