1899 - The 1899 Cleveland Spiders win their first home game of the season over the Louisville Colonels. In the nightcap, they suffer defeat 2-1, when Louisville's Malachi Kittridge scores from second base on a single. Not so unusual, except.... Kittredge bypasses third base altogether, as the umpire is occupied with the play in the outfield. Despite vigorous shouting from the Cleveland nine, the Colonels get away with the game.
1901 - Herm McFarland and Dummy Hoy homered in the Chicago White Sox's 19-9 rout of the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers committed an American League record twelve errors, ten by the infield, in the loss.
1906 - Johnny Lush of the Philadelphia Phillies pitched a no-hitter at Brooklyn, beating the Dodgers 6-0.
1920 - Babe Ruth hits his first home run as a Yankee as New York beat Boston 6-0 at the Polo Grounds.
1920 - In Boston, Brooklyn's Leon Cadore and the Braves' Joe Oeschger duel 26 innings to a 1-1 tie in the longest game ever played in the major leagues. Oeschger shuts out the Dodgers for the last 21 innings, topping Art Nehf's 20 scoreless frames in a row on August 1, 1918. He gives up nine hits and Cadore allows 12.
1924 - Chicago White Sox's Bill Barrett stole home twice, in the first and ninth innings, against the Cleveland Indians.
1925 - The A's introduce another future Hall of Famer, 17-year-old catcher Jimmie Foxx, who pinch-hits and singles against Washington.
1926 - Satchel Paige, 19 years old, makes his debut in the Negro Southern League, pitching Chattanooga to a 5-4 win over Birmingham.
1944 - George Myatt of Washington went 6-for-6 as the Senators beat the Boston Braves 11-4.
1947 - For the first time, Cleveland will play all its games at Municipal Stadium. The Tribe abandons League Park, where most weekday games have been played. New owner Bill Veeck installs an inner fence to cut power alleys from 435 to 365 feet at Municipal Stadium.
1949 - Elmer Valo is the first A.L. player to hit two bases-loaded triples in a game, leading the A's to a 15-9 win in the first game of a doubleheader. Valo has a third bases-loaded triple during the season to tie the league mark set by Shano Collins in 1918.
1951 - The Yankees' new phenom, Mickey Mantle, connects for his first major league home run off Randy Gumpert of the White Sox. Minnie Minoso becomes the first black to play for the White Sox. He plays third base and, facing Vic Raschi in his first major league at bat, rips a home run to center field. The Yankees win 8-3.
1959 - Early Wynn of the Chicago White Sox pitched a one-hitter, struck out 14, and hit a double and home run for a 1-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox at the age of 39.
1968 - Phillies pitcher John Boozer is ejected by umpire Ed Vargo at Shea Stadium for throwing spitballs during his warmup pitches. He is only the second major league pitcher to be ejected from a game for throwing spitballs.
1969 - Houston, no-hit the day before by Cincinnati, answers back as Don Wilson pitches a 4-0 no-hitter (with 13 strikeouts) over the Reds. Houston ties an N.L. record with just one assist. In Wilson's previous start against Cincinnati, he gave up six runs in five innings in a 14-0 loss.
1975 - Hank Aaron has four hits and drives in two runs in the Brewers' 17-3 win over Detroit. This brings his career RBI total to 2,211, breaking Babe Ruth's published record of 2,209. On February 3, 1976, the Records Committee will revise Ruth's total to 2,204. In actuality, Aaron set the record April 18, 1975.
1980 - Pittsburgh's Bill Mad Dog Madlock is fined $5,000 and suspended 15 games by N.L. president Chub Feeney for poking umpire Jerry Crawford in the face with his glove after being called out on strikes with the bases loaded. Madlock appeals and remains in uniform, but finally withdraws the appeal and begins serving the suspension on June 6 — after disgruntled N.L. umpires threaten to eject him from every game he tries to play in.
1987 - Free-agents Ron Guidry (Yankees), Rich Gedman (Red Sox), Bob Boone (Angels), and Tim Raines (Expos) all re-sign with their former clubs on the first day they are allowed to do so. Doyle Alexander will re-sign with the Braves on May 5.
1991 - In Texas, 44-year-old Rangers right-hander Nolan Ryan strikes out 16 Blue Jays en route to his seventh career no-hitter, a 3-0 win at Arlington Stadium.
1991 - Rickey Henderson surpassed Lou Brock as baseball's career stolen base leader with his 939th steal as the Oakland Athletics beat the New York Yankees 7-4.
1992 - Rickey Henderson starts his own club with his 1,000th career steal. He already holds the major league stolen base record.
2002 - San Diego's Trevor Hoffman set the major league record for the most saves with one team, 321. He broke Dennis Eckersley's record of 320 with Oakland.