This Date in Baseball-Week Ahead
March 27
1973 — Veteran pitcher Jim Perry of the Minnesota Twins becomes the first player in Major League Baseball to approve of being traded under the new “ten and five” rule. The Twins send Perry to the Detroit Tigers for a player and cash considerations. Perry, a 24-game winner in 1970, will win 14 games for the Tigers this year.
1987 — The New York Mets make one of the best trades in franchise history when they acquire pitcher David Cone from the Kansas City Royals for catcher Ed Hearn and two pitching prospects, Mauro Gozzo and Rick Anderson. Cone will blossom as one of the National League’s better starting pitchers, posting a 20-3 record for the Mets in 1988, while Hearn’s promising career will be ended by injuries.
2002 — Jose Canseco is given his release by the Montreal Expos after being told he would not be an everyday player. Canseco, who needs 38 home runs to reach 500, batted .258 and hit 16 homers for the Chicago White Sox last season while appearing in 76 games, but he will not play in the major leagues again.
2012 — The group led by former NBA star Magic Johnson and executive Stan Kasten emerges as the winner of the bidding process to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers from owner Frank McCourt under supervision of a bankruptcy court judge.
2016 — In the second of two games played in Mexico City, the Padres take advantage of favorable hitting conditions at Fray Nano Stadium and explode for five homers and 21 runs in defeating the Astros, 21 - 6. Jabari Blash, Adam Rosales and Jon Jay all go deep off Astros starter Brady Rodgers in the 1st. The Padres also score eight runs in the 7th, with Casey McElroy supplying a two-run blast, to seal the landslide win. For his part, Rodgers gives up eight runs in only two-thirds of an inning and reliever Brendan McCurry is also lit up for eight runs.
2022 — 42-year-old Albert Pujols, the majors’ active career leader in all sorts of offensive categories, signs a one-year contract for the Cardinals to finish his career where it all started back in 2001.
2025 — The Orioles start their season with a bang, smashing six homers in defeating the Blue Jays, 12 - 2, at the Rogers Centre. Cedric Mullins and Adley Rutschman both homer twice, while Tyler O’Neill extends his own record by homering in a sixth straight Opening Day game while going 3 for 3 with two walks.
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March 28
1976 — Media sources report a potential blockbuster trade between the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers which involves two future Hall of Fame pitchers. According to the rumor, the deal will send Tom Seaver to the Dodgers in exchange for Don Sutton. Mets fans respond negatively to the proposed deal, perhaps influencing management to call off the trade. Seaver will remain with the Mets until 1977, when he is traded to the Cincinnati Reds, in a trade which will be universally rued by Mets fans.
1990 — A plan to allow starting pitchers to earn victories with only three innings pitched (because of the abbreviated spring training period caused by a lockout) is scrapped, but teams will be allowed to open the regular season with 27-man rosters instead of the normally allowed maximum of 25.
1999 — The Baltimore Orioles make the first visit to Cuba by major leaguers since 1959, and defeat the Cuban national team by a score of 3 - 2 in 11 innings. Pitcher Jose Contreras hurls eight innings of two-hit, ten-strikeout ball in relief for the Cubans, while catcher Charles Johnson hits a two-run home run and DH Harold Baines drives in the winning run for the Orioles. The two teams will play a rematch at Camden Yards in Baltimore on May 3rd.
2012 — Major League Baseball opens its season at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, with a 3 - 1 Seattle win over Oakland. The two teams are tied at 1 after exchanging runs in the 4th until the Mariners, who are considered the visiting team, score a pair in the top of the 11th off Andrew Carignan. Brendan Ryan opens the frame with a double and is driven home by Dustin Ackley’s single; Ackley then proceeds to steal second and scores on a single by Ichiro Suzuki, the local favorite’s fourth hit of the night. Both starters, Felix Hernandez and Brandon McCarthy, are excellent, but the win goes to reliever Tom Wilhelmsen.
2014 — Two-time defending American League MVP Miguel Cabrera signs an eight-year contract extension with the Tigers. Including the two years remaining on his present contract, the deal is worth $292 million, making it the biggest in major league history. It surpasses the ten-year extension signed by Alex Rodriguez in 2006 for $275 million. In fact Rodriguez had held the record since signing as a free agent with the Texas Rangers for $252 million in 2001. The huge deal makes the six-year contract for $144.6 million that Angels OF Mike Trout also signs today seem like an anecdote.
2019 — It’s Opening Day across Major League Baseball as all 30 teams are active, one week after a preliminary two-game opening series in Japan. A record number of homers are hit today - 48 across the majors. Leading the charge are the Dodgers, who hit an opening day record eight long balls in their 12 - 5 win over the Diamondbacks.
