IN THE NEWS: President John F. Kennedy throws out the first ball to open the 1962 baseball season at new District of Columbia Stadium. Despite rain, a record Washington crowd of 42,143 shows up to see Bennie Daniels stop Detroit with a 5-hit, 41 win in the new park. This is a switch for Daniels, who had lost the last games played at both Ebbets Field, in 1957, and Griffith Stadium, last year.
IN THE NEWS: The Houston Colt 45s begin play before 25,271 fans at Colt Stadium, a temporary facility, adjacent to the land for the Astrodome. Roman Mejias hits two 3-run home runs, and Bobby Shantz pitches Houston to an 112 win over the Cubs.
Dodger Stadium, the first ML arena privately financed since Yankee Stadium in 1922-23, opens in Chavez Ravine. With 52,564 fans on hand, the Dodgers inaugurate the $22 million facility with a 63 loss to the Reds. Wally Post hits the first homer in the new stadium, a 3-run shot over the CF fence in the 7th.
At Yankee Stadium, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and Bill Skowron, the three Yankees who combined for 143 homers last season, hit Opening Day homers to lead New York to a come-from-behind 76 win over Baltimore. Moose's is a 2-run shot to dead center that he legs out for an inside-the -park homer, while Mantle hits his in the 8th inning to tie the game, Maris hits a 3-run shot in the 5th. Johnny Temple, in his first game for the O's, has three hits, including a home run. Starters Billy Hoeft and Whitey Ford are gone after six innings, and the win goes to Ralph Terry, while Skinny Brown takes the loss.
IN THE NEWS: Carroll Hardy breaks up a scoreless duel with a 12th inning grand slam for a 40 Boston victory over Cleveland. This is first loss for Tribe's manager Mel McGaha who started with a win yesterday.
IN THE NEWS: Pete Richert of the Dodgers, in his ML debut, fans the first six batters he faces against the Reds, tying Karl Spooner's record set on September 22, 1954. This includes four straight strikeouts (a passed ball allows Gordy Coleman to reach 1B) in the 3rd inning. He wins in relief, of Stan Williams, lifted in the 2nd frame after allowing four runs. Richert sparkles, giving up no hits or walks and fanning seven in three 1/3 innings.
IN THE NEWS: Just 12,447 Mets' fans welcome the return of National League baseball to New York. Sherman Jones drops a 43 decision to the Pirates at the Polo Grounds, which sparkles after a $350,000 face-lift.
Stan Musial scores his 1,869th runa new NL record. The Cardinals beat the Cubs 85 in 15 innings.
In a 53 win against the Yankees, Tigers P Frank Lary pulls a muscle while running out a triple in the 7th and is forced to leave the game. The injury will subsequently create arm problems that will end his career. Lary will win just two games this after notching 23 wins in 1961.
IN THE NEWS: At Philadelphia, the Cards and Phillies each plate six runs in the first inning, but that's all the scoring for the hosts. The Cards add six more to win, 126. Starters Cal McLish and Bob Gibson each last less than an inning. Ernie Broglio earns the win with eight 1/3 innings of shutout ball.
The Yankees release vet Robin Roberts, signed in October. The Orioles will sign Roberts on May 21st.
IN THE NEWS: At Crosley Field, the Reds roll over the Dodgers, 140. Jim O'Toole tosses a 4-hitter for the win, while Joe Moeller, making his first ML start is kayoed in the 2nd. Pinson has five RBIs.
IN THE NEWS: Mickey Mantle's homer in the 4th, off Chuck Estrada, starts the Yanks to a 31 win over the Orioles.
The Pirates win their 9th straight, beating the Phils, 83. This is a new club record, breaking the mark at the beginning of the 1938 season. Roberto Clemente's 2-run single and Bill Mazeroski's 2-run homer are the big blows.
IN THE NEWS: The Pirates win their 10th straight game, edging the Mets 43, and matching the major-league record to start a season, while the Mets tie a National League record by opening 09.
The Cubs, 19 before today, hand the Cards their first defeats of the year, sweeping the Birds, 115 and 51. Ernie Banks hits a 3-run home run to start the scoring in the opener.
IN THE NEWS: Jay Hook gives the New York Mets their first regular-season victory, a 5-hit 91 win at Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is now 101 for the season, but will lose 13 of its next 17 games.
IN THE NEWS: Sandy Koufax ties the modern major-league record he shares with Bob Feller by fanning 18 Cubs in nine innings. The Dodgers win 102.
Reds rookie Sammy Ellis wins his first ML game, beating the Mets, 73. Ellis goes six innings and allows just one hit, but walks 11 and is replaced by Moe Drabowsky.
Mets manager Casey Stengel is fined $500 by Commissioner Ford Frick for allowing his picture to appear in a beer ad.
In a South Atlantic League game at Macon, the Peaches beat Greenville, 325. Peaches 2B Pete Rose is 6-for-8 with a home run, triple and six RBIs. Seven Spinner pitchers walked 19 batters, as the Peaches batted around four times.
IN THE NEWS: Chiti traded for himself. Cleveland sends C Harry Chiti to the Mets for a player to be named later. On June 15, the Mets will sell Chiti back to Cleveland.
IN THE NEWS: Consecutive home runs by Frank Thomas, Charlie Neal, and Gil Hodges in the 6th inning are among a club-record five hit by the Mets against Philadelphia. The Mets win 86 at the Polo Grounds. For Thomas, it is the fifth time in eight years he has combined with teammates for three consecutive home runs.
IN THE NEWS: The Twins tie a major-league record with six solo homers against the Indians in the 2nd game of a Minnesota sweep. The Indians add a solo homer to set a ML record, since tied, of seven solo homers in a game. The Twins down the Indians 84 and 73.
In the Mets' 7-run 4th inning, Frank Thomas is twice hit by pitches, from Art Mahaffey and Frank Sullivan of the Phils. Two plunks in an inning are the major-league record set in 1959 by the only other player to whom it has happenedReds pitcher Willard Schmidt. The Mets win 80, then lose the 2nd game 102.
IN THE NEWS: The Phils finally beat Warren Spahn, 64, after losing to the Braves lefty 11 games in a row.
The Braves trade Bob Buhl to the Cubs for P Jack Curtis. Buhl, coming off his first losing season since 1954, will be a solid starter over the next four years for the Cubs, winning 51 games. He also establish a ML mark as a batter going 0-for the season, going to the plate 70 times without a hit.
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