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1887 In the first game played at the Baker Bowl, the Phillies beat the Giants, 19-10 Philadelphia's newest ballpark is located at the corner or Broad and Huntingdon Street Park.
1887 In front of nearly 10,000 at Recreation Park, the Alleghenies (later to be known as the Pirates) defeat the defending league-champion Chicago White Stockings, 6-2.
1903 The Highlanders (to be renamed the Yankees) beat Washington, 6-2, in the first game ever played at Hilltop Park. The fourth-place club will compile a remarkable 41-26 record at home in their inaugural season in New York.
1922 White Sox rookie hurler Charlie Robertson, in only his fourth career start, becomes the third modern pitcher to throw a perfect no-hit, no-run game as he beats the Tigers at Navin Field, 2-0. Johnny Mostil makes two outstanding catches in the outfield to save Robertson's place in history.
1939 At Yankee Stadium, Lou Gehrig's streak and career comes to end as the 'Iron Horse' plays his final game going 0-for-4 against the Senators. The Yankees first baseman played in 2,130 consecutive games and compiled a .340 batting average with 490 home runs during his 17 seasons with the Yankees.
1940 The Dodgers tie the major league mark for consecutive wins from the beginning of the season with style as James 'Tex' Carleton no-hits the Reds, 3-0 for the team's ninth straight victory since Opening Day.
1944 In the first game of a doubleheader split, first baseman Phil Weintraub gets 11 RBIs, and player-manager Mel Ott scores six runs drawing five walks in the Giants' 26-8 rout of the Dodgers. Brooklyn wins the nightcap 5-4 in a game shorten due to darkness.
1946 In the game he considers his biggest thrill in baseball, Indian hurler Bob Feller, striking out 11 batters, throws his second career no-hitter, edging the Yankees at the Stadium, 1-0. Frankie Hayes' home run in the top of the ninth inning proves to be the difference.
1952 In his final at-bat before leaving to fight in the Korean War, Ted Williams hits a game-winning, two-run home run to beat the Dizzy Trout and the Tigers, 5-3. Fittingly, the Fenway faithful was there to celebrate Ted Williams' Day
1961 At County Stadium, Willie Mays slams four homers in the Giants' 14-4 win over Milwaukee. The San Francisco slugger is left on deck in the top of the ninth when the third out is made.
1966 Rick Reichardt hits two eighth inning home runs the in the Angels 16-9 victory over the Red Sox at Fenway Park. The California rookie will be sidelined later in the season with a kidney ailment, and the 23-year old outfielder will have to have the kidney removed.
1967 The Tigers are no-hit by Oriole pitchers Steve Barber and Stu Miller, but still manage to win the game, 2-1. An error by Baltimore's shortstop Mark Belanger allows the eventual winning run to score in the top of the ninth inning.
1969 Jim Maloney strikes out 13 batters en route to no-hitting the Astros at Crosley Field. The 10-0 victory is the Reds hurler's no-hitter is the third of his career.
1970 Billy Williams becomes the first National Leaguer to play in a 1000 consecutive games. The Cubs' outfielder record streak, which started in nine years ago, will end in 1972 after the future Hall of Famer plays in straight 1,117 contests.
1988 Dave Winfield ties major league RBI record for April established by Dodger infielder Ron Cey in 1977 and matched by Dale Murphy of the Braves in 1985. The right fielder, who was on base at least once in every game, drives in his 28th and 29th runs of the month in the Yankees 15-3 rout of Texas in New York.
1988 Reds' manager Pete Rose is suspended for twenty days and is fined $10,000 for pushing David Pallone after the umpire made a delayed call at first base during a 6-5 loss to the Mets at Riverfront. The Cincinnati skipper shoved Pallone twice after the ump accidentally poked him in the eye.
1989 The Blue Jays trade Jesse Barfield to the Yankees for southpaw Al Leiter. The slugging right fielder, who led the league with 40 homers in 1986, will bat only .231 with 62 dingers in his four years with New York, and Toronto's new left-hander will compile a 26-24 record during his seven years north of the border.
