Events
edit- 1901 Cleveland Blues pitcher Bock Baker gives up a record 23 singles as the Chicago White Sox beat Cleveland 13 - 1.
- 1906 – It's the only time two player-managers steal home on the same day, though not in the same game. Chicago Cubs pilot Frank Chance steals in the ninth inning to give Chicago a 1–0 win over the Cincinnati Reds, and Fred Clarke matches him in the Pittsburgh Pirates' 10 - 1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
- 1934 – Goose Goslin of the Detroit Tigers hits into four double plays, but Detroit still beats the Cleveland Indians 4–1.
- 1949 – A New York Giants fan charges Leo Durocher with assault after the Giants lose 15 - 2 to the Brooklyn Dodgers. Commissioner Happy Chandler suspends Durocher, who is absolved on May 3. Chandler criticizes teams for lax security that allows fans on the field.
- 1961 – 40-year-old Warren Spahn becomes the second oldest man to pitch a no-hitter in major league history. The Milwaukee Braves' ace masters the San Francisco Giants, 1–0, for his 290th career win, second no-hitter and 52nd shutout. Spahn strikes out nine batters and walks only two. Hank Aaron drives in the game's lone run with a single in the first inning off loser Sad Sam Jones.
- 1966 – The Cleveland Indians tie a modern day major league record by winning their 10th consecutive game since Opening Day. Sonny Siebert, a 16-game winner in 1965, defeats the California Angels, 2–1.
- 1971 - Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves joins Babe Ruth and Willie Mays as the only major league players to hit 600 home runs. His historic homer, a 350-feet drive over the left field wall, comes off Gaylord Perry in the third inning of a 6–5 ten-inning loss to the San Francisco Giants at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium.
- 1982 – Pete Rose of the Philadelphia Phillies goes 5-for-5 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, tying Max Carey for the most five-hit games in National League history. Rose's latest five-hit performance helps the Phillies to a 9–3 win.
- 1985 – The New York Yankees hire Billy Martin as their manager for a fourth time. The fiery Martin, one of George Steinbrenner's favorite managers, replaces Yogi Berra, who is fired just 16 games into the season.
- 1988 – The winless Baltimore Orioles set an American League record by losing their 21st game in a row, falling to the Minnesota Twins 4–2.
- 1989 Rickey Henderson of the New York Yankees sets a major league record when he leads off a game with a home run for the 36th time in his career, breaking a tie with Bobby Bonds.
- 1998 – Texas Rangers right fielder Juan Gonzalez hits a two-run home run in Texas' 7–2 win at Minnesota Twins. The blast gives Gonzalez 35 RBI in April, which sets an all-time major-league record.
- 2006:
- Barry Bonds hits a bases-clearing double to tie Babe Ruth for third on the all-time career list with 1,356 extra base hits. Bonds also singles in a run for his fourth RBI, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 10–2.
- St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols hits his 13th home run in April to tie the major league record, matching the mark shared by Ken Griffey Jr. in 1997 with Seattle Mariners and Luis Gonzalez in 2001 with Arizona Diamondbacks.
Births
edit- 1861 - Alex Gardner, catcher (d. 1926)
- 1870 - Bill Hawke, pitcher (d. 1902)
- 1875 - Walt Woods, pitcher (d. 1951)
- 1883 - Harry Gaspar, pitcher (d. 1940)
- 1884 - Walt Thomas, infielder (d. 1950)
- 1886 - Charlie Conway, outfielder (d. 1968)
- 1890 - Frank Scanlan, pitcher (d. 1969)
- 1899 - Frank McGee, infielder (d. 1934)
- 1902 - Red Lucas, pitcher (d. 1986)
- 1903 - Fred Schemanske, pitcher (d. 1960)
- 1916 - Mike Chartak, outfielder (d. 1967)
- 1919 - Charlie Metro, outfielder, manager
- 1920 - Red Treadway, outfielder (d. 1994)
- 1925 - Cuddles Marshall, pitcher (d. 2007)
- 1928 - Rinty Monahan, pitcher (d. 2003)
- 1930 - Tom Sturdivant, pitcher (d. 2009)
- 1934 - Jackie Brandt, outfielder; All-Star
- 1935 - Bob Botz, pitcher
- 1935 - Pedro Ramos, pitcher; All-Star
- 1947 - Lute Barnes, infielder
- 1948 - Pablo Torrealba, pitcher
- 1950 - Jorge Roque, outfielder
- 1955 - Dewey Robinson, pitcher
- 1960 - Tom Browning, pitcher; All-Star
- 1960 - John Cerutti, pitcher (d. 2004)
- 1960 - Mark Ryal, outfielder
- 1962 - Russ Morman, infielder
- 1962 - Luis Quiñones, infielder
- 1964 - Barry Larkin, infielder; All-Star
- 1964 - Eric Nolte, pitcher
- 1966 - Jim Poole, pitcher
- 1969 - Jimmy Myers, pitcher
- 1970 - Bill Hurst, pitcher
- 1975 - Jordan Zimmerman, pitcher
- 1977 - Jorge Sosa, pitcher
- 1979 - Sean Douglass, pitcher
- 1981 - Yoslan Herrera, pitcher
- 1981 - Shawn Hill, pitcher
- 1981 - Chad Santos, infielder
- 1982 - Kevin Frandsen, infielder
- 1982 - Jim Miller, pitcher
- 1983 - David Freese, infielder
- 1984 - Pedro López, infielder
- 1984 - Rómulo Sánchez, pitcher
Deaths
edit- 1900 - Walter Plock, outfielder (b. 1869)
- 1904 - Scott Hawley, pitcher (b. 1875)
- 1912 - Josh Bunce, outfielder (b. 1847)
- 1919 - Charlie Ahearn, catcher (b. 1858)
- 1924 - Barney McFadden, pitcher (b. 1877)
- 1928 - Harry Berthrong, outfielder (b. 1844)
- 1931 - Mike Mattimore, outfielder (b. 1858)
- 1935 - Swede Carlstrom, infielder (b. 1886)
- 1935 - Dewey McDougal, pitcher (b. 1871)
- 1940 - Henry Cote, catcher (b. 1864)
- 1943 - Dennis Berran, outfielder (b. 1887)
- 1949 - Clay Touchstone, pitcher (b. 1903)
- 1955 - Felix Chouinard, outfielder (b. 1887)
- 1961 - Tom Connolly, umpire; Hall of Fame (b. 1870)
- 1969 - Joe Burg, infielder (b. 1882)
- 1973 - Ernie Manning, pitcher (b. 1890)
- 1977 - Al Smith, pitcher; All-Star (b. 1907)
- 1978 - Art Doll, pitcher (b. 1913)
- 1980 - Bob Porterfield, pitcher; All-Star (b. 1923)
- 1986 - Pat Seerey, outfielder (b. 1923)
- 1995 - Peaches Davis, pitcher (b. 1905)
- 1995 - Gus Polidor, infielder (b. 1961)
- 1996 - Johnny Bucha, catcher (b. 1925)
- 1996 - Al Hollingsworth, pitcher (b. 1908)
- 2000 - Jack Merson, infielder (b. 1922)
- 2004 - Floyd Giebell, pitcher (b. 1909)
- 2005 - Pancho Herrera, infielder (b. 1934)
- 2006 - Steve Howe, pitcher; All-Star (b. 1958)
- 2007 - Archie Wilson, outfielder (b. 1923)