Once again, it’s time for Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday. I hope you are enjoying these weekly presentations of baseball occurrences that for some reason caught The Roundtable’s eye. (I’m particularly fond of unexpected performances and statistical coincidences.) I’ve noted in the past that these won’t necessarily be momentous occurrences, just events, statistics or coincidences that grabbed my attention. I’m also drawn to baseball “unicorns,” those one-of-a-kind accomplishment or statistics.
Here are usual pair of declaimers: Given statistical accuracy and game formats, I am restricting myself to the Modern Era (post-1900) and not all Negro League game stats have been fully documented and incorporated into the MLB record books. (In 2020, the Negro leagues form 1920-48 were designated major leagues.)
This is one of those “With Baseball Roundtable, one thing always seems to lead to another” tidbits. What first caught my attention was the fact that, on this date (April 15) in 1959, 23-year-old Bob Gibson made his first-ever MLB mound appearance and gave up a home run to the first MLB batter he ever faced.
Turns out that’s not exactly a rarity. Since 1900, seventy-nine pitchers have given up a home run to the first MLB batter they faced (18 of those on the first pitch to the first MLB batter they ever faced). Not rare enough to be a Trivia(l) Tidbit. In rarer air, we find that only two pitchers have given up a home run on to the first MLB batter they faced and gone on to earn a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame – Bob Gibson and Bert Blyleven. Not quite a unicorn status, but getting close. We’ll get to Gibson and Blyleven later in the post, but first a look at this Tuesday’s unicorn.
Right-hander Dave Eiland was the first, and is still the only, MLB player, to give up a home run to the first batter he ever faced AND hit a home run in his first MLB plate appearance. Now, there’s a unicorn that likely to last. Eiland made his MLB mound debut with the Yankees, as a 21-year old, on August 3, 1988. He started a game against the Brewers in Milwaukee, and – in the bottom of the first inning – Brewers’ 3B and leadoff hitter Paul Molitor welcomed Eiland to “The Show” with a home run to center on a 1-2 pitch. Eiland was unfazed and went on to pitch seven strong innings (three hits, two walks, three strikeouts and just the one run). He left with a 5-1 lead, but Yankee reliever Dave Righetti gave up five runs in the eighth to give Eiland a no-decision.
Eiland went 5-9, 5.16 over four seasons for the Yankees (bouncing between the minors and majors), before being released by New York and signing with the Padres in January of 1992. During his Yankee tenure, thanks to the Designated Hitter rule (adopted by the AL in 1973), he did not come to the plate.
In 1992, Eiland made his first appearance as a Padre (remember, the NL didn’t adopt the DH rule until 2022), starting against the Dodgers (in San Diego). He got his first MLB plate appearance in the bottom of the second inning, with one on and two out, and took a Bob Ojeda 2-2 pitch to left-center for a two-run home run. It would be the only home run and one of only two career hits for Eiland. (He went 2-for-22 as a hitter over his MLB career.)
Eiland pitched in 10 MLB seasons (1988-93, 1995, 1998-2000 … Yankees, Padres, Devil Rays), going 12-27, 5.74. In 14 minor-league seasons (he spent part of each of his MLB campaigns in the minors), Eiland went 109-58, 3.42. After retiring from the playing field, Eiland served a pitching coach (at the major-league level for the Yankees, Royals and Mets).
Now back to Gibson and Blyleven.
Bob Gibson
April 15, 1959 was a bit of a taxing day for Gibson. In his first MLB appearance, he came on in the top of the seventh with his Cardinals trailing the Dodgers 3-0. The first batter he faced was Dodgers’ 3B and number-eight hitter, 30-year-old rookie Jim Baxes. Gibson fell behind 2-0 and then – on the first MLB pitch he threw for a strike – Baxes homered to left-center. (Baxes would record just one MLB season – coming after 10 minor-league campaigns – and he would end up .246-17-39 for the Dodges and Indians.) Gibson pitched two innings in the contest (two runs on two hits, no strikeouts). He made two more appearances in April before returning to Triple-A and then was back with the Cardinals in late July – ending the season with a 3-5, 3.33 record for the Redbirds. Gibson split the 1960 season between Omaha and St. Louis, before having his first full season in St. Louis in 1961. And the rest is history.
Gibson went on pitch his way into the Hall of Fame – a two-time Cy Young Award winner, one time NL Most Valuable Player, two-time World Series MVP, nine-time All Star and nine-time Gold Glover. He pitched in 17 MLB seasons (1959-75 … Cardinals), going 251-174, 2.91 and winning 20 or more games in five campaigns. He threw 255 complete games in 482 starts and his 56 shutouts are 13th all-time. His 3,117 strikeouts rank 16th.
A Different Kind of Ball
A superb all-around athlete, Bob Gibson starred in basketball and baseball at Creighton University and was the first member of the Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame (1968). Over the winter of 1957-58, Bob Gibson played for the Harlem Globetrotters.
Bert Blyleven
On June 5, 1970, 19-year-old Blyleven made his first MLB appearance – a start for the Twins, against the Senators, in Washington D.C. He had been called up from Triple-A Evansville after an injury to Twins’ starter Luis Tiant. At the time, Blyleven had just 21 minor-league appearances (Rookie-, A- and Triple-A), with an 11-4, 2.27 record).
The first MLB batter Blyleven faced was RF Lee Maye (a veteran in his 12th MLB season). Maye worked a 3-2 count and then smacked a homer to right. The teenage rookie took the blast in stride, and did not give up another run in his seven innings of work (five hits, one walk, seven strikeouts). He would end the season with a 10-9, 3.18 record for the Twins – and would not appear in a minor-league game again until his final professional season (1992). Blyleven “enjoyed” (he had a reputation as a prankster) a 22-season MLB career (1970-1990, 1992 … Twins, Rangers, Pirates, Indians, Angels), going 287-250, 3.31, with 242 complete games and 60 shutouts in 685 starts. Blyleven was a two-time All Star and ten times won 15 or more games in a season. His 3,701 strikeouts are fifth all-time, his 60 shutouts ninth, his 287 wins 27th and his 4,970 innings pitched 14th. (His 430 home runs surrendered are ninth, his 250 losses tenth).
Primary Resources: Stathead.com; Baseball-Almanac.com; Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame.
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