What is it about being first? At an open mic in a Chicago bookstore last weekend, the host of the event welcomed everyone and thanked them for coming out, and then randomly called my name to be the first one to come up and share what I had with the two dozen or so other people in attendance.
There had been no volunteers to go first, and I felt obligated to go up when called upon to do so. But nobody really wants to be the opening act, do they? I read about Prince’s disastrous opening set for the Rolling Stones in 1981, and it hardened his resolve to never open for anyone after that. I was clearly a long way from that, but it felt awkward, all the same.
Dan McGinn, who passed away one year ago today at the age of 79, had some experience with going first in his professional career. After an uneventful rookie season with the Cincinnati Reds in 1968, he was drafted by the expansion Montreal Expos before the 1969 season began.
The Expos franchise started play on the road in Shea Stadium on April 8, 1969. Nobody knew that the Mets would go on to win their first World Series title that season, but everybody in the stadium that day was there to watch Tom Seaver pitch against the first Canadian team in major league history. Nevermind that the Canadian team didn’t have any actual Canadians on the roster just yet. History was being made on that day, and 44,000 New Yorkers were on hand to see it.
The Expos sent Mudcat Grant to the mound that day, and the Mets jumped on him early. With one out in the second inning, Expos manager Gene Mauch had seen enough. He pulled Grant from the game, and brought in McGinn to be the first relief pitcher in Expos history. And McGinn made his impact felt immediately by picking off Tommie Agee from second base. And yes, this was the first pickoff in Expos history, as well.
A week later, McGinn became the first winning pitcher on Canadian soil, when the Expos beat the Cardinals in their home opener. The Expos won only 52 games that season, because expansion teams are destined to take their lumps. Going first can be a drag, sometimes. But Dan McGinn had that opportunity in Montreal, and he made the best of it.
Speaking of firsts, this is the first (and the only) baseball card that Jeff Holly appeared on. Holly’s 71st birthday is on today’s date. His first major league appearance on May 1, 1977 was perhaps the high point of his career, and deserves some retelling here. The Detroit Tigers were visiting the Twins on a Sunday afternoon, and an early-season crowd of just over 8,600 fans were in attendance.
The Tigers were off to a slow start that year, but they forgot about that when they teed off for five runs against Twins starter Paul Thormodsgard in the top of the second inning. Many of the Twins fans in attendance on a wet and windy day probably headed for the exits early, with their team already in a large hole. And who could blame them for doing so? Certainly not me.
The Twins sent out Jeff Holly in the third inning, to make his major league debut at the age of 24. And rather than absorb further abuse from Tigers batters, Holly pitched like a veteran that day. He allowed two hits and a walk, while striking out six batters, who were presumably all more veteran players than him. And—in another example of what makes baseball such a great game—the home team erupted for four runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, to claim a 6-5 victory. Jeff Holly kept his team in the game, and was rewarded with a Win that day.
But if Holly was wondering about how to top his first appearance, he never found that answer. In the 39 games he appeared in during his three-year career (including that first game victory), his team won just 7 games while losing 32, which translates to a .179 winning percentage. The team itself clearly wasn’t too good in those days, but Holly’s 5.60 career ERA didn’t help matters any, either.
After Holly’s 1979 Topps card appeared he pitched in six games for the Twins in April, and spent the remainder of the season in the minor leagues. He never pitched in the majors again.
March 1, the day that March is thought to come in “like a lion,” is also the 72nd birthday of Bob Davis. In keeping with today’s “firsts” theme, I tried really hard to find an interesting first for Bob Davis. Sadly, I was unable to find any.
He’s not the first Bob Davis (or even the second or third) to play in the majors.
He’s not the first player to come from his small hometown of Pryor, Oklahoma to play in the majors, either.
His first season in the majors, in 1973 with Padres, was hardly a success, since he batted .091 and was sent back to the minors after 5 games and 12 plate appearances.
Maybe the best thing to be said about him is that he kept on going, despite his initial struggles in the majors. After all, he played eight more seasons in the majors than I ever will, and that’s worth recognizing, all by itself.
I’ll be back again tomorrow…