
August 26, 1891: John McGraw beats back butterflies to ignite game-winning rally in debut
No manager in major-league history was more inclined to use left-handed…

April 26, 1902: Addie Joss dodges a Toledo sheriff, then stifles the Browns for a one-hit shutout in his debut
On the third Sunday of April 1902, Toledo sheriff Charley Pierce…

September 17, 1898: Chicago’s Bill Phyle shuts out Washington in historic debut as first Native American pitcher
On September 17, 1898, Bill Phyle of the National League’s…

April 24, 1901: White Stockings thump Cleveland as American League turns from minor to major
Whether because of a “gloomy day” in Detroit that stalled…

May 17, 1878: Bud Fowler becomes the first Black player in Organized Baseball
Professional baseball leagues began in 1871 with the founding…

May 8, 1901: Boston wins first home game in Red Sox franchise history
“The diamond shone in the sun like a great canvas of freshly…

May 1, 1883: Mickey Welch wins first game in New York Giants franchise history
Two major-league teams based in New York City debuted in 1883.…

October 4, 1891: Theodore Breitenstein of St. Louis Browns throws no-hitter in his first major-league start
It was Sunday, October 4, the last day of the 1891 season, when…

April 6, 1871: Boston Red Stockings take the field for the first time
“Well, back in 1871, my great-great-grandmother had a boardinghouse…

September 29, 1880: Metropolitan club opens new Polo Grounds with a win
The first professional baseball game played in Manhattan took…

April 25, 1901: Tigers’ ‘magnificent batting rally’ caps 10-run comeback in AL opener
When Charles Comiskey and other investors purchased the minor…

April 26, 1901: Baltimore Orioles win home opener in a new major league
In late January of 1901, American League President Ban Johnson…

June 27, 1893: Chicago welcomes Brooklyn to World’s Fair and new ballpark
“With the dedication ceremonies of the World’s Columbian…

August 6, 1890: Farm boy Cy Young arrives in major leagues
“You ought to have seen it. Mr. Young, formerly of Canton,…

April 19, 1902: Reds rookie Bob Ewing walks seven in one inning of MLB debut
After a last-place finish in 1901, the Cincinnati Reds began…

April 19, 1890: Debut of the Players League
The Players League opened the 1890 season with seven of eight…

August 14, 1888: Tim Keefe finally loses and “Casey at the Bat” premieres
The record for consecutive games won by a pitcher in a single…

October 23-25, 1884: The first “World Series”
This chapter is not about a single game. Instead, it is about…

May 1, 1884: Fleet Walker’s major-league debut
Although the misconception has long been debunked by baseball…

May 2, 1882: The Beer and Whiskey League: Day One
The inaugural American Association season opened on May 2, 1882,…

June 21, 1879: The cameo of William Edward White
William Edward White's 1879 appearance for Providence made…

June 2, 1879: Lee Richmond’s no-hit debut
When the National Association’s last place Worcester club…

July 23, 1870: The first ‘Chicago’ game
Given the powerhouse teams that represented the Windy City in…

October 7, 1867: Candy Cummings debuts the curve
One of the oldest, most venerable weapons in the pitcher’s…