Catch Expansion Fever!

1969 brought four new expansion teams into Major League Baseball. The San Diego Padres joined the ever increasing field of teams from California. The Montreal Expos introduced MLB to Canada. The Seattle Pilots had one season of baseball in the Pacific Northwest before being shuttled to Wisconsin, and the Kansas City Royals filled the void left when the Athletics moved to Oakland.

With four new teams as competition, the number of ledgers grew quickly. In fact, of the 804 ledgers hit in 1969, a staggering 36% of them were hit off one of the expansion teams.

One of my favorite aspects of the ledger list for 1969 is seeing aging superstars like Willie Mays pop out of ledger hibernation, knock off a couple teams, then return to their workaday home run hitting.

Monday, April 7

• Jerry Kenney (Yankees) vs. the Senators, 1st/2nd

Tuesday, April 8

• Mark Belanger (Orioles) vs. the Red Sox, 1st/4th
• Duffy Dyer (Mets) vs. the Expos, 1st/1st
• Jim Fregosi (Angels) vs. the Pilots, 1st/10th
• Mike Hegan (Pilots) vs. the Angels, 1st/2nd
• Coco Laboy (Expos) vs. the Mets, 1st/1st
• Dan McGinn (Expos) vs. the Mets, 1st/1st
• Félix Millán (Braves) vs. the Giants, 1st/3rd
• Don Money (Phillies) vs. the Cubs, 1st/1st
• Graig Nettles (Twins) vs. the Royals, 1st/3rd
• Willie Smith (Cubs) vs. the Phillies, 1st/13th

Wednesday, April 9

• Ken Boswell (Mets) vs. the Expos, 1st/5th
• Carlos May (White Sox) vs. the Athletics, 1st/1st

Thursday, April 10

• Tommie Agee (Mets) vs. the Expos, 1st/15th

Friday, April 11

• Jerry May (Pirates) vs. the Phillies, 1st/4th
• Willie Mays (Giants) vs. the Padres, 1st/10th
• George Mitterwald (Twins) vs. the Angels, 1st/1st
• Bill Russell (Dodgers) vs. the Astros, 1st/1st

Saturday, April 12

• Jim Davenport (Giants) vs. the Padres, 1st/10th
• Willie McCovey (Giants) vs. the Padres, 1st/10th
• Ray Oyler (Pilots) vs. the White Sox, 1st/7th
• Jim Pagliaroni (Athletics) vs. the Royals, 1st/20th

Sunday, April 13

• Tommy Davis (Pilots) vs. the White Sox, 1st/15th
• Woodie Held (White Sox) vs. the Pilots, 1st/11th
• Gail Hopkins (White Sox) vs. the Pilots, 1st/1st
• Bill Melton (White Sox) vs. the Pilots, 1st/3rd
• Don Pavletich (White Sox) vs. the Pilots, 1st/10th
• Doug Rader (Astros) vs. the Dodgers, 1st/8th
• Pete Ward (White Sox) vs. the Pilots, 1st/10th
• Sal Bando (Athletics) vs. the Royals, 1st/7th
• Mike Fiore (Royals) vs. the Athletics, 1st/1st
• Dick Green (Athletics) vs. the Royals, 1st/10th
• Reggie Jackson (Athletics) vs. the Royals, 1st/10th
• Merv Rettenmund (Orioles) vs. the Senators, 1st/3rd

Monday, April 14

• Elrod Hendricks (Orioles) vs. the Red Sox, 1st/6th
• Dal Maxvill (Cardinals) vs. the Expos, 1st/3rd
• Joe Torre (Cardinals) vs. the Expos, 1st/10th

Tuesday, April 15

• Tom Haller (Dodgers) vs. the Padres, 1st/10th
• Andy Kosco (Dodgers) vs. the Padres, 1st/11th
• Mike McCormick (Giants) vs. the Reds, 1st/7th
• Don Money (Phillies) vs. the Mets, 2nd/2nd
• Vada Pinson (Cardinals) vs. the Expos, 1st/10th
• Mike Shannon (Cardinals) vs. the Expos, 1st/10th
• Don Young (Cubs) vs. the Pirates, 1st/2nd

Wednesday, April 16

• Buddy Bradford (White Sox) vs. the Royals, 1st/4th
• Billy Conigliaro (Red Sox) vs. the Orioles, 1st/1st
• Willie Crawford (Dodgers) vs. the Padres, 1st/4th
• Carlos May (White Sox) vs. the Royals, 2nd/2nd
• Wes Parker (Dodgers) vs. the Padres, 1st/10th

Thursday, April 17

• Bobby Bonds (Giants) vs. the Padres, 1st/7th
• Sonny Jackson (Braves) vs. the Astros, 1st/4th
• Al Oliver (Pirates) vs. the Mets, 1st/1st

Friday, April 18

No ledgers

Saturday, April 19

• Ollie Brown (Padres) vs. the Giants, 1st/9th
• Leo Cárdenas (Twins) vs. the Angels, 1st/10th
• Al Oliver (Pirates) vs. the Phillies, 2nd/2nd
• Aurelio Rodríguez (Angels) vs. the Twins, 1st/3rd
• Mike Ryan (Phillies) vs. the Pirates, 1st/6th
• Ron Santo (Cubs) vs. the Expos, 1st/10th

