Fun Facts From Monday's Braves Home Opener

by gondeee on Apr 7, 2010 4:49 PM EDT

Opening days are always chock full of firsts, but this opening day for the Braves was about more than just firsts.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau...

Derek Lowe earned his second-consecutive opening day win
In his first major league plate appearance, Jason Heyward hit a three-run home run, becoming the sixth player in Atlanta history and the 11th player in franchise history to hit a home run in his ML debut. He is just the sixth player in franchise history to homer in his first career plate appearance joining Bob Horner (1978), Jermaine Dye (1996), Marty Malloy (1998), Jeff Francoeur (2005) and Jordan Schafer (2009).
At the young age of 20, Heyward became the youngest player to hit a home run in his first major league at-bat since 1950, when CIN's Ted Tappe, then 19, belted a pinch-hit home run at Ebbets Field. The youngest player to ever accomplish the feat was Whitey Lockman of the New York Giants, whose first at-bat home run came 20 days before his 19th birthday in 1945.
Atlanta posted two six-run innings (first and seventh), becoming the first team in major league history to open a season at home scoring at least six runs in a pair of innings. The feat was accomplished by two teams in season-opening road games; the Chicago White Sox against the Browns in St. Louis in 1951 and the Milwaukee Brewers at Toronto in 1982.
Atlanta's run total of 16 is the most runs scored by an Atlanta opening day club since scoring 12 in a win against the San Francisco Giants on April 26, 1995. The 16 runs scored is also the most runs by an opening day Braves' club since April 4, 1900 when the team scored 17 in a losing effort vs. Philadelphia.
Brian McCann's solo home run in the second inning was his second in two years and his third in five career opening day starts. McCann is one of seven players to connect on a long ball on opening day in 2009-10.
Monday's 53,081 attendance mark was the fourth largest crowd in Atlanta regular-season history, the third largest in Turner Field history and the largest ever for a day game in Atlanta.

Pretty cool.

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Marty Malloy’s only ML home run in 53 at bats with the Braves and Marlins.

I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it: https://www.createspace.com/3407939
www.dropoutproductions.com

by cbwilk on Apr 7, 2010 4:56 PM EDT reply actions

Did anyone else read that and say

Who the hell is Marty Malloy? I wasn’t as diehard as I am today, but that name just did not ring a bell.

by Cracker! on Apr 7, 2010 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions

I remember his name bit I couldn’t tell you what he looked like, though I want to say he wore #20.

by BullManUGA on Apr 7, 2010 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Holy shit...

I was right. He wore #20 with the Braves according to baseball-reference.com.

by BullManUGA on Apr 7, 2010 5:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Little short guy with a mustache. Marty was a nice guy and a pretty decent AAA player.

I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it: https://www.createspace.com/3407939
www.dropoutproductions.com

by cbwilk on Apr 7, 2010 5:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Frenchie

Frenchie did not homer in his first PA, he homered in the 8th Inning of his first game…just for the sake of correctness

by granman29 on Apr 7, 2010 5:04 PM EDT reply actions

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/feats5.shtml

neither did Malloy or Horner

by homerlanding on Apr 7, 2010 5:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Testing mobile commenting with my Droid

by BullManUGA on Apr 7, 2010 5:32 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

droooooiiiid

by eavchuck on Apr 7, 2010 6:31 PM EDT up reply actions

These aren't the droids you're looking for.

by jpx7 on Apr 7, 2010 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions

lol…choke…lol.
I really gotta stop eating while reading TC comments.

by Lizziebeth on Apr 9, 2010 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions

from the first game is that the Braves scored only 1 of their 16 runs with two outs (Prado’s RBI single). That’s the reverse of what we saw last year, when it seemed like we could only score with 2 outs.

Another good one is that famed groundballer Derek Lowe induced 2 double plays—but both were line drives that doubled up a runner on first (one to Esco and the missed call on the ball McLouth dropped).

"Yeah, and I have an enchanted jock strap." -- Karl Karlson

by Jacob Peterson on Apr 7, 2010 5:40 PM EDT reply actions

Oh,

and the 2,200+ comments on the TC game threads is a pretty impressive stat, too. :)

"Yeah, and I have an enchanted jock strap." -- Karl Karlson

by Jacob Peterson on Apr 7, 2010 5:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Atlanta’s run total of 16 is the most runs scored by an Atlanta opening day club since scoring 12 in a win against the San Francisco Giants on April 26, 1995.

Am I missing something, or does this not make sense?

STILL stopping every few minutes to realize "Whoa. The Saints won the Super Bowl."

by AllSaintsDay on Apr 7, 2010 5:52 PM EDT reply actions

They haven’t scored more than 12 since 1995.

by BullManUGA on Apr 7, 2010 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions

none of it makes any sense. opening day on april 26th? and is 16 the all-time braves record then?

by 15ks on Apr 7, 2010 9:30 PM EDT up reply actions

1995 was strike-shortened due to the lockout. Spring Training did not start until April 2, when Judge Sonia Sotomayor (yes, the one now on the Supreme Court) ruled in favor of the players and after the owners fielded teams of Replacement Players to start regular Spring Training. That is why 1995 only had 144 games.

by Mr. Glavine #47 on Apr 7, 2010 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions

FUN FACT!

1.) 122.5 – David Ortiz – 09/06/05
2.) 122.3 – Vlad Balentien – 10/02/09
3.) 122.3 – Jeremy Hermida – 07/19/08
4.) 122.1 – Reggie Abercrombie – 04/19/06
5.) 121.9 – Hanley Ramirez – 07/04/08
6.) 121.6 – Wily Pena 04/17/05
7.) 121.3 – Alex Rodriguez 06/15/06
8.) 121.2 – Jonny Gomes 07/09/05
9.) 121.0 – Mark Reynolds 09/18/07
10.) 121.0 – Josh Phelps 08/20/07
11.) 121.0 – Prince Fielder 04/18/06

12.) 120.9 – Jason Heyward 04/05/10

13.) 120.8 – Adam Dunn 09/27/08
14.) 120.7 – Travis Hafner 08/20/06
15.) 120.5 – Ryan Braun MIL 09/23/07
16.) 120.5 – Travis Hafner 06/27/05
17.) 120.4 – Alex Rodriguez 05/27/06

by jjschiller on Apr 7, 2010 6:09 PM EDT reply actions

Those are ALL the homeruns to leave the bat faster than 120 mph since 2005.

According to hittracker.com

by jjschiller on Apr 7, 2010 6:09 PM EDT up reply actions

haha

Josh Phelps went to my high school, played ball with my oldest brother. Same high school Bobby Jenks went to as well…he also played with my brothers.

by kreese555 on Apr 7, 2010 6:12 PM EDT reply actions

FRENCHIE

Francoeur did not hit a homer in his first AB, It was his 4th when he hit the 3 run homer. ironically it was agianst the Cubs too

Roosy

by geapsquash on Apr 7, 2010 6:28 PM EDT reply actions

So since no one else has mentioned it, I was kind of hoping Yunel would strike out so Heyward could hit a grand slam, but no, Yunel had to ruin it by driving in a run. Sheesh.

by Gage23 on Apr 7, 2010 10:30 PM EDT reply actions