On This Day In Baseball History: April 1st


March 31

Today in Baseball History
April 1
April 2
2013 Clayton Kershaw tosses a 4-hit shutout and homers in the 8th inning becoming the first pitcher to throw a shutout and hit a home run on opening day since fellow Dodger great Don Drysdale did so in 1965.
2013 Bryce Harper becomes the youngest player to homer twice on Opening Day. The 20-year-old outfielder, playing in his first Opening Day as a major leaguer, hit two solo shots in the first and fourth innings as the Nationals beat the Marlins 2-0.
2013 For the first time in history an interleague game is played on opening day. The Angels beat the Reds 3-1 in 13 innings.
2013 For the first time since 1962, the year the New York Mets came into the league, both New York franchises played at home on opening day. The Mets beat the Padres 11-2 while the Yankees lost to the Red Sox 8-2.
2011 2010 AL Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez becomes the first pitcher in Seattle Mariners history to throw a complete game on opening day when he went the distance against the A’s in a 6-2 victory.
2011 For the first time since Roberto Clemente did so in 1962, Pittsburgh second basemen Neil Walker hit just the second opening day grand slam in Pirates history. Pittsburgh ultimately won 6-3.
1996 51-year old John McSherry collapses at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati after calling the first seven pitches. The 26-year veteran suffered a fatal heart attack and was not able to be revived.
1989 Former Yale University and National League president Bart Giamatti becomes the seventh commissioner of Major League Baseball.
1987 1984 NL Rookie of the Year and 1985 NL Cy Young winner Dwight Gooden avoids a suspension by agreeing to enter a drug rehab facility. This marked the beginning of a slow but steady decline of a once incredibly promising career.
1985 Sports Illustrated publishes an article written by George Plimpton about a fictitious New York Mets pitching prospect named Sidd Finch. Dispite the outlandish claims of the article, most notably Finch’s 168-mph fastball, readers take the April Fools bait.
1970 After losing $1 million during the first and only season in Seattle an ownership group lead by Bud Selig buys the Seattle Pilots for $10.8 million. Upon purchasing the franchise, Selig moves the team to Milwaukee and renames the team the Brewers.
1969 The Seattle Pilots trade minor league outfielder Lou Pinella to fellow expansion franchise Kansas City Royals. Pinella would go on to win the 1969 AL Rookie of the Year for the Royals.