It's Not Enough To Avoid Last Place, Charlie Brown!

Opening Day is tomorrow, with the Texas Rangers taking on their new division rivals, the Houston Astros. But really, today is significant too, as it's the 20th anniversary of one of the most improbable events in baseball history: on March 30, 1993, Charlie Brown, he of Peanuts, hit a walk-off home run against opposing pitcher Roxanne Hobbs. It was the first time Charlie's team won in the history of the strip while he was actually playing. (His team had won other games, but always with him not present.)

(source: Peanuts, March 30, 1993; http://dceqc.wordpress.com/2009/06/18/wha-happened-next/

Hobbs surrendered another walk-off to Brown on June 29 that same year; an inside-the-park home run that ended in a play at the plate two strips later. She later admitted to Brown that she intentionally served up a couple of big, fat meatballs for him to hit. Brown couldn't care less.

(source: Peanuts, June 2, 1993;  http://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1993/07/02)

A couple of TV specials also let Brown's team win, with him on the field ('It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown' had them win in a rain-shortened game; 'It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown' has them win with a new player, to lose later on when he leaves), but that's it for wins in the strip.

Let this serve as inspiration to the Astros. You may have lost 107 games last year, but hey, that's less than 162.