Opening Day just might be the best day of the year, and it brings out the best in MLB stars all over the league.
Hall of Famer and 300-game winner Early Wynn said it best, “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.” There is truly something special about Major League Baseball’s Opening Day. Everyone begins the year 0-0 and with a hope that they can come out holding the World Series trophy at the end of the year.
There is a special excitement on Opening Day. Players are introduced and lined up, banners are hung, and the crowd brings an extra passion that is not there for any old July game. Players also play with an extra juice on Opening Day, and that has led to many epic performances on the first day of the season over the years. Here are the 25 best of all time.
25. Howard Taft throws out the first pitch
All the way back in 1910, big Howard Taft became the first sitting United States President to throw out a ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day. Taft did the honors before the Washington Nationals played the Philadelphia A’s. He would throw out ceremonial first pitches to kick off the 1911 season, and sent his Vice President in 1912 while mourning the sinking of the Titanic. Presidential first pitches have become an integral part of Opening Day ever since.
The tradition of the President tossing a pitch as part of Opening Day has gone by the wayside in recent years. President Obama only threw on Opening Day in 2010, although he did make numerous other ceremonial pitches in his eight years in office. Sitting President Donald Trump threw out the first pitch to kick off the 2006 season at Fenway Park after helping to raise millions for the Jimmy Fund.
Trump will not participate in Opening Day this year, but chances are high that he will find a way to toss out a pitch at some point. Remember, everyone agrees, that 45 would have been drafted first overall were it not for the haters, losers (sad!), failing New York Times, and the bad feet that kept him out of the Vietnam War.
There wasn’t much worth remembering about the Taft years in the White House, but his first pitches helped create one of the best American sports traditions.
24. Jason Heyward homers in his MLB debut
Way before he was an overpaid member of the Chicago Cubs, Jason Heyward was the hottest prospect in the Atlanta Braves system. As a native of the Atlanta area, there were great expectations for Heyward when he made his MLB debut back in 2010. He did not disappoint on Opening Day.
Heyward homered on a 2-0 count from Carlos Zambrano and went on to hit 18 home runs while driving in 72 in his rookie year with the Braves. His Opening Day heroics would not be a sign of grander things to come. The 2010 season was Heyward’s best with Atlanta in terms of offensive production. He did develop a reputation as one of the best defenders in baseball.
Plenty of rookies have homered in their first official MLB at-bat, but Heyward’s was special because it came on Opening Day, with so many in the crowd ready to explode if given the chance. The roar that went up after he made contact tells you everything you need to know.
The Braves eventually traded Heyward to the St. Louis Cardinals after five seasons, netting Shelby Miller, who they eventually flipped for Dansby Swanson and Ender Inciarte. Despite falling a little short of expectations, Heyward and the Braves both got what they needed out of their time together.
23. Tony Batista hits a grand slam off Roger Clemens
There were so many great things to remember about former MLB third baseman Tony Batista. His wide-open batting stance was the stuff of nightmares for hitting coaches trying to teach their young players the proper techniques. Batista stood at the plate with nearly his entire torso facing the mound before closing down and swinging for the fences. He also had one of the best sets of eyebrows in MLB history, and always seemed to be playing with his back pockets hanging out of his pants. Truly an iconic figure.
Batista was a big hero on Opening Day for the Baltimore Orioles in 2002, during some of their darkest days. That year, the O’s drew the juggernaut New York Yankees during the height of their dynastic years. Scott Erickson started against Roger Clemens, but it was Batista who would do the most damage, hitting a grand slam to push the Orioles to a 10-3 win before they went on to lose 95 games.
Batista was no stranger to Opening Day heroics in his career. He hit five homers on Opening Day for his career, including a walk-off during his time with the Toronto Blue Jays. Opening Day has a strange way of bringing out the best in certain players.
