April 7
From BR Bullpen
| Stats of players who were born this day | |
| Stats of players who died on this day | |
| Standings on this day | |
| Permanent link to Today's Entry | |
| Sources | |
| Baseball Library Chronology | |
| Today in Baseball History | |
Events, births and deaths that occurred on April 7.
Events[edit]
- 1873 - John McGraw is born in Truxton, New York. A fiery third baseman for the 1890s Baltimore Orioles, McGraw will achieve much more recognition as an innovative, autocratic field manager. In his 31 years at the helm of the New York Giants, McGraw's teams will gain ten National League pennants, finish second 11 times and take home three World Series trophies. He ranks second all-time with 2,840 wins as a manager. In 1933, he will return from retirement to manage the National League in the very first major league All-Star Game. As a player, he will be credited with helping to develop the hit-and-run, the squeeze play and other strategic moves. McGraw will be elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee in 1937.
- 1918 - Bobby Doerr is born in Los Angeles, California. A hard-hitting second baseman, Doerr will bat .288 in 14 seasons with the Boston Red Sox and reach the 100-RBI mark six times during his career. Doerr will gain Hall of Fame honors in 1986.
- 1958 - The newly transplanted Los Angeles Dodgers erect a 42-foot screen at the Los Angeles Coliseum as part of an effort to cut down on home runs to left field, which is only 250 feet from home plate.
- 1969:
- Ted Williams makes his managerial debut for the Washington Senators. Williams loses his first game to the New York Yankees, 8 - 4, on Opening Day at RFK Stadium. Williams will manage the Senators for three seasons, before moving with the team to Texas in 1972.
- Pitcher Bill Singer of the Los Angeles Dodgers earns the first official save in major league history. Making his only relief appearance of the season, Singer finishes off Don Drysdale's 3 - 2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Thanks to the efforts of sportswriter Jerome Holtzman, the save became an official statistic this off-season.
- 1970 - The Milwaukee Brewers play their first home game after their recent relocation from Seattle where they had played the 1969 season as the Pilots. The Brewers lose to the California Angels, 12 - 0, as major league baseball returns to Milwaukee, WI after a five-year absence, although the Chicago White Sox did play a series of home games there in 1968 and 1969.
- 1971 - The dismissal of Curt Flood's suit against Major League Baseball is upheld by a three-judge U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The verdict will be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
- 1973 - At Cleveland Stadium, the Indians set Opening Day and daily game home records as 74,420 fans watch their team beat the Tigers, 2 - 1.
- 1977:
- At Exhibition Stadium, the Toronto Blue Jays play their first game ever with a victory against the Chicago White Sox, 9 - 5. In his first major league at-bat Toronto's Al Woods becomes the first player to pinch-hit a home run on Opening Day and rookie Doug Ault homers twice, in the 1st and 3rd innings, off Ken Brett. Snowflakes are seen during the game.
- Tommy Lasorda begins his first full season as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 5 - 1 victory over the San Francisco Giants. Lasorda took over for longtime skipper Walter Alston at the end of the 1976 season, going 2-2.
- 1978 - The U.S. Court of Appeals upholds an earlier court decision in support of Commissioner Bowie Kuhn's voiding of attempted player sales by Oakland Athletics owner Charlie Finley in June 1976. Finley's appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court will be rejected on October 2nd.
- 1979 - In the earliest no-hitter in major league history until then, Ken Forsch of the Houston Astros shuts downs the Atlanta Braves, 6 - 0. Forsch and his brother Bob, who hurled a no-hitter in 1978, become the first brothers to pitch no-hit no-run games. In 1984, Jack Morris will match Forsch's feat. In 2001, Hideo Nomo will pitch a no-hitter on an earlier date, April 4th, and the record will be pushed back further, to April 1st, by Ronel Blanco in 2024.
- 1983 - Major League Baseball, ABC, and NBC agree to terms on a six-year television package worth $1.2 billion. The two TV networks will continue to alternate coverage of the playoffs, World Series, and All-Star Game through the 1989 season with each of the 26 clubs receiving $7 million per year in return. The last package gave each club $1.9 million per annum.
