The 25 most memorable MLB Opening Day moments

Discuss making a grand first impression. On April 25, 1901, the Detroit Tigers performed their first American League sport at Bennett Park. Nevertheless, as the competition went on, it appeared the day could be ruined for the Tigers and their followers. Detroit’s opponent that day, the Milwaukee Brewers, led 13-4 coming into the underside of the ninth inning. However, as if the baseball gods had one thing particular deliberate for the Tigers, they put collectively maybe the best rally in baseball historical past. The Tigers roared again to get inside a run at 13-12 with two on and two out. Then, “Pop” Dillon stepped to the plate and delivered a two-run, game-winning single that accomplished the outstanding comeback.

Discuss a pitcher’s duel. When the Philadelphia Athletics visited D.C. to tackle the Washington Senators for Opening Day 1926, maybe the best pitching showdown in MLB historical past was on show: Philadelphia knuckleballer Eddie Rommel in opposition to the 38-year-old legend Walter Johnson. Ultimately, it was Johnson and the Senators who outlasted Rommel and the Athletics 1-0 in 15 innings. The traces: Johnson — 15 innings pitched, six hits, three walks and 9 strikeouts. Rommel — 14 1/3 innings, 9 hits, six walks, one strikeout, and the sport’s solely run, courtesy of Joe Harris’ run-scoring hit.

To this present day, the good Bob Feller continues to be the one major-leaguer to throw a no-hitter on Opening Day. That got here on April 16, 1940, when the 22-year-old Feller started his fifth major-league season with Cleveland, and kicked it off in historic style. Certain, Feller walked 5 Chicago White Sox batters that day, however he alsostruck out eight in Cleveland’s 1-0 highway victory. It was the primary of three profession no-hitters for the Corridor of Famer, who went on to win a career-high 27 video games that season.

There are many baseball historians who consider April 15, 1947, is crucial date in Main League Baseball historical past. That is when Jackie Robinson made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers — 5 days after signing with the membership — in opposition to the Boston Braves at Ebbets Discipline, thus changing into the primary black participant to take the sphere in an official MLB sport. Enjoying first base and batting second within the Dodgers lineup, Robinson went 0-for-3 whereas reaching on an error and scoring the go-ahead run in a 5-3 victory. Nevertheless, the day will definitely be remembered for far more than the legend’s sport statistics.

Longtime residence to a Triple-A franchise (which Jackie Robinson as soon as was on the roster), town of Montreal was lastly prepared for the baseball huge time. On April 8, 1969, the enlargement Montreal Expos debuted as MLB’s first worldwide franchise. And, thanks to 3 hits from Maury Wills, a Rusty Staub homer and eight walks, the Expos outlasted Tom Seaver and the eventual World Sequence champion New York Mets for an 11-10 highway victory. Montreal, which additionally gained its first residence sport on April 14, went 51-110 throughout its inaugural season, however that opening victory stays some of the necessary sports activities moments within the metropolis’s historical past.

Hank Aaron entered the 1974 season needing one homer to tie Babe Ruth’s all-time report of 714. Nevertheless, Aaron’s Atlanta Braves opened the marketing campaign on the highway at Cincinnati, and there was discuss he ought to sit out the opening sequence to tie and/or break the report through the opening residence sequence in opposition to the Dodgers. Being the true gamer, Aaron stepped on the Riverfront Stadium subject for Opening Day on April 4. In his first at-bat of the season, with two on within the prime of the primary inning, Aaron pounded a Jack Billingham pitch over the left-field wall to tie Ruth.

In 1978, veteran Milwaukee outfielder Sixto Lezcano clubbed a grand slam through the Brewers’ 11-3 Opening Day victory over Baltimore. Two years later, Lezcano was at it once more, and in even grander style. After clubbing a two-run homer within the fourth inning within the 1980 season opener in opposition to Boston, Lezcano despatched the County Stadium trustworthy residence blissful along with his ninth-inning, walk-off grand slam for a Brewers 9-5 victory — thus making Lezcano the one participant in Main League Baseball historical past to hit a grand slam on two completely different Opening Days.

