Today In Baseball History: April

CrimsonCowboy

CrimsonCowboy

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I did this on the Scout site for a couple years, as some of the longer time posters may remember. I've decided to do it here. Instead of making a bunch of different threads for each day, I'll do it on a month by month basis. Hopefully, you all enjoy it. New entries will be posted around Midnight Eastern Time. Info courtesy of baseballalmanac.com:

April 1st:

1914: Future Hall of Famer Rube Waddell dies of tuberculosis at age 37.

1939: Future Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro is born in Blaine, OH.

1969: The Royals acquire minor league outfielder Lou Piniella from the Seattle Pilots for pitcher Steve Whitaker and John Gelnar. Piniella would win A.L. Rookie of the year that season.

1970: Led by future commissioner Bud Selig, the Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club buys the Seattle Pilots for $10,800,000.

1980: The Executive Board of the Players Union votes to cancel the 92 remaining exhibition games and to strike on May 22nd if a new collective bargaining agreement with the owners had not been reached.

1987: The Cardinals trade Andy Van Slyke, Mike LaValliere, and Mike Dunne to the Pirates for All Star catcher Tony Pena.

1996: After seven pitches into the season opener in Cincinnati between the Expos and Reds, umpire John McSherry collapses behind home plate and dies. The game is postponed until the next say.
 
April 2nd:
1908: The Mills Commission concludes its two year investigation declaring that Abner Doubleday invented baseball in 1839, despite overwhelming evidence otherwise.

1945: Future Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton is born in Clio, Alabama.

1972: Mets manager Gil Hodges dies of a heart attack. Yogi Berra is named the team's new manager.

1976: The A's trade Reggie Jackson and Ken Holtzman along with a minor league pitcher to the Orioles for outfielder Don Baylor and pitchers Mike Torrez and Paul Mitchell.

1982: Upset that his team wasn't allowed to use a DH in the N.L. parks in Spring Training games, A's manager Billy Martin instructs pitcher Steve McCatty to go to the plate with a 15-inch toy bat in an exhibition against the Padres. Umpire Jim Quick refuses to let McCatty use the toy bat. McCatty takes three called strikes.

1996: The Tigers Cecil Fielder, in his 1,097th career game, gets his first stolen base.
 
April 3rd:
1923: Swede Risberg and Happy Felsch, two of the players in the Black Sox scandal, sue the Chicago White Sox for $400,000 in damages and $6,750 in back salary, citing conspiracy and injury to reputation. Their case will be unsuccessful.

1966: USC pitcher Tom Seaver signs with the Mets for a reported $50,000 bonus. In January, he was selected in the free agent draft by the Braves and signed a contract with their farm team in Richmond, after the start of USC's season. A violation costs the Richmond club a $500 fine and Atlanta couldn't sign Seaver for three years. However, Seaver is also declared ineligible at USC, resulting in a special draft. Three teams, the Mets, Indians, and Phillies, are willing to match Richmond's $40,000 contract. The Mets are drawn out of a hat and wins the draft.

1985: The Players Association agrees to the owners proposal of expanding the league championship series from best of five to best of seven games.

1987: The Cubs trade Dennis Eckersley and Dan Rohn to the A's for three minor league players.

1989: With an 8-4 win over the Cardinals, the Mets extend their home opener winning streak to 11 consecutive.
 
Instead, I discovered the astounding story of Jackie Mitchell, a 17-year-old southpaw who pitched against the New York Yankees on April 2, 1931. The first batter she faced was Ruth, followed by Lou Gehrig, the deadliest hitting duo in baseball history. Mitchell struck them both out. There was a box score to prove it and news stories proclaiming her “organized baseball’s first girl pitcher.”

The prospect of a 17-year-old girl facing the mighty Yankees generated considerable media coverage, most of it condescending. One paper wrote, “The curves won’t be all on the ball” when “pretty” Jackie Mitchell takes the mound. Another reported that she “has a swell change of pace and swings a mean lipstick.” The tall, slim teenager, clad in a baggy Lookouts uniform, also posed for cameras as she warmed up by taking out a mirror and powdering her nose.

The first game against the Yankees, before a crowd of 4,000 fans and journalists, began with the Lookouts’ starting pitcher surrendering hits to the first two batters. The Lookouts’ manager then pulled his starter and sent Mitchell to the mound to face the heart of a fearsome lineup that had become known in the 1920s as “Murderers’ Row.”