- 1984:
- Jack Morris of the Detroit Tigers pitches a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox. Morris strikes out eight and walks six in shutting down the Sox at Comiskey Park. Morris becomes the first Tiger since Jim Bunning, who accomplished the feat in 1958, to toss a no-hitter.
- 19-year-old pitcher Dwight Gooden makes his debut for the New York Mets. Gooden earns a 3 - 2 win over the Houston Astros.
- 1986 - At Tiger Stadium, Boston Red Sox outfielder Dwight Evans becomes the first player to hit the first pitch on Opening Day for a home run. Jack Morris throws the gopher ball but gets the victory as Detroit edges Boston, 6 - 5, behind two home runs by Kirk Gibson.
- 1987 - Atlanta Braves pitcher Rick Mahler ties a National League record by throwing his third Opening Day shutout. Mahler beats the Phillies, 6 - 0, on three hits.
- 1988 - Cincinnati Reds rookie third baseman Chris Sabo ties a major league record with eleven assists in one game.
- 1996 - National League umpire Eric Gregg is given a leave of absence following a meeting between American League president Gene Budig, National League president Len Coleman, and umpires union head Richie Phillips. Gregg, listed at 325 pounds but visibly heavier, makes the decision in the aftermath of the Opening Day death of fellow umpire John McSherry, who succumbed to a massive heart attack. The NL hopes that Gregg will lose weight and improve his health during the layoff.
- 1998 - On the same day that Major League Baseball returned to Wisconsin 28 years earlier, National League baseball returns to Milwaukee for the first time in 32 years. It's a complicated story with a happy ending: The Milwaukee Braves were a National League team from 1953 until their move to Atlanta in 1966, and the Seattle Pilots, who were formed as an American League expansion team in 1969, moved to Milwaukee and played their first game as the Brewers on this day in 1970. Five years after their team owner, Bud Selig, became Commissioner of baseball, the Brewers became a National League club, as part of the shuffle created by this year's expansion. And on this day they are 6 - 4 winners over the Expos in their home opener.
- 2000
- The Tampa Bay Devil Rays retire uniform number 12 in honor of Wade Boggs. Although the former Red Sox and Yankees third baseman only spent two seasons with Tampa Bay, he hit the franchise's first home run and became the 23rd member of the 3,000-Hit Club as a member of the team.
- In 15 games, a record total of 57 home runs are hit in the major leagues - two more than the August 13, 1999 mark established in 17 games. The 36 American League homers set the record for a league in one day, surpassing the previous mark by six.
- The Astros play a regular-season game outdoors in Houston for the first time since 1965 as the team opens Enron Field with a 6 - 1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.
- Berley W. Visgar is sentenced to 90 days in jail and is fined $1,000 by Circuit Judge Michael Brennan for going on Milwaukee County Stadium's field last season and jumping onto the back of Astros outfielder Bill Spiers. Although Visgar has no prior criminal record, the judge believes a harsh sentence will hopefully stop fans from similar actions in the future.
- 2003 - Seven months before a November deadline, the Boston Red Sox exercise their 2004 contract option on Pedro Martinez, making him the highest-paid pitcher for a season in major league history. A three-time Cy Young Award winner, Martinez will earn $17.5 million next season.
- 2004 - Adam LaRoche of the Atlanta Braves collects the first two hits of his career in one inning. En route to an 18 - 10 win over the Mets, the rookie first baseman singles and doubles during the Braves' 33-minute, 11-run 4th inning.
- 2006:
- Los Angeles Dodgers closer Eric Gagné will have surgery to remove a nerve from his pitching elbow - his second arm operation in less than a year - leaving his season in doubt. Gagné saved 152 games for the Dodgers from 2002 to 2004 and was a near-unanimous winner of the 2003 National League Cy Young Award. He had a 1-0 record with a 2.70 ERA and eight saves while appearing in 14 games in 2005.
- Kazuyoshi Tatsunami of the Chunichi Dragons becomes the third player in Nippon Pro Baseball history to smack two sayonara grand slams in his career.
