Opening Day was a little different for the Boston Braves in 1950. Sam Jethroe became the first African-American to play for the Braves when he took the field against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds on April 18. Jethroe, who had spent several years in the Negro Leagues prior to joining Boston, went […]

It’s not how you start, but where you finish. That old adage really came into play for Hal Newhouser of the Detroit Tigers in 1945. Newhouser was not successful in either of his opening performances that season. He lost on Opening Day and in the first game of the World Series. However, it was his […]

Opening Day always brings feelings of hope and optimism among baseball fans. On the down side, nothing can be worse than watching your favorite team lose without getting a hit on the first day of the season. That’s what happened to the Chicago White Sox faithful on April 16, 1940. Hall-of-Fame legend Bob Feller tossed […]