Even for spring training, this was a huge matchup
Braves Franchise History
1915: The Boston Braves break ground on Commonwealth Avenue and begin construction of Braves Field. Owner James E. Gaffney wants a large enough park so that inside-the-park homers can be hit in three directions. The field will open on August 18th.
1935: At St. Petersburg, the St. Louis Cardinals set a spring training record, drawing 6,467 in a match against the Boston Braves. The big draw is Babe Ruth, who hits a towering fly against Dizzy Dean, then, after Dean departs, laces two doubles into the overflowing crowd. The Cardinals win, 5 – 4.
1954: The Chicago Cubs send shortstop Roy Smalley to the Milwaukee Braves for pitcher Dave Cole, opening up the shortstop job for Ernie Banks.
2002: The Milwaukee Brewers traded catcher Henry Blanco to the Atlanta Braves for catcher Paul Bako and pitcher Jose Cabrera.
MLB History
1973: Roberto Clemente becomes the first Hispanic American to gain election to the Hall of Fame. The Baseball Writers Association of America announces the results of a special ballot, with Clemente receiving 393 of 424 votes. Clemente died in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve. In light of his tragic death, the Hall’s Board of Directors waived the five-year waiting period that is normally required before a player is eligible for election. A twelve-time All-Star, Clemente batted .317 and won a dozen Gold Gloves over an 18-year career, and batted .362 in World Series play. Named National League MVP in 1966, he was voted the outstanding player in the 1971 World Series, when the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the heavily-favored Baltimore Orioles in seven games.
2000: The new World Umpires Association agrees to consolidate all umpires as part of an interim agreement with the commissioner’s office. The umpires will merge into a single unit reporting directly to Major League Baseball this season, after being employed by either the National League or the American League since the latter’s creation in 1901.
2014: In a trade of minor leaguers with excellent bloodlines, the Angels send 1B Matt Scioscia, son of manager Mike Scioscia, to the Cubs in return for OF Trevor Gretzky, son of all-time hockey great Wayne Gretzky. In spite of their athletic lineage, neither player is considered to be much of a prospect, however.
2024: For the first time, an MLB game is played in South Korea as the Dodgers defeat the Padres, 5 – 2, in the first of two games to be played at Seoul’s Gocheok SkyDome. Los Angeles scored four times in the 8th after trailing early as Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani, in his first game for his new team after signing a huge contract in the off-season, both drive in a run.
Information for this article was found via Baseball Reference, NationalPastime.com and Today in Baseball History.