1995 - Major league owners vote in favor of admitting Arizona and Tampa Bay into the league
MLB owners voted unanimously (28-0) in favor of adding two new teams in the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays to begin play in the 1998 season.
The Devil Rays were miserable for 10-straight years, finishing last in the AL East each season and losing at least 91 games. They ranked 14th in attendance in their inaugural season, with a franchise-high 30,942 fans per game, but would see their support drop off substantially the following year to just 19,294.
1998 Devil Rays Opening Day Lineup:
| Name | Pos. |
|---|---|
| Quinton McCracken | CF |
| Miguel Cairo | 2B |
| Wade Boggs | 3B |
| Fred McGriff | 1B |
| Mike Kelly | LF |
| Paul Sorrento | DH |
| John Flaherty | C |
| Dave Martinez | RF |
| Kevin Stocker | SS |
| Wilson Alvarez | P |
The National League expansion Diamondbacks fared much better than the Rays. Despite finishing 65-97 in its first season, Arizona would go 100-62 in 1999, en route to winning the NL West division crown. They followed it up with two more division titles in the next three years.
The fans in Phoenix filled the ballpark, as the team finished third in attendance in their first year, with an average of 44,571 fans.
1998 Diamondbacks Opening Day Lineup:
| Name | Pos. |
|---|---|
| Devon White | CF |
| Jay Bell | SS |
| Travis Lee | 1B |
| Matt Williams | 3B |
| Brent Brede | LF |
| Karim Garcia | RF |
| Jorge Fabregas | C |
| Edwin Diaz | 2B |
| Andy Benes | P |
2010 - Stephen Strasburg makes Nationals debut in Spring Training
One of the most hyped pitching prospects in baseball history, 2009 first-overall pick Stephen Strasburg made his first start for the Washington Nationals during a Spring Training game against Detroit.
The hard throwing right-hander threw two scoreless innings against the Tigers while allowing two hits and collecting a pair of strikeouts.
Strasburg, who signed a record four-year, $15.1 million deal, would have his rookie reason cut short after tearing his ulnar collateral ligament, finishing the year 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA to go with 92 strikeouts in 68 innings.
Birthdays
1942 - Bert Campaneris
1963 - Terry Mulholland
1965 - Benito Santiago
1973 - Aaron Boone
1985 - Jesse Litsch
