October 1, 1960: Billy Williams launches first homer of Hall of Fame career
Chicago Cubs rookie Billy Williams helped his team avoid a dubious…
April 17, 1955: Roberto Clemente records first hit and scores first run with Pirates
Roberto Clemente, the first great Latin American baseball star…
September 17, 1955: Brooks Robinson makes his major-league debut with Orioles
It was an inauspicious game. Both the Orioles and the Washington…
April 10, 1961: Washington Senators defeated in first game of expansion era
When the 1960 season ended, Washington Senators fans had good…
July 21, 1959: Pumpsie Green makes his debut with Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox had the opportunity to sign Jackie Robinson…
April 17, 1954: Nino Escalera, Chuck Harmon integrate Cincinnati Reds in loss to Milwaukee Braves
Box scores don’t lie. But sometimes they cannot tell the…
April 22, 1957: John Kennedy becomes first African American to play for Philadelphia Phillies
In the top of the eighth inning of a game between the Philadelphia…
September 6, 1954: Carlos Paula integrates the Washington Senators
The game appeared to be merely the first in a meaningless,…
April 13, 1954: Tom Alston makes Cardinals history as first Black player to take the field
With the start of the 1954 season, beer magnate August A. Busch…
June 6, 1958: Ozzie Virgil breaks Detroit Tigers’ color line as first Dominican player in AL
Entering the 1958 season, only two major-league teams – the…
April 14, 1955: Elston Howard integrates the Yankees
By the dawn of the 1955 season, the New York Yankees were one…
June 19, 1961: Gene Baker becomes first Black manager in affiliated minor leagues
Gene Baker was not, as is sometimes reported, the first Black…
April 22, 1959: Carl Yastrzemski contributes to win in first pro game for Raleigh
On his first day as a pro, he was listed in the box score as…
July 17, 1955: Don Bessent completes Dodgers’ debut sweep of Redlegs
“Sometimes it doesn’t pay to get out of bed. The Reds found…
April 23, 1956: Don Drysdale beats Phillies in first major-league start
The shivering crowd got the message from the public address announcer…
June 26, 1960: Ron Santo makes auspicious debut for last-place Cubs
In the throes of a nine-game losing streak, the Chicago Cubs…
July 19, 1960: Juan Marichal shines in Giants debut with one-hit shutout and 12 strikeouts
Not every pitcher starts his career on a high note, but Juan…
August 23, 1954: Harmon Killebrew goes 3-for-4 in first start for Senators
Harmon Killebrew’s first major-league start hinted at a career…
April 12, 1955: Connie Mack, Harry Truman see Athletics win in Kansas City debut
“Getting the American league franchise formerly held by Philadelphia…
April 15, 1954: Orioles return to Baltimore after 52 years
The streets of Baltimore were jam-packed with an estimated 350,000…
April 18, 1958: Dodgers make Los Angeles debut in win over rival Giants
“Los Angeles really did it yesterday. It gave its Dodgers the…
August 27, 1955: Teenage Sandy Koufax strikes out 14 in first big-league win
Brooklyn Dodgers skipper Walter “Smoky” Alston was on…
April 10, 1962: Expansion Colt .45s win first game in franchise history
Houston was awarded a National League expansion franchise as…
April 11, 1961: Eli Grba wins first game in Angels franchise history
As 1960 rolled into 1961 and baseball fans began looking forward…