Once again, it\u2019s time for Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday. I hope you are enjoying these weekly presentations of baseball occurrences that for some reason caught The Roundtable\u2019s eye.\u00a0 (I\u2019m particularly fond of unexpected performances and statistical coincidences.) I\u2019ve noted in the past that these won\u2019t necessarily be momentous occurrences, just events, statistics or coincidences that grabbed my attention. I\u2019m also drawn to baseball \u201cunicorns,\u201d those one-of-a-kind accomplishment or statistics.<\/p>\n

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.)<\/em><\/p>\n

This is one of those \u201cWith Baseball Roundtable, one thing always seems to lead to another<\/em>\u201d tidbits. \u00a0What first caught my attention was the fact that, on this date (April 15) in 1959, 23-year-old Bob Gibson<\/strong> made his first-ever MLB mound appearance and gave up a home run to the first MLB batter he ever faced.<\/p>\n

Turns out that\u2019s not exactly a rarity.\u00a0 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<\/em><\/strong> faced<\/em>).\u00a0 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<\/em> \u2013 Bob Gibson<\/strong> and Bert Blyleven<\/strong>.\u00a0 Not quite a unicorn status, but getting close.\u00a0 We\u2019ll get to Gibson and Blyleven later in the post, but first a look at this Tuesday\u2019s unicorn.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Right-hander Dave Eiland<\/strong> 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.<\/em><\/strong> Now, there\u2019s 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 \u2013 in the bottom of the first inning \u2013 Brewers\u2019 3B and leadoff hitter Paul Molitor<\/strong> welcomed Eiland to \u201cThe Show\u201d 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<\/strong> gave up five runs in the eighth to give Eiland a no-decision.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

In 1992, Eiland made his first appearance as a Padre (remember, the NL didn\u2019t 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<\/strong> 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.)<\/p>\n

Eiland pitched in 10 MLB seasons (1988-93, 1995, 1998-2000 \u2026 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.\u00a0 After retiring from the playing field, Eiland served a pitching coach (at the major-league level for the Yankees, Royals and Mets).<\/p>\n

Now back to Gibson and Blyleven.<\/p>\n

Bob Gibson<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a>April 15, 1959 was a bit of a taxing<\/em> 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\u2019 3B and number-eight hitter, 30-year-old rookie Jim Baxes.<\/strong> Gibson fell behind 2-0 and then \u2013 on the first MLB pitch he threw for a strike \u2013 Baxes homered to left-center. (Baxes would record just one MLB season \u2013 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.<\/p>\n

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. \u00a0He pitched in 17 MLB seasons (1959-75 \u2026 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.<\/p>\n

A Different Kind of Ball<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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. <\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Bert Blyleven<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a>On June 5, 1970, 19-year-old Blyleven made his first MLB appearance \u2013 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).<\/p>\n

The first MLB batter Blyleven faced was RF Lee Maye<\/strong> (a veteran in his 12th MLB season).\u00a0 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 \u2013 and would not appear in a minor-league game again until his final professional season (1992). Blyleven \u201cenjoyed\u201d (he had a reputation as a prankster) a 22-season MLB career (1970-1990, 1992 \u2026 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).<\/p>\n

Primary Resources<\/em>: Stathead.com; Baseball-Almanac.com; Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n

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Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

<\/a>Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot<\/em> list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. For the full list click here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT<\/h3>\n

Follow Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page here<\/a>.\u00a0 More baseball commentary; blog post notifications; PRIZES.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; The Baseball Reliquary.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

P 1109<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Once again, it\u2019s time for Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday. I hope you are enjoying these weekly presentations of baseball occurrences that for some reason caught The Roundtable\u2019s eye.\u00a0 (I\u2019m particularly fond of unexpected performances and statistical coincidences.) I\u2019ve noted in the past that these won\u2019t necessarily be momentous occurrences, just events, statistics or coincidences that grabbed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n