First up was Ruth, who tipped his hat at the girl on the mound “and assumed an easy batting stance,” a reporter wrote. Mitchell went into her motion, winding her left arm “as if she were turning a coffee grinder.” Then, with a side-armed delivery, she threw her trademark sinker (a pitch known then as “the drop”). Ruth let it pass for a ball. At Mitchell’s second offering, Ruth “swung and missed the ball by a foot.” He missed the next one, too, and asked the umpire to inspect the ball. Then, with the count 1-2, Ruth watched as Mitchell’s pitch caught the outside corner for a called strike three. Flinging his bat down in disgust, he retreated to the dugout.

Next to the plate was Gehrig, who would bat .341 in 1931 and tie Ruth for the league lead in homers. He swung at and missed three straight pitches. But Mitchell walked the next batter, Tony Lazzeri, and the Lookouts’ manager pulled her from the game, which the Yankees went on to win, 14-4.

“Girl Pitcher Fans Ruth and Gehrig,” read the headline in the next day’s sports page of the New York Times, beside a photograph of Mitchell in uniform. In an editorial, the paper added: “The prospect grows gloomier for misogynists.” Ruth, however, was quoted as saying that women “will never make good” in baseball because “they are too delicate. It would kill them to play ball every day.”

Baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis evidently agreed. It was widely reported (though no proof exists) that he voided Mitchell’s contract on the grounds that baseball was too strenuous for women. The president of the organization overseeing the minor leagues later termed the appearance of “a female mound artist” a lamentable “Burlesquing” of the national pastime, akin to greased pig contests, hot dog-eating competitions and other ballpark promotions.
 
April 4th:

1911: The Most Valuable Player award is introduced. A committee of baseball writers will name the winner, who will be offered a new car by automaker Hugh Chalmers.

1974: On his first swing of the season, Hank Aaron hits a three run homer off the Reds Jack Billingham to tie Babe Ruth's record of 714 career home runs.

1988: In a 10-6 win over the Expos, the Mets set an Opening Day record by hitting six home runs. Darryl Strawberry and Kevin McReynolds hit two each. The second by Strawberry traveled an estimated 525 feet, believe to be the longest in Olympic Stadium history.

1989: At age 45, the Yankees Tommy John sets a modern Major League record by appearing in his 26th season (later passed by Nolan Ryan). In leading the Yankees to a 4-2 victory over the Twins, John wins his 287th career game.

1994: In a 12-8 loss to the Mets, the Cubs Karl Rhodes hits three home runs off Dwight Gooden. Rhodes hit three runs total the prior season.

1997: The Braves defeat the Cubs 5-4 in their first game at Turner Field.

1998: The Cardinals Mark McGwire ties Willie Mays' record by hitting a home run in his fourth straight game to start the season. Dating back to the 1997 season, McGwire hit seven homers in a six game stretch, tying another record.
 
April 6th:

1970: The Giants Willie Mays hits a home run on Opening Day against the Padres. He would set a M.L. record by homering in the first four games of the season.

1972: The players strike forces the cancellation of games on Opening Day. The strike, announced on April 1st, ends up cancelling 86 games.

1973: The Yankees Ron Blomberg because the first Designated Hitter in baseball history

1977: The Seattle Mariners lose their first game to the Angels 7-0

1982: The Twins lose 11-7 to the Mariners in their first game in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

1989: In his first start of the season, the Dodgers Orel Hershisher gives up a run in the first inning, ending his M.L. record streak of 59 consecutive scoreless innings.

1992: The Orioles defeat the Indians in the first game in Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
 
April 7th:

1970: In front of 37,237 fans in Milwaukee, the Brewers lose their first game 12-0 to the Angels.

1971: The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholds the dismissal of Curt Flood's lawsuit

1973: The Indians set attendance records for Opening Day and day games as 74,420 fans watch them beat the Tigers 2-1.

1979: The Astros Ken Forsch records the earliest no-hitter in M.L. history in a 6-0 win over the Braves. He along with Bob (1978) become the first brothers to pitch no-hitters.

1983: MLB, ABC, and NBC agree to terms on a new $1.2 Billion TV package.

1984: The Tigers Jack Morris no-hits the White Sox in a 4-0 win.

1987: In a 6-0 win over the Phillies, the Braves Rick Mahler ties a N.L. record with his third Opening Day shoutout.
 
April 8th:

1954: Future Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter is born in Culver City, California.

1963: The Tigers claim Denny McClain on waivers.