22. Felix is the King of Opening Day
Felix Hernandez is MLB’s reining King of Opening Day — fitting because his nickname is King Felix. Hernandez is 5-1 on Opening Day in his career, and has an ERA well below 2.00 in his nine starts. He is approaching the top of the list for most strikeouts on Opening Day for a starting pitcher, and is the active leader in the category.
Hernandez turned in his best Opening Day start in 2007. The M’s opened that year against the Oakland A’s, and King Felix did not disappoint. He was only 20 years old at the time, but had big expectations. Hernandez went eight innings, did not allow a run, and struck out 12. He was the youngest Opening Day starter in more than two decades. Hernandez had another very impressive start in 2011, throwing a complete game, also against the A’s.
The Mariners will obviously give Hernandez the ball this year on Opening Day, and he is looking to rebound in 2017. He went 11-8 last year with his worst ERA since 2007. Injuries have begun taking away his velocity and effectiveness, but Hernandez is still an ace. He is entering his age-31 season, and could still make a run at most of the MLB records for Opening Day starters.
21. The Mets win, win and win some more
No team in Major League Baseball has experienced more winning on Opening Day than the New York Mets. Since their inception as a franchise in 1962, the Mets have the best winning percentage in the league on Opening Day. They have won eight of their past 11 openers, and 35 of their past 47. This is even more impressive considering the team lost their first eight Opening Days while muddling through their early years.
It has helped to have some of the best pitchers in the league over the past five decades. With the team’s best taking the ball to start the year, the Mets have had the upper hand in most of their Opening Days. Hall of Famer Tom Seaver, who spent most of his best years in New York almost always gave his team a chance to win. Seaver holds the record for Opening Day starts with 16. The Mets also employed aces like Dwight Gooden, Johan Santana, Brett Saberhagen, and Pedro Martinez over the years.
Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter gave the Mets one of their most memorable Opening Day wins in 1985 with a walkoff home run. The Mets will turn to ace Noah Syndergaard this year to keep their winning Opening Day tradition going. They will take on the rebuilding Atlanta Braves, and have a very good chance at another win on Opening Day.
20. Ted Williams just shows up and hits
The Splendid Splinter, Ted Williams famously had hitting down to an exact science. With such a refined approach to hitting, it’s no surprise that it never took Williams long to get started in the batter’s box. He is one of the best, if not the best Opening Day hitters in MLB history. Williams does not hold any specific records for most hits or home runs on Opening Day, but he terrorized opposing pitchers nonetheless.
For his career, Williams batted .449 with three home runs and 14 RBI in 14 Opening Day games. He recorded a hit in every opener in which he played. In April, Williams batted .333/.483/.605 with 31 home runs and 108 knocked in. He did not play many April games as his career was interrupted by service as a fighter pilot in World War II.
These days, plenty of MLB players struggle to start the year. Working through their swings and timing can make for plenty of sloppy baseball in the opening month. There are still those that get off to hot starts, but no one started his seasons better than Ted Williams. Everything about his approach at the plate was carefully measured. He was a rare talent as a hitter.
19. Randy Johnson flirts with a no-hitter
There has only been one no-hitter on Opening Day in MLB history (more on that later), but Hall of Famer Randy Johnson flirted with a no-no on Opening Day of the 1994 season. Pitching for the Seattle Mariners against the Cleveland Indians as they opened their sparkling new park, Jacobs Field, Johnson did not allow a hit until the eighth inning.
Even without his best command — Johnson would walk five that day — he was dominant. The big left-hander would be lifted after allowing a second hit, but picked up the win. His performance had Bob Feller, the pitcher with the Opening Day no-no, nervous as he looked on.
"“I ran to the restroom between innings and I ran back to the booth and he was up and down in the hallways,” said radio play-by-play announcer Tom Hamilton, then in his fifth year with the Indians. “And I said, ‘Bob, what’s the matter?’ He said, ‘He can’t throw this thing.’ I didn’t get it. Then I was informed Bob was the only one to throw a no-hitter [on Opening Day.] He was adamant that there not be one thrown.” The game was also nationally televised on ESPN. Feller burst into the booth and said to Chris Berman and company, loudly, “You know, I’m the only guy that has a no-hitter on Opening Day.”"