Jim Presley was not a family title throughout an eight-year MLB run from 1984-91. Nevertheless, Seattle Mariners followers definitely will not neglect the person who hit at the very least 24 homers in three straight seasons from 1985-87, or for the All-Star’s plate heroics throughout on Opening Day ’86. With the Mariners trailing the Angels 4-2 within the backside of the ninth, Presley belted a two-run homer off Donnie Moore to tie the sport and drive further innings. Then within the tenth, Presley topped himself, hitting a walk-off grand slam off Ken Forsch to ship Seattle to a seemingly unbelievable victory and etching his personal title within the lore of Mariners baseball ceaselessly.

There have been 4 gamers to hit three residence runs on Opening Day in Main League Baseball historical past. The primary was Toronto slugger George Bell, in opposition to Kansas Metropolis on April 4, 1988, one season after he posted a career-high 47 homers. If that feat alone wasn’t spectacular sufficient, think about all three dingers got here off two-time Cy Younger Award winner Bret Saberhagen. Bell took the star right-hander deep with a solo shot within the second inning, a two-run drive within the fourth and a two-out solo bomb within the eighth of the Blue Jays’ 5-3 victory.

On April 9, 1993, Nolan Ryan was already a legend when he took the mound with the Texas Rangers for the ultimate Opening Day of his 27-year, Corridor of Fame profession. On this date, nonetheless, the ageless Ryan, at age 46, grew to become the oldest major-league pitcher to begin and win an Opening Day project. The precise-hander yielded 4 hits, two walks and struck out 5 over six scoreless innings throughout a 3-1 residence victory over the Boston Purple Sox. Ryan pitched simply 12 extra occasions that season earlier than calling it a superb profession.

Karl “Tuffy” Rhodes hit 13 profession major-league residence runs in 225 video games spanning elements of six seasons from 1990-95. Three of these got here on Opening Day 1994 at Wrigley Discipline, whereas enjoying for the Chicago Cubs. The little-known, journeyman outfielder earned the beginning center-fielder job and batted leadoff that day, and promptly took legendary New York Mets ace Dwight Gooden deep to guide off the underside of the primary. Gooden additionally served up solo lengthy balls to Rhodes within the third and fifth inning for some of the unbelievable particular person performances in MLB historical past. Nevertheless, the Mets received the final snort within the type of a 12-8 victory.`

Coming off maybe the darkest second within the historical past of the sport, Main League Baseball returned to motion in 1995, following a 232-days gamers’ strike that worn out the World Sequence from 1994. MLB’s return featured a shortened 144-game schedule that started with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 8-7 highway win over the Florida Marlins on April 25. In fact, there have been a wholesome portion of baseball followers who weren’t able to welcome gamers again simply but. It will take a while to win over stated followers from a stain that also stays robust to get out.

There are numerous particular particular person performances on Opening Day. Too many to depend, even. Nevertheless, maybe no one foresaw the day that little-known, however versatile Emilio Bonifacio needed to open the 2009 marketing campaign. Main off and enjoying third base for the then-Florida Marlins, Bonifacio went 4-for-5 with 4 runs scored, two RBI and his first profession residence run — and solely one among 2009. That sport was a springboard for Bonifacio, who performed 9 extra seasons within the majors and proved to be fairly serviceable.

After 9 seasons away, Ken Griffey Jr. returned to Seattle — the place he is arguably probably the most recognizable and celebrated baseball participant in Mariners historical past — after starring there from 1989-99. And, becoming for a made-for-TV second (since this was late in Junior’s MLB profession), Griffey belted a solo homer within the fifth inning at Minnesota on Opening Day 2009. It was profession homer No. 612 and his 399th as a Mariner. He additionally tied the aforementioned Frank Robinson with a report eight Opening Day residence runs.

