TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

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March 31 is a date that rewards people who pay attention to baseball history beyond the highlight reels. In 1982 the Montreal Expos acquired Al Oliver from Texas in what looked like a routine trade — and watched him put together one of the most complete offensive seasons the National League had seen in years. Batting title. League leader in hits, doubles, extra-base hits, and total bases. A hundred and nine RBI. Third in MVP voting. Willie Stargell summed it up perfectly — all he ever did was crush the ball. In 1984 Howard Cosell sat across from Roger Maris on national television and told him the Yankees were finally retiring his number 9. The man who spent years being vilified in New York for breaking Babe Ruth's record sat in silence for a moment that said everything — disbelief giving way to something that looked very much like relief. Recognition had taken a long time to arrive but it arrived. In 1948 Jackie Robinson homered in the first inning of the Dodgers' very first game at their new Dodgertown facility in Vero Beach — a spring training home the team would keep for 61 years — because of course he did. And in 1958 Larry Doby, who was traded to Baltimore in December, was traded back to Cleveland in 5 player deal, without ever playing an official game with the Orioles. He will have his last productive season. Doby had broken the American League color barrier in 1947 just eleven weeks after Robinson broke it in the National League — a fact that never received the attention it deserved then or now.

March 31, 1982, the Montreal Expos acquire first baseman-outfielder Al Oliver from the Texas Rangers for third baseman Larry Parrish and minor league first baseman Dave Hostetler. Oliver will enjoy a banner season in Montreal, Oliver rapped 204 hits, 43 doubles, 22 homers, 109 RBI, and won the batting title (.331). He led the league in hits, doubles, extra-base hits, total bases and multi-hit games. He finished 3rd in MVP voting.

Al Oliver started slashing line drives as a Pirate rookie in 1969 and continued to do so for 18 seasons. Primarily playing first base (where, on May 23, 1969 he made three errors in the fourth inning), the smooth lefthanded hitter batted .285 with 17 home runs to tie for second behind Ted Sizemore in the 1969 NL Rookie of the Year voting. More frequently used in the outfield from 1971 on, he hit .312 in 1972, his first of seven All-Star seasons. He was batting .360 at the 1976 All-Star break, but an inner ear infection sidelined him in the second half, and he finished at .323. It was his first of nine straight .300 seasons. In the years 1970 through 1975, he played on five Pirate division champions, but in December of 1977, Pittsburgh traded him to Texas with Nelson Norman in exchange for Bert Blyleven and John Milner. He is among the Pirates' all-time leaders in doubles (276), home runs (135), RBI (717), and extra-base hits (467).

In 1980, Oliver played in all of Texas's 163 games and reached career highs with 209 hits and 117 RBI. On August 17 in Detroit, he established an AL record with 21 total bases in a doubleheader (four home runs, a double, and a triple). Wearing number 0, he became the Rangers' all-time leading hitter (.319), and reached the club's top ten in every batting category before being sent to Montreal in a March 1982 trade for third baseman Larry Parrish.

Playing first base for the Expos in '82, Oliver batted a career-high .331 to capture the NL batting title. He also led the NL in hits (204) and doubles (43), and tied with Dale Murphy for the RBI lead with 109. He made the TSN Silver Slugger team for three straight years, at three different positions (left field in 1980, DH in '81, 1B in '82). He was the first player to amass 200 hits and 100 RBI in a season in both the AL and the NL.

After spending 1984 with the Giants and Phillies and the first half of 1985 with the Dodgers, Oliver wound up in Toronto, for whom he delivered a pair of game-winning hits in the 1985 LCS. He retired among baseball's all-time top 50 in games played (2368), hits (2743), total bases (4083), RBI (1326), and extra-base hits (825).

The Progressive Pirates

Baseball was still battling racial stereotypes in the 1970s. Many people believed that minorities were not suited to be pitchers, for example, because they lacked the intellect. This is the sad truth that still haunts the game today, despite all of the strides made by blacks and Latinos. One team ignored those prejudices, they were the Pittsburgh Pirates. By 1971, as many as half of their major league roster was black or Latino. On September 1, 1971, they fielded what is believed to be the first all-black lineup in the history of the league. Oliver played first base, joining second baseman Rennie Stennett, center fielder Gene Clines, right fielder Roberto Clemente, left fielder Willie Stargell, catcher Manny Sanguillen, third baseman Dave Cash, shortstop Jackie Hernandez and pitcher Dock Ellis in the starting lineup. Pittsburgh won the National League East division that season and went on to defeat the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.

Milestones

On August 10, 1983, Oliver collected his 2,500th hit, off Mets' pitcher Carlos Diaz.

March 31, 1945 — Vince DiMaggio is sent by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for pitcher Al Gerheauser.

March 31, 1948 -- At Ebbets Field No. 2, the Dodgers play their first exhibition game at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, which will remain the team's home for 61 years. Amidst much fanfare, including Governor Millard Caldwell throwing the ceremonial first pitch, Jackie Robinson homers in the first inning as Brooklyn beats its top farm club, the Montreal Royals, 5-4.

March 31, 1958, the Cleveland Indians and Baltimore Orioles pull off a major five-player deal. In the trade, the Indians acquire Hall of Famer Larry Doby and another player in exchange for outfielder Gene Woodling, pitcher Bud Daley, and utility man Dick Williams. In 1947, Doby had become the first black player in the history of the American League.

March 31, 1968, the Seattle expansion franchise announced that it would be called the “Pilots.” The name originated from the coastal seaport city's association with the airplane industry and co-owner Dewey Soriano's part-time job as a harbor pilot. The Pilots will last only one season in Seattle before becoming the Milwaukee Brewers.

March 31, 1980 - The Montreal Expos trade 1B/OF Rusty Staub to the Texas Rangers in exchange for infielders Chris Smith and LaRue Washington.

March 31, 1982, the Montreal Expos acquire first baseman-outfielder Al Oliver from the Texas Rangers for third baseman Larry Parrish and minor league first baseman Dave Hostetler. Oliver will enjoy a banner season in Montreal, Oliver rapped 204 hits, 43 doubles, 22 homers, 109 RBI, and won the batting title (.331). He led the league in hits, doubles, extra-base hits, total bases and multi-hit games. He finished 3rd in MVP voting.

March 31, 1984 -- On a televised episode of ABC's Sports Beat, Howard Cosell informs interviewee Roger Maris of the Yankees' plan to retire the slugger's number 9 at the Old Timers' Game ceremonies in July. The former Yankee's reaction is at first is disbelief, followed by a genuine pleasure for being recognized for his achievements during his seven years with the team.

March 31, 2001 – After 31 years in Three Rivers Stadium, the Pittsburgh Pirates move into their new $262 million home at PNC Park, losing to the New York Mets, 4 – 3, in an exhibition game. The 38,000 seat stadium is nestled at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers with a spectacular view of the city.

TRIVIA

TRIVIA: Who hit the last homerun at Forbes Field?

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: Post 1901, Rube Waddell’s 349 strikeouts in a single season has been passed by just three pitchers, who are they?

Answer: Nolan Ryan 1973 & 1974, Sandy Koufax 1965 and Randy Johnson 1999 & 2001. Bob Feller nearly missed, chalking up 348 in 1946.

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