It’s funny that Feller was so protective of his status as the only pitcher to toss a no-hitter on Opening Day. Whatever he did to derail the bid worked, and he is still alone. Johnson had a history of dominating on Opening Day, and is the all-time leader in Opening Day strikeouts.
18. Ramirez and Pedroia both homer twice
On Opening Day of the 2015 season, both Hanley Ramirez and Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox homered twice off Cole Hamels and the Philadelphia Phillies. It was a big day for Ramirez as he made his Boston debut. Boston won the game by a score of 8-0, and Clay Buchholz allowed only three hits over seven innings.
Unfortunately, the 2015 season would not follow the same script for the Red Sox. The team struggled with its pitching staff, and finished in last place with a 78-84 record. Ramirez struggled with injuries for most of the season. Another big free-agent addition for the Red Sox, Pablo Sandoval also struggled with his weight. Pedroia would be limited to only 93 games due to injuries, but returned to form in 2016.
Ramirez would finish the year with 19 home runs after his Opening Day salvo. It actually appeared he would be on track for an epic first season in Boston, as he hit 10 home runs before the end of April. Injuries eventually ended his season after only 105 games. Ramirez bounced back and had a strong season in 2016. The Red Sox will be counting on him to come close to replicating his 30-homer, 110-RBI season in 2017.
17. George Bell homers three times
Defending AL MVP George Bell opened the 1988 season with the first three-homer Opening Day game in MLB history. His first two homers in the game came against Kansas City Royals ace Brett Saberhagen. Bell was coming off a season with 47 home runs and 134 RBI. Over the first five full seasons of his career, the star left fielder was a .295/.337/.525 hitter with 134 home runs and 441 RBI. Surely, this explosion on Opening Day should have signaled the slugger taking his game to an even higher level.
Alas, 1987 would be the last big season of Bell’s career. The Blue Jays star would actually go 5-for-5 in the second game of the 1988 season, but slumped from there. Bell slashed .269/.304/.446 with 24 homers and 97 RBI. He never hit more than 25 home runs in a season over the final six seasons of his career, but did have two 100-RBI seasons and two All-Star appearances.
Bell’s career ended far short of expectations after his first five seasons. He appeared to be on track to reach the Hall of Fame, but ultimately ended his career with only 265 home runs and 1,002 RBI. Bell still had an outstanding career, and can say he is the first player to go deep three times on Opening Day.
16. Story Time
Colorado Rockies rookie shortstop Trevor Story announced himself to the MLB community in a big way last Opening Day. Making his debut, Story homered twice and drove in four runs. He would go on from there to have one of the most epic opening weeks ever by a rookie. Story homered in four straight years to start the year, including a second two-homer game to end the streak.
Story was not expected to bring this much power to the big leagues, but he went on to have a very successful rookie season. His first week was not a fluke, and the league still did not quite figure him out. Story ended the year with 27 home runs in only 97 games, with his season cut short by injuries. He also drove in 72 with a very nice slash line of .272/.341/.567.
Strikeouts were a bit of a problem for the rookie last year. Story struck out 130 times in fewer than 100 games, but he far exceeded expectations. The Rockies need a big sophomore season from their shortstop. He has the tools to help put this team over the top and back into the playoffs. It may be time to forget Troy Tulowitzki in Colorado and ride Trevor Story’s bat.
15. Gaylord Perry dominates in front of 74,000
The crowd of 74,420 at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium for Opening Day 1973 was treated to an absolute gem by Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry, who was no stranger to pitching on the first day of the season. All told, Perry started an Opening Day game for five teams around the big leagues. This one was one of his best.
Perry shut down the Detroit Tigers over nine innings in that game, allowing only four hits and one earned run. He was able to outduel Mickey Lolich of Detroit. Perry would go on to throw an astounding 29 complete games in 1973, the second year in a row he completed that many starts. The Indians, however, suffered through a horrible year, losing 95 games. Perry himself lost 19 games despite a 3.38 ERA.
