Free of charge for the discerning reader.\u00a0This one has a work stoppage, and other stories. Kerry Wood and his coach The Vulture, a birthday boy.<\/p>\n
Today in baseball history:<\/p>\n
1972\u00a0\u2013 For the first time in history, the major league season fails to open due to a\u00a0general player strike<\/a>. The strike, announced April 1, will erase 86 games from the major league schedule.<\/p>\n 1973\u00a0\u2013 Yankee\u00a0Ron Blomberg<\/a>, facing Boston\u2019s Luis Tiant, becomes the first official designated hitter in the major leagues. Blomberg walks with the bases loaded his first time up and winds up 1-for-3 in a 15-5 loss to the\u00a0Red Sox<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2013\u00a0\u2013 The Upton brothers, playing together for the\u00a0Braves<\/a>, stun the\u00a0Cubs<\/a>. With Atlanta trailing 5 \u2013 4,\u00a0B.J. Upton<\/a>\u00a0leads off the bottom of the ninth with a homer off\u00a0Carlos Marmol<\/a>, and two batters later,\u00a0Justin Upton<\/a>\u00a0hits a\u00a0walk-off<\/a>\u00a0blast to give the Braves a 6-5 win, his second long ball of the game. They are the first pair of brothers to homer in the same inning since\u00a0Billy<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Cal Ripken<\/a>\u00a0did so for\u00a0Baltimore<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a01996<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2014\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Texas<\/a>\u00a0P\u00a0Yu Darvish<\/a>\u00a0becomes the fastest starting pitcher to reach 500\u00a0strikeouts<\/a>\u00a0when he fans\u00a0David DeJesus<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Wil Myers<\/a>\u00a0in the first inning of a 1-0 win against the\u00a0Rays<\/a>\u00a0in his first start of the season. It took Yu only 401.2 innings to reach the total, beating\u00a0Kerry Wood<\/a>, who had needed 404.2 innings.<\/p>\n 2020\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Hall of Famer<\/a>\u00a0Al Kaline<\/a>, who was signed by the\u00a0Detroit Tigers<\/a>\u00a0out of high school, went\u00a0straight to the majors<\/a>, and collected\u00a03000 hits<\/a>\u00a0during his lifelong association with the team, passes away at age 85. His death will start an unprecedented parade of passings by members of the Hall of the Fame over the rest of the year.<\/p>\n Cubs birthdays:\u00a0Rudy Schwenck<\/a>,\u00a0Don Elston<\/a>,\u00a0Phil Regan<\/a>*,\u00a0Thomas Diamond<\/a>. Also notable:\u00a0Mickey Cochrane<\/a>\u00a0HOF,\u00a0Ernie Lombardi<\/a>\u00a0HOF,\u00a0Bert Blyleven<\/a>\u00a0HOF.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Today in History:<\/p>\n 774\u00a0\u2013 Charles the Great (Charlemagne) confirmed the gift to the Pope of the territories belonging to Ravenna made by his father Pepin the Short at Quiercy-sur-Loire in 753.<\/p>\n 1652\u00a0\u2013 Cape Colony, the 1st European settlement in South Africa, established by Dutch East India Company under Jan van Riebeeck.<\/p>\n