4/10/1967: Happy Valentine's Day

President Johnson threw out the Presidential first pitch prior to the Yankees-Senators opener. He threw 3 pitches instead of the customary 2. Fred Valentine then proceeded to hit 3 home runs. And that is how the 1967 season opened.

WSH 11-13-1 NYY 2-5-0 WP-Richert LP-Stottlemyre Fred Valentine 3 home runs, 7 RBI. 

The Yankees started out with a lead-off homer by Tom Tresh, then Mickey Mantle slugged a solo shot of his own and it looked like it would be the Yankees' day, not Valentines. The Nats got those 2 runs back in the home half of the 1st when Ed Brinkman walked and Bernie Allen singled, putting runners at 1st and 3rd. A single by Frank Howard and a fielder's choice by Dick Nen scored the 2 runs. 

Then, Valentine's Day was set into motion when he hit a solo home run off Stottlemyre in the bottom of the 3rd to put the Nats on top for good. Frank Howard followed with a homer of his own for back-2-back and a 4-2 Nats lead after 3. Then in the 5th, a hit batsman by Brinkman and double by Allen put runners at 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. Then Valentine took Stottlemyre deep again, chasing Stottlemyre and padding Washington's lead to 7-2. 

In the bottom of the 6th, Pete Richert walked, Brinkman reached on a fielder's choice to 3rd and Bernie Allen singled Brinkman to 3rd. Valentine then clubbed #3 off Fred Talbot, capping off the biggest Senator Opening Day triumph in years. Dick Nen added a solo home run for the final margin of victory.

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