April 13 in Tigers and mlb history:
1926: In one of the greatest Opening Day pitchers' duels ever, Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators defeats Eddie Rommel and the Philadelphia Athletics, 1 - 0, in a 15-inning battle. The game will set the record for longest opening day contest until 2012, when the Blue Jays and Indians play 16 innings on April 5th.
1953: For the first time in half a century, a new city is represented in the American or National league. The Braves who moved from Boston to Milwaukee over the winter, open in Cincinnati.
1954: The Tigers defeated the Baltimore Orioles 3-0 at Briggs Stadium. It was the first broadcast in Detroit for the then-radio voice of the Orioles -- a Georgian named Ernie Harwell!
1954: The brand new Baltimore Orioles open in Detroit and lose, 3 - 0. Don Larsen takes the loss against Steve Gromek. The Tigers start fast and will win 12 of their first 18 games.
1954: Hank Aaron makes his major league debut in left field for the Milwaukee Braves and goes 0 for 5 in a 9 - 8 loss to the Cincinnati Redlegs.
1962: At Wrigley Field, Stan Musial scores his 1,869th run to set a new National League record as the Cardinals beat the Cubs, 8 - 5, in 15 innings.
1968: Looking back on his career some 30 years later, Willie Mays will recall being gunned down going from first to third exactly once: "Roberto Clemente threw me out on a bang-bang play at third. I should have remembered what a tremendous arm he had." If Willie's memory is correct, this was the play, as witnessed by James K. McGee of the San Francisco Chronicle: "Willie Mays, leading off the 7th, lined a single into left for the Giants' first hit. When Willie McCovey, the next hitter, bounced a single over Donn Clendenon's outstretched glove into right field, it appeared the dam had been broken and runs would flow. Then came the key play of the game. Mays rounded second base and slowed down to draw a throw from right fielder Roberto Clemente. Mays, either overestimating his own speed or underestimating the power and accuracy of Clemente's arm, was thrown out trying to reach third. Maury Wills tagged him as he slid by."
1968: The Yankees purchased Bill Heath from the Tigers.
1970: The Oakland Athletics use gold-colored bases during the club's home opener. The Rules Committee subsequently bans this innovation.
1972: The first player strike in Major League Baseball history ends, with an abbreviated schedule to start two days later.
1980: The first Q battery in major league history occurs, when Dan Quisenberry (pitcher) and Jamie Quirk (catcher) of the Kansas City Royals face the Detroit Tigers. Detroit wins 3 - 2.
1984: Pete Rose of the Montreal Expos gets his 4,000th hit, a double off Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jerry Koosman, to join Ty Cobb as the only major leaguers to reach 4,000 career hits. The hit comes exactly 21 years after Rose delivered his first hit.
1988: A major league record 924 balks will be called this season after umpires are instructed to interpret the complete stop rule more strictly.
1995: The Tigers traded Tony Phillips to CAL (AL) for Chad Curtis.
1998: Ken Griffey, Jr. of the Seattle Mariners hits his 300th career home run to become the second-youngest player to reach the milestone. Griffey's 300th, a two-run shot to right off the Cleveland Indians' Jose Mesa, is his second homer of the game and sixth of the season. At 28 years, 143 days old, Griffey is second only to Jimmie Foxx, who hit his 300th at 27 years, 328 days. Foxx hit 534 homers during his Hall of Fame career.
2004: The Tigers signed Mike Difelice as a free agent.
2007: The Tigers signed Kyle Denney as a free agent.
2009: 1976 American League Rookie of the Year Mark "The Bird" Fidrych dies at 54 from an accident while fixing a truck on his farm in Northborough, MA.
2011: After four days of deliberation, the jury in the Trial of Barry Bonds returns a guilty verdict on the charge of obstruction of justice, while failing to reach a decision on the three charges of perjury the slugger was also facing. Barry Bonds faces up to 10 years in jail for the felony conviction, although probation is a more likely; Judge Susan Illston may however decide to re-try the three charges which resulted in a hung jury.
Tigers players birthdays:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Kid_Elberfeld
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/elberki01.shtml
Kid Elberfeld 1901-1903.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Herman_Long
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/longhe01.shtml
Herman Long 1903.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/killere01.shtml
Red Killefer 1907-1909.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/plattal01.shtml
Al Platte 1913.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/clarkru01.shtml
Rufe Clarke 1923-1924.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/joneske01.shtml
Ken Jones 1924.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lawsoro01.shtml
Roxie Lawson 1933, 1935-1939.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mootyja01.shtml
Jake Mooty 1944.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Ike_Brown
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brownik01.shtml
Ike Brown 1969-1974.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/strando01.shtml
Doug Strange 1989.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/leitema01.shtml
Mark Leiter 1991-1993.
Tigers players and scouts who passed away:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Wish_Egan
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/eganwi01.shtml
Wish Egan 1902, scout over 40 years and signed many Star players for Tigers.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Mark_Fidrych
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fidryma01.shtml
http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/a9b9cdb2
Mark Fidrych 1976-1980.
from Baseball Reference
