Opening Day is warmly regarded in North American tradition as the beginning of a new Major League Baseball season. It falls annually around the beginning of April, signaling such a generational feeling of rebirth that the writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book titled, Why Time Begins On Opening Day. It represents a newness in which 30 major league clubs and their millions of fans begin with 0-0 records and the hope for glory come autumn's World Series. Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in professional baseball in the world. ... Thomas Boswell (born 1948) is a sports columnist for the Washington Post. ... For other events named World Series, see World Series (disambiguation). ...

For generations, Opening Day has arrived amid pageantry. It is celebrated nowhere as heartily as in Cincinnati, Ohio, home of the sport's first professional team, where an annual parade marks an unofficial "city holiday" with young and old alike taking the day off to cheer on the Reds. Although the past decade has brought the introduction of a Sunday night opening game on ESPN, the ensuing Monday brings Opening Day to numerous major league ballparks and the game that day in Cincinnati (the only team which always opens the season at home) still is observed throughout baseball as the "traditional opener." Opening Day is a state of mind as well, with countless baseball fans known to recognize this unofficial holiday as a good reason to call in sick at the office and go out to the ballpark for the first of 162 regular season games. Nickname: The Queen City Official website: http://www. ... The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. ... ESPN (once an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting sports-related programming 24 hours a day. ...

Hall of Fame pitcher Early Wynn, who played for the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox, once 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." Early Wynn (January 6, 1920 – April 4, 1999) was a right-handed baseball pitcher for the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901-present) Central Division (1994-present) West Division (1969-1993) Major league titles World Series titles (3) 1991 â€¢ 1987 â€¢ 1924 AL Pennants (6) 1991 â€¢ 1987 â€¢ 1965 â€¢ 1933 1925 â€¢ 1924 Central Division titles (3) 2004 â€¢ 2003 â€¢ 2002 West Division titles (4) 1991 â€¢ 1987 â€¢ 1970 â€¢ 1969 Wild... Major league affiliations American League (1901-present) Central Division (1994-present) East Division (1969-1993) Major league titles World Series titles (2) 1948 â€¢ 1920 AL Pennants (5) 1997 â€¢ 1995 â€¢ 1954 â€¢ 1948 1920 Central Division titles (6) [1] 2001 â€¢ 1999 â€¢ 1998 â€¢ 1997 1996 â€¢ 1995 Wild card berths (0) None [1] - In... Major league affiliations American League (1901-present) Central Division (1994-present) West Division (1969-1993) Major league titles World Series titles (3) 2005 â€¢ 1917 â€¢ 1906 AL Pennants (6) 2005 â€¢ 1959 â€¢ 1919 â€¢ 1917 1906 â€¢ 1901 Central Division titles (2) [1] 2005 â€¢ 2000 West Division titles (2) 1993 â€¢ 1983 Wild card berths...

Opening Day extends throughout the sport of baseball, to hundreds of minor league baseball franchises as well as to college, high school, youth league fields and in areas far beyond North America. There are opening-night performances for new Broadway plays, and there is a beginning to everything, but Opening Day is uniquely the start of a baseball season. After a long, cold winter and a Spring Training to prepare, it is that time-honored opportunity to take one's seat at the ballpark and hear the umpire shout, "Play ball!" A Class A California League game in San Jose, California (1994) Minor baseball leagues are North American professional baseball leagues that compete at a level below that of Major League Baseball. ... College baseball is baseball as played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education, predominantly in the United States. ... Broadway theatre is often considered the highest professional form of theatre in the United States. ...

Prior to Opening Day, the teams' managers have to decide the starting pitchers for the Opening Day game. This spot is usually given to the teams' ace pitchers, and is usually considered an honour for a pitcher to start on Opening Day. In turn, the pitchers who start on Opening Day are recognized throughout the baseball world as their teams' best starting pitchers. In baseball, the head coach of a team is called the manager; this individual controls matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. ... A baseball pitcher delivers the ball to home plate In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws the baseball from the pitchers mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter who attempts to either make contact with it or draw a...