This checklist is crammed with loads of worthy offensive Opening Day moments. However in relation to the best Opening Day defensive play in MLB historical past, Mark Buehrle’s outstanding gem in opposition to Cleveland on April 5, 2010 is difficult to beat. With Chicago forward 4-0 within the prime of the fifth inning, Cleveland’s Lou Marson hit a comebacker that deflected off Buehrle’s leg, then hopped into foul territory forward of first base. Nevertheless, Buehrle made a beeline for the ball, then delivered a backhanded glove flip by his legs and into the hand of teammate Paul Konerko earlier than Marson reached the bottom. The left-hander was a four-time Gold Glove Award winner, and this was the crowinng jewel of his fielding legacy.

A extremely touted, five-tool prospect, Atlanta Braves followers could not look ahead to Jason Heyward to dwell as much as the hype and provides the franchise their subsequent celebrity. Now, Heyward won’t ever be branded a “celebrity,” however he is a five-time Gold Glover, an All-Star and a World Sequence champion who started his fifteenth MLB season in 2024. Nevertheless, his rousing 2010 major-league debut continues to be talked about. In his first at-bat, dealing with Chicago Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano, Heyward clubbed a three-run homer properly over the right-field wall to spotlight a six-run backside of the primary inning. Heyward completed 2-for-5 with 4 RBI for one of many nice debuts in baseball historical past.

Nothing higher than some free baseball on Opening Day. That is what baseball followers in Cleveland received on April 5, 2012, when Toronto visited the then-Indians and two groups proceeded to play 16 innings, making this the longest Opening Day sport in MLB historical past. It featured 14 pitchers and 28 strikeouts, however simply 4 innings that featured a run scored. Cleveland led 4-0 after two innings, and appeared in good condition to appease the house followers with a 4-1 lead coming into the ninth. Nevertheless, the Blue Jays scored thrice within the prime of the body in opposition to Chris Perez. Then within the sixteenth, J.P. Arencibia, who was 0-for-6 with three strikeouts coming into this at-bat, belted a three-run homer that finally gave Toronto a 7-4 triumph.

A four-time All-Star and twice an 18-game winner, Madison Bumgarner is without doubt one of the nice pitchers of the century. Nevertheless, he may additionally swing the bat, and was a two-time Silver Slugger Award recipient. Bumgarner additionally hit 19 residence runs throughout a superb profession that spanned practically 15 years. Two of these homers got here to open the 2017 season for visiting San Francisco in opposition to the Arizona Diamondbacks, together with a tie-breaking solo shot within the seventh. Although the Giants fell 6-5 that day, Bumgarner grew to become the primary pitcher to homer twice on Opening Day.

There have been loads of notable moments from Opening Day 2019 — Bryce Harper’s debut with the Phillies, Lorenzo Cain’s game-saving catch in Milwaukee and Detroit’s Jordan Zimmermann flirting with perfection. Nevertheless, the day could be most remembered for the report 48 homers hit throughout the majors on March 28, 2019, when each group was in motion. The Los Angeles Dodgers set a major-league Opening Day report — and franchise-tying mark — with eight residence runs throughout a 12-5 residence win over Arizona. Joc Pederson and Kiké Hernandez every hit two for the Dodgers, who went deep an NL-leading 279 occasions in 2019.

The 2023 season proved to be a significant disappointment for Aaron Choose and the New York Yankees. Nevertheless, it began so promising for the membership and their fan base. One season faraway from Aaron Choose setting the AL report with 62 residence runs in 2022, the Yankees celebrity thrilled the house trustworthy when, in becoming style, he despatched an 0-1 Logan Webb pitch over the center-field wall in his first at-bat of 2023. That, plus 11 strikeouts over six robust innings from Gerrit Cole, simply may need been the spotlight on New York’s 82-80 marketing campaign.