1990 With Dale Murphy and Ernie Whitt on base, Mark Lemke grounds to second baseman Gregg Jefferies who lobs the ball to David Cone covering first. The runner is called safe which leads the Mets starter having a complete meltdown, vehemently arguing the call umpire Charlie Williams as the two Braves’ runners cross the plate to score.
1996 In the Pirates 10-7 victory over Cincinnati at Riverfront Stadium, Jeff King hit two homers in one inning for the second time in his career. The Pittsburgh first baseman joins Andre Dawson and Willie McCovey as the onlymajor leaguers to have accomplished the rare feat twice.
1997 The Jacobs Field scoreboard is dented by a Mark McGwire blast. A scientist determines the ball hit by the A's slugger would have traveled a distance of 533 feet if unimpeded.
1997 The Braves win their 19th game of the month with a 12-3 rout of the Reds at Cinergy Field. Atlanta's victory establishes a new major league mark for the most victories in April.
1999 During a game against the Yankees, a group of Kansas City Royals fans, frustrated with the economic disparity in baseball, throw fake dollar bills onto the field, and turn away from the field each time the opponents take their at-bats. The Kauffman Stadium faithful, carrying signs which clearly blame the problem on the Bronx Bombers, walkout en masse after the fifth inning.
2000 Diamondback southpaw Randy Johnson beats the Cubs, 6-0 becoming only the third pitcher baseball history to win six games in April. The "Big Unit' joins A's hurlers Vida Blue (1971) and Dave Stewart (1988) as the only other pitchers to accomplish the feat
2000 Cardinals Mark McGwire and Jim Edmonds go deep helping St. Louis finished the month of April with 55 home runs tying 1947 New York Giants for most National League team homers hit in a month.
2002 Al Leiter becomes the first pitcher in baseball history to record wins over all thirty big league franchises that have been existence since 1901. The Mets southpaw earns the victory as New York rout the Diamondbacks at Bank One Ballpark, 10-1.
2003 With a 6-1 decision over the Reds, Roger Clemens becomes the first Astros pitcher to win five games in the month of April. The 'Rocket' will be named National League pitcher of the month and will win his seventh Cy Young Award this season.
2005 The players are asked by Bud Selig to agree to a 50-game suspension for the first offense, 100-game suspension for the second offense and a lifelong ban after the third offense for the use of steroids. In addition to the harsher three-strike rule, the commissioner also is seeking a ban on amphetamines.
2005 With an enthusiastic RFK crowd chanting “Let’s go, ground crew” the inexperienced group puts on quite a show of ineptitude when they struggle putting the tarp on a very soggy field during the second rain delay of the rain-shorten 5-3 victory over the Mets. New York files a protest after the game is called off in the bottom of the eighth claiming the field became unplayable due to Washington’s inability to cover the field during 37-stoppage of play.
2008 On the first pitch he sees from Astros reliever Dave Borkowski, Micah Owings pinch hits a two-out, two-run home run in the sixth inning tying the game at 7. The Arizona hurler, who is 4-0 with a 3.68 ERA, becomes the first pitcher to hit a homer since Brooks Kieschnick of the Brewers went deep off off the Diamondbacks' Matt Mantei
in 2004.
2008 In a 4-2 loss to the Padres, the Phillies shatter their team home run mark for April as Chase Utley hits the team’s 39th dinger of the month. The previous record was 29 set in 2006.
2008 The Cardinals and Cubs both set a franchise record for the most victories in April. The Redbirds beat the Reds, 5-2, for their 18th win of the month, and Chicago takes their 17th game routing the Brewers, 19-5, at Wrigley Field.
2008 Julio Franco, the oldest player to homer in the major leagues, announces his retirement from professional baseball leaving the Quintana Roo Tigers of the Mexican League. The 49-year-old Dominican compiled a .298 average, collected 2,586 hits and hit a 173 homers during his 23-year tenure with eight big league teams which included the Phillies, Indians, Rangers, White Sox, Brewers, Rays, Braves and Mets.
2009 In their 8-6 victory over the Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium, the Royals turn six double plays to tie a 1972 team record. Last week against the Indians, the team hit into six twin killings themselves in Cleveland.
