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Date
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Event Description |
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1961
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Baseball's first expansion takes place since the American League entered the major leagues (not including the Federal League). |
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1961
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Los Angeles Angels play their first major league season in the American League. |
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1961
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The Washington Senators move to Minnesota and the Twins play their first major league season. |
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06-08-1961
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The Milwaukee Braves, on the road against the Reds in the seventh inning, became the first team in history (Major League & National League) where teammates hit back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs consecutively. The history making players in order were Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron, Joe Adcock & Frank Thomas.
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10-01-1961
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Roger Maris sets the major league record and is the first player with sixty-one home runs in one season. |
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11-26-1961
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The first rule banning the spitball is ratified. |
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1962
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Houston Colt .45s play their first major league season in the National League. |
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04-09-1962
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John F. Kennedy throws out his first 'first pitch' of the season. |
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04-13-1962
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New York Mets play their first major league game in National League. |
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06-22-1962
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Boog Powell hits the first home run over the centerfield wall in Memorial Stadium. |
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09-05-1962
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Ken Hubbs sets the major league mark and is the first second baseman with seventy-eight errorless games. |
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09-23-1962
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Maury Wills set the major league mark and is the first player with more than ninety-six steals in one season. |
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04-13-1963
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Pete Rose, the future all time hit leader, gets his first hit ever. |
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06-09-1963
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The first Sunday night game ever is played: Colt .45's (3) - Giants (0). |
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07-09-1963
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Stan Musial is the first player to appear in twenty-four All-Star games. |
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07-31-1963
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The Cleveland Indians, at home gainst the Angels in the sixth inning, became the first team in American League history where teammates hit back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs consecutively. The history making players in order were Woodie Held, Pedro Ramos, Tito Francona & Larry Brown.
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09-15-1963
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The Alou brothers appear together in the same outfield for the first time. |
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10-12-1963
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The first and last All Hispanic American All-Star game is played. |
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1964
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The Sislers became the first father-son managerial two-some. George Sisler
managed the St. Louis Browns in 1924-25-26 and Dick Sisler
managed the Reds in 1964-65.
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05-02-1964
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The Minnesota Twins were the first team to hit back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs in extra innings when Tony Oliva, Bob Allison, Jimmie Hall, and Harmon Killebrew hit four in a row during the 11th inning. |
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06-21-1964
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Jim Bunning pitches the first perfect game on Fathers Day. |
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09-01-1964
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Masanori Murakami is the first player from Japan. |
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10-15-1964
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Ken and Clete Boyer are the first brothers to hit home runs in same Series game. |
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12-04-1964
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Baseball approves the first free agent draft. |
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03-17-1965
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Jackie Robinson is the first black network (ABC) broadcaster for Major League Baseball. |
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04-09-1965
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First domed stadium opens Harris County Domed Stadium, also known as the Houston Astrodome. |
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04-09-1965
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Mickey Mantle hits the first home run ever in a domed stadium when he goes deep during an exhibition game against the Astros in the Astrodome. Yankees lost 2-1 in eleven innings in front of 47,876 fans at the "Eighth Wonder of the World." |
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06-08-1965
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Rick Monday is the first pick in the first ever free agent draft. |
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06-15-1965
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Denny McLain sets the major league mark and is the first to strike out the first seven batters he faces. |
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09-08-1965
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Bert Campaneris is the first to play all nine positions in a single game. |
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09-09-1965
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Sandy Koufax is the first and only pitcher with no-hitters in four consecutive years and the fourth is a perfect game. |
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09-26-1965
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Minnesota gets its first American League pennant. |
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04-11-1966
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Emmett Ashford is the first black umpire to call a major league baseball game. |
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04-12-1966
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Atlanta Braves play their first major league game at home and lose 3-2 versus the Pirates. |
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04-19-1966
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First game at new Anaheim Stadium: Angels vs White Sox 1-3. |
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05-08-1966
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Frank Robinson is the first player to hit a ball completely out of Memorial Stadium, a shot estimated at four-hundred fifty-one feet. |
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05-12-1966
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First game at new Busch Memorial Stadium: Cardinals vs Braves 4-3. |
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06-07-1966
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Steve Chilcott,a first pick by the Mets, is the first number one pick not to make it to the big leagues. |
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07-03-1966
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Tony Cloninger is first National League player to hit two grand slams in one game. |
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09-22-1966
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Orioles capture their first American League pennant. |
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11-08-1966
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Frank Robinson is the first player to win a Most Valuable Player Award from each league. |
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11-01-1966
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Sandy Koufax is first pitcher to win three Cy Young awards. |
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05-10-1967
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Hank Aaron, the future all time home run king, hits his first and only inside the park home run. |
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07-14-1967
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Eddie Mathews joins the 500 home runs club and 1967 becomes the first season in Major League history where two players reach the plateau as Mickey Mantle had joined the club on May 14th. |
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11-07-1967
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Orlando Cepeda is first unanimous National League MVP. |
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04-17-1968
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The Athletics, playing their first game in California, franchise started in Philadelphia then moved to Kansas City before calling Oakland their home. Their west-coast debut was a 4-1 losing effort versus the Baltimore Orioles. |
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07-09-1968
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First indoor All-Star game is played at the Houston Astrodome. |
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09-17-1968
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Gaylord Perry threw a no-hitter at Candlestick Park. The famous first takes place on the eighteenth (see next item) |
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09-18-1968
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Ray Washburn, same park and same results - first back-to-back same park no-hitters in Major League history. |
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1969
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First appearance of "Bleacher Bums" at Wrigley Field. |
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1969
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First League Championship games are played. |