Opening Day History

There is a rich history of special events that have occurred on Opening Day, most notably a 1940 no-hitter thrown by Cleveland pitcher Bob Feller, ultimately a Hall of Famer. It remains the only no-hitter in Opening Day history. The following are the baseball events of the year 1940 throughout the world. ... In baseball and softball, a no-hit game (more commonly known as a no-hitter) refers to a contest in which one of the teams has prevented the other from getting an official hit during the entire length of the game, which must be at least 9 innings by the... Robert William Andrew Feller, nicknamed Rapid Robert, is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and Hall of Famer. ...

Opening Day has been synonymous with United States presidents as well. On April 14, 1910, baseball enthusiast William Howard Taft attended the home opener in Washington D.C., becoming the first U.S. President to throw out the first pitch to start a season. Eleven sitting U.S. presidents have done the same since then. One standout, Harry S. Truman, showcased his ambidextrous talent when he threw out ceremonial first pitches with both his right and left arm in 1950. On April 4, 1994, Bill Clinton inaugurated the Cleveland Indians' new ballpark, Jacobs Field, with the first pitch. The presidential seal was used by president Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... April 14 is the 104th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (105th in leap years). ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1910 throughout the world. ... William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857 – March 8, 1930) was an American politician, the 27th President of the United States, the 10th Chief Justice of the United States, and a leader of the conservative wing of the Republican party. ... Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972) was the thirty-fourth Vice President (1945) and the thirty-third President of the United States (1945–1953), succeeding to the office upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1950 throughout the world. ... April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ... The following are the events of the year 1994 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901-present) Central Division (1994-present) East Division (1969-1993) Major league titles World Series titles (2) 1948 â€¢ 1920 AL Pennants (5) 1997 â€¢ 1995 â€¢ 1954 â€¢ 1948 1920 Central Division titles (6) [1] 2001 â€¢ 1999 â€¢ 1998 â€¢ 1997 1996 â€¢ 1995 Wild card berths (0) None [1] - In... Jacobs Field is a baseball stadium located in the middle of downtown Cleveland, Ohio. ...

The great Ted Williams was a .449 hitter in openers, with three home runs and fourteen runs batted in during fourteen such games. "Teddy Ballgame" also boasted at least one hit in every Opening Day game inwhich he appeared. Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002), nicknamed The Kid, the Splendid Splinter, Teddy Ballgame and The Thumper, was an American left fielder in Major League Baseball who played 19 seasons, twice interrupted by military service as a Marine Corps pilot, with the Boston Red Sox. ... Batting average is a statistic in both baseball and cricket measuring the performance of baseball hitters and cricket batsmen, respectively. ... In baseball, a home run is a base hit in which the batter is able to circle all the bases, ending at home plate and scoring a run himself (along with a run scored by each runner who was already on base), with no errors by the defensive team on... In baseball statistics, a run batted in (RBI) is given to a batter for each run scored as the result of a batters plate appearance. ...

On Opening Day in 1974, Hammerin' Hank Aaron ignited the crowd at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati with his first swing. It resulted in his 714th career home run, tying Babe Ruth on Major League Baseball's all-time list. Aaron would finish his career with 755 homers. Henry Louis Hank Aaron (born February 5, 1934 in Mobile, Alabama, United States), is an American baseball player and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. ... Cingery Field formerly known as Riverfront Stadium (1970 - 2002) was the home of the Cincinnati Reds Major League Baseball team and the Cincinnati Bengals National Football League team. ... For the band named Babe Ruth, see Babe Ruth (band). ...

