April 12 in Tigers and mlb history:
1909: With Christy Mathewson sidelined with diphtheria, Red Ames pitches the opener for the New York Giants, a 3 - 2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at the Baker Bowl.
1912: The Chicago Cubs' famed double play combination of Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance makes its final appearance together in an Opening Day game. The triumvirate of shortstop Joe Tinker, second baseman Johnny Evers and first baseman Frank Chance will be broken up at the end of the season.
1916: The Cleveland Indians acquire outfielder Tris Speaker from the Boston Red Sox for pitcher Sad Sam Jones, minor league infielder Fred Thomas, and $55,000 cash. This season, Speaker will lead the American League in batting (.386), slugging (.502), on-base percentage (.470), hits (211), doubles (41), and total bases (287).
1922: There are no playing managers in the National League for the first time since 1900. Long considered an economic necessity, the dual role is no longer essential. It will be 1930 before the American League has a year with all bench managers.
1928: St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander opens his 18th season by shutting out the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5 - 0.
1954: The Cleveland Indians signed Hal Newhouser as a free agent.
1955: After a civic parade, the transplanted Athletics open their 1st season in Kansas City with a victory over the Tigers, 6 - 2, at Municipal Stadium. The standing-room crowd of 32,147 is the largest paid crowd for any event in Kansas City.
1960: With 42,269 fans in attendance, the San Francisco Giants edge the St. Louis Cardinals, 3 - 1, in the first game played at Candlestick Park. Giants pitcher Sam Jones throws a three-hitter, and Cardinals outfielder Leon Wagner hits the first home run in the $15-million stadium. In the 3rd inning, the umpires protest that the foul poles are several inches in fair territory, rather than on the foul lines; the Giants will make the correction after the season.
1960: Chuck Essegian's 11th-inning pinch-hit home run beats the Chicago Cubs, 3 - 2, before a record Opening Day crowd (67,550) at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The home run is Essegian's third straight as a pinch hitter, including two in the 1959 World Series. Don Drysdale pitches a complete game for the Dodgers, striking out 14 Cubs.
1960: The Detroit Tigers make one of their best trades ever, acquiring Norm Cash from the Cleveland Indians for Steve Demeter. In 1961, Cash will lead the American League with a .361 batting average, and will go on to hit 373 home runs for the Tigers in 14 seasons.
1965: Tigers beat A’s 6-2 in season opener behind the pitching of Mickey Lolich and Larry Sherry.
1965: Richie Allen of the Philadelphia Phillies hits the first regular-season home run in the history of the Astrodome. Allen connects against Houston Astros pitcher Bob Bruce in the Phillies' 2 - 0 victory.
Previously, Mickey Mantle had hit the first overall home run in the Astrodome in an exhibition game between the Astros and the New York Yankees.
1966: Before a crowd of 50,671 at Fulton County Stadium, the Braves play their first game in Atlanta after moving from Milwaukee. Joe Torre hits two home runs for the Braves, but Willie Stargell spoils the occasion with a two-run homer in the 13th inning to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 3 - 2 victory.
1970: Plaques honoring Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle are dedicated at Yankee Stadium. The plaques are located in center field and will eventually be moved to "Monument Park" beyond the left field fence when the stadium is renovated in the mid-1970s.
1977: The Texas Rangers traded Steve Foucault to the Detroit Tigers for Willie Horton after 15 years with the Tigers.
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1980: At County Stadium, Cecil Cooper and Don Money of the Milwaukee Brewers each hit 2nd-inning grand slams against the Boston Red Sox. The base-clearing home runs lead the Brewers to an 18 - 1 win, which includes a two-run homer by Gorman Thomas and a solo shot by Robin Yount.
1980: After eight years with the California Angels, Nolan Ryan makes his debut with the Houston Astros. Ryan, who did not come to bat the previous seven seasons, hits a 3-run homer in the 4th inning. The Astros lose to the Dodgers in 17 innings, 6 - 5.
1984: Tigers 9 - Rangers 4. Home runs by Alan Trammell, Chet Lemon, and Lou Whitaker. Jack Morris gets his third win. The Tigers' 7th win sets a franchise record for consecutive wins to start a season #Relive84
1988: Bobby Witt sets an AL record with 4 balks in a 4 - 1 loss to the Tigers at Tiger Stadium.
2000: The Tigers open Comerica Park with a 5-2 win over the Mariners. Gregg Jefferies singles in Luis Polonia for the Tigers' first run in their new stadium. Brian Moehler holds the M's to 1 run in 6 innings for the win, Todd Jones gets the save.
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2003: The Detroit Tigers win for the first time this season, getting a three-run home run from Shane Halter to beat the Chicago White Sox, 4 - 3. The Tigers (1-9) become the only team since 1900 to start back-to-back seasons with nine straight losses, started 0-11 in 2002.
2004: The Detroit Tigers signed Esteban Yan as a free agent.
2010: The Minnesota Twins inaugurate their new outdoor ballpark, Target Field, with a 5 - 2 win over the Red Sox. A host of former Twins greats, including Hall of Famers Harmon Killebrew and Rod Carew, joined by Tony Oliva, Kent Hrbek and Frank Viola, among others, are on hand to witness the historic game.
2011: Miguel Cabrera hits a walk-off single with the bases loaded in the 9th and the Tigers beat the rangers 5 - 4.
2013: The movie 42, about Jackie Robinson's first two seasons in organized baseball and his breaking of the color line, opens in theaters across the United States. It will be the top-drawing movie its first weekend.
2014: After 26 at-bats over six years, Justin Verlander logs his first Major League hit with a single up the middle and the Tigers win 6 - 2 over the padres.
2015: After one week of action in the major leagues, two teams are still undefeated, the Kansas City Royals, and the Tigers who are keeping pace with their 8 - 5 win over Cleveland that completes a week-end sweep; Miguel Cabrera hits two homers while going 4-for-4 for the day and 11-for-14 in the series.
2016: Paul Carey dies in Rochester, Michigan, at age 88. Tigers radio broadcaster alongside Ernie Harwell from 1973-91.
2017: The Detroit Tigers signed James Loney as a free agent.
2017: Tigers win 5-3 over the twins on Andrew Romine's first career grand slam.
Tigers players birthdays:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/postle01.shtml
Lew Post 1902.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bailebi01.shtml
Bill Bailey 1918.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcnaier01.shtml
Eric McNair 1941-1942.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wilsoja01.shtml
Jack Wilson 1942.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wightbi01.shtml
Bill Wight 1952-1953.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Charley_Lau
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lauch01.shtml
Charlie Lau 1956, 1958-1959.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/frymawo01.shtml
Woodie Fryman 1972-1974.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Brennan_Boesch
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/boescbr01.shtml
Brennan Boesch 2010-2012.
Tigers players, coaches, managers, and announcers who passed away:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Ed_Lafitte
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lafited01.shtml
Ed Lafitte 1909, 1911-1912.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sigaffr01.shtml
Frank Sigafoos 1929.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Dick_Brown
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/browndi01.shtml
Dick Brown 1961-1962.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Frank_Skaff
https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/skafffr01.shtml
Frank Skaff coach 1965-1966, 1971, manager 1966.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Carey_(broadcaster)
Paul Carey announcer 1973-1991.
Baseball Reference
