THE BEST OPENING DAYS IN BASEBALL HISTORY PEANUTS AND CRACKER JACKS
Baseball’s opening day has been an American holiday of sorts since the Cincinnati Red Stockings threw out the first major league pitch in 1869. To celebrate the start of the 150th season of professional baseball, here are three of the best opening days in baseball history. A New Beginning On April 15, 1947, an opening- day game changed the course of Major League Baseball. On this day, Jackie Robinson started for the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first African-American player to start for a major league baseball team. Robinson’s historic showing was lackluster, going 0-for-3 at the plate and making a solid showing on the infield at first base, but his mere presence in a Dodgers
uniform had already broken history. Despite his nationally- recognized skills — Robinson was named MVP of the MLB farm team league in 1946 — the backlash that followed his rise to the pros, both from fans and teammates, was palpable. Still, as well-known sportscaster Howard Cosell said, “Suddenly, it was a new beginning.” Lou, Combs, and Babe — Oh My! Considered one of the best teams in baseball history, the 1927 New York Yankees started their historic run and 25th season by dismantling the Philadelphia Athletics with a score of 8–3. The slugfest was true to form for the 1927 Yankees, whose players would go on to make up baseball’s famous “Murderers’ Row.” With sluggers like Lou Gehrig, Earle Combs, Babe Ruth, Mark Koenig, Bob Meusel, and Tony Lazzeri, it’s no wonder this team went on to win its fifth championship that year. The Hammer Ties Bambino For decades, no one could match George Herman Ruth. The Great Bambino’s all-time home run record seemed like an impossible feat of strength — that is, until Henry “Hammerin’ Hank” Aaron came along. On opening day, April 4, 1974, Aaron smashed his 714th homer, tying Babe Ruth for the most home runs ever hit and extending the Atlanta Braves’ shutout lead over the Cincinnati Reds. A few weeks later, Aaron surpassed Ruth’s record, prompting a standing ovation from the crowd. Though it’s easy to spot a case runner from the outside, runners are successful because they target vulnerable people. Being injured in an accident is a scary, confusing time. Victims know they need help, but they don’t know where to go. Case runners step in wearing the mask of a friendly good Samaritan, only to direct injured victims to someone who might not be looking out for their best interests. Never accept a “recommendation” you know nothing about, especially if the person being recommended has stooped to the unethical use of runners. Do some research online, or ask your friends and family for a good referral. You should always be the one to contact an attorney or medical professional first. Being in an accident is a stressful time, but case runners will never give you the answers you need to overcome your challenges. That’s because good lawyers, doctors, and chiropractors don’t need to hire someone to unethically convince you to go to their office. hang out at police stations waiting to talk to people filing accident reports.
Case runners, sometimes called “ambulance chasers,” make their money by targeting accident victims and arranging for them to do business with a certain lawyer or doctor. They appear at accident scenes and in the hospital rooms of victims who have been injured in an accident. With claims of sympathy, they offer accident victims the card of someone who they claim will be able to help. But case runners don’t care whether the person they’re speaking to gets better or is able to rebuild their life. Their only interest is the compensation they receive from each case they acquire. The use of case runners is a form of solicitation, and it’s illegal for lawyers or health care professionals to engage in such unethical practices in the state of Georgia. Spotting a Runner It’s easy to identify a case runner. They might come up to you after your accident, claiming to be a concerned witness. Or maybe they’re at the hospital expressing a “deep concern” about your injuries. We’ve even heard of case runners who HOW TO SPOT A CASE RUNNER THE VULTURES ARE CIRCLING
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