- 2010:
- Yomiuri Giants coach Takuya Kimura dies at age 37. Four days ago, the former Olympic player suffered a brain hemorrhage during pregame drills.
- New Yankees centerfielder Curtis Granderson quickly makes his presence felt with the Bronx Bombers. After homering in his first at-bat for the team on Opening day, April 4th, he hits a game-winning long ball off Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon in the 10th inning of today's game, which started as a pitching duel between Andy Pettitte and John Lackey, giving the Yankees a 3 - 1 victory. Chan Ho Park redeems his poor opening day performance with three innings of one-hit ball in relief to earn his first win in pinstripes, while Mariano Rivera picks up his second save in as many days.
- 2011:
- Barely a week into his major league career, Twins 2B Tsuyoshi Nishioka suffers a broken fibula in a collision with a sliding Nick Swisher of the Yankees, who is trying to break up a double play. The Yankees win the game, 4 - 3. A.J. Burnett is the winner, benefiting from a three-run rally in the 4th inning.
- Edwin Jackson strikes out a career-high 13 batters as the White Sox defeat Tampa Bay, the team Jackson no-hit last season, 5 - 1, in their home opener. The Rays are now 0-6, the worst start in team history.
- The Tabasco Olmecas bang out 30 hits (not one of them a homer!) in a 17 - 4 rout of the Saltillo Saraperos. Mario Santana leads the way by going 5 for 5.
- 2012 - 49-year-old Jamie Moyer makes his return to the major leagues with the Colorado Rockies, a season-and-a-half after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He gives up a homer to the first Astros batter he faces, Jordan Schafer, and another to J.D. Martinez in the 4th, and leaves after five innings, saddled with the 7 - 3 loss. Lucas Harrell, who was barely one year old when Moyer made his debut back in 1986, pitches seven shutout innings for the win.
- 2013 - Boston 3B Will Middlebrooks is the first batter to have a three-homer game this season, leading the Sox to a 13 - 0 win over the Blue Jays, part of a 4-for-5 day. The first two homers come off last year's National League Cy Young Award winner, R.A. Dickey, who gives up five runs before recording an out in the 1st. Mike Napoli, Daniel Nava and Jacoby Ellsbury also go deep for Boston.
- 2015 - For the second straight night, the Rockies hit six doubles to tie a major league record that had stood for 103 years with 12 in their first two games. They defeat the Brewers, 5 - 2, one night after opening the season with a 10 - 0 blanking of those same Brewers. Surprisingly, the barrage of extra-base hits takes place not in Coors Field but in Miller Park.
- 2016 - The Cubs defeat the Diamondbacks, 14 - 6, but lose OF Kyle Schwarber as he tears his anterior cruciate ligament in an outfield collision with Dexter Fowler resulting in an inside-the-park homer by Jean Segura. He will return just in time to play in the World Series. For Chicago, Anthony Rizzo homers and drives in six runs in support of John Lackey.
- 2018:
- The Phillies hit two grand slams among their four homers on their way to a 20 - 1 rout of the Marlins. Maikel Franco and Aaron Altherr both homer with the bases loaded while Carlos Santana and Jorge Alfaro also go deep as Franco finishes with six RBIs. Vince Velasquez is the beneficiary of the outburst while Dillon Peters gives up nine runs in less than three innings.
- Andrew McCutchen breaks out of a season-opening 2-for-24 slump with a six-hit game for the Giants against the Dodgers. He caps off his day with a three-run walk-off homer off Wilmer Font that gives San Francisco a 7 - 5 win in the 14th inning.
- 2019 - Gary Sanchez hits three homers and drives in six runs to lead the Yankees to a 15 - 3 beatdown of the Orioles. He has a chance at a fourth homer in the 9th, but flies out to left field against IF Hanser Alberto, pitching mop-up relief. At 5-4, the Yankees are now above .500 for the first time this season.
