TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

April 14, 1967, "It's a big place and I was nervous," said Boston's 21-year-old Billy Rohr about seeing Yankee Stadium for the first time. The lanky left-hander from California came within one pitch of becoming the first big leaguer to throw a no-hitter in his debut, settling instead for a brilliant one-hit shutout.

Little was expected of either club as the 1967 season began. Boston had posted eight consecutive losing seasons, while the Yankees were coming off their first cellar finish since 1912. Taking the mound for New York was the legendary Whitey Ford, starting his 11th home opener but now a 38-year-old shadow of his former self, recovering from two shoulder surgeries. Rohr, by contrast, was virtually unknown — a minor league arm who had posted a 14-10 record with Toronto the previous season.

The game began with a bang when rookie Reggie Smith homered off Ford in the first inning. While Ford settled in to retire nearly every batter he faced, Rohr was quietly doing something historic. His teammates bailed him out repeatedly — center fielder George Thomas made an awkward but crucial catch in the fourth, and in the sixth a line drive ricocheted off Rohr's left shin. He writhed in agony on the mound before walking off the pain and finishing the inning. "After he got hit he actually got better," marveled catcher Russ Gibson.

Boston broke through in the eighth when Joe Foy crushed a two-run homer off a tiring Ford. Heading into the ninth, Rohr still hadn't allowed a hit. Yankees manager Ralph Houk, respecting the unwritten rules, refused to bunt. "It was going to be a clean hit or nothing." Mickey Mantle pinch-hit and popped up harmlessly.

In the ninth, Tresh opened with a thunderous shot to deep left. Carl Yastrzemski, playing shallow, made what Rohr called the greatest catch he'd ever seen — a lunging, somersaulting grab at full speed. After Pepitone flied out, Rohr had a 1-2 count on Elston Howard, one strike away from history. The next pitch missed the zone by a hair, and Howard lined a flat curve over second base. The crowd — his own crowd — booed him for it. "That's the first time in my life I ever made a base hit and was booed," said Howard.

Rohr retired the next batter to end it. Two days later, he appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show.

April 14, 1925 — In the first regular-season Chicago Cubs game to be broadcast on the radio, Quin Ryan announces the contest from the grandstand roof for WGN. Grover Alexander wins for the Cubs, 8 – 2, over the Pirates and helps himself with a single, double, and home run.

April 14, 1955 — Elston Howard, who will be named the American League’s MVP in 1963, becomes the first black to play for the New York Yankees. The 26-year-old catcher/outfielder makes his debut against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park as he hits a single with one RBI in the Yankees’ 8 – 4 loss. The former Monarchs’ catcher will appear in nine All-Star Games and 54 World Series games, compiling a .274 batting average during his 14-year playing career.

April 14, 1960, Eddie Sawyer resigns as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies just one day into the new season. The Phillies replace Sawyer, the manager of the National League champion “Whiz Kids” of 1950, with Gene Mauch, who begins a 26-year managing career in the major leagues

April 14, 1968, Jim Bunning wins his first game for the Pittsburgh Pirates, a 3 – 0 shutout over the Dodgers. For Bunning, it is his 40th career shutout and includes his 1,000th National League strikeout, becoming the first pitcher since Cy Young to reach the 1,000 mark in both the National and American Leagues.

April 14, 1969, the expansion Montreal Expos host their first game north of the border, marking the first time a regular season major league game is played outside of the United States. 29,417 fans came to see the Expos win their debut at Jarry Park, edging the St. Louis Cardinals, 8-7. Montreal moundsman Larry Jaster throws baseball’s first international pitch to Cardinal left fielder Lou Brock.

April 14, 1976 — In the 6th inning of today’s 6 – 5 loss to Chicago, the Mets’ Dave Kingman hits what will become widely regarded as the longest home run ever hit in Wrigley Field, estimated at 600 feet in many of the next day’s press accounts, with the putative “paper of record” going as high as 630.

April 14, 1991 –At Arlington Stadium, Nolan Ryan becomes the 12th pitcher in major league history to surpass 5,000 innings pitched and gets plenty of hitting help as Texas whips Baltimore, 15 – 3. Ryan had not beat the Orioles since 1976, He had been 1-11 in 15 starts since he no-hit the Orioles. Ryan’s only blemish was a 3 run homer to Sam Horn in the first inning, overall he gave up just 2 hits and punched out 9.

Plus much more . . . .

TRIVIA

TRIVIA: In Billy Rohr’s master piece another rookie second baseman got him all the runs he needed with a homerun in just his 10th career game, who was he?

IF you think you know the answer and bonus points for how many respond with details and if you are right I will give you a shut out! No Googling!

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 ANSWER TO YESTERDAY’S TRIVIA

YESTERDAY'S TRIVIA: Who was Mark Fidrych's personal catcher in 1976?

Answer: Kimm made his major league debut in 1976 with the Detroit Tigers on May 4, where he was Mark Fidrych's personal catcher in 1976 and 1977. They had been teammates in 1975 at Triple-A Evansville and won the Junior World Series.

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