On April 6 in Baseball History...

    1970 - President Richard Nixon is delayed and is unable to throw the ceremonial first pitch in the Senators home opener at RFK Stadium. His son-in-law David Eisenhower, the son of the former president throws out the first pitch prior to Washington's 5-0 loss to the Tigers

    1971 - Willie Mays, a month shy of his 40th birthday, homers in a 4-0 Opening Day Giants win over the Padres. Mays will go on to hit homers in each of the Giants' first four games of the season, a major league record.

    1972 - For the first time in history, the major league season fails to open due to a general player strike. The strike, announced April 1, will erase 86 games from the major league schedule.

    1973 - On Opening Day at Three Rivers Stadium in front of record crowd of 51,695, the Pirates retire Roberto Clemente's uniform number 21 posthumously. The Pittsburgh right fielder died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve attempting to bring relief aid to earthquake-stricken Managua, Nicaragua.

    1973 - At Fenway Park, Yankees' Ron Blomberg becomes the first designated hitter in major league history. In the historic plate appearance, the first DH draws a first-inning walk off Luis Tiant in the 15-5 Red Sox rout of the Bronx Bombers.

    1973 - Richard Nixon becomes the first president to throw the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day in a contest held outside of Washington D.C. The commander-in chief does the honors before Nolan Ryan and the Angels beat the Royals at Anaheim Stadium, 3-2.

    1973 - At the Oakland Coliseum, Tony Oliva becomes the first designated hitter ever to homer. The Twins DH's first inning two-run round-tripper off future Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter helps to defeat the A's, 8-3.

    1974 - The Bronx Bombers begin their two year stint at Shea Stadium, where the team will compile a 172-150 (.534) record during the renovations to the Stadium, with a 6-1 victory over Cleveland. The 'other' NY fans cheer loudly when the scoreboard posts the Mets' 5-4 loss in Philadelphia.

    1974 - At Veterans Stadium, Phillies Mike Schmidt hits a ninth inning two-run home run off Tug McGraw to beat the Mets on Opening Day, 5-4. The walk-off homer is the first of the league-leading 36 dingers the third baseman will hit this season.

    1977 - For the second time in nine years, a new franchise makes its major league debut in Seattle. The Mariners lose their first regular-season game at the Kingdome to Frank Tanana and the Angels, 7-0.

    1982 - The largest crowd ever to see a baseball game in Minnesota, 52,279, turns out for the inaugural game at the brand-new Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Twins rookie Gary Gaetti has four hits with a pair of home runs, but Seattle wins, 11-7.

    1982 - A freak heavy spring snow storm brings subfreezing temperatures across the northeast and midwest and causes the postponement of home openers for the Yankees, Tigers, White Sox, Brewers, Indians, Phillies and Pirates.

    1984 - After committing a two-out error in the bottom of the eighth inning to allow the eventual winning run to score in the Yankees' 7-6 loss to the Rangers at Arlington Stadium, New York shortstop Bobby Meacham is sent to the minors after the fourth game of the season on the orders of owner George Steinbrenner. The move, which stuns manager Yogi Berra, will prove to be a precursor to the 'Boss' firing him next season after the team drops ten of it first sixteen decisions.

    1988 - The Blue Jays’ reluctant designated hitter, George Bell, follows up his three home run Opening Day performance going 5-for-5 (three singles and two doubles) leading Toronto over the Royals, 11-4. Considered a defensive liability, last year’s American League MVP will return to left field full time.

    1989 - In his first start of the season, Orel Hershiser gives up a run in the first inning of a 4-3 loss to the Reds to end his major league-record consecutive scoreless inning streak at 59.

    1991 - The Braves trade right-hander Mike Thompson to the Reds in exchange for utility player Terry Crowley. Thompson will never throw another pitch in the major leagues, and Crowley will be released by Atlanta after appearing in just seven games.

    1992 - Rick Sutcliffe throws the first pitch at Oriole Park at Camden Yards at 3:20 p.m. The pitch, to Cleveland's Kenny Lofton is a ball, but Lofton ultimately flies out and the O's win the inaugural game at the park.

    1992 - On Opening Day in front of a full house at Seatle's Kingdome, the Rangers score nine runs in the top of the eighth inning and hold on to beat the Mainers, 12-10. Texas had been trailing 8-3 before the late inning barrage.

