HOVG REWIND: April 15, 2016

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY courtesy of National Pastime

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SYoEow_yB0] 1947 – A year before President Truman desegregated the military, Jackie Robinson debuts for the Dodgers, becoming the first black player to participate in a major league game this century. In front of 25,623 Ebbets Field fans, the 28 year-old first baseman is hitless in three at-bats, but scores a run in the 5-3 Opening Day victory over the Braves.

1959 – Cardinals right-hander Bob Gibson makes his major league debut at LA Memorial Coliseum, tossing the final two innings in the 5-0 loss to the Dodgers. The 23 year-old rookie becomes the first future Hall of Fame hurler to give up a home run to the first batter he faces in the major leagues when third baseman Jim Baxes takes him deep in the seventh inning.

1972 – On Opening Day in Oakland, A’s outfielder Reggie Jackson becomes the first player in fifty-eight years to wear a mustache during the regular season. The last time facial hair was worn in a major league game was in 1914 when Wally Schang had hair above his lip catching for Philadelphia Athletics.

And finally…in 2000, in the 2,800th game of his career, Orioles infielder Cal Ripken lines a base hit to center off the Twins’ Hector Carrasco to become the 24th major leaguer to reach the 3000^th hit milestone. The single also makes the ‘Iron Man’ only the seventh player to get 3000 hits and 400 home runs in major league history.

STAT OF THE DAY provided by @HighHeatStats

Today in 1993, Andre Dawson became the 25th player in MLB’s long history to reach 400 career homers. In the 22 seasons since, a staggering 27 additional players have reached the mark, including Adrian Beltre and Miguel Cabrera on consecutive days last May.

PLAYERS BORN TODAY

Willie Davis (1940), Ted Sizemore (1945), Jeromy Burnitz (1969), Milton Bradley (1978) and John Danks (1985)