BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

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12/27/24
BASEBALL BIRTHDAYS

1896 Arch Ward sportswriter (Chicago Tribune - proposed baseball's all-star game)


1952 Craig Reynolds shortstop MLB All Star 1978, 79; Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros


1968 Dean Palmer, infielder (Texas Rangers)


1983 Cole Hamels pitcher (MLB All-Star 2007, 11, 12, 16; World Series MVP & NLCS MVP 2008 Philadelphia Phillies; pitched no-hitter 2015 Texas Rangers


1988 Rick Porcello pitcher (World Series 2018, AL Cy Young Award & MLB wins leader 2016 Boston Red Sox)

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Today in Baseball History​

1874 A Havanan team plays Matanzas in Cuba's first documented baseball game. The contest, played at Palmar de Junco, ends with Havana leading, 51-9, with the game called after seven innings due to darkness.

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1941 Levi Walker, the third person to play Chief Noc-A-Homa, a role he will perform from 1969 through 1985, was born into the Chippewa-Ottawa Tribe. Dressed in Native American costume, the Georgia native will come out of his tepee in the bleachers, setting off smoke signals and doing a celebration dance whenever a Braves player homers at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

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1943 Future Yankee infielder Roy White, a two-time All-Star, is born in Los Angeles. The switch-hitting left fielder will play 15 years with New York, helping the team win two World Series (1977-78) against his hometown while compiling a lifetime .271 batting average for the Bronx Bombers.

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1967 Former Yankee reliever Johnny Murphy becomes the Mets' third general manager in franchise history when he replaces Bing Devine. During his tenure, the team will benefit from a talented farm system, especially its young pitching prospects, including Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Nolan Ryan, and Gary Gentry, who will play a major role in the club's World Championship in 1969.

Johnny Murphy and Irving "Bump" Hadley at Fenway​

1984 Ed Whitson, 14-8 with the NL champion Padres, signs a five-year $4.4 million ill-fated contract with the Yankees. The free-agent deal becomes a nightmare when the right-hander lasts only a season and a half, compiling a 15-10 record and an ERA of 5.38 in 44 games with the Bronx Bombers.

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2001 After 21 years on WABC, the Yankees will broadcast its spring training, regular-season, and postseason games on all-news station WCBS-AM, which Infinity Broadcasting owns. The five-year deal with the Yankees' YES Network, created earlier this year, is worth approximately $50 million.

2001 The Mets stay busy this offseason, acquiring first baseman Mo Vaughn for 13-year veteran right-hander Kevin Appier (11-10, 3.57) and cash. The 1995 American League MVP will join Roberto Alomar, Roger Cedeno, and Shawn Estes as the Shea Squad's newest members.

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2003 In his hometown of Loza, Puerto Rico, a gunman kills former major league All-Star outfielder Ivan Calderon at a bar reportedly known where several other murders have occurred in the past year. During his ten-year major league career, the 41-year-old played with the Mariners (1984-86), White Sox (1986-1990, 1993), Expos (1991-92), and Red Sox (1993).

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2004 After the Cubs decline Moises Alou's (.293, 39, 106) option, the Giants ink the free-agent outfielder to a one-year contract reportedly worth $13.25 million, with an opportunity for a second year for the career .300 hitter. The signing marks the 38-year-old All-Star's second time he will call his dad skipper, with Felipe managing him while he played with the Expos from 1992-96.

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2007 Hoping he will continue to be a hot hitter at Kauffman Stadium (.415), the Royals sign free-agent Miguel Olivo (.237, 16, 60) to a one-year deal with a mutual option for the following season. The Marlins did not tender a contract to the 29-year-old backstop, the team's starting catcher for the past two seasons, after acquiring catching prospect Mike Rabelo in the blockbuster trade with the Tigers during the Winter Meetings.

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2008 Adding speed at the top of their order and a superior glove in centerfield, the Reds sign Willy Taveras (.251, 1, 26) to a two-year contract. The 27-year-old speedster, who led the major leagues with 68 stolen bases last season, became a free agent earlier in the month when the Rockies declined to offer him a contract after the oft-injured outfielder spent two seasons with the team.

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2013 The Rangers come to terms on a seven-year, $130 million deal with free agent Shin-Soo Choo, who will join the recently acquired power-hitting first baseman Prince Fielder to provide the club with more offense. The 31-year-old outfielder, who compiled a .423 on-base percentage, hit .285 with 21 home runs and drove in 54 runs for the Reds last season.

