Glew: How did Fergie Jenkins pitch on Opening Day?

Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) made 11 Opening Day starts during his major league career. Photo: Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

March 28, 2024

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

How did Canada’s greatest major league pitcher fare on Opening Day?

Pretty darn well.

Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) posted a 2.58 ERA and threw three complete games in 11 Opening Day starts during his major league career.

Seven of those starts came with the Chicago Cubs, two with the Texas Rangers and two with the Boston Red Sox.

Here are some fun facts and statistical highlights about Jenkins’ Opening Day starts:

-Though he posted a superb 2.58 ERA in 11 Opening Day starts, he was again (like he was for much of his big league career) a victim of poor run support. His record in his Opening Day starts was just 3-4.

-His seven Opening Day starts with the Cubs remain a franchise record.

-His 11 Opening Day starts are tied for the 11th most in major league history with Dennis Martinez, Felix Hernandez and CC Sabathia. Tom Seaver holds the record with 16 Opening Day starts.

-In his first Opening Day start for the Cubs on April 11, 1967, he tossed a complete game, allowing just two runs on six hits, while striking out five, in the Cubs’ 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field.

-In his fourth Opening Day start for the Cubs on April 6, 1971, he threw a 10-inning complete game to earn the win in the Cubs’ 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. Jenkins outdueled Bob Gibson, giving up just three hits while fanning seven.

-On April 6, 1973, Jenkins pitched against the Montreal Expos in his sixth Opening Day start for the Cubs. He permitted just two runs on five hits in eight innings but settled for a no-decision. The Cubs eventually won 3-2 at Wrigley Field.

-On April 9, 1976, in his first Opening Day start for the Boston Red Sox, Jenkins allowed an unearned run on three hits in eight innings but suffered a tough-luck 1-0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Memorial Stadium.

-In his second tenure with the Rangers, Jenkins got the Opening Day start in 1979 and tossed a complete game in the Rangers’ 8-2 win over the Detroit Tigers at Tiger Stadium (the closest he’d ever pitch to his hometown of Chatham, Ont., on Opening Day). Jenkins allowed two runs on seven hits and struck out five.

-Almost 16 years after his first Opening Day start for the Cubs, a 40-year-old Jenkins got the nod in the Cubs’ opener on April 6, 1983 at Wrigley Field. Facing the Expos, the veteran right-hander permitted just two runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings but was saddled with the loss when Steve Rogers hurled a six-hit shutout in the Expos’ 3-0 win.

O’Neill goes for Opening Day home run record

Here’s a great piece of trivia from the wonderful Sarah Langs, of the MLB.com, about Maple Ridge, B.C. native and Boston Red Sox slugger Tyler O’Neill. With a homer today, O’Neill could set an MLB record by homering on five consecutive opening days.