TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY courtesy of National Pastime
1973 – At Fenway Park, Ron Blomberg of the Yankees becomes the first designated hitter in major league history. In the historic plate appearance, Boomer draws a first-inning bases-loaded walk on a 3-1 pitch off Luis Tiant, and will become the first DH to get a hit when he singles in the third frame of the 15-5 Red Sox rout of the Bronx Bombers.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ifKHxGuzMw]1993 – Jack Morris sets a major league record when he makes his 14th consecutive Opening Day start, taking the loss in the Blue Jays’ 8-1 defeat to Seattle at the Kingdome. During the span, which started in 1980 with the Tigers (10 seasons) and continued with the Twins (one season), the 37 year-old right-hander has compiled an 8-6 record in his first day assignments.
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.
And finally…in 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.
STAT OF THE DAY provided by @HighHeatStats
Bert Blyleven, born today in 1951, lost 17+ games every year from 1972 to 1974 despite having an ERA below 3.00 each season. He’s the only player since 1969 with more than one such season. Dude had no support.
PLAYERS BORN TODAY
Mickey Cochrane (1903), Ernie Lombardi (1908), Bert Blyleven (1951), Bret Boone (1969) and Lou Merloni (1971)
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