IN THE NEWS: Tom Seaver, University of Southern California pitcher, signs with the Mets for a reported $50,000 bonus. A selection of the Braves in the January free-agent draft, Seaver was signed by Atlanta's Richmond farm club a month later, after USC had begun its baseball schedule. The violation netted Richmond a $500 fine and forbade Atlanta from signing Seaver for three years. However, Seaver was also declared ineligible at the college level, so an unprecedented special draft is held. Three clubs willing to match Richmond's $40,000 contract—the Indians, Phillies, and Mets—participate. New York's name is drawn from a hat as the winner.
IN THE NEWS: A crowd of 44,468, including Vice President Hubert Humphrey, attends a historic opener at Washington. Emmett Ashford becomes the ML's first black umpire in Cleveland's 5–2 win against the Senators.
For the first time since 1913, the Reds are rained out of their Opener. The rain will continue for three days and the Reds will open on the road, losing 2–1 to the Phils on April 15. It is the first time the team has opened on the road since 1890.
IN THE NEWS: The Braves and Tony Cloninger lose their first game in Atlanta 3–2 to Pittsburgh in 13 innings, with 50,761 fans on hand. Both Atlanta runs come on homers by Joe Torre, who opened the 1965 Milwaukee Braves season with two homers against the Reds.
Rookie OF Tommie Agee ties the season opener in the 7th inning with a 2-run home run, and the White Sox add another to top the Angels 3–2.
At Yankee Stadium, 40,006 fans watch the Tigers edge the Yankees, 2–1. The Yankees only score is Joe Pepitone's 5th inning homer off Mickey Lolich, who strikes out 10 Yankees. Lolich, with a career average of .075, leads off the 9th with a single which opens the door for the Tiger's winning run off Whitey Ford.
IN THE NEWS: The Robinsons -- Frank Robinson and Brooks Robinson -- hit back-to-back homers in the first inning to lead the Orioles to an 8–1 win over the Red Sox at Fenway.
IN THE NEWS: Bob Gibson's 9–2 win at Forbes Field is the 18th straight for St. Louis in Pittsburgh. St. Louis ties the major-league record set by the Dodgers against the Phillies in 1945-46 for consecutive road wins against one club.
IN THE NEWS: In the first regular season game at Anaheim Stadium, California drops a 3–1 decision to the White Sox before 31,660 fans. Rick Reichardt hits the Angels' first regular-season home run in the new facility.
Tommy Sisk finally gives Pittsburgh a home win, topping the Cardinals, 5–3.
IN THE NEWS: Hank Aaron clouts homers 399 and 400 to lead the Braves to a victory, 8–1, over the Phillies. The first shot is off starter Ray Culp in the 1st inning, and number 400 comes in the 9th inning, off Bo Belinsky.
IN THE NEWS: The 1–7 Cubs trade veteran pitchers Larry Jackson and Bob Buhl to Philadelphia for young P Ferguson Jenkins, OF Adolfo Phillips, and 1B/OF John Herrnstein. "It's the best deal we could've made," says Phils manager Gene Mauch. "I think it complemented our staff exactly the way we wanted." Jenkins was 2–1 for the Phils in 1965 after being brought up from Arkansas (PCL), but he'll go into the Hall of Fame as a Cub.
The Braves trip the Phils, 5–4, as Chris Short's wild pitch past Bob Uecker allows the winning run to score. Eddie Mathews sets a major-league record by playing his 2009th game at 3B, topping Eddie Yost's mark.
IN THE NEWS: Two days after putting on a Cubs uniform, Ferguson Jenkins hits his first major league homer, off Don Sutton, drives in a 2nd run, and shuts out the Dodgers to win, 2–0. For rookie Sutton, it is the first of 13 straight losses the Cubs will hand him.
IN THE NEWS: Pete Richert enters the major-league record books with seven consecutive strikeouts against the Tigers. Richert still loses a 4–0 decision as the Tigers sweep a pair at Washington.
Atlanta's 5–2 win at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in the first game of a doubleheader is an National League-record 18th straight home win against the Mets. "Home" for 17 of those wins was Milwaukee.
IN THE NEWS: Cleveland ties the modern major-league record with its 10th straight win since Opening Day. Sonny Siebert defeats the Angels 2–1. Cleveland will lose tomorrow to the White Sox's Gary Peters, 4-1.
IN THE NEWS: In a 5–1 win over Chicago, Phils star Dick Allen dislocates his right shoulder while sliding. The Phils will go 11-13 while he is out of lineup.
IN THE NEWS: Rick Reichardt hits a record-tying two home runs in the 8th inning, pacing a 16–9 California rout of Boston at Fenway. Teammate Bobby Knoop chips in with a double and home run in the same inning.
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