The crowd who turned out to watch this game also deserves a mention. This is the highest turnout ever for an Opening Day game, and no one will ever top it. The old Indians stadium was a multi-sport bowl, with more seating capacity than MLB stadiums in 2017. There is plenty of colorful history to go along with “The Mistake by the Lake,” and Opening Day 1973 in Cleveland would qualify as one of the top-10 attended baseball games of all time, including the World Series.
14. Charlie Hustle lives for Opening Day
Of all the hitters in MLB history, no one got up for Opening Day more than Pete Rose. Not that Charlie Hustle needed any extra incentive to play hard in any game, but the first one of the year always seemed to bring out something special from the all-time hit king. Rose is also the all-time leader in hits on Opening Day with 31.
One of Rose’s most memorable Opening Days came in 1974 against the Atlanta Braves. He went 3-for-5 that day with a walk, three runs, and two doubles as the Cincinnati Reds prevailed 7-6 in 11 innings. Rose’s fingerprints were all over the game.
With the Braves leading by four in the eighth inning, Rose sparked a three-run rally with a leadoff walk. In the 11th inning, with the Reds still trailing by a run, Rose knocked in the tying run with a double. Standing on second base with the game tied, Charlie Hustle then turned in one of the ultimate hustle plays of his career. Buzz Capra unleashed a wild pitch, and Rose came barrelling around all the way from second base to score the winning run in epic fashion.
13. Kirk Gibson sinks the Red Sox
Kirk Gibson will always be remembered for his heroic home run in the 1988 World Series. There were plenty of other great moments in Gibby’s career, including Opening Day of the 1986 season. Gibson had one of the best Opening Days in Detroit Tigers history that day.
Gibson went 4-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI. The game was a back-and-forth affair, and Gibson’s home runs were what helped to give Jack Morris his eighth win on Opening Day. His first homer came in the fifth inning and gave Detroit a 4-2 lead. Boston had rallied with three runs in the seventh inning to take the lead. Gibson came back to the plate and put the Tigers ahead with another two-run homer. From there, Detroit held on for the win.
The 1986 season would turn into one of the finest of Gibson’s 17-year career. He hit .268/.371/.492 with 28 home runs and 34 stolen bases. Gibson had two more good years after that before knee injuries slowed him. He ended his career with 255 home runs, 284 steals, an MVP, and two World Series titles, but was somehow never voted to the All-Star Game.
12. Jim Presley’s walk-off grand slam
Jim Presley enjoyed a nice eight-year run in the big leagues in the 1980s and early 1990s. He hit 135 home runs and made an All-Star team in 1986. Presley nearly hit 30 home runs in his best seasons, but struck out too often to carve out a longer career. One of his finest days came on Opening Day of the 1986 season.
Presley turned in an all-time great performance that day. He also did all of his damage with the game on the line. His Seattle Mariners trailed the California Angels by two runs in the ninth, and the third baseman tied the game with his first home run of the season. In the tenth, with the game still knotted at four, the Mariners loaded the bases, setting the stage for Presley. He then delivered a walk-off grand slam against Angels relief pitcher Ken Forsch.
Presley became the first Seattle hitter ever to have two home runs on Opening Day. Ken Griffey Jr. and Richie Sexson have since joined him in the club. Presley remains one of only two hitters to hit a walk-off grand salami on Opening Day. After retiring from baseball, the slugger went on to become a respected hitting coach. His most recent post was with the Baltimore Orioles, one of the best power-hitting teams in baseball.
11. Opening Day’s big winners
Opening Day is for aces, and that is not a new tradition. Dating back over one hundred years, every team starts the season by sending their best arm to the mound. Two pitchers stand out for winning the most starts on Opening Day in their careers — Walter Johnson and Grover Alexander. Johnson won nine starts on Opening Day for the Washington Senators, while Alexander won eight starts for a few different teams in the National League.
