NIGHT BASEBALL & JACKIE ROBINSON ...
Harry Dorish wins the opener
as the Sox raise the 1946 A.L. pennant

April 15, 1947 ... In spite of a windswept pop fly ball that fell safely between Eddie Pellagrini and Johnny Pesky, Harry Dorish won the game at Fenway Park this afternoon, in what was not only his first big-league appearance, but the first major league baseball game the Red Sox rookie had ever seen. It was his brilliant relief pitching, as well as a single by Pellagrini, which enabled the Red Sox to open the defense of the their American League championship with a 7 to 6 victory over Washington.

After pitching five perfect innings, Tex Hughson, the Sox 20 game winner of 1946, had to be yanked off the mound. Pellagrini made Tex's maiden big-league opening game a momentous one by hitting a terrific home run, as well as scoring the winning run. Sam Mele batted 1.000 and made a brilliant catch in his big-league debut. Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky and Dom DiMaggio also a had brilliant beginner to the 1947 season.

Given leads of 3 to 0 and 6 to 2, Hughson was not able to protect them. He was removed from the game in a hectic eighth inning. His first replacement it was Earl Johnson who threw six straight balls and then was replaced by Dorish. The Sox were leading 6 to 4 and there were two out in the eighth inning. Washington had the bases loaded and Gerry Priddy, with a two ball, no strike count, was at the plate. This was when Dorish made his major-league debut. Stepping on the mound as if he were pitching on a backyard baseball diamond, back home in Pennsylvania, he was ice cool and threw Priddy a knee-high curveball that Gerry tried to loft out of the ballpark. Pellagrini backed up and signaled Pesky that it was his, but the wind took it and he lost it. The ball fell 10 feet inside the foul line for a double, allowing the two runs to score and making it 7-6. Undisturbed by this unfortunate twist of fate, to Dorish retired Mark Christman to end the inning and then set down the Senators in order in the ninth, to preserve the one run lead presented to him, and chalking up his first major league win.

Washington was lucky to get back into the game in the late innings, and the Sox were fortunate to have compiled a comfortable lead. With two outs in the first inning a DiMaggio's line drive into the left-field took a freak bounce past Joe Grace for a double. Ted Williams then hit a foul fly ball to right field that both Buddy Lewis and Priddy let drop between them. Given a second life, Ted singled Dominic home for a 1 to 0 lead.

The Sox second run in the third inning was a Pellagrini production. After hitting a foul fly near the box seats on the first base line, that catcher Al Evans had in his glove and let pop out, Eddie drove the ball high over the left field wall, 20 feet to the right of the loudspeakers, for a home run and a 2 to 0 lead.

Singles by Pesky, DiMaggio and Doerr gave the Red Sox their third run in the fifth inning. At that point Hughson hadn't allowed a Washington-base runner. He was sweeping them down as quickly as they came to bat. But in the sixth inning, Tex lost his charm. The Senators got one run in the sixth and one run in the seventh.

But the Sox stormed back with a three run assault in the bottom of their half of the seventh. Pesky and DiMaggio opened with singles. Ted Williams grounded out as Pesky scored. Bobby Doerr drew a walk and Rudy York hit one that got thru between the legs of thirdbaseman Cecil Travis to score Dom. A walk to Mele and Hal Wagner's grounder brought in Doerr to make the score 6 to 2.

The faltering Hughson came out of the game in the eighth-inning. Evans and pitcher Early Wynn started it off with a pair of singles. Grace hit a hard grounder down to Pesky starting a double-play and it looked like Tex might be out of the woods. But he passed Lewis and Spence to fill the bases. Mickey Vernon followed with a double high off the left-field fence, to bring in two runs and that was the afternoon for Mr. Hughson. Johnson came in but was wild, walking Travis on four pitches. He tossed two more to Priddy, before Dorish was rushed in to his rescue.

Ted Williams had a free day on the bases. He was retired at first base, second base, third base and at home although he had two hits in four official at-bats.

Before the game, Governor Bradford tossed out the ceremonial first pitch to launch the 1947 campaign. American League President William Harridge participated in the raising of the 1946 American League, along with manager Joe Cronin. Then followed the raising of the American flag by a detail of local Marines that served in the Pacific.

Jackie Robinson breaks baseball's color barrier
in the his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers

April 15, 1947 ... The Dodgers opened the season today at Ebbets Field against the Boston Braves. Rumors of a sellout may have discouraged some fans from attending, but whatever the reason, a crowd of only 26,623 saw the opening game of the 1947 season.

Rookie Jackie Robinson made the game’s first putout, receiving the throw from fellow rookie Spider Jorgensen on Dick Culler’s ground ball to third base. Interim manager Clyde Sukeforth had Robinson batting second, so after Eddie Stanky grounded out, Jackie stepped in against the Braves' Johnny Sain for his first major league at-bat. Sain, the National League’s winningest right-hander in 1946, retired him easily on a bouncer to third baseman Bob Elliott. After flying out to left fielder Danny Litwhiler in the third inning, Robinson appeared to have gotten his first big league hit in the fifth. But, shortstop Culler made an outstanding play on his ground ball and turned it into a well-executed 6-4-3 double play.

The Dodgers were the first to score, getting one run in the fourth inning. Pete Reiser, who had walked with none out, scored when Gene Hermanski threw a block on secondbaseman Connie Ryan, who was trying to turn the double-play on Bruce Edwards' ground ball to Bob Elliott.

The Braves retrieved the run in the fifth inning, when Ryan opened with the first of his three singles. Johnny Hopp drove him in with a single to left, to tie the game at 1 to 1.

In the sixth inning the Braves scored two runs when Joe Hatten hit Litwhiler to start the inning. Braves' rookie, Earl Torgeson bunted, but Edwards threw wild to second base. Phil Masi sacrificed them ahead and Ryan came through with a single to score Litwhiler and Torgeson and give the Braves a 3 to 1 lead.

The Dodgers scored a run in their sixth when Reiser opened with a bunt for a base hit.  Dixie Walker followed with a clean single and Spider Jorgenson scored Reiser on a ground out, to make it 3 to 2.

Eddie Stanky was the first to bat in the seventh inning, and opened by drawing Sain’s fifth walk of the afternoon. It was an obvious bunt situation and Robinson laid down a beauty, pushing the ball deftly up the right side. toward first baseman, Torgeson, who fielded it, but with Robinson speeding down the line, was forced to hurry his throw. The ball hit Jackie and caromed away, allowing him to take second and Stanky to reach third.

SPIDER JORGENSON (3B), PEE WEE REESE (SS), EDDIE STANKY (2B), JACKIE ROBINSON (1B)

The Dodgers did not lose a moment in taking full advantage. Still, with none out, Reiser drove a double against the right field wall that scored both runners and finished Sain. Reiser later scored on Gene Hermanski’s fly ball off reliever Mort Cooper as the Dodgers won 5-3. Hal Gregg, in relief of starter Joe Hatten, got the win, and Hugh Casey got the first of his league-leading eighteen saves.

When the Dodgers took the field in the ninth inning, Robinson remained on the bench as veteran Howie Schultz took over at first base. Schultz was inserted as a defensive measure.

(The Dodgers soon realized that Robinson needed no help. Schultz played in only one more game before Brooklyn sold him to the Phillies. Ed Stevens, the team’s other first baseman, played in just five games before he was sent back to the minors.  During his first season in the majors, Robinson would encounter racism from opposing teams and fans, as well as some of his own teammates. However, the abuse didn’t affect his performance on the baseball field. Robinson played in 151 games, hit .297, stole more bases than anyone else in the National League and was awarded the first-ever Rookie of the Year title)