- 2022 - Opening Day of the 2022 season is finally here, having been delayed by a week by the 2021-2022 lockout. Two of the nine scheduled games are rained out, but the other seven provide plenty of interesting moments, including Shohei Ohtani becoming the first player to both throw the first pitch and take the first at-bat of the season for his team in the Angels' 3 - 1 loss to Houston. In Kansas City, top prospect Bobby Witt Jr. drives in the go-ahead run in the 8th with his first career hit, a double off Triston McKenzie of the Guardians, who are playing their first-ever game under their new name. In Arizona, Seth Beer hits a walk-off homer in a 4 - 2 win over the Padres on "National Beer Day". However, the best moment comes in Atlanta where Joey Votto of the Reds, who uncharacteristically open their season on the road, is miked-up for a half inning on ESPN's national telecast, and provides riveting commentary on his career, the evolution of baseball and ongoing strategy, all while fielding his position.
- 2023:
- Brady Ware of the University of Indianapolis does Shohei Ohtani one better with an unprecedented performance in a 14 - 0 win over Drury University in NCAA Division II. He pitches a seven-inning no-hitter, striking out 11 batters, and also goes 4-for-4 at the plate, hitting for the cycle and driving in five runs.
- The Pirates have a memorable home opener as team icon Andrew McCutchen returns home after a five-year absence. He gets the Pirates' first hit with a two-out single against Lucas Giolito of the White Sox in the bottom of the 1st, the first of 19 hits for the Bucs who go on to a 13 - 9 win. Bryan Reynolds leads the way with three runs and six RBIs on a three-hit day, with Connor Joe picking up four hits, and Ji-hwan Bae and Jason Delay three apiece as the last three batters in the order combine to go 10 for 15 with six runs scored. Dauri Moreta picks up his first career win with two innings of scoreless relief.
Births[edit]
- 1850 - Walter Terry, infielder (d. 1908)
- 1858 - Milo Lockwood, pitcher/outfielder (d. 1897)
- 1859 - Blake Mapledoram, umpire (d. 1935)
- 1864 - James Potter, owner (d. 1934)
- 1873 - John McGraw, infielder, manager; Hall of Famer (d. 1934)
- 1874 - John Ganzel, infielder, manager (d. 1959)
- 1874 - Harry Wilhelm, pitcher (d. 1944)
- 1879 - Art Weaver, catcher (d. 1917)
- 1880 - Parker Treat, minor league pitcher (d. 1957)
- 1883 - Bill Cooney, pitcher (d. 1928)
- 1883 - Ed Goeckel, umpire (d. 1963)
- 1884 - Jake Daubert, infielder (d. 1924)
- 1885 - Charlie Rhodes, pitcher (d. 1918)
- 1886 - Ed Lafitte, pitcher (d. 1971)
- 1887 - Jack Ferry, pitcher (d. 1954)
- 1891 - Otto Briggs, outfielder, manager (d. 1943)
- 1893 - Desmond Beatty, infielder (d. 1969)
- 1893 - Fletcher Low, infielder (d. 1973)
- 1894 - Fred Lear, infielder (d. 1955)
- 1894 - Horace Milan, outfielder (d. 1955)
- 1897 - Army Magness, minor league outfielder (d. 1956)
- 1900 - Slim Branham, pitcher (d. 1957)
- 1902 - Buck Redfern, infielder (d. 1964)
- 1904 - Pythias Russ, catcher/infelder (d. 1930)
- 1905 - Joe Hassler, infielder (d. 1971)
- 1907 - Oral Hildebrand, pitcher; All-Star (d. 1977)
- 1907 - Leo Schrall, minor league infielder and manager; college coach (d. 1999)
- 1908 - George Hockette, pitcher (d. 1974)