1968: Opening Day games are postponed for the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

1969: Expansion teams Kansas City Royals, Montreal Expos, San Diego Padres, and Seattle Pilots all win their first regular season games.

1974: In the 4th inning against the Dodgers Al Downing, Hank Aaron hits his career 715th home run, breaking Babe Ruth's all time record. Also, that made a combined 1,227 home runs between him and Braves teammate Eddie Mathews.

1975: Indians player/manager Frank Robinson sets a M.L. record by hitting his eighth Opening Day home run.

1987: The Dodgers fire V.P. Al Campanis after he made racially insensitive remarks during ABC's "Nightline" on April 6th.

1989: One-handed pitcher Jim Abbott makes his M.L. debut, going 4.2 innings in a 7-0 loss to the Mariners

1993: In a 15-5 win over the Yankees, the Indians Carlos Baerga becomes the first player to homer from both side of the plate in the same inning. In the seventh, he hit a homer first from the right side off Steve Howe, then later, did it while hitting left-handed off Steve Farr.

1994: The Braves Kent Mercker pitches a no-hitter in a 6-0 win over the Dodgers. It was also his first career complete game.
 
April 10th:

1913: In their first official game as the Yankees, New York loses to Walter Johnson and the Senators 2-1

1947: The Dodgers purchase the contract of Jackie Robinson from Montreal, making him the first African-American player in the MLB modern era.

1961: The new Washington Senators lose their first game to the White Sox 4-3

1962: In front of 52,564 fans, the Dodgers play their first game at Dodger Stadium, losing to the Reds 6-3.

1964: Demolition of the Polo Grounds begins.

1971: The Philiies beat the Expos 4-1 in the first game at Veterans Stadium.

1973: In front of 39,464 fans in 39 degree weather, the Royals beat the Rangers 12-1 in the first game at Royals Stadium.

1979: The Astros J.R Richard sets a M.L. record by throwing six wild pitches. However, he also strikes out 13 Dodgers in a 2-1 win.

1981: In his first game for the White Sox, Carlton Fisk hits a three-run homer in the 8th inning to beat his former team, the Red Sox, 5-3.

1989: The Mariners Ken Griffey, Jr. hits his first M.L. home run. He and the Reds Ken Griffey, Sr. become the first father and son to play in the Major Leagues at the same time.

1989: The Blue Jays Dave Stieb pitches a one-hitter against the Yankees. Dating back to the prior September, it was the third time in four starts he tossed a one-hitter.

1997: The Cubs lose to the Marlins 1-0 to fall to 0-8, the worst start in the team's 122 year history.
 
April 11th:

1912: The Giants Rube Marquard beats the Dodgers 18-3, starting a 19 game winning streak.

1917: Babe Ruth allows three hits in a 10-3 Red Sox win over the Yankees, starting a season in which he would go 24-13 and lead the league with 35 complete games. It would be his best season as a pitcher.

1954: The Cardinals trade Enos Slaughter to the Yankees for outfielder Bill Virdon, pitcher Mel Wright and outfielder Emil Tellinger. Slaughter would help the Yankees to 103 wins and Virdon would win the N.L. Rookie of the Year.

1959: The Dodgers Don Drysdale hits his second career Opening Day home run, becoming the first pitcher to do so. His homer is the Dodgers only run in a 6-1 loss to the Cubs.

1961: The Los Angeles Angels defeat the Orioles 7-2 in their first game.

1962: The Mets lose their first game 11-4 to the Cardinals.

1963: The Braves Warren Spahn wins his 328th career game, defeating the Mets 6-1, becoming the winningest lefty pitcher in M.L. history.

1966: In the Indians 5-2 win over the Senators, Emmett Ashford becomes baseball's first black umpire.

1969: The Seattle Pilots defeat the White Sox 7-0 in their first game.

1975: Hank Aaron returns to Milwaukee, helping the Brewers defeat the Indians 6-2.

1981: After 15 years with the Dodgers, Don Sutton makes his Astros debut. His former team scores six runs in four innings off Sutton in a 7-4 Dodgers win.

1990: The Angels Mark Langston and Mike Witt pitch the first combined no-hitter since 1976 in a 1-0 win over the Mariners.

1996: The Braves Greg Maddux loses 2-1 to the Padres at San Diego, his first road loss since June 27, 1994 in Montreal. In ended a string in which Maddux went 18-0, allowing 17 earned runs in 154.2 innings.
 
April 12th:

1909: The first steel-and-concrete structure for baseball, Shibe Park in Philadelphia, is dedicated.

