This day in baseball: Highlanders debut in New York
Posted: April 22, 2019 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: American League Park, Baseball, Hilltop Park, history, Jack Chesbro, Major League Baseball, MLB, New York Highlanders, New York Yankees, sports, Washington Senators Leave a commentThe New York Highlanders (later known as the Yankees) played their first game in as a New York City team on April 22, 1903. The Highlanders lost their opener to Washington, 3-1, at Hilltop Park in front of 11,950 fans. Pitcher Jack Chesbro took the loss, but he would finish the season with a 21-15 record (.583) and an ERA of 2.77.
Hilltop Park (Wikipedia)
This day in baseball: First game at Yankee Stadium
Posted: April 18, 2019 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Babe Ruth, Baseball, Boston Red Sox, history, Howard Ehmke, Major League Baseball, MLB, New York Yankees, sports, Yankee Stadium Leave a commentThe New York Yankees played their first game at Yankee Stadium on April 18, 1923 in front of more than 72,000 fans. Babe Ruth hit the first home run of the new ballpark, a two-run shot off Red Sox pitcher Howard Ehmke, to help New York beat Boston, 4-1. The new $2.5 million ballpark was the first to feature three decks.
This day in baseball: First professional team at the White House
Posted: April 13, 2019 Filed under: 19th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Chester A. Arthur, Forest Cities, history, National Association, National League, New York Giants, New York Gothams, President of the United States, sports, White House Leave a commentThe first professional sports team to visit the White House was the Forest Cities ball club, a recently defunct franchise of the National Association, brought to Washington, D.C. by President Chester A. Arthur on April 13, 1883. Later in the season, President Arthur also hosted the new National League’s New York Gothams (who would become known as the Giants in 1885).
Chester A. Arthur (Wikipedia)
This day in baseball: D.C. Stadium opens for baseball
Posted: April 9, 2019 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, D.C. Stadium, Detroit Tigers, John F. Kennedy, Major League Baseball, MLB, National Football League, NFL, President of the United States, RFK Stadium, sports, Washington Redskins, Washington Senators Leave a commentOn April 9, 1962, President John F. Kennedy waited out a rain delay and threw the ceremonial first pitch to open up Washington’s new $23 million D.C. Stadium for its inaugural baseball season. The stadium had initially opened the previous fall for Redskins football on October 1, 1961. More than 44,000 fans attended the Senators’ Opening Day in April as they defeated the Detroit Tigers, 4-1.
Wikipedia
This day in baseball: Ebbets debut
Posted: April 5, 2019 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Brooklyn Dodgers, Casey Stengel, Ebbets Field, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, New York Yankees, sports 2 CommentsThe Dodgers played their first game at Ebbets Field on April 5, 1913. 25,000 fans watched the exhibition against the Yankees as Brooklyn defeated New York, 3-2. Casey Stengel hit the new ballpark’s first home run, an inside-the-parker.
The first exhibition game at Ebbets Field in 1913 (Wikimedia Commons)
This day in baseball: No DH for PCL
Posted: March 31, 2019 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: American League, Baseball, history, Major League Baseball, MiLB, Minor League Baseball, MLB, Pacific Coast League, sports Leave a commentWhile the American League is known for its use of the designated hitter, they weren’t the first ones to ever have an interest in utilizing it. The Pacific Coast League once expressed an interest in implementing the allowance of a designated hitter even before the AL started using it. However, the PCL’s proposal to use the DH got rejected on March 31, 1961 by the Professional Baseball Rules Committee. The American League would begin using the DH in 1973.
This day in baseball: The “Cubs” in print
Posted: March 27, 2019 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Chicago Cubs, Chicago Daily News, Chicago Orphans, Chicago White Stockings, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, sports 2 CommentsThe nickname “Cubs” in reference to the
Chicago team first appeared in print on March 27, 1902. The Chicago Daily News printed a headline that day reading, “Manager of the Cubs is in Doubt Only on Two Positions.” While the name had existed for the team since 1890, the team was more commonly known as the Orphans, and had also been called the Colts and the White Stockings. The name Cubs would become the team’s official name in 1907.
