Baseball History -- April 7

Complete entry for April 7 is at BaseballLibrary.com HERE.

Highlighted entries:

1977
On snowy day‚ American League baseball makes its debut in Toronto at a football field called Exhibition Stadium. Doug Ault hits two home runs in a 9-5 win over the Chicago White Sox. The first baseman tags Ken Brett for a solo shot in the first and then hits a two-run homer in the third off Brett before 44‚649 freezing fans. Al Woods hits a pinch HR on the first pitch in his first ML at bat‚ just the 11th player in ML history to do so.

Snow in April? Glad that doesn't happen anymore.

1976
At Aloha Stadium in Hawaii‚ a controversy arises about metal cleats prior to a PCL game with Tacoma. Despite the ban on the cleats in the stadium‚ Tacoma P Bill Butler insists on wearing them and stadium officials switch off the lights during warm-up. Thirty minutes to game‚ umpire Bill Lawton awards a forfeit to Tacoma since the home team is responsible for playing conditions. The PCL will uphold the forfeit‚ but minor league prexy Bobby Bragan will overrule it (according to historian Rich Marazzi).

Something tells me this could have been handled a little better by everyone involved.

1970
ML Baseball returns to Wisconsin as the Brewers play their first game in Milwaukee‚ losing to California 12-0 before a crowd of 37‚237.

And no one really cared what the score was.