This Day in Baseball

1934-2021

I’m a little late, but I couldn’t pass up sharing this “Opening Day” column from my all-time favorite sportswriter, Thomas Boswell. I hope you and yours are all safe and healthy.

May 1, 1992
Rickey Henderson steals his 1000th base. Henderson already held the record for most career stolen bases. He broke the record previously held by Lou Brock with his 939th stolen base exactly one year earlier on May 1, 1991.

And there you have it. I hope I didn’t miss any. I’ll be back tomorrow for one more post to wrap this up. Take care of yourselves, and be good to each other.

Charlie Robertson, in only his fourth career start, becomes the third modern pitcher to throw a perfect game when he beats the Tigers at Navin Field, 2-0. The White Sox pitcher, thanks to Johnny Mostil's two outstanding catches in the outfield, is also just the fourth rookie to throw a no-hitter.

Cleveland pitcher Wes Ferrell no-hits the St. Louis Browns, including his brother Rick, 7-0. The pitching star also provided offense, knocking in four runs with a double, and a home run.

At Navin Field, Goose Goslin grounds into four consecutive double plays. The Tiger outfielder's lack of offense doesn't matter, as Detroit beats the visiting Indians, 4-1.

Kansas City's 22-year-old starter Steve Busby becomes the 13th rookie to throw a no-hitter, beating Detroit, 3-0, at Tiger Stadium. It is the first ever no-hit game thrown by a Royals pitcher, and the former UCLA Bruin will pitch the second no-hitter in franchise history next season.

Ed. Note: This was the event that originally sparked the idea for this blog. As I watched the game, I thought, ‘That’s so cool. I never knew that. I wish there was something that combined baseball, history, and trivia in one place.” Five days later, this-day-in-baseball was launched.

Cliff Melton becomes the first rookie to fan at least ten batters in his major league debut, finishing with 13 strikeouts in a complete-game loss to the Braves at the Polo Grounds. The 25-year-old southpaw, who loses the 3-1 contest due to the weak defense of the Giants in the ninth inning, will hold the rookie record for K's in his debut until Dodger freshman Karl Spooner strikes out 15 batters in his first major league start in 1954.

Dovydas Neverauskas, taking the roster spot of DL-bound Adam Frazier, becomes the second person born in Lithuania, but the first raised there, to appear in a major league game when he throws two innings of one-run ball for the Pirates in 14-3 loss to the Cubs at PNC Park. A’s outfielder Joe Zapustas, who played two games for the team in 1933, was also born in the Baltic state, but spent his childhood in Boston.

Conrado Marrero, the oldest living former major leaguer, dies two days before his 103rd birthday. The 5-foot, 5-inch Cuban right-hander, named to the American League All-Star team in 1951, compiled a 39-40 record with an ERA of 3.96 during his five seasons with the Senators.

Brandon Belt works one of the longest at-bats in modern major league history when he sees 21 first-inning pitches from LA’s Jaime Barria in the Giants’ 4-2 victory at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. The San Francisco first baseman’s 12 minute and 45-second plate appearance, in which he fouls off 16 balls - including 10 in a row - surpasses the 1998 duel between Indians right-hander Bartolo Colon and Astro infielder Ricky Gutierrez by one pitch.

In a game against the Giants, Philadelphia pitcher Bill Duggelby hits a grand slam in his first major league at-bat. Bobby Bonds will hit one in his first game in his third at-bat, but Duggleby's feat will not be repeated until August 31, 2005, when Jeremy Hermida of the Marlins hits a bases-loaded homer.

Sean Manaea tosses the 12th no-hitter in A's franchise history and the first since Dallas Braden's perfect game in 2010, when he keeps the opponents hitless in the team’s 3-0 victory over the Red Sox. The 26-year-old southpaw’s performance ends Boston's run of 3,987 games without being no-hit, a streak dating back Mariners' Chris Bosio's no-no against the club at the Kingdome on April 22, 1993.

Orel Hershiser ties a major league mark, equaled by 19 others, hitting four batters in one game. Astro Richard Hidalgo also ties a modern major league record by getting hit three times in a game, twice by Hershiser and a third time by Dodger reliever Matt Herges.