APRIL 13, 1963 ... Pete Rose's FIRST Big League Hit

[LINEDRIVER]

April 13, 1963 … Reds’ rookie second baseman Pete Rose breaks a season opening 0-for-12 slump when he hits a triple for his first major league hit. The three-bagger comes against Pirates’ pitcher Bob Friend in the 12-4 Reds’ loss to Pittsburgh in Cincinnati.

--also--

April 13, 1954 … Milwaukee’s Henry Aaron makes his major league debut while playing against the Redlegs at Cincinnati’s Crosley Field. Aaron, wearing uniform number “5”, playing left field and batting fifth in the line-up, goes 0-for-5 at the plate. Cincinnati’s Jim Greengrass ties a MLB record with four doubles in the game. Cincinnati’s hotheaded lefty pitcher Joe Nuxhall beans Braves’ outfielder Andy Pafko after Eddie Mathews slugs his second HR of the game. Cincinnati 9, Milwaukee 8.

April 13, 1965 … Milwaukee Braves’ lefty pitcher Denny LeMaster serves up a grand slam HR to Tony Perez as the Cincinnati Reds go on to win at Crosley Field, 8-3. The grand slam is the first big league HR for the 22-year-old Perez.

April 13, 1975 … Reds’ pitcher Don Gullett tosses a two-hitter against the Padres as Cincinnati rolls over San Diego, 10-0.

April 13, 1977 … Houston’s Ken Forsch beats the Reds in the Astrodome as Cincinnati gets the new season off to a rocky start with a 2-5 record. The Reds have now lost five in a row and sit in last place of the NL West. Reds’ fans are awaiting George Foster’s first HR of the season.

April 13, 1984 … One day shy of his forty-third birthday, living legend Pete Rose of the Montreal Expos hits a double off Phillies’ lefty Jerry Koosman for his 4,000th career hit.

[cumberlandreds]

Thanks for posting these. I always enjoy reading them.

[RichRed]

April 13, 1977 … Houston’s Ken Forsch beats the Reds in the Astrodome as Cincinnati gets the new season off to a rocky start with a 2-5 record. The Reds have now lost five in a row and sit in last place of the NL West. Reds’ fans are awaiting George Foster’s first HR of the season.

If I recall correctly, Foster picked up his HR pace just a bit that year.

Thanks for posting, these are fun to read.

[macro]

April 13, 1977 … Houston’s Ken Forsch beats the Reds in the Astrodome as Cincinnati gets the new season off to a rocky start with a 2-5 record. The Reds have now lost five in a row and sit in last place of the NL West. Reds’ fans are awaiting George Foster’s first HR of the season.

The Reds will be fine. You're not going to keep this team out of the World Series. But I'm not so sure about Foster. He showed promise last year, but I don't see him ever topping 30 HR in a season. His season-opening slump doesn't bode well for 1977.

April 13, 1984 … One day shy of his forty-third birthday, living legend Pete Rose of the Montreal Expos hits a double off Phillies’ lefty Jerry Koosman for his 4,000th career hit.

Kinda cool that Pete's 4000th hit came exactly 21 years after his first, and both dates are the day before his birthday.

[LINEDRIVER]

If I recall correctly, Foster picked up his HR pace just a bit that year.

Thanks for posting, these are fun to read.

Foster hit his 1st HR on April 17 and his 2nd & 3rd on April 25. His 4th HR did not come until May 7th. Number 5 & 6 came on May 25. He picked up the pace and finished May with 11 HR's on the season. Number 11 came against Braves' pitcher Andy Messersmith on May 30. He finished the year with 52 HR's.

[macro]

Number 5 & 6 came on May 25.

So, as the sun came up on May 25, he had a grand total of four home runs on the season. He pretty much hit 48 home runs in a little over four months, and did so without "supplements". (Did players even work out that much in 1977?) Furthermore, the walls at Riverfront were 12 feet high at that time, and he also had to hit in places like St Louis (before walls were moved in) and Houston's Astrodome. Amazing.

[RichRed]

So, as the sun came up on May 25, he had a grand total of four home runs on the season. He pretty much hit 48 home runs in a little over four months, and did so without "supplements". (Did players even work out that much in 1977?) Furthermore, the walls at Riverfront were 12 feet high at that time, and he also had to hit in places like St Louis (before walls were moved in) and Houston's Astrodome. Amazing.

Yeah, Foster weighed what, like 185-190? Awesome season.

[KronoRed]

WB Linedriver