This day in MLB History

[Dead Simmons]

1973 Orlando Cepeda, who was specifically signed to fill the role of the newly created position of designated hitter, goes 0-for-6 when the Red Sox pound out 20 hits in a 15-5 rout of the Yankees at Fenway Park on Opening Day. The future Hall of Famer misses out on a place in baseball history after the top of the first inning is extended by a misjudged bloop hit and two walks, giving Ron Blomberg, batting sixth for the Bronx Bombers, the opportunity to be the first player to come to the plate as the DH.

 

Nice trivia question.

 

[Dead Simmons]

http://www.corbisimages.com/images/Corbis-U385098ACME.jpg?size=67&uid=8b626b72-bba0-454c-a704-aaffd20f7cb3

 

4/8/53 Bernice Lombardi finds her husband Ernie lying on the bed, after the former major league catcher had slit his throat from ear to ear with a razor that he found in a relative's bathroom. The former Reds' backstop, battling a similar bout of depression that caused his teammate Willard Hershberger to commit suicide in 1940, is given little hope to live, at the time, but he will manage to survive his horrific self-inflicted wound.

 

 

1999 - After participating in 243 major league games, Jim Abbott finally gets his first at-bat, grounding out to third base in the Brewers' 9-4 loss to St. Louis at Busch Stadium. The 31 year-old southpaw, born without a right hand, signed with Milwaukee in the off season after spending the first nine years of his career in the American League.

 

Later, in June, Abbott would get his first safety.