| Year |
FIRST / LAST |
| 1951 |
April 17: Mickey Mantle plays in his FIRST major league game and goes 1 for 4. The Yankees win 5-0. |
| 1951 |
May 1: Mickey Mantle smacks his FIRST big league home run off White Sox pitcher Randy Gumpert. In the same game, Minnie Minoso becomes the FIRST black player for the White Sox. The Yankees win the game 8-3. |
| 1951 |
May 25: Willie Mays plays in his FIRST big league game. He goes 0 for 5 against the Phillies in an 8-5 Giant win. |
| 1951 |
May 28: After starting his career 0 for 12, Willie Mays hits his FIRST home run in the big leagues off Braves pitcher Warren Spahn. Giants lose though 4-1. |
| 1951 |
August 11: The Braves take the first game 8-1 and Brooklyn takes the second game 8-4 in the FIRST color telecast of a major league game. |
| 1952 |
April 19: Eddie Mathews hits his FIRST big league home run off Phillies hurler Ken Heintzelman in Philadelphia. Braves win 4-0. |
| 1952 |
April 23: Hoyt Wilhelm of the Giants wins his FIRST major league game, hits a home run in his first at bat, and a triple in his second at bat. His final 430 at bats produced no home runs or triples. Giants beat the Braves 9-5. |
| 1953 |
September 17: Ernie Banks plays in his FIRST big league game. He goes 0 for 3, with an error in a 16-4 loss to the Phillies. Three days later he hits his FIRST home run. |
| 1953 |
September 27: The St. Louis Browns play their LAST game in the 52 year franchise history. They lose to the Billy Pierce and the White Sox 2-1, with their LAST and only run scored by Johnny Groth in the 4th inning. |
| 1954 |
April 13: Hank Aaron plays in his FIRST major league game. He goes 0 for 5 in a 9-8 loss to the Cincinnati Reds |
| 1954 |
April 23: Hank Aaron hits the FIRST of his 755 home runs off Cardinals pitcher Vic Raschi at Sportsmans Park. The Braves win the game 7-5 in 14 innings. |
| 1954 |
May 26: Gus Zernial hits the LAST grand slam in the history of the Philadelphia Athletics franchise. The A's beat the Red Sox 6-5. |
| 1954 |
September 26: Art Ditmar of the A's defeats then Yankees 8-6 in the LAST game the franchise will play in Philadelphia. The team will play in Kansas City next year. Yogi Berra play his only big league game at third base and Mickey Mantle plays short. |
| 1955 |
Ernie Banks becomes the FIRST shortstop to hit 40 home runs in a season. |
| 1955 |
April 11: Chuck Tanner, who later had a long managerial career, was the FIRST pinch-hitter to hit a home run on the FIRST pitch he saw in the major leagues. |
| 1955 |
June 24: Harmon Killebrew at age 18, hits his FIRST major league home run off Tigers pitcher Billy Hoeft at Griffith Stadium. Tigers win the game 18-7. |
| 1955 |
June 29: Willie Mays hits his FIRST career grand slam off Brooklyn pitcher Clem Labine. He drives in all 6 runs in the 6-1 win. |
| 1956 |
Don Newcombe of the Brooklyn Dodgers has the honor of receiving the FIRST Cy Young award. He was 27-7 with a 3.06 ERA. |
| 1956 |
Mickey Mantle is the FIRST switch hitter to lead the majors in batting. |
| 1956 |
April 28: Reds rookie Frank Robinson hammers out his FIRST big league homer off Cubs pitcher Paul Minner at Crosley Field. |
| 1959 |
July 21: Pumpsie Green pinch runs for the Red Sox, who become the LAST major league team to play a black player. The next day, Green goes 0 for 3 against Early Wynn. |
| 1959 |
July 30: Willie McCovey in his FIRST game, goes 4 for 4 with 2 triples off Robin Roberts to lead the Giants to a 7-2 win over the Phillies. |
| 1959 |
August 2: Willie McCovey smashes his FIRST career home run off Pirate pitcher Ron Kline in a 5-3 Giants win. |
| 1960 |
July 19: Juan Marichal makes his debut in the big leagues. His FIRST game is a one hit shutout of the Phillies. |
| 1960 |
September 28: In his LAST major league at bat, against Baltimore pitcher Jack Fisher, Ted Williams launches the 1-1 pitch, 450 feet into the right center field seats behind the Red Sox bullpen. |
| 1960 |
September 28: Ted Williams hits a home run in his LAST major league at bat. The solo shot comes off Orioels pitcher Jack Fisher in the 8th inning of a 5-4 win at Fenway Park. |
| 1961 |
April 11: Carl Yastrzemski collects the FIRST of his 3,318 career hits. It comes off Kansas City pitcher Ray Herbert at Fenway Park. |
| 1962 |
April 23: The New York Mets franchise records their FIRST victory. Behind pitcher Jay Hook, they beat the Pirates 9-1. Their record is now 1-9. |
| 1962 |
July 18: The Twins become the FIRST American League team to hit two grand slams in one inning. Bob Allison and Harmon Killebrew connect in an 11 run 1st inning against the Indians. Twins rout 14-3. |
| 1963 |
April 13: Pete Rose picks up his FIRST big league hit, a triple off Pirate's pitcher Bob Friend. Rose had been hitless in his first 11 at bats. Increased enforcement of the balk rule results in a major league record of 7 balks. Pirates win 12-4. |
| 1963 |
May 8: Pirates outfielder Willie Stargell hits his FIRST major league home run against the Cubs. Cubs pitcher Bob Buhl gets a hit to break an 0 for 88 drought spanning 2 seasons. Cubs win 9-5. |
| 1963 |
