Baseball History -- April 11

Complete entry for April 11 is at BaseballLibrary.com HERE.

Highlighted entries:

1990
California's Mark Langston and Mike Witt combine to no-hit the Mariners 1-0 for the first combined no-hitter in the major leagues since 1976. It is Langston's first start for the Angels since signing as a free agent in the off-season. 1B Wally Joyner makes an error in the 5th when he overthrows Langston on Pete O'Brien's grounder. O'Brien tries for 2B‚ not realizing that C Lance Parrish baked up the play and has the ball. He's thrown out.

That's Great Lakes manager Lance Parrish putting the FUN in fundamental.

1969
Before 14‚993‚ Seattle successfully inaugurates ML baseball at Sicks Stadium‚ as Gary Bell defeats Chicago 7-0. The Pilots attract 17‚850 today and will draw just 678‚000 for the season. Scoop Jackson throws out the first ball and will do the same in the Mariners opener‚ in 1977.

Things turned out okay, eventually.

1952
A promotional stunt by radio station KVEN in San Francisco gets fowled up. Because of a Western Union strike‚ the station planned to use homing pigeons to send the inning by inning accounts to the station from Ontario‚ where Fresno and Ventura (PCL) were playing an exhibition game. The station would then recreate the game. Alas‚ only the second inning pigeon arrived and by the evening of the 12th‚ only two more pigeons completed their missions. Hopelessly lost and tired‚ the first inning pigeon shows up in Santa Monica on the 15th.

Radio, folks. Radio.

1875
The New York Sunday Mercury describes the activities of the New Haven club during their training for the upcoming season: "First‚ each man runs a quarter of a mile‚ then gentle exercise upon the horizontal bar is taken‚ after which a trial at vaulting on the vaulting horse is indulged; then a series of Indian Club swinging‚ followed by the whole team pulling about one mile on the rowing apparatus. After all this‚ the club retires to a bowling alley where they pass and strike balls."

Sounds like my workout program. Well, without the running...and the rowing...and the vaulting...and the....well, you get the idea.