2024 — It’s Opening Day in Major League Baseball, with all 30 teams scheduled to play today - although two games on the East Coast are rained out. Highlights include great pitching performances by Corbin Burnes, Frankie Montas and Shane Bieber, a game-saving throw by Juan Soto, and a 450-homer by Vladimir Guerrero Jr.Tyler O’Neill, now with the Red Sox, homers on Opening Day for the fifth straight year, setting a new record, and C Jonah Heim of the Rangers plays both the goat and the hero, allowing the Cubs to score the go-ahead run in the top of the 9th when he argues in vain with umpire Chad Fairchild that a ball that got past him had been tipped by the batter, instead of retrieving it, and then driving in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th on a bases-loaded hit for the defending World Series champions. Finally, the D-Backs score an Opening Day and franchise record 14 runs in the 3rd inning of their 16 - 1 win over the Rockies, and do so without the benefit of a homer.
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March 29
1973 — The “Alert Orange Baseball” is used for the first time in major league history. The unique baseball, an invention of Oakland Athletics owner Charlie Finley, is used in an exhibition game between Oakland and the Cleveland Indians. Finley contends the ball, painted the color of a construction worker’s hat, will be easier for both players and fans to see. But pitchers complain that the ball is slippery and hard to grip, while batters are unable to pick up the spin of the ball without seeing the seams. Although Finley pushes for the use of colored baseballs during the regular season, the idea will never come to fruition.
1975 — Pitcher Mel Stottlemyre, suffering from a torn rotator cuff, is given his unconditional release by the New York Yankees. He compiled a 164-139 record and a 2.97 ERA as well as 40 shutouts in an eleven-season major league career with the Yankees.
1983 — While some clubs are concerned about low attendance at the start of the season, the Los Angeles Dodgers become the first team in major league history to cut off season ticket sales before the start of the season. The Dodgers, with 27,000 season tickets already sold, implement the cutoff so that group sales won’t be impeded and fans will be able to buy tickets for individual games.
2000 — In Japan, the Chicago Cubs open the major league season at the Tokyo Dome by defeating the New York Mets, 5 - 3, in the first major league opening day ever played outside of the United States, Canada or Mexico. Jon Lieber gets the victory and Mike Hampton takes the loss. Shane Andrews, Mark Grace and Mike Piazza hit home runs in the game.
2002 — Rickey Henderson is added to the Boston Red SoxOpening Dayroster as his contract is purchased from Triple-A Pawtucket. Henderson, who joined the exclusive 3000 hit club on the final day of last season, will begin his 24th year in the majors appearing with his eighth different club.
2005 — First baseman Andres Galarraga announces his retirement. A five-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner in a 19-year major league career, Galarraga was a .288 hitter with 399 home runs and 1,425 RBI in 2,257 games played.
2006 — Outfielder Marquis Grissom announces his retirement after a 17-year major league career that saw him play with six teams. A two-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner, he finished with 429 stolen bases, including a career-high 78 in 1992. Grissom leaves as one of seven players with 2,000 hits, 200 home runs and 400 stolen bases.
2008 — The Dodgers celebrate the 50th anniversary of their move to Los Angeles, CA by playing an exhibition game against the Boston Red Sox in their original home, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. A crowd of 115,300 is present, the largest ever assembled at a baseball game anywhere. The previous record of 93,103 had been set in the Dodgers’ second season in L.A., for an exhibition game against the New York Yankees in honor of paralyzed catcher Roy Campanella on May 7, 1959.
2012 — The A’s secure a split of their season-opening series with the Mariners with a 4 - 1 win at the Tokyo Dome. Among the A’s three homers is the first one in the major leagues by CubandefectorYoenis Cespedes; Josh Reddick and Jonny Gomes, both also acquired over the winter, hit the other two, while Justin Smoak hits a solo shot for Seattle’s only run. Bartolo Colon earns the win with eight solid innings of work.
2023 — Major League Baseball strikes a tentative deal with minor league baseball players that will more than double their salaries on average. They will still be paid peanuts compared to major leaguers, but now will at least approach a living wage.
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March 30
1966 — The Koufax-Drysdale holdout ended. The Los Angeles Dodgers announced the signings. Sandy Koufax got $120,000 and Don Drysdale $105,000, making them the highest paid teammates in history.
1978 — The Boston Red Sox acquire pitcher Dennis Eckersley and catcher Fred Kendall from the Cleveland Indians for pitchers Rick Wise and Mike Paxton, catcher Bo Diaz and infielder Ted Cox.
1992 — The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox made a trade. The Cubs sent outfielder George Bell to the White Sox for outfielder Sammy Sosa and pitcher Ken Patterson.
