MLB Opening Day History

Baseball fans anticipate Opening Day all offseason long. Going from the frigid winter to the beautiful spring skies that overlook a gorgeous dirt and clay field which has been groomed to perfection is a symbolic transition.

Opening Day has been a tradition since the league itself originated all the way back in the 19th century. Although the MLB's first days can be tracked all the way back to 1869, the first Opening Day is believed to have taken place seven years later on April 22, 1876.

The Lead Up

27 years before the American League was created in 1901, the National League was about ready to play its first game in the United States' centennial year. The league decided that its first game be played in the same city where the country's independence was declared: Philadelphia.

The inaugural Opening Day was set to be played at The Jefferson Street Ball Parks between the Boston Red Stockings and the Philadelphia Athletics. The ballpark had just recently been renovated for the hefty price of $10,000, which allowed a crowd of 3,000 people to attend the game.

The Game Itself

Surprise, surprise. The first Opening Day was won through small ball. The lack of superstar offense, "desperate baserunning" by Boston and numerous defensive lapses by Philadelphia allowed for the Red Stockings to win 6-5.

This game was the simple, hard-nosed, messed-up game you'd expect from nearly 150 years ago. Boston's catcher Tim McGinley was hit in the eye by a foul tip, an injury that was most certainly debilitate any modern-day MLB player. McGinley, however, remained in the game. Philadelphia's third baseman Ezra Sutton reportedly had a "rheumatic arm" and was moved to right field mid-game. After a double play in the ninth, the Boston runner who was tagged out got up to bat again and began a series of hits that gave Boston a two run lead that they didn't look back on. The game was much different back then.

Defensive miscues were common; of the 11 runs scored, only three of them were earned. The media ate the game up, describing the excitement as a "fever heat" and raving about the new National League. Media outlets agreed that the lackluster defense and Boston's running were the key to their win.

Where Are They Now?

After the 1876 season, one third of the players who played in the game were cut. Boston even had an outfielder, Bill Parks, who never played another big league game in his life.

There were some who proved to be successful, however. The Red Stockings had two eventual Hall-of-Famers in George Wright and Jim O'Rourke, both of whom were elected posthumously, and a future successful sports writer in Tim Murnane. Despite playing in a game that started one of the greatest traditions in sports, very few of the athletes who played in the first Opening Day had much longstanding impact upon the game of baseball.

The Tradition

Ever since the gaffe-filled first Opening Day, the season-opener has been filled with joy for fans everywhere. Presidents commonly make appearances to throw out ceremonial first pitches, a tradition started in 1910 by William Howard Taft that has been succeeded by 10 other sitting presidents.

The Cincinnati Reds, regarded as the first MLB team, were given home field for every Opening Day from 1876-1989, a 100-plus year tradition that gave the organization the opportunity to display the roots of the game. They even share the record for most consecutive season-opening wins with the Detroit Tigers, going unbeaten on Opening Day each year from 1983-91.

You simply can't overstate the meaning Opening Day has to so many people. It is the dawn of a new season. One that brings joy and escape to millions of people through the dog days of summer and into the cold October nights. For eight months, baseball is alive and well, and Opening Day is the cutting of a ribbon for a brand new year. Opening Day isn't just fun, it's a time to rejoice.