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Hey baseball fans!

Happy Spring Training! Yes, I know it’s not the official start to the MLB season, but today I will be rating the top five Opening Day performances in MLB history. (Note that I originally posted this forBig Leagues Magazine, a really great online magazine that I write for. Hope you check it out.)

Number Five-George Bell, Toronto Blue Jays DH, 1988:
On Opening Day in Kansas City, Bell became the first player in history to hit three homers on Opening Day. All three homers were given up by KC pitcher Bret Saberhagen. Had he kept up the pace, he would’ve had 486 homers for the year, but he didn’t, and he finished the season with just 24.

 

Number Four-Frank Robinson, Cleveland Indians manager/DH, 1975:
At Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium, Robinson became the first African-American manager in MLB history. Not only did he lead the Tribe to a 5-3 win over the Yankees, but he also hit his 575th career homer.

 

Number Three-Don Drysdale, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher, 1959:
At home in LA, Drysdale became the only major league pitcher in history to hit his second career Opening Day homer. Despite the homer, the Dodgers lost to the Cubs, 6-1.

 

Number Two-Bob Feller, Cleveland Indians pitcher, 1940:
At the young age of 21, the future Hall of Famer pitched the only no-hitter on an Opening Day to this day. No pitcher has done this since. Rapid Robert pitched in Chicago against the White Sox on that historic Opening Day.

 

Number One-Jackie Robinson, Brooklyn Dodgers first baseman, 1947:
On this historic day for sports, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to ever play in Major League Baseball. Thanks to him, all races are now able to play in all sports without any complications. On April 15, 1947, now known as Jackie Robinson Day, the future Hall of Famer went 0-3 with a run scored.

Well, there you have it: my picks for the top five Opening Day moments. Do you agree with my choices? Send me a comment on your picks. I hope you all enjoyed this article and thanks for reading it. Check back in a couple days for more of “all the buzz on what wuzz”.

P.S. – By the way, I was just recently interviewed by the New Jersey Star Ledger, NJ’s biggest newspaper. If you’d like to read the article, just click here.

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