Best Opening Day Player and Stats
The following player had one of the best opening day performances in baseball history. What great opening day stats, memories, and the start to a new season. One of the best opening days in baseball history.
Billy
Williams - Chicago Cubs
On Opening Day 1971, in the bottom of the 10th inning, Billy
hit a towering home run into the Wrigley Field bleachers off
of Hall of Famer Bob Gibson giving the Cubs the victory.
Two other Hall of Famers also played in this Opening Day
Game; Cub shortstop Ernie Banks and Cub pitcher Ferguson Jenkins,
who got the victory. Gibson and Jenkins pitched the entire
game, all 13 innings.
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| St. Louis Cardinals |
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
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1 |
3 |
0 |
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| Chicago Cubs |
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
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2 |
7 |
0 |
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| Winning Pitcher |
Fergie Jenkins |
| Losing Pitcher |
Bob Gibson |
| Save |
(none) |
| Day/Night |
Day Game
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| Attendance |
39,079 |
| Time |
1:58 |
St. Louis Cardinals
Starting Lineup:
Matty Alou (CF)
Ted Sizemore (SS)
Lou Brock (LF)
Joe Torre (3B)
Jose Cardenal (RF)
Joe Hague (1B)
Ted Simmons (C)
Julian Javier (2B)
Bob Gibson (P)
Manager: Red Schoendienst |
Chicago Cubs
Starting Lineup:
Don Kessinger (SS)
Glenn Beckert (2B)
Billy Williams (LF)
Ron Santo (3B)
Joe Pepitone (1B)
Johnny Callison (RF)
Jose Ortiz (CF)
Ken Rudolph (C)
Fergie Jenkins (P)
Manager: Leo Durocher
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The previous season, Williams had a great year in 1970, leading
the league in runs scored... 137.... hits ... 205, was second
to Bench in homers with 42 and 129 RBI's; ended second in
Most Valuable Player Voting to Johnny Bench.
Williams had many game winning hits in his long career with
the Chicago Cubs, and was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1987.
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