    1996 - Albert Belle shows off his arm by hitting Sports Illustrated photographer Tony Tomsic in the hand prior to a game between the Indians and Blue Jays at Jacobs Field. The angry Indians outfielder had told the photographer to stop taking pictures of him doing pre-game stretches and Tomsic complied. Belle then throws a ball from the outfield that breaks the skin of the photographer's hand in two places and draws blood. Prior to the season, Belle had been fined $50,000, the largest single-player fine in major league history, for his tirade against a television reporter prior to Game Three of the 1995 World Series.

    1997 - With a 3-2 loss to Houston at the Astrodome, the Cardinals remain winless after the first six games of the season. It is the Redbirds' worst start in the 106-year history of the franchise.

    2001 - In the home opener at Veterans Stadium, Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Bunning's number 14 jersey is retired. Kentucky's Republican U.S. senator, who compiled a 224-184 record in his 17-year career pitching for the Tigers, Phillies, Pirates and Dodgers, joins Richie Ashburn (1), Robin Roberts (36), Steve Carlton (32) and Mike Schmidt (20) as the fifth player to have his number retired by the Phillies.


    2001 - The Brewers, after a disappointing 0-4 start on the road, get into the winner's circle in front of President George W. Bush, as they beat the Reds, 5-4, in the major league debut of Miller Park. Sean Casey hits the park's first homer, but Richie Sexson's 435-foot home run in the eighth inning breaks a 4-4 deadlock giving Milwaukee its first win.

    2004 - In an on-line poll in which nearly 8,000 fans participated, "Still, We Believe: The Boston Red Sox Movie'' is selected as the title of a documentary about the 2003 season. Other choices offered by the team and Boston Globe web sites included "This Is the Year,'' "The Ecstasy and the Agony'' and "Always the Bridesmaid'' in addition to a fan’s wry suggestion of "I Know What You Did Last Summer, I Wish I Didn't Know What You Did Last Fall.''

    2004 - Adrian Beltre becomes the 36th player in baseball history to hit 100 home runs before the age of 25. The Dodger third baseman joins Cal Ripken Jr. and Lou Gehrig to have exactly 100 homers on their 25th birthday.

    2004 - On Opening Day at Bank One Ballpark, Diamondbacks’ outfielder Luis Gonzalez and Rockies’ second baseman Luis Gonzalez each homered making it only the second time in major league history players with the same first and last names homered in the same game. The first occurance happened when Ken Griffey Jr., and his dad, Ken Griffey, playing for the Mariners, hit back-to-back homers off Angel’s hurler Kirk McCaskill in 1990.

    2004 - It took a nearly a half of a century, but Hank Aaron is finally surpassed in an unlikely category. ‘Hammerin’ Hank’ will no longer be the first player named alphabetically in baseball history books when Giants’ pitcher David Aardsma makes his major-league debut against the Astros.

    2005 - At Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park, the Nationals win their first game representing Washington D.C. by beating the Phillies, 7-3. The historic win features the Nats center fielder Brad Wilkerson hitting for the cycle for the second time in his career.

    2009 - In Florida's 12-6 victory over the Nationals at Dolphin Stadium, Emilio Bonifacio hits an inside-the-park home run, the first on Opening Day since Red Sox outfielder Carl Yastrzemski accomplished the feat in 1968. The round-tripper, one of four hits for the Marlins' third baseman, is the first big league homer of his career.

    2009 - In front of a sold-out crowd at the Metrodome, Ken Griffey, Jr. hits a record-tying eighth Opening Day home run in his first game back with the Mariners since being traded prior to the start of the 2000 season. The "Kid's" historic home run, a sixth-inning blast off Francisco Liriano, ties him with Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, who established the mark playing for the Indians in 1975 during his first at-bat as major league baseball's first black manager.

    2009 - Arizona switch-hitter Felipe Lopez becomes the first player to homer from both sides of the plate on Opening Day when he goes deep in the top of the fourth inning off Glendon Rusch, after connecting off Colorado starter Aaron Cook to lead off the game. An inning later, the Diamondback second baseman's unique feat is matched by Tony Clark, making the pair the first set of teammates to homer from both sides of the plate on the first day of the season.

    2011 - The Toronto Blue Jays signed Dewayne Wise as a free agent.

    2012 - Adam Dunn ties a major league record, hitting his eighth Opening Day home run, a leadoff sixth-inning shot off Texas starter Colby Lewis in Chicago's 3-2 loss in Arlington. The White Sox’s DH, who hit two homers in the first game of the season twice while with Cincinnati in 2005 and 2007, equals the mark established by Frank Robinson and Ken Griffey Jr. as the only other players with eight round-trippers in openers.