June 9: The Houston Colt 45's beat the San Francisco Giants 3-0 in the FIRST Sunday night baseball game. The exception was made due to Houston's oppressive daytime heat. |
| 1963 |
July 13: In the second game of a doubleheader at Kansas City, Cleveland pitcher Early Wynn leaves with the lead after struggling through 5 innings. Four scoreless relief innings by pitcher Jerry Walker give Wynn his 300th and LAST major league win. |
| 1963 |
July 31: The Indians become the FIRST AL club to hit 4 consecutive home runs. Number 8 hitter Woody Held, hits a 2 run shot, pitcher Pedro Rams then hits his second of the game, Tito Francona follows and rookie Larry Browns hits his 1st career homer. |
| 1963 |
September 29: Stan Musial gets 2 hits on Stan Musial Day in St. Louis. He finishes with 3,630 hits, exactly half of them at home. After his 2nd hit, which drives in his final RBI, he retires for a pinch runner. The Cards win in 14 innings 3-2. |
| 1964 |
April 17: Willie Stargell hits the FIRST home run to be hit at Shea Stadium in New York. |
| 1964 |
April 23: Houston's Ken Johnson becomes the FIRST pitcher to throw a 9 inning no hitter and lose as the Reds win 1-0. Second baseman Nellie Fox's error allows the only run. |
| 1964 |
June 21: On Fathers Day at Shea Stadium, Phillies Jim Bunning tosses a perfect game and becomes the FIRST pitcher to win no hitters in both leagues. He drives in 2 runs as well to beat the Mets 6-0. It is the first perfect game since April 30, 1922. |
| 1964 |
August 12: Mickey Mantle homers from each side of the plate for the LAST time. It his 10th time and a major league record. Yankees beat the White Sox 7-3 at Yankee Stadium. |
| 1964 |
September 1: Giants pitcher Lefty Masanori Murakami becomes the FIRST major league player from Japan. He pitches 11 scoreless innings in a 4-1 San Francisco loss to New York. |
| 1965 |
May 16: Nineteen-year-old Jim Palmer gets his FIRST major league victory and hits his first homer as the Orioles beat the Yankees 7-5. |
| 1966 |
June 1: Minnesota rocks Kansas City with the FIRST 5 home run inning in American League history. Twins win 9-4. |
| 1968 |
June 25: In his 3rd at major league at bat, Giants rookie Bobby Bonds becomes the FIRST player in modern baseball history to hit a grand slam in his first major league game. Giants beat the Dodgers 9-0. |
| 1969 |
April 11: The Seattle Pilots play their FIRST game-- and win, shutting out White Sox 7-0. |
| 1969 |
April 14: In the FIRST major league game played outside the United States, the Montreal Expos defeat St. Louis, 8-7, at Jarry Park. |
| 1969 |
August 5: Pirate Willie Stargell hits the FIRST home run to be hit completely out of Dodger Stadium. Pirates cruise 11-3. |
| 1969 |
August 15: Roy Face make his LAST appearance in a big league game, his 657th consecutive relief effort. Don Sutton and the Dodgers win the game though 9-2.. |
| 1970 |
June 30: Hank Aaron hits the FIRST home run at the new Reds new park, Riverfront Stadium as the Braves win 8-2. |
| 1971 |
September 1: The Pirates start what is believed to be the FIRST all black lineup including several latins in major league history in a 10-7 win over the Phillies. |
| 1971 |
September 5: Astros pitcher J.R. Richard pitches in his FIRST game. He strikes out 15 Giants in a 5-3 win. |
| 1971 |
September 26: Ernie Banks hits his 2,583rd base hit, his LAST, a 1st inning single of the Phillies Ken Reynolds. The Cubs lose 5-1. |
| 1972 |
September 16: Mike Schmidt hits his FIRST career home run for the Phillies off of Balor Moore of the Expos. Phillies win 3-1. |
| 1972 |
September 30: During a 5-0 win over the Mets, the Pirates Roberto Clemente doubles off Jon Matlack in the 4th inning for his 3,000th hit and LAST career hit |
| 1972 |
October 3: Roric Harrison homers as Baltimore beats Cleveland 4-3. With the DH rule in place for next season, it will be the LAST home run by an American League pitcher. |
| 1973 |
April 6: Ron Blomberg of the Yankees was the FIRST official designated hitter. Playing against the Red Sox and Luis Tiant, he walks with the bases loaded and winds up 1 for 3 in a 15-5 loss. |
| 1973 |
April 6: Tony Oliva is penciled in as the Minnesota Twins' FIRST designated hitter. He goes 2 for 4, knocks in 3, scores a run and hits a home run against the Oakland A's. |
| 1973 |
May 15: Nolan Ryan throws his FIRST career no hitter and fans 12 men. His catcher Jeff Torborg catches his third. Ryan and the Angels beat the Royals 3-0. |
| 1973 |
August 17: Playing for the Mets, Willie Mays hits his LAST big league round tripper. Number 660 comes off Reds pitcher Don Gullett. |
| 1974 |
Mike Marshall was the FIRST relief pitcher to win the Cy Yound Award. He was 9-3 with 15 saves and a 1.66 ERA for the Dodgers. |
| 1974 |
April 12: Robin Yount, at age 18, collects his FIRST major league hit for the Brewers in a 5-3 loss to the Orioles. Tomorrow, he'll hit his first home run. |
| 1975 |
May 25: Indian Dennis Eckerley, in his FIRST major league start, hurls a 3 hit shutout and beats the A's 6-0. |
| 1975 |
August 21: Rick and Paul Reuschel are the FIRST brothers to team up for a shutout. The Cubs beat the Dodgers 7-0. |