It’s April 1, 1996, and the Orioles were supposed to host the Kansas City Royals in the first game of the season today. But Mother Nature said, “April fools!” and the game got washed out. It was only the second time since the O’s moved to Baltimore in 1954 — and the first time since 1972 — that the home opener got washed out. Perhaps understanding that he might rust in the rain, baseball’s Iron Man understood the decision.

“There’s an emotional build-up,” Cal Ripken, Jr., said. “So there’s a little bit of disappointment, but I think you’d much rather play in good conditions and I think the fans would rather watch the game in good weather.” (Baltimore Sun, p. 3D, April 2, 1996)

President Bill Clinton, who was supposed to throw out the first pitch, was able to rearrange his schedule and is “really looking forward” to the game tomorrow, according to a White House spokesperson. (Baltimore Sun, p. 3D, April 2, 1996)

The Sun also covered the sad state of affairs for the many fans who will now have to work and won’t get to see Opening Day. “This my first Opening Day, or would have been,” said Dennis O’Neal, who drove over 2 hours from Winchester, Va., with his son, Steve. “It’s a disappointment.” 

While the rain turned Monday into a disappointment in Baltimore, in Cincinnati the game took a much more tragic turn. Home plate umpire John McSherry collapsed and died on the field at Riverfront Stadium, apparently suffering a massive heart attack. He was just 51 years old. Cincinnati catcher Eddie Taubensee was thoroughly shook.

“He was joking around with me before the game,” he said. “After he collapsed, I lost it . . . These are guys we get upset with and hate sometimes, but we still love them.” (Baltimore Sun, p. 5D, April 2, 1996)

McSherry collapsed just two minutes into the game, which was postponed until tomorrow.

Elsewhere around the league, the Oakland Athletics had to open their season in a minor league ballpark in Las Vegas due to the construction of Mt. Davis, a garish section of seats in centerfield that will be used for the returning Raiders, which are owned by Al Davis. Who knows if the words “Athletics” and “minor league stadium” and “Las Vegas” will ever be uttered in the same breath again?

Oh, and for all you hoop heads out there, Rick Pitino and the Kentucky Wildcats cut down the nets in East Rutherford, N.J., after topping Syracuse, 76-67, to win the national championship. It was the school’s first title in 18 years. Senior Tony Delk hit a record-tying seven three-pointers to lead the ‘Cats. Backup center — and present-day Kentucky coach — Mark Pope made two clutch free throws with a minute to go to help seal the win.

Here’s hoping for better weather tomorrow so we can get this season underway!

OPENING DAY!!! (For real this time!!!)

Kansas City at Baltimore, 3:05 p.m.

Starting Pitchers:
KC — RHP Kevin Appier, 0-0
BAL — RHP Mike Mussina, 0-0

To better understand the overarching cultural and geopolitical context in which this baseball season took place, we’ll occasionally take a look at a story from the front page of The Baltimore Sun.

Another thing that has been going on in the background throughout the spring is that U.S. soldiers have been deployed in the Balkans. For three months now, American troops have been on the ground in Bosnia, working with the United Nations to help secure peace between the warring factions in the former Yugoslavia. 

Today’s front page of The Baltimore Sun features a syndicated story from The Los Angeles Times, about how U.S. forces are providing security this week for U.N. war crimes investigators as they work to get to the bottom of what happened in the former “safe area” of Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia-Herzegovina. There are at least 32 mass graves near the city, where it is now becoming clear that over 8,000 Muslim men and boys were exterminated by Bosnian Serb forces in July 1995 after they overran what had been a U.N.-protected Muslim enclave. (Baltimore Sun, p. 1A, April 1, 1996)

It took years for the world to realize/admit what happened in Srebrenica. In 2007, the U.N.’s highest court recognized it as a genocide, and it remains the last genocide formally recognized by that court. Dozens of the Bosnian Serb perpetrators were convicted of war crimes — including genocide — and received extended sentences in the Hague. But many others haven’t faced consequences.

Welcome to a recurring segment where I find fun things in today’s (in 1996) Baltimore Sun!

The Sun was really fired up for Opening Day, but unfortunately the weather didn’t cooperate.