OPENING DAY HISTORY

Major League Baseball Opening Day History | Baseball Almanac

For over a century, baseball has been hailed above all other sports as America's National Pastime. And no other game during the regular one-hundred sixty-two game season has been as eagerly anticipated as Opening Day. Just look at any die-hard baseball fan's calendar. Vacation? Holidays? Anniversaries? All are often forgotten and pale in comparison with the coveted first game of the season. Ask any fan what the "official" start of Spring is. Chances are their answer will be Opening Day. Much more than just an event, it is an experience.

Major League Baseball's first officially recognized franchise the Cincinnati Reds were historically awarded the privilege of "opening the Openers" and hosted the outings from 1876-1989. Only twice during this time (1877 and 1966) were they forced to debut on the road due to rain. Finally in 1990, the tradition was broken and the Reds were scheduled to appear as the visitors against the Houston Astros. Despite the prestige of being christened as baseball's opening act, Cincinnati has posted an average record of 50-52-1 that has been shadowed by the countless spectacles off the baseline including parades, fireworks, circus performances and the opening of new ballparks in 1884, 1894, 1912 and 2003.

A national event, Opening Day has also become a "political pitcher's" arena for U.S. Presidents to show their "stuff." On April 14, 1910, President, and baseball enthusiast, William Howard Taft attended the home opener in Washington D.C. Since then, eleven sitting U.S. presidents have tossed out the season's ceremonial first pitch. One standout, Harry S. Truman, showcased his ambidextrous talent when he threw out balls with both his right and left arm in 1950. Beyond Presidents, Opening Day has witnessed many other historical performances:

Ted Williams was a .449 hitter in openers, with three home runs and fourteen runs batted in during fourteen games. "Teddy Ballgame" also boasted at least one hit in every Opening Day game he appeared in. Williams' first Opening Day (April 20, 1939) was especially noteworthy as he faced the rival New York Yankees and Lou Gehrig, who was playing in his 2,123rd consecutive game.

Opening Day 1940 witnessed one of the most famous pitching events as Cleveland ace Bob Feller and White Sox hurler Eddie Smith went head-to-head. Smith blinked, but Feller remained in control and tossed the only Opening Day no-hitter in Major League history.

Hammerin' Hank Aaron ignited the crowd at Riverfront Stadium on his first swing of the 1974 season when he tagged Cincinnati Reds for his 714th career home run to tie Babe Ruth on the all-time list.

Unfortunately, Opening Day has also been marred by riots and civil disobedience. At the start of the 1907 season, the New York Giants opened against the Phillies following a heavy snowstorm. In preparation for the game, groundskeepers were forced to shovel large drifts of snow onto the outer edges of the field in foul territory. After falling behind 3-0, the disappointed fans at the Polo Grounds began hurling snowballs onto the playing field, disrupting play. As the melee progressed, chaos ensued and fans began rushing onto the field to continue the snowball fight. After being pelted, Home plate umpire Bill Klem had enough and called a forfeit in favor of the Phillies.

Statistically speaking, how important is Opening Day to a team in regards to a championship season? The answer is not that much. The record for most consecutive Opening Day wins by a team WAS nine, set by the Cincinnati Red (1983-1991). The Detroit Tigers, who won every Opening Day from 2009 through 2017, tied the Big Red Machine, but lost number ten in 2018. The Houston Astros hold the current record after they had a winning streak that started in 2013, continued through 2022, but ended in 2023 — ten consecutive Opening Day victories!!

Individual Opening Day stats however, speak volumes on the career accomplishments of a player. On the mound, Greg Maddux was a sure thing with a perfect 6-0 record in seven career starts. Jimmy Key holds the record for most wins on Opening Day without a loss, with seven and other perfect Opening Day hurlers include Wes Ferrell at 6-0, and Lon Warneke and Rip Sewell with 5-0 scorecards.

At the plate, Hall of Fame outfielder Frank Robinson, future Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. and 2x All-Star Adam Dunn each hit eight career / record setting home runs on the first day of the season, while Willie Mays and Eddie Mathews each belted seven Opening Day round-trippers.

Above all others Walter Johnson was perhaps the greatest ballplayer ever to don a uniform on Opening Day. In fourteen season openers for the Washington Senators, Johnson hurled a record nine shutouts with a nine and five (9-5) overall record. His two most famous starts include a 3-0 masterpiece against the A's in 1910 and a 1-0 marathon victory while battling fifteen innings against Philadelphia's Eddie Rommel.

Hall of Fame pitcher Early Wynn, who played for the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox, summed up the essence of Opening Day when he said, "An opener is not like any other game. There's that little extra excitement, a faster beating of the heart. You have that anxiety to get off to a good start, for yourself and for the team. You know that when you win the first one, you can't lose 'em all."