    2012 - The Chicago White Sox signed Kip Wells as a free agent.

    2014 - Chris Sale scatters four singles in 8 innings while striking out six on way to his second win of the season as the White Sox beat Kansas City 4-1 at Kauffman Stadium.

    2015 - On Opening Day, the Rays retire number No. 66 in honor of their late senior baseball adviser Don Zimmer, who passed away in June at the age of 83. 'Popeye', who was a player, coach, and manager with a dozen different teams, wore the number in his final season with the organization to represent the number of years he worked in professional baseball.

    2015 - The Mets start 41 year-old Bartolo Colon on Opening Day, much to the chagrin of the fan base who hoped one of their young guns, Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom, would get the coveted assignment. The oldest pitcher ever to get the nod on opening day in franchise history doesn’t disappoint when he gives up one run on three hits, besting Washington's $210 million ace Max Scherzer in the team’s 3-1 victory at Nationals Park.

    2016 - The Padres, with their 7-0 loss at Petco Park, become the first team to be shut out in the first three games of the regular season, surpassing the dubious mark set by the Browns, who opened the 1943 campaign with 26 straight scoreless innings. San Diego also dropped their first two decisions of the three-game series against the Dodgers, 15-0 and 3-0.


    2016 - The Chicago White Sox signed Miguel Gonzalez as a free agent.

    2016 - The Texas Rangers released Jordan Danks.

    2016 - Trevor Story becomes the first major leaguer to hit a home run in each of his first three major league games when he goes deep in the first inning of the Rockies' 4-3 victory over the Diamondbacks at Chase Park. The 23 year-old shortstop is also the first rookie have round-trippers account for each of his first big league four hits.


    Baseball Birthdays on April 6...

    1863 - Johnston, Dick
    1876 - Luskey, Charlie
    1884 - Schwenck, Rudy
    1890 - Fitzsimmons, Tom
    1890 - Smith, Red
    1900 - Wyatt, Joe
    1903 - Cochrane, Mickey
    1906 - Frey, Benny
    1908 - Gyselman, Dick
    1908 - Mowry, Joe
    1908 - Lombardi, Ernie
    1914 - Moore, Dee
    1925 - Schacker, Hal
    1926 - White, Ed
    1927 - Romano, Jim
    1929 - Elston, Don
    1931 - Senerchia, Sonny
    1937 - Regan, Phil
    1937 - Graham, Wayne
    1942 - Wojcik, John
    1943 - Pattin, Marty
    1951 - Blyleven, Bert
    1952 - Waterbury, Steve
    1954 - Clay, Ken
    1958 - Sutherland, Leo
    1961 - McCaskill, Kirk
    1964 - Williams, Kenny
    1967 - Greene, Tommy
    1969 - Boone, Bret
    1970 - Belk, Tim
    1971 - Merloni, Lou
    1972 - Malloy, Marty
    1974 - Clyburn, Danny
    1976 - Pelaez, Alex
    1977 - Phillips, Andy
    1977 - Wesson, Barry
    1978 - Neal, Blaine
    1983 - Diamond, Thomas
    1983 - Sardinha, Bronson
    1989 - Amarista, Alexi



    Baseball Deaths on April 6...

    1908 - Brown, Jim
    1909 - Miller, Doggie
    1916 - Mann, Fred
    1918 - Bowman, Bill
    1918 - Halliday, Newt
    1928 - McAuley, Ike
    1938 - Young, J.B.
    1949 - Madden, Gene
    1965 - Kneisch, Rudy
    1966 - Mapel, Rolla
    1973 - Smith, Ernie
    1974 - Wood, Roy
    1977 - Rooney, Frank
    1979 - Kallio, Rudy
    1979 - Evans, Al
    1981 - Mesner, Steve
    1984 - Wright, Glenn
    1987 - Morse, Bud
    1989 - Bernier, Carlos
    1994 - Rosen, Goody
    1994 - Ford, Bill
    1998 - Wyatt, John
    2000 - Johnson, Don
    2002 - Sunkel, Tom
    2004 - Johnson, Ken
    2004 - Berberet, Lou
    2007 - Bahr, Ed
    2010 - Clear, Bob
    2017 - Cerv, Bob