It should come as no surprise that Johnson and Alexander top this list. They were two of the most dominant pitchers of the Dead Ball Era. Johnson won 417 games in his career, including 36 in 1913 alone. He also led the league in strikeouts 12 times over the course of a 21-year career. Johnson also holds the record for highest Game Score by a pitcher on Opening Day — 111. He very well may have thrown a no-hitter in 1910, when the only hit he allowed came when his fielder tripped over a child sitting on the field (my, how times have changed). We will touch more on that game later.
Alexander won 373 games in the big leagues and five ERA titles. He also had three 30-win seasons, which have become all but impossible in today’s game. Alexander and Johnson are both in the Hall of Fame. Clayton Kershaw could approach Alexander’s record in the National League. He has four wins, and will start on Opening Day for the seventh straight year. The Dodgers have not lost an Opening Day when he starts.
10. Johnny Vander Meer goes 11 strong
Only two pitchers have ever thrown 11 or more shutout innings on Opening Day — Hall of Famer Walter Johnson and Cincinnati Reds legend Johnny Vander Meer. Starting the 1943 season, Vander Meer and the Reds took on the St. Louis Cardinals. The Reds starter, who became the only pitcher in MLB history to throw back-to-back no-hitters two years prior, went the distance in extra innings.
The Cardinals were the defending World Series champions, and were led by Hall of Famer Stan Musial. Vander Meer dominated them the entire game, limited the powerful offense to only two hits. He kept them off balance, and got through the game with only three strikeouts. It’s uncommon today to see a pitcher throw a complete game on Opening Day, let alone make it through 11 frames.
Vander Meer had an up-and-down career, ultimately finishing with a losing record in 13 years in the big leagues. Control was always one of his biggest issues, and he led the league in walks in 1943. He went 119-121 with a 3.44 ERA, those two no-hitters, and four trips to the All-Star Game. When he was at his best, there was no one in baseball better than Johnny Vander Meer.
9. Clayton Kershaw tosses shutout and homers
Generally speaking, matchups for Opening Day are not set in stone, and teams rotate through different opponents over the years. That’s generally fine, but if MLB wants to capitalize on one of its best remaining rivalries, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants will play each other on Opening Day every year until either Clayton Kershaw or Madison Bumgarner change teams. There is no better head-to-head pitching matchup to watch in baseball.
One of the best games in their long rivalry came on Opening Day in 2013. Kershaw and Bumgarner traded zeroes for eight innings. Bumgarner was removed before he could complete the game, and Kershaw came to the plate in the eighth inning of a 0-0 game and promptly delivered a home run to dead center to break the tie. He would finish the shutout on his own.
That was the first home run of his career, and it remains his only one to this date. Kershaw owns a measly .178 slugging percentage, and only had one extra-base hit in his career before this home run. Special things happen when the Giants and Dodgers play on Opening Day, but unfortunately, they do not play each other for the first time this season until April 24. What a shame, and a waste of one of the best potential head-to-head rivalries in baseball.
8. Dmitri Young blasts three out
Dmitri Young was a pioneer in baseball. He was one of the few players in league history willing to openly play at 300 pounds or more. Somehow, he managed a long MLB career even as he battled weight issues the entire time. Young played 13 seasons with the Cardinals, Reds, Tigers, and Nationals. Some of his best years came with the Tigers, and he opened the 2005 season with three bombs on Opening Day.
Young’s homers left no doubt, as all three were absolute moonshots. Back before the fences were brought in at Comerica Park, it took some serious clout to hit three balls out in the April cold of the Motor City. Say what you will about Young’s weight, the man could hit.
During his career, Young made the All-Star team twice, and batted .292/.351/.475 with 171 home runs and 683 RBI. He easily could have gotten more out of himself and his talents, but he has gone on to accomplish some good things after his playing days ended. A big collector of baseball cards, Young auctioned off 500 of his best cards, raised over $2 million, and is working to establish a foundation that will help young athletes in Southern California. That’s much more than could be said of younger brother Delmon, whose career ended in disgrace.
