In Play Magazine
APRIL 14...
1910 At American League Park II in Washington, D.C., William Howard Taft becomes the first president to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Senator legend Walter Johnson one-hits the A's, 3-0 in the season opener.
1915 Giving up a scratch hit to Harry Hooper with two outs in the ninth, A's Herb Pennock loses his bid to throw an Opening Day no-hitter in Philadelphia. The southpaw still blanks the Red Sox, 5-0.
1925 The Indians start the season drubbing the Browns, 21-4 to establish the major league mark for the most runs scored by one club on Opening Day. Cleveland tallies 12 times in the eighth inning with the help of five St. Louis errors.
1930 Continuing the tradition, President Herbert Hoover throws out the first pitch before the Red Sox edge the hometown Senators, 4-3.
1949 Bobo Newsom signs as a free agent with the Senators. The 41-year old right hander, who will not appear with the club until the 1952 season, becomes the first major leaguer to join the same team on five different occasions (1935-37, '42, '43, '46-47, '52).
1955 Elston Howard, who will be named the American League's MVP in 1963, becomes the first black to play for the Yankees. The former Monarchs' catcher will appear in nine All-Star Games and 54 World Series games, compiling a .274 batting average during his 12-year playing career.
1961 At Tiger Stadium, Frank Lary tosses a one-hitter beating the White Sox, 7-0. The lone hit come in the fifth inning when Jim Landis singles off the glove of shortstop Chico Fernandez.
1969 In the first regular season game is played outside the United States, the Expos play their first home game, treating 29,184 fans at Jarry Park to an 8-7 win over St. Louis. Montreal moundsman Larry Jaster throws baseball's first international pitch to Cardinal left fielder Lou Brock.
1978 The largest Opening Day crowd ever, 45,777, attend the Wrigley Field opener against Pittsburgh. Although the team gives up an early 3-0 lead, the hometown fans will not go home disappointed when Larry Biittner, leading off in the bottom of the ninth inning, homers giving the Cubs a 4-3 walk-off victory.
1993 After establishing the all-time career major league record last night with his 358th save, Cardinal reliever Lee Smith breaks the National League mark recording his 301st in the senior circuit.
2001 By scoring in their 175th consecutive game, the Reds set the modern National League record for not being shut out by an opponent. Ironically, to break the record, Cincinnati beats Al Leiter and the Mets, 1-0, the last team and pitcher to blank the franchise.
2002 Mascots from all the major league teams as well as Sandy the Seagull, of the near-by farm team Brooklyn Cyclones attend a birthday party held for Mr. Met at Shea Stadium. The Amazins’ 38-year old bobble-headed good luck charm, believed to be the first live mascot in big league history, appeared in the flesh, so to speak, in 1964 after being an illustration on the cover of scorecards the season before.
2004 Joining Johnny Lucadello (1940 Browns), U.L. Washington (1979 Royals), Bret Barberie (1991 Expos) , and Brian Simmons (1998 White Sox ), Aaron Miles becomes the fifth player in history to hit his first two career home runs from different sides of the plate in the same game. In a 14-4 drubbing of the Diamondbacks at Coors Field, Rockies switch-hitting second baseman hits a solo homer in the first inning batting lefty off Elmer Dessens and then goes deep in the 5th inning with two on as right-handed batter off southpaw Stephen Randolph.
2006 At Mets Team Store beginning today through the April 17 tax deadline fans can have their taxes done for free by Gilman Ciocia. The Shea TAX-TEAM will also prepare an automatic extension for those who are not ready to file.
