Opening Day!

Throwing you a bender because I just thought you should know...

It is said of veteran baseball players and spring training that it is a perfect time to work back into shape, iron out the kinks, fine tune the mechanics and prepare for the long haul of a 162 game season. Truth is most major league veterans are chomping at the bit to get going on the season and can't wait to toss aside the non-competitive nature of Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues and get to Opening Day. As it turns out, a few special players have made a mark on Opening Day like nobody else.

Henry Aaron ended the 1973 season with 713 career home runs, one short of tying the great Babe Ruth. Reporting to spring training in West Palm Beach, Florida amid death threats, nation wide pressure, and the Braves threatening to hold him out of the opening series in Cincinnati, Aaron anxiously proceeded through the pre-season exercises. Apparently Hammerin' Hank was ready to have spring training end and get going on his record pursuit as his first swing of the 1974 campaign produced his 714th home run and electrified the start of that historic season.

Opening day 1940 in Chicago saw 21 year old Bob Feller (already in his fourth season!) climb the hill to begin the Tribe's season. It was cold and only about 14,000 fans were in attendance, but Feller went into the ninth inning having only surrendered four walks, no hits. Imagine if a modern day manager would have been in place, probably lifting Feller based on a pitch count for some over rated "closer."

The Indians were clinging to a 1-0 lead as Feller recorded the first two outs. Hall of Fame shortstop Luke Appling came to the plate. With two strikes, Appling managed to foul off four pitches; he eventually concluded his 10-pitch at-bat with a walk, making him the first person to reach base since the third inning.

Since the score was still just 1-0 at this point, not only was the no-hitter in danger, but a potential Indians victory as well.  With a 1-0 count, Taft Wright connected and hit the ball hard toward second baseman Ray Mack.  Mack lunged to his left and knocked the ball down; he managed to stick with it, picked it up and threw to first baseman Hal Trosky for the final out of the game.

Feller had tossed the only Opening Day no-hitter in Major League history. When asked if he was excited toward the end of the game, Feller replied, “Well…I didn’t have any trouble keepin’ awake.”

Frank Robinson faced incredible scrutiny and pressure as the first African-American manager in baseball. But Robinson was also a veteran ball player, a future Hall of Famer, and ready to go when the bell sounded for the new 1975 season.

As if managing his first game on a cold April afternoon in front of over 56,000 fans and facing the Yankees wasn't enough, Robinson inserted himself in the lineup as the designated hitter, batting second. With Mrs. Jackie Robinson throwing out the ceremonial first pitch and Commissioner Bowie Kuhn in attendance, all eyes were on Cleveland and Frank Robinson.

In the bottom of the first inning, Robinson crushed a 2-2 fastball from New York's Doc Medich. The baseball sailed out to left field, over the wall, to set an early tone for a 5-3 victory over the Yankees.

This continued Robinson's love affair with Opening Day as he is the all time leader in both home runs hit (8) and total bases (54) for the first day of the season.

  On April 20, 1939, Lou Gehrig started at first base for the Yankees and was appearing in his 2,123rd consecutive game. The Red Sox countered with their new addition in right field, Ted Williams. The Yankees won that day, 2-0, but Williams went 1-4 to begin his streak of getting at least one hit in every Opening Day game he played in. Ted played in 14 openers, collecting 14 RBI, 3 HR, and batting .449 overall for those games. This man was always ready for the season to get started!

So when I looked around the Opening Day games this year, enjoyed the excitement and took in some remarkable performances, none of them seemed to compare with these three immortal achievements and the consistency of Ted Williams. But I won't ever stop tuning in each year to capture the next moment that belongs in this group.

All this because I know more about nothing...