Frank Robinson, making his official debut as the first black manager in the major leagues, came to bat as the Indians' designated hitter in the first inning and smashed a homer for a dramatic introduction in a 5-3 victory over the Yankees. The opening-day crowd of 56,204 roared as Robinson circled the bases. The Yankees shrugged off that blow and nicked Gaylord Perry for all their runs in the second. Chris Chambliss drove in a pair with a double and crossed the plate himself on a single by Thurman Munson, but Boog Powell then made his presence felt in the Indians' lineup.

After hitling a single and scoring on a single by John Ellis and sacrifice fly by Jack Brohamer in the Indians' half of the second, Powell tied the game with a homer in the fourth. The Indians added their winning pair in the sixth. George Hendrick walked, stole second and scored on a double by Powell. Following a pass to Ellis, Brohamer singled to drive in Powell. [The Sporting News]



Cleveland Indians 5, New York Yankees 3
Game Played on Tuesday, April     8, 1975 (Day game) at Cleveland Stadium
Yankees      0  3  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   3  9  1
Indians      1  1  0    1  0  2    0  0  x  -   5 10  0


Yankees              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Indians              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Alomar 2b             2   0   0   0     1   1   .000      Gamble lf             5   0   1   0     0   0   .200
  Johnson ph          1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Robinson dh           3   1   1   1     1   0   .333
  Stanley 2b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Hendrick cf           3   1   0   0     1   0   .000
Piniella lf           4   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Spikes rf             4   0   0   0     0   2   .000
Bonds cf              4   0   0   0     0   2   .000      Powell 1b             3   3   3   2     1   0  1.000
Blomberg rf           4   1   2   0     0   0   .500      Ellis c               3   0   2   0     1   1   .667
Nettles 3b            4   1   1   0     0   0   .250      Bell 3b               4   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Herrmann dh           4   0   1   0     0   0   .250      Brohamer 2b           3   0   2   2     0   0   .667
  White pr,dh         0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Crosby ss             4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Chambliss 1b          4   1   3   2     0   0   .750      G. Perry p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Munson c              4   0   2   1     0   1   .500
Mason ss              3   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Medich p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  May p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Lyle p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   3   9   3     1   6             Totals               32   5  10   5     4   3

Time of Game: 2:43   Attendance: 56,715
Left on Base: Yankees 5, Indians 8
DP: Yankees 0, Indians 1
Errors: Lyle
Doubles: Chambliss (1), Powell (1)
Home Runs: Robinson (1), Powell (1)
Stolen Bases: Hendrick (1)
Caught Stealing: Alomar (1), Crosby (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Brohamer (1)
GIDP: Nettles (1)


Yankees                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Medich L(0-1)           5.2   8   5   5   2   2   2  26   7.94
May                     1.1   0   0   0   1   1   0   5   0.00
Lyle                    1     2   0   0   1   0   0   6   0.00
Totals                  8    10   5   5   4   3   2  37

Indians                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
G. Perry W(1-0)         9     9   3   3   1   6   0  35   3.00
Totals                  9     9   3   3   1   6   0  35

Passed Balls: Munson (1)

Umpires: HP - Nestor Chylak, 1B - Larry McCoy, 2B - Joe Brinkman, 3B - Terry Cooney


YANKEES 1ST: Frank Robinson's first game as manager;
Alomar walked; Alomar was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Piniella struck out; Bonds struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 0, Indians 0.

INDIANS 1ST: Gamble popped to third in foul territory; Robinson
homered; Hendrick flied out to right; Spikes grounded out (third
to first); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 0, Indians 1.

YANKEES 2ND: Blomberg singled to right; Nettles singled to right
[Blomberg to second]; Herrmann flied out to left [Blomberg to
third, Nettles to second]; Chambliss doubled to center [Blomberg
scored, Nettles scored]; Munson singled to left [Chambliss
scored]; Mason forced Munson (pitcher to shortstop); Alomar was
called out on strikes; 3 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 3, Indians
1.

INDIANS 2ND: Powell singled to right; Ellis singled to left
[Powell to second]; Bell forced Ellis (shortstop to second)
[Powell to third]; Brohamer hit a sacrifice fly to center
[Powell scored]; Crosby forced Bell (shortstop to second); 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 3, Indians 2.

YANKEES 3RD: Piniella grounded out (third to first); Bonds
grounded out (third to first); Blomberg grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 3, Indians 2.

INDIANS 3RD: Gamble grounded out (shortstop to first); Robinson
grounded out (third to first); Hendrick flied out to right; 0 R,
0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 3, Indians 2.

YANKEES 4TH: Nettles popped to third in foul territory; Herrmann
grounded out (second to first); Chambliss singled to left;
Munson singled to center [Chambliss to third]; Mason grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Yankees 3, Indians
2.

INDIANS 4TH: Spikes popped to first in foul territory; Powell
homered; Ellis struck out; Bell grounded out (third to first); 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 3, Indians 3.

YANKEES 5TH: Alomar grounded out (first to pitcher); Piniella
grounded out (pitcher to first); Bonds was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Yankees 3, Indians 3.

INDIANS 5TH: Brohamer grounded out (first to pitcher); Crosby
singled to right; Crosby was caught stealing second (catcher to
shortstop); Gamble singled to center; Robinson flied out to
left; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 3, Indians 3.

YANKEES 6TH: Blomberg singled to center; Nettles grounded into a
double play (pitcher to shortstop to first) [Blomberg out at
second]; Herrmann flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Yankees 3, Indians 3.

INDIANS 6TH: Hendrick walked; Spikes struck out; Hendrick stole
second; Powell doubled to right [Hendrick scored]; Ellis walked;
Bell forced Ellis (third to second) [Powell to third]; Brohamer
singled to center [Powell scored, Bell to second]; MAY REPLACED
MEDICH (PITCHING); Munson allowed a passed ball [Bell to third];
Crosby forced Brohamer (second to shortstop); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2
LOB.  Yankees 3, Indians 5.

YANKEES 7TH: Chambliss singled to left; Munson struck out; Mason
flied out to center; JOHNSON BATTED FOR ALOMAR; Johnson struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees 3, Indians 5.

INDIANS 7TH: STANLEY REPLACED JOHNSON (PLAYING 2B); Gamble
grounded out (second to first); Robinson walked; Hendrick flied
out to left; Spikes struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Yankees
3, Indians 5.

YANKEES 8TH: Piniella grounded out (shortstop to first); Bonds
flied out to right; Blomberg flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Yankees 3, Indians 5.

INDIANS 8TH: LYLE REPLACED MAY (PITCHING); Powell walked; Ellis
was credited with a single when a runner was hit by the batted
ball to second [Powell out at second (second unassisted)]; Bell
reached on an error by Lyle [Ellis to second]; On a bunt
Brohamer singled to third [Ellis to third, Bell to second];
Crosby forced Ellis (first to catcher) [Bell to third, Brohamer
to second]; Gamble flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 3 LOB.
Yankees 3, Indians 5.

YANKEES 9TH: Nettles flied out to right; Herrmann singled to
left; WHITE RAN FOR HERRMANN; Chambliss flied out to right;
Munson grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Yankees 3, Indians 5.