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“Memorable Opening Day Festivities!” Photo Gallery
We Made It!!
Happy Opening Day!!
“You always get a special kick on Opening Day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you’re a kid.” –Joe DiMaggio
For old-time baseball fans like us, if there’s a better day of the year than Opening Day, I’m not sure what it is!
In the featured photo above, we see a scene from Opening Day, 1946, at Wrigley Field
Check out the photo montage I’m calling “Memorable Opening Day Festivities!” It features scenes from various Opening Days over the decades. I think you’ll enjoy it!
Just to put you in the right frame of mind on this wonderful day, here’s a few words about Opening Day I found on Wikipedia. I think we can all agree with the sentiment:
“For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as a symbol of rebirth. Writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book titled, “Why Time Begins on Opening Day.” Many feel that the occasion represents a newness or a chance to forget last season, in that all 30 of the major league clubs and their millions of fans begin with 0–0 records.”
And here’s a little bit of Opening Day trivia:
- In 1907, the New York Giants forfeited their game at the Polo Grounds to the Philadelphia Phillies, 9–0, after rowdy fans threw snowballs.
- Twelve U.S. Presidents have thrown the first ball of the season. On April 14, 1910, William Howard Taft became the first U.S president to do so.
- In 1940, Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller threw a no-hitter to open the season against the White Sox. It remains the only no-hitter in Opening Day history.
- Harry S. Truman threw Opening Day first pitches with both his right and left arm in 1950.
- Ted Williams was a .449 hitter in openers, with three home runs and fourteen RBI during 14 games and had at least one hit in each game.
- On April 4, 1974, Hank Aaron hit his 714th career home run on Opening Day at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium.
- In 14 season openers for the Washington Senators, Walter Johnson pitched a record nine shutouts.
- The Louis Cardinals were the first major league team to open their home season with a night game, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 4–2 at Sportsman’s Park on April 18, 1950.
- Hall of Famer Tom Seaver has been a starting pitcher for the most Opening Day games in major league history, doing the honors 16 times.
- The longest Opening Day game was played on April 5, 2012 between the Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays. The game, played at Cleveland’s Progressive Field, ended with the Blue Jays beating the Indians, 7–4, in 16 innings.
Let’s get it on! Good Luck to all baseball fans! Let’s hope your favorite team does better than expected!
Gary Livacari
We’d love to hear what you think about this or any other related baseball history topic…please leave comments below.
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Thanks, Gary!
Opening Day is my favorite. As a junior in high school, I rigged up a transistor radio with an earplug. I wore a buttoned up sweater that had a pocket inside.
I Jerry rigged the earplug up my sleeve, so that it was left dangling inside the cuff of the sweater, ready to “engage” for the start of the ballgame. I had set the dial for WHDH, 850 on the dial that broadcast all Sox games.
1:30 came and I slowly raise my left arm and maneuvered the ear plug into my ear with my hand and arm resting on my head and ear.
All I heard was music. I was ticked off that I had probably turned the dial by placing the radio inside the pocket. For the next 45 minutes before dismissal, I was muttering to myself that my brilliant plans had been sabotaged.
It turned out the game was postponed even though it was a cloudless blue sky day. The temperature was only in the mid-40’s, but for some reason, it was thought too cold to play baseball.
Disappointed turned into thrills later that year as this was 1967 was the year of the Impossible Dream.
Play Ball!
1
Great story Paul…I always love the personal reflections like this! I too was know to always have a transistor near at hand during the baseball season!
Three cheers for opening day. I loved the trivia.