2000
» The Rockies defeat the Cardinals, 12-6, scoring 10 runs in the 2nd inning.

The Devil Rays obtain P Dwight Gooden from the Astros in exchange for cash.

1999
» The Rangers defeat the Mariners, 15–6, as Texas C Ivan Rodriguez drives in nine runs. All of Rodriguez's RBIs come on a 3–run home run in the 1st inning, a 2–run single in the 2nd, and a grand slam in the 3rd. Mike Morgan picks up the win in relief. It is his 1st victory over the Mariners since August 4, 1979. The 19 years, eight months and nine days is the longest a pitcher has ever gone between victories against one team.

The Dodgers score two runs in the top of the 16th inning to take a 6–4 lead over the Diamondbacks, but Arizona comes back with three in the bottom half to eke out a 7–6 win. 2B Jay Bell has four hits, including a pair of home runs, for the winners.

1998
» Seattle's Ken Griffey Jr. slugs two home runs in a 6–5 loss to Cleveland. In doing so, he becomes the second–youngest player in big league history to reach 300 homers for his career, at 28 years and 143 days. Jimmie Foxx, at 27 years 328 days, was the youngest.

Lee Stevens of the Rangers hits three home runs and drives in four in a 10–1 victory over the Tigers.

Cardinals rookie C Eli Marrero returns to action after undergoing surgery for the removal of a malignant tumor from his neck on March 6. He hits the first pitch he sees for a triple, and also homers in the Cardinals 8–2 loss to the Giants.

A steel joint, weighing several hundred pounds, falls through a roof panel at Yankee Stadium, destroying a seat located between 3rd base and home plate. Luckily, the Yankees are scheduled to play a night game, and no fans are in the stadium at the time. Emergency inspections are scheduled, and the game against the Angels is canceled. The final game of the series will be played at Shea Stadium, while next week's series against the Tigers is switched to Detroit.

1997
» In a Kid's Opening Day at Fenway, the Sox introduce their new furry mascot, Wally the Green Monster. Wil Cordero bangs a home run off the coke bottle above the LF wall, the first home run to hit the "caffeine monster", and Tim Naehring adds a grand slam to pace Boston to a 7–1 win over Seattle.

1996
» After a lackluster loss in the Opener, Hideo Nomo is back on form as he strikes out 17 Florida batter en route to a 3–1 Dodger win. Billy Ashley and Raul Mondesi homer for the Dodgers.

In Milwaukee, Michael Tucker's 3-run homer in the 5th inning -- the only hit allowed by knuckleballer Steve Sparks -- is enough to give the Royals a 3–2 win.

1995
» The Tigers trade OF Tony Phillips to the Angels for OF Chad Curtis.

1994
» Montreal P Pedro Martinez's bid for a perfect game, in only his 5th major league start, goes down the tubes as he hits Reds OF Reggie Sanders on an 0-2 count with one out in the 8th inning. Sanders apparently thinks that Martinez did it deliberately and charges the mound, setting off a bench-clearing brawl. When order is restored, Martinez loses his no-hitter when Brian Dorsett singles to lead off the 9th. He does not figure in the decision, as the Reds rally to tie. Montreal wins, 3-2, with a run in the bottom of the inning.

Indians P Derek Lilliquist is credited with Cleveland's 6-5 win without retiring a batter. With two outs in 9th of a 5-5 tie, the runner on 1B, Rex Hudler, is thrown out trying to steal. The Indians go on to score in the 10th to win the game.

1993
» Cardinals' P Lee Smith sets an all-time major league record with his 358th career save, breaking Jeff Reardon's mark. Smith preserves St. Louis' 9-7 win over the Dodgers.

The Tigers defeat the Athletics, 20-4. Rob Deer, Mickey Tettleton, and Travis Fryman each contribute 3-run homers. Detroit collects 18 hits and leaves 12 on base.

1992
» The Yankees (5–0) and Blue Jays (6–0), meet, marking only the 3rd time this century that two unbeaten teams had met so late in the season. The Yankees win by a score of 5–2.

1991
» California's Dave Winfield collects 15 total bases and six RBIs on three home runs, a double and single in the Haloes 15-9 win over the Twins.

1988
» Oakland's Rick Honeycutt becomes the 2nd pitcher in as many days to tie the American League's 28-year-old balk record by committing four balks in four innings while saving a 12–7 win over Seattle. A ML-record 924 balks will be called this season after umpires are instructed to interpret the "complete stop" rule more strictly.

1987
» San Diego sets a major-league record when its first three batters of the game -- Marvell Wynne, Tony Gwynn, and John Kruk -- all homer off the Giants Roger Mason. But the Giants come back to win 13–6.

Free-agent 3B Bob Horner, unable to find a ML club interested in his services, signs a one-year contract with Japan's Yakult Swallows.

1985
» Rollie Fingers records his 217th American League save in Milwaukee's 6–5 win over Texas, breaking Sparky Lyle's record. Fingers already holds the major-league record with 325.