2001 — Pitcher Dwight Gooden announces his retirement. The four-time All-Star and Cy Young Award winner posted a 194-112 record with a 3.51 ERA and 2293 strikeouts in 16 seasons.
2004 — The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays opened the season in Japan with Tampa Bay posting an 8-3 victory behind the pitching of Victor Zambrano and the hitting of Tino Martinez. Martinez had three hits including the 300th homer of his career.
2008 — Nationals Park opens for action with the host Nationals beating the Braves, 3 - 2.
2019 — In a very rare occurrence, position players take the mound for both teams in the Dodgers’ 18 - 5 win over the Diamondbacks.
2023 — For the first time ever, all 30 teams are active on Opening Day as no rainouts affect the schedule.
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March 31
1961 — The Pacific Coast League’s proposal to use a designated hitter for the pitcher was rejected by the Professional Baseball Rules Committee by a vote of 8-1.
1968 — Seattle, the American League’s second new team, announced its nickname — the Pilots.
1994 — The Chicago White Sox assign NBA superstar Michael Jordan to the Double-A Birmingham Barons of the Southern League.
1995 — Major league baseball players end their strike when Federal judge Sonia Sotomayor of U.S. District Court in Manhattan rules against the owners in the labor dispute.
1996 — The Seattle Mariners beat the Chicago White Sox 3-2 in 12 innings in major league baseball’s season opener, the first major league game played in March.
1998 — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks looked like expansion teams in their first games. The Devil Rays fell behind 11-0 in an 11-6 loss to Detroit at Tropicana Field, and the Diamondbacks dropped a 9-2 decision to the Colorado Rockies at Bank One Ballpark. Milwaukee dropped a 2-1 decision at Atlanta in the Brewers’ first game since becoming the only team to switch leagues this century.
2001 — The Pittsburgh Pirates move into PNC Park, losing to the New York Mets, 4 - 3, in an exhibition game.
2003 — The Cincinnati Reds played their first regular season game at the Great American Ballpark. The Pittsburgh Pirates spoiled the day with a 10-1 win.
2008 — The Chicago Cubs unveil a statue of Ernie Banks outside of Wrigley Field.
2009 — The Detroit Tigers cut DH Gary Sheffield, who is one home run shy of 500 for his career.
2013 — The Houston Astros, coming off consecutive 100-loss seasons, made an impressive debut in the American League, trouncing the Texas Rangers 8-2 in the major league opener. Having switched from the National League to the AL in the offseason, the Astros earned their first opening day victory since 2006 and the 4,000th regular-season win in franchise history.
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April 1
1931 — Pitcher Virne Mitchell, 17, signed with the Chattanooga club of Tennessee, becoming the first woman to play for an otherwise all-male baseball team.
1942 — Major league owners decide not to allow furloughed players in the military to play.
1969 — The Seattle Pilots trade minor league OF Lou Piniella to the Kansas City Royals. Piniella will go on to win American League Rookie of the Year.
1970 — An investment group headed by Bud Selig bought the Seattle pilots for $10.8 million.
1972 — The first collective players strike in major league history began. The strike lasted 12 days and canceled 86 games.
1988 — For the first time since 1956, the Special Veterans Committee does not elect anyone to the Hall of Fame.
1989 — A. Bartlett Giamatti took over as baseball commissioner.
1996 — Longtime umpire John McSherry collapses and dies from a heart attack on Opening Day at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium, in the 1st inning of a game between the Reds and Expos. The game is cancelled.
2001 — The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Texas Rangers 8-1 when the major league baseball season opened in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
2008 — The New York Yankees set a major league record by winning their 11th straight home opener.
2013 — Bryce Harper homered in his first two at-bats, Stephen Strasburg retired 19 batters in a row and the defending NL East champion Washington Nationals opened the season with a 2-0 victory over the Miami Marlins. Harper, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, hit solo shots over the out-of-town scoreboard in right-center field off Ricky Nolasco in the first and fourth innings.
2013 — Clayton Kershaw launched his first career home run to break a scoreless tie in the eighth inning, then finished off a four-hitter that led the Los Angeles Dodgers over the San Francisco Giants 4-0 on opening day. Kershaw became the first pitcher in the majors to homer on opening day since Joe Magrane of St. Louis in 1988. He was the first pitcher to throw a shutout and hit a home run in an opener since Bob Lemon for Cleveland in 1953.
2018 — Three days after starting at DH on Opening Day in his major league debut, Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani makes his debut on the mound, pitching 6 innings in leading the Angels to a 7 - 4 win over the Athletics.
2024 — Ronel Blanco of the Astros throws the earliest no-hitter in major league history in terms of calendar date as he defeats the Blue Jays, 10 - 0. He walks the first batter of the game, George Springer, but retires the next 26 batters in a row before walking Springer again with two outs in the 9th. He then gets Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to ground out to second to end the game, which is also the first career win for Houston manager Joe Espada.