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04-07-1969
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Bill Singer of the Los Angeles Dodgers recorded the first officially recognized save against the Cincinnati Reds. |
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04-08-1969
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Kansas City Royals play their first Major League season in the American League. |
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04-08-1969
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Seattle Pilots have their first Major League season in American League. |
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04-08-1969
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Montreal Expos have their first Major League season in National League. |
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04-08-1969
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San Diego Padres have their first Major League season in National League. |
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04-08-1969
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Carlos May of the Chicago White Sox has a jersey with his last name on the back (May) and his new uniform number (17), making him the first ballplayer to have his birthdate on his jersey. |
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07-22-1969
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First postponement of an All Star game - rain. |
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08-05-1969
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Willie Stargell is first to hit a homer out of Dodger Stadium. |
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09-15-1969
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Steve Carlton becomes the first National League pitcher to fan nineteen batters in a single nine inning game. |
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10-06-1969
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Mets win first National League Championship Series. |
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10-06-1969
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Orioles win first American League Championship Series. |
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01-16-1970
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Curt Flood refuses to report to camp and his case brings about free agency. |
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04-07-1970
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Brewers play their first game in Milwaukee losing to Angels 12-0. |
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04-13-1970
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Athletics are first to use gold colored bases which are banned after game. |
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04-22-1970
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Tom Seaver is first to strikeout ten consecutive batters. |
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05-10-1970
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Hoyt Wilhelm is first pitcher to appear in one-thousand games. |
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05-17-1970
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Hank Aaron gets hit number three-thousand and is the first player that also has five-hundred home runs. |
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1970
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Tommie Agee is the first outfielder to win a Gold Glove from each league. |
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1970
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Willie McCovey is the first player in history to hit thirty or more home runs in a season and have more intentional walks than homers (40 INT BB, 39 HR).
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04-10-1971
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Phillies play first game in the new Veterans Stadium. |
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08-10-1971
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SABR is formed and chooses first president L. Robert Davids. |
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09-29-1971
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Ron Hunt is the first player hit by fifty pitches in a single season. |
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10-13-1971
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First World Series night game is played in Pittsburgh: Pirates 4 - Orioles 3. |
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01-19-1972
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Sandy Koufax is first thirty-six year old /youngest player elected to the hall of fame. |
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04-06-1972
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First players' strike occurs setting back opening day for nearly two weeks. |
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07-14-1972
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Bill and Tom Haller are first brother (ump / catcher) combo in same game. |
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08-01-1972
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Nate Colbert sets a major league mark as he is the first to have thirteen runs batted in during a doubleheader. |
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10-04-1972
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Rookie hurler Larry Gowell
hit a double off Jim Lonborg
for his first & only Major League hit AND the last by a pitcher in a regular season American League game before
the start of the designated hitter rule. |
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10-14-1972
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Gene Tenace is first to homer in first two World Series at-bats. |
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11-21-1972
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Carlton Fisk is the first unanimous winner of a Rookie of the Year Award in the American League. |
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12-10-1972
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The American League first adopts the designated hitter rule for a three year experiment. |
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1972
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Steve Carlton
became the first pitcher to win as many games as (or more than) the rest of the rotation combined when he went 27-10 in a year where the rest of the Phillies starters went 19-68. |
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1972
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Milt Pappas is the first pitcher to win two-hundred games without a twenty win season. |
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04-06-1973
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Ron Blomberg became the first official designated hitter in major league history when he came to the plate moments before Orlando Cepeda. |
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04-27-1973
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Steve Busby throws Royals first no-hitter. |
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05-15-1973
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Nolan Ryan, no-hitter king, throws his first major league no-hitter. |
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08-06-1973
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Roberto Clemente is first Hispanic player enshrined in the hall of fame. |
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09-19-1973
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Frank Robinson set major league mark and is first to hit a home run in thirty-two different parks. |
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10-31-1973
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Tom Seaver is first pitcher with less than twenty wins to win a Cy Young Award. |
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02-11-1974
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Dick Woodson is first player to invoke the new free-agency clause. |
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04-04-1974
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Hank Aaron swings for the fences in his first at-bat of the first game of the season and hits home run number seven-hundred fourteen. |
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10-03-1974
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Frank Robinson is the first black manager in the major leagues (Indians). |
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11-06-1974
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Mike Marshall is first relief pitcher to win the Cy Young Award. |
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12-31-1974
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Catfish Hunter - first All-Star free agent leaves to play with the Yankees. |
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04-08-1975
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Frank Robinson manages his first game and hits a home run in his first at-bat. |
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05-04-1975
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On April 22, 1876, Wes Fisler scored the first run. Astros' Bob Watson scored the one-millionth run in the second inning versus the Giants. |
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09-01-1975
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Tom Seaver is first to get more than two-hundred strikeouts in eight consecutive seasons |
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09-28-1975
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First four-pitcher no-hitter is thrown: Vida Blue, Glenn Abbott, Paul Lindblad and Rollie Fingers. |
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11-26-1975
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Fred Lynn became the first Rookie of the Year award winner to also win a Most Valuable Player Award. |
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02-02-1976
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Cal Hubbard is first man elected into both the football and baseball halls of fame. |
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06-15-1976
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First canceled game at Astrodome due to rain (roads flooded). |
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07-20-1976
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Hank Aaron sets a major league mark and is the first player with seven-hundred and fifty-five career homers. |
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10-16-1976
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Dan Driessen from the Reds is the first designated hitter in World Series history. |
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10-21-1976
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Reds are first team to win every game through the League Championship and then the World Series. |
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Date
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Event Description
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