Opening Day Grand Slam Club

[webmaster]

The Regular Season is finally upon us. Sometimes it seems like the off-season gets longer & longer...

On Opening Day (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/opening_day/opening_day.shtml) (2003 when I made this list originally) I was only able to watch one game, but that game made me wonder, "Had any player ever hit a grand slam on Opening Day (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/opening_day/opening_day.shtml)." If I am curious, I assume that other baseball fans must be as well. To that end I present:

The Opening Day Grand Slam Club
In Chronological Order

Year Lg Team Name
1892 NL Boston Beaneaters Herman Long (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=longhe01)
1894 NL Cincinnati Reds Bug Holliday (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=hollibu01)
1927 NL New York Giants Bill Terry (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=terrybi01)
1941 NL Chicago Cubs Bill Nicholson (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=nichobi01)
1945 AL New York Yankees Russ Derry (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=derryru01)
1945 NL Cincinnati Reds Dain Clay (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=clayda01)
1952 NL Chicago Cubs Hank Sauer (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=sauerha01)
1960 AL Chicago White Sox Minnie Minoso (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=minosmi01)
1962 NL Pittsburgh Pirates Roberto Clemente (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=clemero01)
1971 AL Chicago White Sox Bill Melton (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=meltobi01)
1973 AL Boston Red Sox Carlton Fisk (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=fiskca01)
1978 AL Milwaukee Brewers Sixto Lezcano (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=lezcasi01)
1980 AL Milwaukee Brewers Sixto Lezcano (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=lezcasi01)
1981 AL New York Yankees Bobby Murcer (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=murcebo01)
1981 AL California Angels Brian Downing (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=downibr01)
1982 AL Baltimore Orioles Eddie Murray (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=murraed02)
1986 AL Seattle Mariners Jim Presley (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=preslji01)
1991 AL Boston Red Sox Jack Clark (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=clarkja01)
1993 AL Oakland Athletics Eric Fox (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=foxer01)
1994 AL Oakland Athletics Terry Steinbach (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=steinte01)
1995 AL Milwaukee Brewers John Jaha (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=jahajo01)
1995 NL New York Mets Todd Hundley (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=hundlto01)
1996 AL California Angels Jim Edmonds (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=edmonji01)
1998 NL St. Louis Cardinals Mark McGwire (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=mcgwima01)
2000 AL Tampa Bay Devil Rays Fred McGriff (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=mcgrifr01)
2000 NL Los Angeles Dodgers Eric Karros (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=karroer01)
2000 NL Houston Astros Richard Hidalgo (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=hidalri01)
2002 AL Baltimore Orioles Tony Batista (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=batisto01)
2002 NL Florida Marlins Preston Wilson (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=wilsopr01)
2006 AL New York Yankees Alex Rodriguez (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=rodrial01)

Hope you found this "Club" interesting...

Sean
Baseball Almanac (http://www.baseball-almanac.com)
"Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today."

[hubkittel]

i was at busch stadium in 1998 when mcgwire hit his-it was one of the most amazing things i have ever seen. before the game everyone was talking about mcgwire and 62 HR. then he comes up with the bases loaded. everyone was on their feet and thinking the exact same thing-grand slam. the place was electric. if memory serves me correctly, we were playing the dodgers and they changed pitchers, bringing in el presidente to face mac. when he hit it out, the stadium was literally rocking. i've been to world series games, playoff games, other opening days, and i've never heard such a noise at busch stadium. it was an incredable moment.

[Utter Chaos]

I believe that Juan Encarnacion of the Florida Marlins hit a Grand Slam on opening day in 2005 off John Smoltz against the Atlanda Braves. The final score was 9-0, the winning pitcher I believe was Josh Beckett.I think he's right. Juan belongs on this list.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B04050FLO2005.htm


Also, Soriano in 2003
http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B03310TOR2003.htm
and Phil Nevin in 2004.
http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B04050LAN2004.htm


edit to fix bad link

[josh24]

Also Hanley Ramirez in 2009:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/FLO/FLO200904060.shtml

and Daryle Ward in 2001:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU200104030.shtml