One small step for the Chicago Cubs, one giant leap for Major League Baseball.
Amid plenty of pomp and circumstance, the 2000 MLB season opened Wednesday night at the Tokyo Dome as the Cubs beat the New York Mets 5-3.
The game was the first regular-season contest ever to be held outside North America. On two occasions in the late 1990s, Monterrey, Mexico, hosted games that counted. This affair also marked the earliest season opener in major-league history.