Regardless of the outcome, Opening Day still remains as the number one date in the hearts, minds (and on the calendars) of baseball fans everywhere. The official countdown begins after the last pitch of the World Series when we can't wait to hear those two magic words again, "Play Ball!"

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Opening Day game data presented below is each specific team's Opening Day game — played in their ballpark. Every team, every year, must get an Opening Day game, so when they play their first game at home, that home opener is the data being provided for Opening Day research.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"There is no sports event like Opening Day of baseball, the sense of beating back the forces of darkness and the National Football League." - Vecsey, George. A Year in the Sun. Crown Publishing. 4 March 1989. Page 133.

Opening Day History

Team-by-Team Opening Day Games | Opening Day Box Scores

Baltimore Orioles Opening Day Games Arizona Diamondbacks Opening Day Games
Boston Red Sox Opening Day Games Atlanta Braves Opening Day Games
Chicago White Sox Opening Day Games Chicago Cubs Opening Day Games
Cleveland Indians Opening Day Games Cincinnati Reds Opening Day Games
Detroit Tigers Opening Day Games Colorado Rockies Opening Day Games
Houston Astros Opening Day Games Los Angeles Dodgers Opening Day Games
Kansas City Royals Opening Day Games Miami Marlins Opening Day Games
Los Angeles Angels Opening Day Games Milwaukee Brewers Opening Day Games
Minnesota Twins Opening Day Games New York Mets Opening Day Games
New York Yankees Opening Day Games Philadelphia Phillies Opening Day Games
Oakland Athletics Opening Day Games Pittsburgh Pirates Opening Day Games
Seattle Mariners Opening Day Games St. Louis Cardinals Opening Day Games
Tampa Bay Rays Opening Day Games San Diego Padres Opening Day Games
Texas Rangers Opening Day Games San Francisco Giants Opening Day Games
Toronto Blue Jays Opening Day Games Washington Nationals Opening Day Games

Opening Day History

Opening Day Charts | Opening Day Songs | Opening Day Feats

On Opening Day (Song, Lyrics, Audio) Opening Day Advertisement (Historical)
Opening Day Records Opening Day Feats by Hall of Famers
MLB Opening Day History | Research by Baseball Almanac
baseball almanac flat baseball

baseball almanac fast facts

Author Fred Schwed, Jr. in "How to Watch a Baseball Game" (1957) summed up the feeling of Opening Day in Cincinnati with this line, "However, at Cincinnati the first game is always played there. This is because the Citizens of this Ohio city do not consider Opening Day just as Opening Day. They consider it one small notch below Christmas."

Did you know that on Good Friday, April 10, 1846, Alexander Cartwright umpired the first game played by the Knickerbockers and the score sheet simply said: Commencement of the Season? Did you know that our team rosters have bold faced entries for players who started during the Opening Day game? To see them, simply visit any team, select the schedule (year) you want, the Opening Day line-up is bold (and at the bottom of each roster):

OPENING DAY LINE-UPS
     
MLB TEAM LG YEARS
Anaheim Angels AL 1997-2004
Arizona Diamondbacks NL 1998-2023
Atlanta Braves NL 1966-2023
Baltimore Orioles AL 1954-2015
California Angels AL 1966-1996
Chicago Colts NL 1890-1897
Chicago Cubs NL 1902-2015
Chicago Orphans NL 1898-1901
Chicago White Stockings NL 1876-1889
Colorado Rockies NL 1993-2014
Florida Marlins NL 1993-2011
Houston Astros NL 2013-2014
Houston Astros NL 1965-2012
Houston Colt .45s NL 1962-1964
Kansas City Athletics AL 1955-1967
Kansas City Royals AL 1969-2014
Los Angeles Angels AL 1961-1965
Los Angeles Angels AL 2005-2015
Los Angeles Dodgers NL 1958-2014
Miami Marlins NL 2012-2014
Milwaukee Brewers NL 1998-2014
Milwaukee Brewers AL 1970-1997
Minnesota Twins AL 1961-2014
Montreal Expos NL 1969-2004
New York Mets NL 1962-2014
Oakland Athletics AL 1968-2014
San Diego Padres NL 1969-2014
San Francisco Giants NL 1958-2014
Seattle Mariners AL 1977-2014
Seattle Pilots AL 1969-1969
Tampa Bay Devil Rays AL 1998-2007
Tampa Bay Rays AL 2008-2023
Texas Rangers AL 1972-2023
Toronto Blue Jays AL 1977-2023
Washington Senators AL 1961-1971
Washington Nationals NL 2005-2023

The record for most consecutive Opening Day honorary pitches thrown is probably held by Detroit Wolverines catcher Charlie Bennett. After both his legs were amputated following an 1894 train accident he threw out the first pitch in Bennett Park until his death in 1927.