Some players seem to be at their best when the spotlight is brightest, apparently able to use the energy from that figurative luminescence to assert themselves in game-changing ways.
For Richie Hebner, the Opening Day spotlight seemed to give him superpowers — though one might be unaware of his amazing feats unless prompted to look for them.
But make no mistake: If there were a Hall of Fame just for season openers, Hebner would be an inner-circle member. That's because Hebner, who played parts of 18 seasons in the bigs from 1968-85, is an Opening Day GOAT when it comes to slugging percentage and OPS.
Hebner's 1.042 Opening Day slugging percentage and 1.542 OPS are both the best in MLB history among players with at least 10 appearances in a season opener — better than Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, Barry Bonds and literally anyone else you can think of.
Hebner played in 12 Opening Day games during his career with the Pirates, Phillies, Mets, Tigers and Cubs and put up some gaudy numbers: .458 average, six homers, eight doubles, a triple and 50 total bases. And all of it landed him in historic territory. Those six Opening Day homers? Tied for third-most all time. That .458 average? Also third-best all time. Those eight doubles? Tied for second all time. Those 50 total bases? Tied for fourth-most all time with two guys named Bonds and Yastrzemski.
So, yeah, when the bell rang, Hebner was ready. And there's perhaps no better illustration of his Opening Day talents than a three-year stretch from 1973-75:
- Opening Day 1973: 3-for-4 with a homer and a double
- Opening Day 1974: 3-for-5 with two homers and a double
- Opening Day 1975: 2-for-4 with a homer and a single
Of his 12 Opening Day appearances, Hebner reached base at least once via a hit or walk in every game but one (1972). Overall, he had seven multi-hit Opening Day games, including three games with three or more hits. His most productive season opener came with the Mets in 1979, when he went 4-for-5 with a game-tying homer against the Cubs in Chicago.
Highest career Opening Day OPS
Min. 40 plate appearances
- Richie Hebner: 1.542
- Jose Cruz: 1.394
- Ted Williams: 1.366
- Babe Ruth: 1.366
- Gabby Hartnett: 1.355
Fittingly, Hebner went out with a bang in his final Opening Day appearance. On April 9, 1981, as a member of the Tigers, he clubbed a three-run, go-ahead homer in the seventh inning that led to a 6-2 win over the Blue Jays.
Though Opening Days were when Hebner tended to dominate the most, he usually proved plenty valuable during the next 161 games too. Over his 18 MLB seasons, Hebner slashed .276/.352/.438, hit 203 homers and accumulated 32.9 bWAR, primarily as a third baseman. He even received MVP votes in 1974, though perhaps his best season came in 1972, when he hit .300, clubbed 19 homers and finished with an .886 OPS in 124 games for the Pirates.
Hebner wasn't too shabby in the postseason, either, as evidenced by his .796 career postseason OPS, which included a homer in the 1971 World Series for the champion Pirates.
A solid career, to be sure, with or without those nearly annual first-game heroics. But one can't tell the full Richie Hebner Story without the tales of Opening Day, when Hebner swung with might, made a lot of noise and became a dominant, if largely unsung, baseball superstar.