Opening Day in ‘The House That Ruth Built’

1977 (Catfish, Reggie, and the Toy Cannon lead Yanks to victory)
The Yankees were coming off the losing end of a World Series sweep at the hands of ‘The Big Red Machine’ the previous October and had something to prove. The Brewers, on the other hand, finished dead last in the AL East with a record of 66-95, 32 games behind New York.

Von Joshua led off the first with a single but never moved as Robin Yount, Cecil Cooper, and Sal Bando all flied out to left fielder Roy White. In the bottom of the second, Jim Wynn slammed his first and only AL home run (in his first AL at-bat), a blast that carried some 430 feet to dead center to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. Reggie Jackson scored the final two runs on a fielder’s choice and a wild pitch by Milwaukee starter Bill Travers.

Joshua led the Brewers with a double and two singles while Cooper and Don Money each had base hits. For the Yanks, Mickey Rivers, Jackson, and Wynn each had two hits.

Catfish Hunter got the win, going seven innings and allowing just three hits while striking out five. Sparky Lyle allowed two hits in two innings for the save, the first of 26 in his AL Cy Young season. Travers went 7.2 innings and gave up 11 hits and three runs. After the game Bando said, “When we didn’t get to ‘Cat’ in the first inning, I knew he’d be tough.”

1979 (‘Yankee killer’ Caldwell tosses complete game gem)
The Brewers came into the season after their first 90-win season (93 wins), facing the two-time defending World Series champions on April 5 at Yankee Stadium.

Fans that were expecting a pitcher’s duel weren’t disappointed as Yankee starter Ron Guidry set down the first 16 batters he faced, while Brewers lefty Mike Caldwell scattered five hits and one run as the Brewers trailed 1-0 going into the sixth.

Guidry got the first out and then imploded, as the next seven Brewers that came to the plate had four singles, two walks, and scored four runs, knocking ‘Louisiana Lightning’ out of the game in favor of reliever Dick Tidrow. The Brewers added their final run on an RBI single by Charlie Moore in the seventh inning.

Caldwell — who had three complete game shutouts against New York in 1978 — allowed seven hits total. Guidry took the loss after looking invincible the first five frames. Don Money had a hit and two RBI, while Cecil Cooper, Sixto Lezcano, and Moore all had RBI singles.

“It’s a tremendous thrill to beat the two-time World Series champs,” Caldwell said. “I got psyched up when they ran up the World Series flag [up the flagpole]. I’d sure like to see that thing go up in Milwaukee next year.”

2025
For the third time (and first in 46 years), the Brewers will take on the defending AL champion New York Yankees in an Opening Day contest at Yankee Stadium. How will it turn out?