1984
» Pete Rose lashes a double off Jerry Koosman in a 5–1 Expos victory over the Phillies to join Ty Cobb as the only player to reach 4,000 career hits.

1980
» In his first ML start, Cincinnati's Charlie Leibrandt shuts out the Braves, 5–0, at Riverfront.

The majors see the first Q battery in history, when KC reliever Dan Quisenberry, with Jamie Quirk behind the plate, faces the Tigers. The Tigers win, 3–2.

1979
» The visiting Braves edge the Dodgers, 2–1, as Rick Matula picks up his first major league win.

1978
» The Yankees defeat the White Sox 4–2 in their home opener on Reggie Candy Bar Day. Jackson slugs a 3-run home run in the first inning, and the field is showered with candy bars which were given out free to the fans at the game.

The Tigers take two from Texas, winning 6–2 behind Dave Rozema, and 3–2 behind the pitching of Mark Fidrych. The Bird gives up a 2-run homer in the first, but zeroes after that.

1976
» Milwaukee's Jim Slaton throws his 2nd straight complete game shut out, beating Detroit 1–0. The Brewers' only run was an unearned score in the top of the 9th.

1975
» In San Diego, the Reds roll over the Padres 10–0 behind Don Gullett's 2-hitter.

1972
» The end of the baseball strike is announced, with an abbreviated schedule to start two days later.

1971
» A 2-run single by Lou Piniella in the 7th allows the Royals to beat the Twins 5–3 in a game that features a record seven HBP. This ties the mark set by the Tigers and Senators on August 24, 1914. The plunkers include Tom Burgmeir (2), York (1) and Abernathy (1) for KC, and Williams (1) and Perranoski (2) for the Twins.

1970
» Oakland uses gold-colored bases during the club's home opener, but the Rules Committee subsequently bans this innovation. The Athletics win today, 2–1, over the Brewers. Reggie Jackson's 2-run single and the 3-hit pitching of Hunter and Segui is enough to beat Marty Pattin.

1969
» After two years of arm trouble, the O's Jim Palmer shuts out the Senators, 2–0, on a four-hitter. It is Palmer's first appearance for the Orioles since September 19, 1967.

The Royals split a pair with the Athletics, taking the opener, 4–1 as Mike Fiore hits the first homer in the Royals' history. Bill Butler wins over Blue Moon Odom. Jim Nash shuts out the Royals in the nitecap, 3–0, with Reggie Jackson and Dick Green supplying homers.

1966
» 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.

1965
» At Crosley Field, Reds rookie Tony Perez connect for his first homer, a grand slam off Braves hurler Denny Lemaster, to help the Reds win, 8–3.

1963
» 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.

1962
» Just 12,447 Mets' fans welcome the return of National League baseball to New York. Sherman Jones drops a 4–3 decision to the Pirates at the Polo Grounds, which sparkles after a $350,000 face-lift.

Stan Musial scores his 1,869th run—a new NL record. The Cardinals beat the Cubs 8–5 in 15 innings.

In a 5–3 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.

1961
» Alvin Dark pulls all the right strings to give the Giants a 6–5 win over the Pirates. Joey Amalfitano, hitting for cleanup man Willie McCovey in the 8th, singles in Willie Mays for a 4-4 tie; new catcher Hobie Landrith homers in the 11th to tie at five apiece, and Harvey Kuenn's single in the 12th wins it.

1958
» Buffalo refuses to play in Havana despite an IL vote and assurances.

1955
» The Dodgers open what will be their only World Championship season in Brooklyn by beating Pittsburgh 6-1.

A NL record Opening Day crowd of 43,640 watch the Redlegs play the Braves in Milwaukee's County Stadium.

The Yanks rout the Senators 19-1. Whitey Ford gets 3 hits and only allows 2.

1954
» Henry Aaron of the Braves makes his ML debut, going hitless in five trips to the plate in a 9–8 loss to the Redlegs. Cincy LF Jim Greengrass bangs four doubles to tie an opening day record. Andy Pafko takes a hit when he's beaned by Joe Nuxhall. Because of the extra seats set up to accommodate the overflow crowd, 12 of the 13 doubles hit in the game are of the ground rule variety. With the rule change, players take their mitts with them at the end of each inning, rather than leaving them on the playing field.

In the presidential opener in Washington, President Dwight D. Eisenhower is thrilled by Mickey Vernon's 10th inning 2-run homer off Allie Reynolds which beats the Yankees 5–3. Ike skipped last year's opener, which was rained out, and the political hue and cry was so great he made sure he tossed out the first ball today. Chuck Stobbs and Whitey Ford start the game, but the winning Nats pitcher is reliever Sonny Dixon. Hank Bauer, with two singles, drives in all three Yankee runs.

