Happy ’80s Birthday to Ken Griffey who did nothing but hit during his career and had the amazing opportunity to play with his son.
Doesn’t get much better than that.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Lee Lacy, who spent 16 years in the bigs and hit .375 in his career off Steve Carlton.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Marvin Freeman, who spent 11 seasons in the big leagues and made concert-quality violin bows for a company in Chicago when he was in high school.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Mike Devereaux, who spent 12 years in the big leagues and won the NLCS MVP Award in 1995 with the Atlanta Braves.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Jeff Gray, who was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amatuer free-agent and traded to the Reds in the John Denny deal.
Unfortunately, Jeff suffered a stroke in 1991 and never played another game in the Major Leagues. He did continue in baseball as a coach.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Eric King, who made his debut with the Tigers in 1986 and threw a two-hitter on August 5, 1991 as a member of the Cleveland Indians against the Texas Rangers.
Movie star Bob Watson was born OTD in 1946. He passed away in 2020.
4/10/82
The Twins trade their best player, Roy Smalley, to the Yankees for Paul Boris, Ron Davis and Greg Gagne.
It was one of a few trades Minnesota made in 1982 that didn’t go over well.
4/10/80
Harold Baines, the overall #1 pick of the 1977 draft, goes 0 for 4 in his big league debut. He’d finish the year at .255 and play 22 seasons in the big leagues.
Dude could just hit.
4/10/81
Chili Davis goes 0 for 1 in his big league debut. He spends most of 1981 in the minor leagues, but enjoys an outstanding career that lasts until 1999.
He finishes with 350 career homers and three rings.
4/10/82
After batting a combined .318 over six minor league seasons, Wade Anthony Boggs finally makes his big league debut for the Red Sox.
In his age 24 season, Boggs bats a robust .349 and finishes 3rd in the Rookie of the Year balloting behind Cal Ripken Jr. and Kent Hrbek.
4/10/83
Craig McMurtry goes 7 and gets the win over the Padres in his big league debut.
He’d finish the season with 15 wins and place 2nd in the Rookie of the Year balloting behind Darryl Strawberry.
4/10/86
Bobby Witt has a bit of a rough go in his big league debut, allowing six runs in 3 1/3 against Toronto.
He finishes his rookie season with 11 wins. I hear his kid plays, too.
4/10/82
A crowd of 62,443 fans show up with the game-time temperature 38 degrees with a wind chill of 17 to see the Cleveland Indians drop the season opener to the Texas Rangers, 8 – 3. Five hundred tons of snow had to be removed from the Cleveland Stadium field prior to the game.
4/10/82
Bill Gullickson allows 6 hits and throws 6 wild pitches in seven innings against the Phillies in his first start of the season. Naturally, the Expos win the game 11-3.
Big Days
4/10/80
Sixto Lezcano hits a walk off slam off Dick Drago with two outs in the 9th inning, to give the Milwaukee Brewers a 9 – 5 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Opening Day.
4/10/81
In his first game for the Chicago White Sox, Carlton Fisk belts a three-run home run in the 8th inning to lead Chicago to a 5 – 3 victory over his former Red Sox teammates at Fenway Park.
4/10/84
LaMarr Hoyt beats the Indians 7-3 to earn his 15th straight victory.
4/10/89
Ken Griffey, Jr. gives his dad a nice birthday present by hitting his first big league dinger.
The shot comes off Chicago’s Eric King, which ruins his birthday.
