ON THIS DATE

1947 — Commissioner Happy Chander suspended Brooklyn Dodgers manager Leo Durocher for one year for “the accumulation of unpleasant incidents” detrimental to baseball.

1959 — The Baltimore Orioles, playing against Washington, became the first major league team to execute a triple play on opening day. The Senators won 9-2.

1965 — The Houston Astrodome opened with an exhibition game between the Astros and New York Yankees. President Lyndon Johnson attended, and Gov. John Connally threw out the first ball. Mickey Mantle hit the first home run, but the Astros won 2-1 in 12 innings.

1969 — Chicago left fielder Billy Williams hit four consecutive doubles and drove in two runs in the Cubs’ 11-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

1974 — San Diego Padres owner Ray Kroc criticized his club over the public address system during the eighth inning of a 9-5 loss to the Houston Astros. “Ladies and gentlemen, I suffer with you,” Kroc told the crowd of 39,083 for the home opener. Kroc added, “I’ve never seen such stupid baseball playing in my life.”

1981 — Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Fernando Valenzuela made his first major league start a success by pitching a five-hit shutout in the Dodgers’ 2-0 win over the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium. He went on to win his first eight games.

1985 — Chicago right-hander Tom Seaver made his 15th opening day start to break Christy Mathewson’s record. Seaver pitched 6 2/3 innings and was credited with the victory as the White Sox beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2.

1987 — New York catcher Gary Carter drove in his 1,000th run with an eighth-inning single in the Mets’ 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

1989 — New York left fielder Rickey Henderson notched his 800th stolen base, swiping second in the third inning of the Yankees’ 4-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians.

1993 — The Colorado Rockies beat the Montreal Expos 11-4 for their first win and set a National League record for attendance in their home debut. The crowd of 80,227 broke the record of 78,672 set on April 18, 1958, by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

1994 — Recently retired NBA legend Michael Jordan made his professional baseball debut by going hitless for Double-a Birmingham.

2000 — Minnesota’s Ron Coomer, Jacque Jones and Matt Lecroy hit consecutive home runs in the Twins’ 13-7 win over Kansas City. The Royals’ Carlos Beltran, Jermaine Dye and Mike Sweeney repeated the feat, marking the first time in major league history that both teams hit three consecutive home runs in one game.