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2020 In a seven-player trade, the Cubs deal 34-year-old Yu Darvish and his personal catcher Victor Caratini to the Padres for right-handed starter Zach Davies and four minor league prospects: Reginald Preciado, Yeison Santana, Owen Caissie, and Ismael Mena. San Diego's addition of Darvish, last season's NL Cy Young runner-up, comes less than a day after the team obtained southpaw Blake Snell, another top-of-the-rotation hurler from the Rays.
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12/28
BASEBALL BIRTHDAYS
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1900 Ted Lyons HOF pitcher (MLB All-Star 1939; AL wins leader 1925, 27; AL ERA leader 1942; no-hitter 1926; Chicago WS) and manager (Chicago WS 1926-28)


1952 Ray Knight 3rd baseman (MLB All-Star 1980, 82; World Series MVP 1986 NY Mets; Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros)


1960 Zane Smith pitcher (Pittsburgh Pirates)


1971 Benny Agbayani


1971 Melvin Nieves outfielder (Detroit Tigers)


1979 Bill Hall Brewers

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Today in Baseball History
December 28th​

1926 Bob O'Farrell is named to replace Rogers Hornsby as the Cardinal manager. The 'Rajah,' who guided the Redbirds to a World Championship as the team's player-manager last season, was traded to the Giants eight days ago for Frankie Frisch and Jimmy Ring.

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1944 Buddy Lewis wins the Distinguished Flying Cross for his extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight in the China Burma India Theater. During World War II, the 28-year-old Senators' outfielder/third baseman flew more than 500 missions for the U.S. Army Air Force as a transport pilot.

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1957 After Representative Kenneth B. Keating (R-NY) indicated Congress should reopen its sports hearing, CBS announces they would not broadcast major league games into any area during a scheduled minor league game. The television network has agreed with six teams - Indians, Orioles, Phillies, Reds, White Sox, and Yankees - to telecast major league games nationally on Sundays next season.

1957 In a swap of first basemen, the Reds deal fan-favorite Ted Kluszewski to the Pirates for Dee Fondy, who will retire after hitting only .218 for Cincinnati. 'Big Klu' will spend a season-and-a-half for his new team before being sent to the White Sox, where he plays a pivotal role for the eventual American League champions in 1959.

 

1983 Free agent Warren Cromartie signs a $2.5 million contract with the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants. The 30-year-old former Expo outfielder, considered the best American player to date to leave the majors in his prime to play in Japan, will compile a .321 batting average along with 171 home runs and 558 RBIs during his seven seasons with the Nippon team.

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1994 In the century's fourth-largest trade, the biggest since 1957, the Astros and Padres exchange a dozen players. Houston sends Ken Caminiti, Andujar Cedeno, Steve Finley, Roberto Petagine, Brian Williams, and a player to be named later (Sean Fesh) for Derek Bell, Doug Brocail, Ricky Gutierrez, Pedro Martinez, Phil Plantier, and Craig Shipley.

1998 The Tigers acquire two players when the team signs free-agent Gregg Jefferies to a two-year contract and trades outfield prospect Luis Gonzalez to the Diamondbacks for Karim Garcia. The 31-year-old California native will finish his controversial 14-year major league career in Detroit with a lifetime .289 batting average.

 

2001 Outgoing New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani announced the Yankees and Mets have reached a tentative agreement with the city to build a pair of $800 million retractable roof stadiums. Mayor-elect Michael Bloomberg, concerned if the Big Apple can afford the largest private-public venture in baseball history, will have the final word on the $1.6 billion costs of the proposed new ballpark agreements.

2005 The White Sox and starter Jon Garland (18-10, 3.50) sign a three-year, $29 million contract. The deal to stay with the 2005 World Series champions takes him off the profitable free-agent market next year, avoids salary arbitration, and keeps the 26-year-old right-hander in the city he loves.

2005 The Diamondbacks send Troy Glaus and highly touted infield prospect Sergio Santos to the Blue Jays in exchange for Gold Glove second baseman Orlando Hudson and starter Miguel Batista. Toronto's active off-season, in which the team has also signed starter A.J. Burnett, closer B.J. Ryan, and first baseman Lyle Overbay, convinced the third baseman to waive his limited no-trade clause.

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The 1915 Boston Red Sox at spring training. Hot Springs, Arkansas. 20-year old Babe Ruth is seated, 4th from the right in the front row. This team was 101-50-4 and won the World Series. Tris Speaker led the team with a .322 batting average. with 0 HR and 69 RBI.

 

Eddie Solomon, 1974
@Dodgers
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Roy White
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