The Giants, fresh from a Cactus League season where they beat the Indians 13 out of 21 meetings, trip the Dodgers, 4–3. Back in CF after two years in the army, Willie Mays of the Giants hits a 2-run shot that beats Brooklyn.

Hitting against the Cubs Paul Minner, Cardinal rookie Wally Moon homers in his first ML AB. But Minner homers to back his own pitching, as the Cubs win 13–4. Tom Alston becomes the first black to play for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Pittsburgh opens at home for the first time in 61 years and defeats the Phils 4–2 before 32,294. Curt Roberts, the Bucs' first black player, hits a triple against Robin Roberts in the first inning.

The brand new Baltimore Orioles open in Detroit and lose, 3–0. Don Larsen takes the loss against Steve Gromek. The Tigers start fast and will win 12 of their first 18 games.

Rookie Spook Jacobs, in his first ML game, gets four hits while Bill Renna and Gus Zernial bang homers in the A's 6–4 victory over the Red Sox. Bobby Shantz is the winner, but leaves in the 6th because of a pulled muscle which will take several years to completely heal. He won't pitch again this year ending the season today at 1–0. Mel Parnell goes six innings for the loss.

In Boston, Braves Field is renamed BU Field by its new owners, Boston University.

1953
» In Cincinnati, over 30,000 see the Milwaukee Braves win their first game 2-0 behind Max Surkont.

1952
» Babe Ruth's widow unveils the site of his first HR in Fayetteville, NC.

1946
» Eddie Klepp, a white pitcher signed by the defending Negro League champion Cleveland Buckeyes, is barred from the field in Birmingham, AL.

1933
» Browns OF Sammy West goes 6-for-6 in an 11-inning victory over the White Sox. He has 5 singles and a double, all off Ted Lyons.

1926
» More than 45,000 at the Polo Grounds watch Brooklyn's Jess Petty post an Opening Day, 3-0 one-hitter over the Giants. The Giants will win 7 in a row after the opener, only to be beaten again by Petty 2-1 on April 24th.

Walter Johnson takes on A's knuckleballer Eddie Rommel in baseball's greatest opening-day pitchers' duel, a 15-inning battle won by the Senators 1-0. Johnson gives up 6 walks and fans 12.

1925
» Stuffy McInnis is released by the Braves. He'll sign with the Pirates, bat .368 in 59 games, and get into his 5th WS.

1922
» Dazzy Vance, 31, makes his Brooklyn debut and loses to the Giants' Phil Douglas 4–3. In 1915 when Vance made one start for the Pirates, it was Douglas who beat him. Since then Vance has been in the minors. Despite his late start, the six foot two inch righthander will win 197 in 14 years and a place in the Hall of Fame in 1955.

1921
» In the season opener for the Yankees, Ruth goes 5-for-5, as New York and Carl Mays beat the A's 11-1.

With former president Woodrow Wilson, new president Warren G. Harding, and VP Calvin Coolidge watching, the Senators lose their home opener 6-3 to the Red Sox. Walter Johnson leaves after 4 innings, the first time he has failed to finish an opening game.

1916
» Babe Adams, the Pirates bellwether, pitches a one-hit 4–0 shutout against the Cardinals, the only safety coming when a ball squirts out of 2B Joe Schultz' mitt. He will win only one more game this season, and the Pirates will release him in August. They will then re-sign him during the 1918 season.

Ernie Shore and Herb Pennock combine to give the Red Sox an 8–2 win over the A's.

In a 4–2 loss to the Browns, Cleveland catcher Steve O'Neill completes a double play (with SS Ray Chapman), the first of 36, a ML season record for catchers that still stands.

1914
» After building eight new ballparks in three months, the Federal League opens with the Baltimore Terrapins beating Buffalo 3–2 before 27,140. Winning P Jack Quinn will win 26 and lose 14. Indianapolis will win the pennant, led by rookie Benny Kauff's league-leading .370 batting average. Ex-Pirate Claude Hendrix will be 29–11.

1911
» With Cleveland leading St. Louis 3–1 in the 9th inning at Cleveland's League Park, the game is stopped because of a severe storm. Many fans are bruised by hailstones.

Phillies P Jack Rowan allows just three hits while his teammates pepper Christy Mathewson for 14 hits in 18 innings. The Quakers beat the Giants, 6–1. Hours later, the Polo Grounds grandstand and LF bleachers ignite in a mysterious fire, lighting up the night sky with flames. President Frank Farrell of the Highlanders invites the Giants to use the AL grounds, Hilltop Park; the offer is accepted, paving the way for the Giants' invitation for the AL team to use the Polo Grounds when the Hilltop Park lease expires after the 1912 season. A $500,000 steel-and-concrete structure will replace the wooden stands of the Polo Grounds.

1900
» At the request of club owners in Cincinnati and New York, the NL bans umpire Tim Hurst, considered the most colorful, cantankerous ump, from working in cities whose club owners "object to having a man of that type associated with their grounds, where ladies and gentlemen watch the games."