1955: The A's play their first game in Kansas City, losing to the Tigers 6-2.

1966: The Braves lose their first game in Atlanta to the Pirates 3-2 in front of 50,671 fans. The Pirates won the game on a two run homer by Willie Stargell in the 13th inning.

1992: The Indians set a M.L. record with the fewest hits in a doubleheader, managing just two against the Red Sox.

1994: In the Red Sox 22-11 win over the Royals, Scott Cooper hit for the cycle and drove in five runs.
 
April 13th:

1914: Baltimore defeats Buffalo 3-2 in the first Federal League game ever played.

1926: In an Opening Day pitcher's duel, the Senators Walter Johnson defeats Eddie Rommel and the A's 1-0 in 15 innings. Johnson walked six and had 12 strikeouts.

1953: The Milwaukee Braves beat the Reds in Cincinnati 2-0 in their first game.

1954: Hank Aaron makes his Major League debut, going 0-5 in a 9-8 loss to the Reds.

1954: The Baltimore Orioles lose 3-0 to the Tigers in their first game.

1962: In front of just 12,447 fans at the Polo Grounds, the Mets lose their first game to the Pirates 4-3.

1962: In an 8-5, 15 inning win over the Cubs, the Cardinals Stan Musial score his 1,869th run to set a N.L. record.

1963: Pete Rose records his first M.L. hit.

1970: In their home opener, the A's use colored bases. The rules committee would immediately ban the use of colored bases.

1972: The baseball strike ends. A shortened schedule would start two days later.

1984: Pete Rose records his 4,000th hit, joining Ty Cobb as the only players to do so.

1987: The Padres set a M.L. record when the first three batters (Marvell Wynn, Tony Gwynn, and John Kruk) all homer to start the game. Despite that, the Giants won the game 13-6.

1988: The A's Rick Honeycutt becomes the second pitcher in as many days to tie the A.L. record by committing four balks. In that season, after umpires are told to enforce the balk rule more strictly, a M.L. record 924 are called.

1993: In the Cardinals 9-7 win over the Dodgers, Lee Smith records his 358th save, becoming the all time M.L. leader.

1998: Ken Griffey, Jr. hits his 300th home run, becoming the second youngest (28 years, 143 days old) to reach that milestone. Only Jimmie Foxx (27 years, 328 days old) was younger.
 
April 14th:

1910: William Howard Taft becomes the first president to throw out a first pitch at a baseball game.

1917: The White Sox Eddie Cicotte pitches a no-hitter in an 11-0 win over the Browns.

1925: The Indians score the most runs on Opening Day in a 21-14 win over the Browns. The Indians scored 12 of the runs in the eighth inning off five Browns errors. Four of those errors were committed by first baseman George Sisler.

1925: Two future Hall of Famers make their debuts for the A's in their 9-8, ten inning win over the Red Sox. Lefty Grove pitched into the fourth inning, walking four and striking out none. In the eighth inning, Mickey Cochrane pinch-hits for catcher Cy Perkins.

1946: Mel Ott hits the last of his 511 career home runs. The next day, he injures his knee and plays only occasinally after that.

1964: Sandy Koufax pitches his ninth complete game without a walk in a 4-0 win over the Cardinals.

1966: Future Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux is born in San Angelo, Texas.

1968: Jim Bunning wins his first game with the Pirates, 3-0 over the Dodgers. It's his 40th shutout and also became the first pitcher since Cy Young with 1,000 strikeouts in each league.

1969: The first MLB game outside the United States is played at Montreal's Jarry Park. The hometown Expos defeat the Cardinals 8-7.

1990: Bret Saberhagen gets the win and Mark Davis the save in the Royals 3-1 win over the Blue Jays, marking the first time two reigning Cy Young winners figured in the same victory.

1991: In the Rangers 15-3 win over the Orioles, Nolan Ryan becomes the 12th pitcher to reach 5,000 innings pitched.

Happy Birthday:
David Justice (Born 1966)
Steve Avery (1970)
 
April 15th:

1947: Jackie Robinson makes his M.L. debut, going 0-3 in the Dodgers 5-3 win over the Braves.

1954: The Orioles beat the White Sox 3-1 in the first game at Baltimore.

1958: The Giants defeat the Dodgers 8-0 in their first game at Seals Stadium.

1968: The Astros defeat the Mets 1-0 in 24 innings: The game sets M.L. record for the longest night game, the longest N.L. game played to completion, and the longest scoreless game in M.L. history. The game took six hours and six minutes to play.