- 1909 - Pudge Powers, minor league catcher and manager (d. 1974)
- 1914 - Michinori Tsubouchi, NPB outfielder and manager; Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame (d. 1997)
- 1918 - Bobby Doerr, infielder; All-Star, Hall of Famer (d. 2017)
- 1919 - Jerry Hoffberger, owner (d. 1999)
- 1920 - John Streza, minor league infielder and manager (d. 2007)
- 1921 - Ted Downs, minor league infielder (d. 2009)
- 1921 - Waldo Sauter, college coach (d. 2012)
- 1921 - Frank Seward, pitcher (d. 2004)
- 1923 - Peter Provinzano, minor league pitcher (d. 2016)
- 1924 - Frank Farmer, author (d. 2014)
- 1926 - Roy Parker, minor league outfielder-pitcher (d. 1998)
- 1929 - Bo Wallace, catcher (d. 2000)
- 1930 - Richie Myers, pinch hitter (d. 2011)
- 1933 - Bobby Del Greco, outfielder (d. 2019)
- 1933 - Joe Hicks, outfielder (d. 2023)
- 1938 - Joe Sawchuk, umpire (d. 2021)
- 1939 - Rat McGowan, college coach (d. 2019)
- 1940 - Kazuharu Abe, NPB pitcher (d. 2023)
- 1942 - Carlos Paz, minor league pitcher and manager
- 1942 - Tom Phoebus, pitcher (d. 2019)
- 1944 - Warner Fusselle, broadcaster (d. 2012)
- 1944 - Bill Stoneman, pitcher; All-Star
- 1944 - Pete Van Wieren, broadcaster (d. 2014)
- 1947 - John Glass, minor league pitcher
- 1948 - Rick Sawyer, pitcher
- 1951 - Dave Cripe, infielder
- 1951 - Dave Oliver, infielder
- 1952 - Yutaka Ikeuchi, NPB pitcher
- 1952 - Fu-Chia Kuo, Chinese Taipei national team outfielder
- 1954 - Clark Gillies, minor league infielder (d. 2022)
- 1955 - Bobby Mitchell, outfielder
- 1957 - Rick Engle, pitcher
- 1958 - Kenta Aoshima, NPB infielder
- 1959 - Bart Whaley, umpire
- 1965 - Minoru Shimizu, Japanese womens' national team coach
- 1966 - Freddie Benavides, infielder
- 1966 - Richard Gomez, Philippines national team infielder
- 1968 - Edinson Renteria, minor league infielder
- 1969 - Ricky Bones, pitcher; All-Star
- 1969 - Gary Hagy, minor league infielder
- 1969 - Matt Hattabaugh, scout
- 1969 - Klaus Knüttel, Bundesliga infielder-pitcher
- 1970 - Motoyuki Akahori, Nippon Pro Baseball pitcher
- 1970 - Hazel Mae, announcer
- 1971 - John Powell, minor league pitcher
- 1971 - Mark Thompson, pitcher
- 1973 - Blake Barthol, minor league catcher
- 1973 - Brett Tomko, pitcher
- 1974 - Kevin King, minor league outfielder
- 1975 - Ron Belliard, infielder; All-Star
- 1975 - David Durand, New Caledonia national team catcher
- 1975 - Shingo Ono, NPB pitcher
- 1977 - Jimmy Osting, pitcher
- 1977 - Ben Petrick, catcher
- 1979 - Adrián Beltré, infielder; All-Star; Hall of Fame
- 1979 - Keiichi Hirano, NPB infielder
- 1979 - Danny Sandoval, infielder
- 1980 - Sang-hyeon Kim, KBO pitcher
- 1980 - Vinny Rottino, infielder
- 1981 - Sergey Soloviev, Russian national team catcher
- 1982 - Andrew Pinckney, minor league infielder
- 1983 - Veronica Alvarez, minor league coach
- 1984 - Chi-Wei Lin, CPBL pitcher
- 1984 - Celso Rondon, minor league pitcher
- 1985 - Theon Bourdaniotis, Italian Baseball League pitcher
- 1985 - Serge Carvalhal, Division Elite player
- 1986 - Mitch Abeita, minor league catcher
- 1986 - Franklin Gonzalez, minor league infielder
- 1986 - Chia-Jen Lo, pitcher
- 1987 - Danny Almonte, minor league pitcher
- 1987 - Ralph Henriquez Jr., minor league catcher
- 1988 - Yazy Arbelo, minor league infielder