Hall of Famer Walter Johnson was arguably the greatest ballplayer in Opening Day history. In 14 season openers for the Washington Senators, the "Big Train" pitched a record nine shutouts. His two most famous starts include a 3-0 victory over the Philadelphia A's in 1910 and a 1-0 marathon victory while battling the A's Eddie Rommel for 15 innings. Walter Perry Johnson (November 6, 1887-December 10, 1946), American professional baseball pitcher. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901-present) West Division (1969-present) Major league titles World Series titles (9) 1989 â€¢ 1974 â€¢ 1973 â€¢ 1972 1930 â€¢ 1929 â€¢ 1913 â€¢ 1911 1910 AL Pennants (15) 1990 â€¢ 1989 â€¢ 1988 â€¢ 1974 1973 â€¢ 1972 â€¢ 1931 â€¢ 1930 1929 â€¢ 1914 â€¢ 1913 â€¢ 1911 1910 â€¢ 1905 â€¢ 1902 West Division titles (13) [1... Edwin Americus Rommel (September 13, 1897 _ August 26, 1970) was an American right_handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1920 to 1932 who went on to have a successful second career as a major league umpire. ...

On April 4, 2005, Dmitri Young of the Detroit Tigers hit three home runs in his team's opener against the Kansas City Royals at Detroit's Comerica Park. He became the third major leaguer to homer three times on Opening Day, following the Toronto Blue Jays' George Bell in 1988 and the Chicago Cubs' Tuffy Rhodes in 1994. April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ... The following are the events of the year 2005 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... Dmitri Dell Young (born October 11, 1973 in Vicksburg, Mississippi) is a Major League Baseball player who currently plays with the Detroit Tigers; now being used primarily as a designated hitter, he has also played substantially as a left fielder and first baseman since reaching the majors in 1996. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901-present) Central Division (1998-present) East Division (1969-1997) Major league titles World Series titles (4) 1984 â€¢ 1968 â€¢ 1945 â€¢ 1935 AL Pennants (9) 1984 â€¢ 1968 â€¢ 1945 â€¢ 1940 1935 â€¢ 1934 â€¢ 1909 â€¢ 1908 1907 Central Division titles (0) None East Division Champs (3) 1987 â€¢ 1984 â€¢ 1972... Major league affiliations American League (1969-present) Central Division (1994-present) West Division (1969-1993) Major league titles World Series titles (1) 1985 AL Pennants (2) 1985 â€¢ 1980 Central Division titles (0) None West Division titles (6) [1] 1985 â€¢ 1984 â€¢ 1980 â€¢ 1978 1977 â€¢ 1976 Wild card berths (0) None [1... Comerica Park is a baseball stadium located in downtown Detroit, Michigan. ... Major league affiliations American League (1977-present) East Division (1977-present) Major league titles World Series titles (2) 1992 â€¢ 1993 AL Pennants (2) 1992 â€¢ 1993 East Division titles (5) 1985 â€¢ 1989 â€¢ 1991 â€¢ 1992 1993 Wild card berths (0) None Major league nicknames Toronto Blue Jays (1977-present) Major league home... George Antonio Bell Mathey (born October 21, 1959, San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic) is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball. ... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 12 - Former Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Willie Stargell is the only player elected this year to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America. ... Major league affiliations National League (1876-present) Central Division (1994-present) East Division (1969-1993) Major league titles World Series titles (2) 1908 â€¢ 1907 NL Pennants (16) 1945 â€¢ 1938 â€¢ 1935 â€¢ 1932 1929 â€¢ 1918 â€¢ 1910 â€¢ 1908 1907 â€¢ 1906 â€¢ 1886 â€¢ 1885 1882 â€¢ 1881 â€¢ 1880 â€¢ 1876 (1) Division titles {{{DV}}} {{{Division Champs}}} East... Karl Tuffy Rhodes (born August 21, 1968, in Cincinnati, Ohio) was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball for the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox from 1990-1995. ... The following are the events of the year 1994 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ...

Inspirational Opening Day quotes

"You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen." -- Joe DiMaggio It has been suggested that Joe DiMaggio, Jr be merged into this article or section. ...