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April 2
1931 — Virne Beatrice “Jackie” Mitchell, the first woman in professional baseball, pitched against the New York Yankees in an exhibition game in Chattanooga. Babe Ruth waved wildly at the first two pitches and took a third strike. Lou Gehrig timed his swing to miss three straight pitches. Tony Lazzeri, after trying to bunt, walked and Mitchell left the game.
1952 — Hall of Fame outfielder Monte Irvin of the New York Giants broke his ankle in an exhibition game. Irvin played just 46 games that season.
1976 — The Oakland Athletics trade two key members from their recent World Series championship teams, sending OF Reggie Jackson and P Ken Holtzman to the Baltimore Orioles.
1984 — The New York Mets lost to the Cincinnati Reds 8-1 for their first opening-day defeat in 10 years.
1995 — The longest strike in major league history comes to an end. Having the first 23 days of this major league season canceled and 252 games of the last season lost, the owners accept the players’ March 31st unconditional offer to return to work. The players’ decision to return to work is made after a US District Court issued an injunction restoring terms and conditions of the expired agreement. Teams will play 144-game schedules. The strike had begun on August 12, 1994.
1996 — St. Francis of Illinois pummeled Robert Morris 71-1, with Robert Morris coach Gerald McNamara ending the after four innings.
1997 — For the first time, the salary of one player — Albert Belle — exceeded the payroll of an entire team — the Pittsburgh Pirates. Belle, the game’s highest-paid player for 1997 at $10 million, made $928,333 more than the whole Pirates payroll of $9,071,667.
1998 — By hitting a home run at Bank One Ballpark, Ellis Burks sets a major league record by having homered in 33 different stadiums.
2001 — For the first time in major league history, a Japanese position player participates in a regular season game. Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, hitless in his first three at-bats, singles in the 7th inning to ignite a two-run rally, and bunts for another single in the 8th in his debut at Safeco Field. He will go on the be both the American League Rookie of the Year and MVP this year.
2001 — Roger Clemens became the AL strikeout king, getting five to pass Walter Johnson as the Yankees beat Kansas City 7-3 in their season opener. Clemens fanned Joe Randa for his 3,509th career strikeout.
2003 — Alex Rodriguez became the youngest player to hit 300 home runs, connecting for a three-run drive in the Texas Rangers’ 11-5 loss to the Anaheim Angels. Rodriguez at 27 years, 249 days old, surpassed Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx (27 years, 328 days).
2003 — The Detroit Tigers became the first team to have four pitchers make their major league debuts in the same game — Jeremy Bonderman, Wilfredo Ledezma, Chris Spurling and Matt Roney. The Tigers lost 8-1 to the Minnesota Twins.
2007 — Tampa Bay’s Elijah Dukes homered in his first big league at-bat in a 9-5 loss to the New York Yankees.
2008 — Kevin Youkilis plays his 194th consecutive error-free game at first base, breaking Steve Garvey’s 23-year-old major league record.
2010 — The Minnesota Twins open their new ballpark, Target Field, with an 8 - 4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in an exhibition game.
2011 — Ichiro Suzuki breaks the franchise hit record for the Seattle Mariners in the Mariners’ 6 - 2 win over Oakland. Ten years to the day after his first major league hit, Ichiro collects safety number 2,248, passing Edgar Martinez, with an infield single that drives in the winning run in the 9th.
2011 — Ian Kinsler of Texas became the first major leaguer with leadoff homers in each of his team’s first two games. Kinsler hit the first of four homers by the Rangers in a 12-5 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
2012 — Matt Cain and the San Francisco Giants agreed to a $127.5 million, six-year contract, the largest deal for a right-handed pitcher in baseball history.
2017 — Madison Bumgarner hit two homers but the Arizona Diamondbacks scored twice with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning off new San Francisco closer Mark Melancon to beat the Giants 6-5 in a wild season opener. Bumgarner retired his first 16 batters and became the first pitcher to hit two home runs on opening day. He struck out 11 with no walks in seven innings.
2019 — Returning to Washington, D.C. for the first time since signing a record free agent contract with the Phillies in the spring, Bryce Harper is back. He collects 3 hits, including a 458-foot two-run homer to lead the Phillies to an 8 - 2 win over the Nationals.
2021 — Commissioner Rob Manfred announces that the 2021 All-Star Game will not be staged in Atlanta, GA, as planned, but will be moved to another location to be determined, in response to the state of Georgia’s adoption of rules aimed at restricting the voting rights of African-Americans. This follows only two days after President Joe Biden stated he supported such a move, given the discriminatory nature of Georgia’s law.
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