IN THE NEWS: The Pirates steal young OF Manny Mota from the Colt 45's, which had acquired him in December, sending Houston OF Howie Goss and cash. For five years, Mota will be a solid 4th outfielder for the Bucs and a pinch hitter extraordinaire.
IN THE NEWS: With John F. Kennedy in attendance at the opener in Washington D.C., young Steve Barber starts the season for the O's against the Washington Senators. In the Nats lineup is Barber's high school teammate, Tom Brown, who goes on to football. Jim Gentile and Boog Powell homer for the Birds, who win 3–1.
The Tigers claim young pitcher Denny McLain from the White Sox for the $25,000 waiver price.
IN THE NEWS: In the opener at Kansas City, Ralph Terry pitches a complete game 8–2 win for the Yankees. Led by Joe Pepitone's two homers and a double, New York collects 13 hits. Elston Howard adds a homer off starter Diego Segui.
Pete Rose walks in his 1st at bat, but has no hits in the game, a 5–2 Reds win over the Pirates.
IN THE NEWS: The Yankees follow a 8–2 opening day victory yesterday with a 5–3 victory today at Kansas City. The 45-degree weather takes its toll, as Yankee starter Bill Stafford leaves in the 7th inning with a twinge in his right arm, and will never be quite the same. Mickey Mantle homers but pulls a muscle in his last at bat, that he will re-injure on the 13th, sidelining him for two weeks.
IN THE NEWS: Warren Spahn's Opening Day, 6–1, victory over the Mets is his first win of the season and the 328th of his career. He thus moves ahead of yesteryear's great Eddie Plank as the all-time winningest lefthander. Except for Duke Snider's home run, no Met gets past 2B.
Baltimore's Milt Pappas spoils New York's home opener, beating them, 4–1. The only Yankee score is a Mickey Mantle homer.
IN THE NEWS: After 11 hitless at bats, Cincinnati 2B Pete Rose records his first ML hit, a triple off Pittsburgh's Bob Friend. Increased enforcement of the balk rule produces a major-league record seven in the Pirates' 12–4 trouncing at Cincinnati. Friend is called for four balks.
Red Sox rookie Dave Morehead shuts out the Senators, 3–0, in his first ML start. He's the first Red Sox pitcher to debut with a shutout since Boo Ferriss in 1945.
IN THE NEWS: Phillies reliever Jack Baldschun picks up both wins today as the Phils sweep a doubleheader from the Cards, 4–3 and 5–4. Baldschun pitches the 10th inning of the opener and another two innings of the nitecap.
IN THE NEWS: Yakima (Northwest League) C Rico Carty hits two home runs in one at bat. The rookie catcher's first blast is nullified because time had been called.
Cincinnati P Jim Owens sets a National League record as the first hurler in NL history charged with three balks in one inning (the 2nd) in a 7–0 loss at Los Angeles.
IN THE NEWS: Pro basketballers Gene Conley of the Celtics and Dave DeBusschere of the Knicks oppose each other as Red Sox and White Sox pitchers. Conley hurls 4-plus innings for Boston, while DeBusschere relieves for two-thirds of the 4th inning for Chicago. Boston wins the tip-off at Fenway 9–5.
At Washington, Dan Pfister pitches the Athletics to a 7–3 win over the Senators. The Nats treat Pfister's batterymate, Billy Bryan, like Babe Ruth, intentionally walking him three times, tying a ML record. Bryan hit .158 and .149 the past two seasons, and will improve to .169 this year.
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