1976: The newly remodeled Yankee Stadium opens with the Yankees beating the Twins 11-4.

1987: The Brewers Juan Nieves pitches a no-hitter in a 7-0 win over the Orioles.

1993: Andre Dawson becomes the 25th player to hit 400 home runs.

1993: Tigers manager Sparky Anderson wins his 2,000th win.

1997: In the Dodgers/Mets game at Shea Stadium, MLB marks the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball's color barrier. Jackie Robinson's widow Rachel and President Bill Clinton take part in the ceremony. Commissioner Bud Selig announces that Robinson's #42 will be retired by every M.L. team.
 
April 16th:

1929: The Indians Earl Averill becomes the first player in A.L. history to hit a home run in his first M.L. at bat.

1935: Babe Ruth makes his debut for the Boston Braves. He gets two hits, including a 430 foot homer off the Giants Carl Hubbell in the 4-2 Braves win. 25,000 fans show up at Braves Field to see Ruth make his N.L. debut.

1940: The Indians Bob Feller pitches a no-hitter on Opening Day, beating the White Sox 1-0. It's the first Opening Day no-hitter since the Giants Leon Red Ames in 1909.

1948: An exhibition game between the White Sox and Cubs at Wrigley Field is the first M.L. game shown on television. Jack Brickhouse does the play by play for WGN-TV.

1972: Cubs rookie pitcher Burt Hooton, at age 22, pitches a no-hitter in a 4-0 win over the Phillies.

1978: The Cardinals Bob Forsch pitches a no-hitter in a 5-0 win over the Phillies.

1983: The Padres Steve Garvey breaks Billy Williams' N.L. record by playing in his 1,118th consecutive game.

1984: The A's Dave Kingman hits three home runs, a grand slam included, in his first three at bats against the Mariners. He drove in eight runs in the A's 9-6 victory.

1989: Kelly Gruber becomes the first player for the Blue Jays to hit for the cycle in a 15-8 win over the Royals.
 
April 17th:

1892: Cincinnati defeats St. Louis 5-1 in the first Sunday game in N.L. history.

1934: Casey Stengal makes his managerial debut. His Dodgers lose to the Braves 8-7.

1947: Jackie Robinson gets his first M.L. hit off the Braves Glenn Elliot.

1951: Mickey Mantle makes his M.L. debut, going 1-4 against the Red Sox.

1964: The Mets lose to the Pirates 4-3 in their first game at Shea Stadium.

1968: The A's lose to the Orioles 4-1 in their first game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

1969: The Expos Bill Stoneman pitches a no-hitter in a 7-0 win over the Phillies. It was only the tenth game for the Expos franchise.

1976: The Phillies Mike Schmidt hits four consecutive home runs in an 18-6, 10 inning win over the Cubs at Wrigley.

1979: In Oakland, only 653 show up to see the A's beat the Mariners 6-5.

1983: Nolan Ryan becomes the second pitcher in M.L. history to record 3,500 strikeouts.

1988: After ten straight losses to start the season, the Braves beat the Dodgers 3-1 for their first win of the year.
 
April 18th:

1899: At age 26, John McGraw makes his managerial debut, leading the Orioles to a 5-3 win over the Giants, who he would manage 30 years later.

1923: In front of 74,217 fans, Yankee Stadium hosts its first game. Babe Ruth's three run homer leads the Yankees to a 4-1 win over the Red Sox.

1945: One-armed outfielder Pete Gray makes his M.L. debut for the Browns. He goes 1-4 in a 7-1 win over the Tigers.

1946: Jackie Robinson makes his debut for the Montreal Royals of the International League, recognizing him as the first black player in baseball during the century. He hits three singles and a home run against Jersey City, starting a season in which he would win the I.L. batting title.

1950: The Cardinals beat the Pirates in St. Louis 4-2 in the first opening-night game.

1958: The Giants/Dodgers game in Los Angeles sets a N.L. attendance record with 78,682 fans at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

1964: Against the Reds, Sandy Koufax strikes out the side in the third inning on nine pitches. He becomes the first pitcher to do that twice.

1981: The Reds Tom Seaver becomes the fifth pitcher in M.L. history to reach 3,000 strikeouts.

1982: The Braves beat the Astros 6-5 to win their 11th straight game to start the season, setting a N.L. record.

1987: Mike Schmidt becomes the 15th player in M.L. history to hit 500 home runs.

1991: The new Comiskey Park opens with the White Sox losing to the Tigers 16-0.
 
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