7. Walter Johnson’s one-hitter
President Taft, who had just kicked off the tradition of ceremonial first pitches, was treated to arguably the best Opening Day start ever in 1910 thanks to Walter Johnson. The Hall of Famer was just a young pup of 22 when he took the ball that day against the Philadelphia Athletics, and had only 32 career victories. Despite his young age, Johnson had already established himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball, and he had everything working that day.
Johnson carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning. His bid was thwarted when Frank Baker lofted an easy fly ball down the right-field line. The right fielder had a play, but collided with a fan standing too close to the field. At the time, there were no clear borders separating fans from the action, and the crowd packed as close to the line as possible. The fielder tripped over the fan, and the ball fell in for a double. In modern times, such a play would have resulted in fan interference being called and an automatic out.
Were it not for the confused fan, Johnson would have had the first Opening Day no-hitter. He would have to settle for the one-hit shutout, and went on to win 25 games that year with a 1.36 ERA and 38 complete games. Johnson eventually got his no-hitter in 1920 against the Red Sox.
6. Hank Aaron ties Babe Ruth
Hank Aaron entered the 1974 season with 713 home runs, needing just one to tie the legendary Babe Ruth. He wasted no time tying the Babe, homering on Opening Day against the Cincinnati Reds. Aaron hit an absolute no-doubter to left field for the historic home run.
It would take Aaron only a few more games to hit number 715 and pass Ruth as the all-time leader in home runs. He went on to retire with 755, a number surpassed by only Barry Bonds and Victor Conte. Aaron was all class throughout his entire career, and he is still a great ambassador for baseball.
While 715 gets more play as a historic moment, his tying home run on Opening Day is just as special. For years, Aaron’s quick wrists sent balls flying out of County Stadium, and he was able to step up for the big crowd on Opening Day. Lesser players would have allowed the pressure of chasing Ruth to get to them, but Aaron took care of business on the first day of the season. He was a special player in every sense of the word, and deserves to be remembered among the finest moments of Opening Day.
5. Corey Patterson drive in seven
Corey Patterson was supposed to be one of the driving forces to put the Chicago Cubs over the top. The center fielder was one of the biggest prospects in baseball leading up to his debut in the big leagues, but his career never fully materialized. His blend of speed and power should have made him a long-time All-Star for the Cubbies, but his plate discipline was sorely lacking.
It all came together in a spectacular way for Patterson on Opening Day of the 2003 season. On that day, the New York Mets were witness to a full display of everything Patterson could be at his best. He hit two home runs that day, and tied a record for RBI on Opening Day with seven.
The 2003 season would wind up being one of the best in Patterson’s 12-year career. Although he was limited to only 83 games, he hit 13 home runs, drove in 55, and stole 16 bases to go along with a .298/.329/.511 slash line. Patterson was so close to putting it all together and becoming a star, but he eventually ran out of chances.
Patterson finished his career with 118 home runs, with a career-high of 24 in 2004. He also knocked in 72 and stole 32 bases. Patterson had two solid years with the Baltimore Orioles in 2006 and 2007, but his biggest career highlight will always be knocking in seven on Opening Day.
4. Raul Mondesi saves the day
On Opening Day of the 1999 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers entered the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks needing three runs to tie the game. They were down to their final out when outfielder Raul Mondesi came to the plate. He worked the count to 3-0 and then blasted a game-tying home run.
The game went to extra innings, and Mondesi was the hero in the 11th inning. Gary Sheffield reached on a walk, bringing Mondesi back up to the plate with a chance to be the hero. He did not disappoint. Mondesi walked it off with a home run to left field. He ended Opening Day with a 4-for-5 line with two homers and six RBI. This was one of the most clutch performances on Opening Day of all time, and certainly the best offensive explosion by a Dodgers hitter on Opening Day.
