This Weekend in Baseball History
April 9th, 2010: Jeff Francoeur and Rod Barajas each homered twice in the Mets 8-2 victory over the Nationals at Citi Field. Not only was it first time at Citi Field that the Mets produced such a "double double," it's only the third time in team history that a pair of Mets players hit two home runs in a home game. Joe Christopher and Hawk Taylor did it at Shea Stadium on June 20th, 1964, matching Frank Thomas and Marv Throneberry from August 2nd, 1962 at the Polo Grounds.
April 9th, 2009: Nick Swisher becomes the first Yankee to drive in four or more runs in his first start with the team since Roger Maris had four RBIs on April 19, 1960. The right fielder plates five runs in the Yankees 11 - 2 win over the Orioles at Camden Yards -- their first win after starting the season 0 and 2.
April 9th, 1996: In a game played under a mix of rain and snow, Andy Pettitte pitches effectively in the Yankees home opener, a 7-3 win over the KC Royals. The Yanks grab the lead in the bottom of the 5th on run scoring singles by Bernie Williams and Jim Leyritz.
April 9th, 1981: Bobby Murcer of the Yankees hits the first ever pinch hit grand slam on Opening Day. Facing the Rangers' Steve Comer with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 7th with the Yanks up 6-3, his blast provides plenty of insurance in what becomes a 10-3 New York victory.
April 9th, 1965: The Astros open baseball's first domed stadium hosting the Yankees in an exhibition game. With a sellout crow of 47, 876 -- including President Lyndon B. Johnson -- on hand, Mickey Mantle hits the first Astrodome home run in the sixth inning. But the game went to extra innings where Houston's Nellie Fox singled in Jimmy Wynn for a 2-1 12-inning victory.
April 9th, 1953: Cardinals owner August Busch purchases Sportsman's Park from St. Louis Browns owner Bill Veeck for $800,000, turning the tables since the Cardinals had been the Browns' tennants there since 1920.
April 9th, 1913: In the first regular season game at Brooklyn's Ebbets Field, Phillies knuckleballer Tom Seaton shuts out the Dodgers 1-0, striking out seven and walking only one. Chilly weather holds the crowd down to just 10,000 fans.
April 10th, 1998: Celebrating the 75th anniversary of Yankee Stadium, the Bronx Bombers live up to their name in a 17-13 victory over Oakland A's -- the highest scoring game in the park's history. New York had a pair of five-run innings and another where they scored four. The A's plated five in the 2nd and eight runs in the 5th. Surprisingly, only one home run was hit in the game -- by Yankee 1st baseman Tino Martinez. (The previous high had been a 17-11 win over the Philadelphia A's on June 3rd 1933.)
April 10th, 1971: Willie Mays, a month shy of turning 40, gets off to the best start for any slugger ever, homering in each of his team's first four games. After belting round trippers in all three games of the Giants opening series against the Padres, he homers in the season's fourth game , a 6-4 win over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
April 10th, 1971: The Phillies draw 55,325 as they open their new home Veterans Stadium with a 4-1 win over the Expos. Jim Bunning earns the the victory. Leading off the bottom of the 1st, Larry Bowa gets the park's first hit; Don Money, leading off the 6th, connects on its first home run.
April 10th, 1969: Tommie Agee hits the only upper deck home run in Shea Stadium history. He pulls a second inning pitch off the Expos' Larry Jaster -- truly, where no ballplayer had gone before -- to give the Mets a 2-0 lead. Agee, who'd go on to hit 26 homers that year, hits another in the 7th, as the Mets beat Montreal 4-1.
April 10th, 1968: In what would be remembered as The Year of the Pitcher, Yankee catcher Frank Fernandez homers for the game's only run as Mel Stottlemyre shuts out the Angels, 1-0. This is one of four shutouts (out of ten games) pitched on Opening Day.
April 10th, 1964: Across the Harlem River from Yankee Stadium, demolition begins on the Polo Grounds. The crew uses the same wrecking ball used to level Ebbets Field four years earlier. The Mets, confident that their new ballpark was ready, will play their first game at Shea Stadium one week later.
April 10th, 1962: The Houston Colt .45s win their inaugural regular season game, defeating the Cubs 11-2 at home. Roman Mejias becomes Houston's first baseball hero belting a pair of three-run home runs. Pitcher Bobby Shantz earns the victory. Things go less well for the other expansion club -- as the Mets scheduled opener at St. Louis is rained out.
April 11th, 2006: Derek Jeter homers for the first time in a Yankee home opener -- his three-run blast with two outs in the bottom of the 8th inning, lifts the Yanks to a 9-7 win over the Royails. It's also the Yankes ninth straight vicory in a home opener -- erasing the old mark set between 1920 and '27.
April 11th, 2004: Looking for an elusive milestone, Mike Mussina got a big boost from Bubba Crosby. The Yankees centerfielder hits a three run home run and makes a dramatic catch to help Mussina earn his 200th career victory, a 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox. The future Hall of Famer becomes the 100th pitcher to reach 200 wins.
April 11th, 1967: In the first Opening Day game at the second Busch Stadium, Bob Gibson strikes out the first five batters he faces, and holds the Giants to just five hits in a 6-0 Cardinals victory, that includes home runs by Lou Brock and Phil Gagliano.
April 11th, 1966: Emmett Ashford becomes the first Black umpire to work in a major league baseball game. He's part of the crew at DC Stadium for the Senators home opener against the Indians.
April 11th. 1962: After being rained out the night before, the Mets lose the franchise's first-ever game to the Cardinals 11-4. It's something the Mets would do with amazing regularity this season -- 120 losses, including the first nine in a row. On a positive note, Gil Hodges hits the Mets first home run, leading off the top of the 4th inning against St. Louis starter Larry Jackson..
April 11th, 1961: Carl Yastrzemski makes his major league debut. At Fenway Park, the Red Sox rookie singles in his first at bat (in the 2nd inning), but is soon caught stealing 2nd base. The day went Kansas City's way, the A's win 5 - 2.
April 11th, 1912: Wearing pinstriped uniforms for the first time and creating what would become the most famous uniform in sports, the new York Highlanders open the season with a 5-0 loss to the Red Sox at Hilltop Park in Upper Manhattan.
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