Sunday, April 20

• Kevin Collins (Mets) vs. the Cardinals, 1st/2nd
• Jerry Moses (Red Sox) vs. the Indians, 1st/3rd
• Wayne Comer (Pilots) vs. the White Sox, 1st/2nd
• Coco Laboy (Expos) vs. the Cubs, 2nd/2nd
• Rick Monday (Athletics) vs. the Royals, 1st/9th
• Lou Piniella (Royals) vs. the Athletics, 1st/1st
• Buddy Bradford (White Sox) vs. the Pilots, 2nd/5th
• Ron Hansen (White Sox) vs. the Pilots, 1st/11th
• Duane Josephson (White Sox) vs. the Pilots, 1st/7th
• Hawk Taylor (Royals) vs. the Athletics, 1st/9th

Monday, April 21

• Clete Boyer (Braves) vs. the Padres, 1st/19th
• Lou Brock (Cardinals) vs. the Expos, 1st/11th
• Orlando Cepeda (Braves) vs. the Padres, 1st/11th
• Willie Crawford (Dodgers) vs. the Giants, 2nd/5th
• Larry Hisle (Phillies) vs. the Mets, 1st/1st
• Merv Rettenmund (Orioles) vs. the Indians, 2nd/4th

Tuesday, April 22

• Jay Johnstone (Angels) vs. the White Sox, 1st/5th

Wednesday, April 23

• Jerry Adair (Royals) vs. the Pilots, 1st/11th
• Mark Belanger (Orioles) vs. the Tigers, 2nd/5th
• Buddy Bradford (White Sox) vs. the Angels, 3rd/6th
• Don Mincher (Pilots) vs. the Royals, 1st/11th

Thursday, April 24

• Nate Colbert (Padres) vs. the Astros, 1st/1st
• Denis Menke (Astros) vs. the Padres, 1st/11th
• Bobby Murcer (Yankees) vs. the Indians, 1st/2nd
• Bill Sudakis (Dodgers) vs. the Reds, 1st/3rd

Friday, April 25

• Brant Alyea (Senators) vs. the Indians, 1st/7th
• Johnny Bench (Reds) vs. the Padres, 1st/9th
• Buddy Bradford (White Sox) vs. the Twins, 4th/7th
• Nate Colbert (Padres) vs. the Reds, 2nd/2nd
• Billy Conigliaro (Red Sox) vs. the Tigers, 2nd/2nd
• Dick Green (Athletics) vs. the Pilots, 2nd/11th
• Jack Hiatt (Giants) vs. the Astros, 1st/7th
• Reggie Jackson (Athletics) vs. the Pilots, 2nd/11th
• Fergie Jenkins (Cubs) vs. the Mets, 1st/3rd
• Jay Johnstone (Angels) vs. the Royals, 2nd/6th
• Don Kessinger (Cubs) vs. the Mets, 1st/3rd
• Graig Nettles (Twins) vs. the White Sox, 2nd/4th

Saturday, April 26

• Chris Cannizzaro (Padres) vs. the Reds, 1st/2nd
• Leo Cárdenas (Twins) vs. the White Sox, 2nd/11th
• Roberto Clemente (Pirates) vs. the Expos, 1st/10th
• Andy Kosco (Dodgers) vs. the Braves, 2nd/12th
• Charlie Manuel (Twins) vs. the White Sox, 1st/1st
• Willie Stargell (Pirates) vs. the Expos, 1st/10th

Sunday, April 27

• Sal Bando (Athletics) vs. the Pilots, 2nd/8th
• Frank Bertaina (Senators) vs. the Indians, 1st/1st
• Rod Carew (Twins) vs. the White Sox, 1st/6th
• Coco Laboy (Expos) vs. the Pirates, 3rd/3rd
• Bill Mazeroski (Pirates) vs. the Expos, 1st/10th
• Rick Monday (Athletics) vs. the Pilots, 2nd/10th
• Tommy Dean (Padres) vs. the Reds, 1st/1st
• Héctor Torres (Astros) vs. the Giants, 1st/2nd
• Alex Johnson (Reds) vs. the Padres, 1st/9th
• Pete Rose (Reds) vs. the Padres, 1st/10th

Monday, April 28

• Nate Colbert (Padres) vs. the Dodgers, 3rd/3rd
• Rich Reese (Twins) vs. the Royals, 1st/6th

Tuesday, April 29

• Larry Haney (Pilots) vs. the Angels, 1st/4th
• Harmon Killebrew (Twins) vs. the Royals, 1st/10th
• Ed Kranepool (Mets) vs. the Expos, 1st/10th
• Bob Oliver (Royals) vs. the Twins, 1st/1st

Wednesday, April 30

• Nate Colbert (Padres) vs. the Braves, 4th/4th
• Félix Millán (Braves) vs. the Padres, 2nd/4th
• Rick Monday (Athletics) vs. the Angels, 3rd/11th
• Mike Ryan (Phillies) vs. the Cubs, 2nd/7th