Mondesi was always known for his offensive outbursts with the Dodgers, but they came too inconsistently for the former NL Rookie of the Year. He hit 33 homers in 1999, but the Dodgers went 77-83 and finished over 20 games behind the Diamondbacks. Mondesi was traded to Toronto after the season.
3. Camilo Pascual whiffs 15
For a brief time in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Camilo Pascual was one of the most dominant strikeout pitchers in baseball. He led the league in strikeouts three years in a row from 1961 to 1963, and went to the All-Star Game five times in six years from 1959 to 1964.
In 1960, Pascual set the Opening Day record with 15 strikeouts. Pitching for the Minnesota Twins, he sat down 15 hitters from the Boston Red Sox. He broke the old record of 14 strikeouts on Opening Day, set by Hall of Famer Walter Johnson. Pascual would go on to finish the year with a 3.03 ERA, but was only able to make 22 starts due to injury. During his time in the league, Pascual was known for having one of the best curveballs in baseball. After his Opening Day masterpiece, he turned down a chance to meet President Eisenhower because he was not confident in his command of the English language.
Unfortunately for Pascual, his run of dominance in the big leagues would be very limited. He was only able to start more than 30 games in a season once in his final seven years as a big leaguer. Throwing so many innings at a young age damaged his arm, and cut short his career. Pascual threw 90 complete games during his best run from 1959 to 1964. Ultimately, he would win 174 games during his career with a 3.63 ERA. Pascual retired with over 2,100 strikeouts, and is a member of the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame.
2. Tuffy Rhodes goes yard three times
To most, Tuffy Rhodes is a long-forgotten former MLB outfielder who scarcely enjoyed a cup of coffee in the big leagues. Rhodes hit only 13 home runs in parts of six seasons in the major leagues, but three of them came in one spectacular burst on Opening Day of the 1994 season. Rhodes went 4-for-4 that day with three bombs.
Rhodes was always thought to have great potential, but he could not put it together in the big leagues. He struggled to avoid distractions off the field in the minor leagues, and wound up playing in Japan at the age of 27 after batting .098/.156/.122 in the big leagues in 1997. That 1994 season would prove to be his longest run of time in the big leagues. He played 95 games that year with eight home runs.
Rhodes went on to dominate in Japan, hitting 464 home runs there with a .940 OPS in 13 seasons. He retired in 2009 at the age of 40, coming off a season with 22 home runs in only 84 games. In Japan, Rhodes is remembered for being one of the best foreign hitters to ever grace their league. In the USA, he is remembered for three bolts of lightning on Opening Day and heaps of unfulfilled promise.
1. Bob Feller tosses a no-hitter
There has still only been one no-no tossed on Opening Day. Hall of Famer Bob Feller did the honors all the way back in 1940 for the Cleveland Indians. Feller shut down the Chicago White Sox even though he did not have his best stuff that day. He issued five walks, but struck out eight. Feller retired 15 straight from the fourth inning to the eighth inning.
"From the Plain Dealer: “As cool in the club house after the game as he was on the mound, Feller said: ‘I wasn’t sure I had it until Ray Mack threw out that last man. That [Taft Wright’s smashing grounder to Cleveland’s rookie second baseman] was the hardest ball hit at me all day. It really was hit.”"
Throwing a no-hitter in April can be difficult. The cold weather makes it just as hard for pitchers to grip the ball and command their secondary pitches. It isn’t that surprising that there has only been one no-hitter on Opening Day in MLB history. Feller was a good candidate to throw one because he threw hard, and could get by with just his fastball. Max Scherzer has flirted with an Opening Day no-no, but will not get the ball this year while working through a finger injury.
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If anyone around the league is going to match Feller on Opening Day this year, Clayton Kershaw is as good a candidate as ever. Noah Syndergaard always has no-hit stuff and velocity as well. With pitchers throwing harder than ever, it may be time for a second no-hitter on Opening Day, but don’t bet on it.