- 1988 - Charles Brewer, pitcher
- 1988 - Zan Cheng, China Baseball League infielder
- 1989 - Chia-Chu Chen, minor league catcher
- 1989 - Nelvin Fuentes, minor league pitcher
- 1989 - Bo-mi Kim, South Korean women's national team pitcher
- 1989 - Kevin Shackelford, pitcher
- 1990 - Dong-won Park, KBO catcher
- 1990 - Yougen Yuan, China Baseball League infielder
- 1991 - Robin Lausen, Elitserien catcher
- 1993 - David Bote, infielder
- 1993 - Diogcelis Guevara, Venezuelan womens' national team pitcher
- 1993 - Robert Lewis-Walker, minor league pitcher
- 1993 - Eduardo Rodriguez, pitcher
- 1993 - Chieh-Jui Wu, CPBL infielder
- 1993 - Chih-Lung Yang, CPBL pitcher
- 1994 - Michael Brdar, coach
- 1994 - Josh Hader, pitcher; All-Star
- 1994 - Joel Payamps, pitcher
- 1996 - Sammy Hackl, Austrian national team catcher
- 1996 - Hoy Jun Park, outfielder
- 1996 - Magneuris Sierra, outfielder
- 1997 - Benny Wanger, Israeli national team infielder-pitcher
- 1998 - Rob Lewis, First Division infielder
- 1999 - Chih-Jung Liu, minor league pitcher
- 2000 - Chusei Mannami, NPB outfielder
Deaths[edit]
- 1899 - Bill Gallagher, pitcher (b. 1865)
- 1914 - Charlie Ganzel, catcher (b. 1862)
- 1927 - Billy Alvord, infielder (b. 1863)
- 1927 - Ray Miller, infielder (b. 1888)
- 1939 - Johnny Carr, outfielder (b. 1887)
- 1957 - Jim Scott, pitcher; umpire (b. 1888)
- 1959 - Johnson Fry, pitcher (b. 1901)
- 1961 - Charles Perini, owner (b. ????)
- 1963 - Jim Ball, catcher (b. 1884)
- 1964 - Ike Jackson, minor league catcher (b. 1923)
- 1964 - Johnny Tillman, pitcher (b. 1893)
- 1966 - Ambrose Reid, outfielder (b. 1898)
- 1967 - Shanty Hogan, catcher (b. 1906)
- 1968 - Mahlon Higbee, outfielder (b. 1901)
- 1968 - Jesse Houston, pitcher (b. 1909)
- 1969 - Si Rosenthal, outfielder (b. 1903)
- 1970 - Ollie Voigt, pitcher (b. 1900)
- 1972 - Larry Brown, catcher, manager; All-Star (b. 1901)
- 1980 - Buck Canel, broadcaster (b. 1906)
- 1983 - Jim Tugerson, minor league pitcher (b. 1923)
- 1993 - Bob Alexander, pitcher (b. 1922)
- 1993 - Howie McFarland, outfielder (b. 1910)
- 1995 - Frank Secory, outfielder (b. 1912)
- 1997 - Luis Aloma, pitcher (b. 1923)
- 2003 - Laymon Ramsey, pitcher (b. 1917)
- 2005 - Bob Kennedy, outfielder, manager (b. 1920)
- 2005 - Lázaro Pérez, Cuban league catcher and manager (b. 1936)
- 2013 - Hank Robinson, minor league player (b. 1923)
- 2013 - Betty Rusynyk, AAGPBL pitcher (b. 1924)
- 2015 - Jose Capellan, pitcher (b. 1981)
- 2016 - Peter Provinzano, minor league pitcher (b. 1923)
- 2018 - Bill Knox, minor league pitcher (b. 1930)
- 2020 - Samuel Fulton, minor league pitcher (b. ~1939)
- 2020 - John Matias, outfielder (b. 1944)
- 2021 - Jerry Davie, pitcher (b. 1933)
- 2021 - Jack Smith, pitcher (b. 1935)
- 2023 - Lee Bohlender, minor league outfielder (b. 1929)
- 2024 - Jerry Grote, catcher; All-Star (b. 1942)
We're Social...for Statheads
Every Sports Reference Social Media Account
Site Last Updated:
Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction?
Subscribe to our Free Email Newsletter
Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE
Your All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database
Do you have a sports website? Or write about sports? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Find out more.