1975 The special Veterans Committee selects second baseman Billy Herman (Cubs, Dodgers, Braves, and Pirates), skipper Bucky Harris (Senators, Tigers, Red Sox, Phillies, and Yankees), and outfielder Earl Averill (Indians, Tigers, and Braves) to the Hall of Fame. An outspoken Averill had informed his family about declining the honor if he was an inductee posthumously; fortunately, eight years before his passing, he will be enshrined in Cooperstown. 1977 The Hall of Fame's Special Committee on the Negro Leagues selects Cuban natives John Henry Lloyd and Martin Dihigo, previously acknowledged in Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic, for their outstanding accomplishments that included playing all nine positions. Pop Lloyd ended his 27-year career with a batting average of .343 while building a reputation as the greatest shortstop in the history of the Negro Leagues. John Henry Lloyd Martin Dihigo 1978 Under the financial reorganization of the club, FJ 'Steve' O'Neill, a lifelong resident of Cleveland, becomes the principal owner of the Indians. The trucking magnate was once a limited partner of the Tribe but sold his Indians' interest in the team in 1973 to become part of George Steinbrenner's syndicate that bought the Yankees. 1979 The Twins trade perennial All-Star and batting champ Rod Carew to the Angels for outfielders Ken Landreaux and Dave Engle and pitchers Paul Hartzell and Brad Havens. The future Hall of Famer will hit .314 during his seven seasons with the Halos. 1982 The National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues suspends minor league catcher Angel Rodriguez for a year. The Alexandria backstop, who maintains his innocence, is penalized for tipping off opposing Latin American batters in Spanish of the upcoming pitch about to be thrown in Carolina League contests.
1987 The Expos trade top reliever Jeff Reardon and backstop Tom Nieto to the Twins for pitcher Neal Heaton, catcher Jeff Reed, and two minor leaguers. Minnesota's new closer will average nearly 35 saves each season during his three years with the club, including 42 during his All-Star campaign in 1988. 1989 The National League chooses Bill White as the circuit's president, replacing Bart Giamatti, leaving the post to become the baseball commissioner. The appointment makes the former major league first baseman and Yankee broadcaster the highest-ranking black executive in professional sports. White received the unanimous recommendation of the league's search committee and the 12 league owners and was given a four-year contract. Although the search began last October, White conceded yesterday that he was not approached about the position until ''a few weeks ago'' and that he had apprehensions about accepting it. ''My first comment was, 'Are you serious?' '' he said. ''But in meeting with people, I found out they were dead serious. Once I knew that, we proceeded from there.'' 'Best Man for the Job' Peter O'Malley, the chairman of the search committee and the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, insisted there had been no specific hunt for a black president, although several blacks were interviewed. ''Bill White was selected because he was the best man for the job,'' O'Malley said. ''He was the only man who was offered the job and, fortunately, he was the only man who accepted. Race was not a factor.''
1993 Marge Schott is suspended for one year and fined $25,000 by a committee of her major-league peers for bringing "disrepute and embarrassment" to the national pastime. The 64-year-old will also be required to attend and complete multi-cultural sensitivity training programs due to the numerous racial and ethnic remarks she allegedly made as the Reds' owner. 1994 Jody Reed agrees to a minor-league contract for undisclosed terms with the Brewers after rejecting a three-year, $7.8 million offer to stay with the Dodgers. In November, LA pulled their proposal to the 31-year-old infielder, who will now attend spring training with Milwaukee as a non-roster player. 1998 The Yankees announce Brian Cashman will replace Bob Watson, who recently resigned as the team's general manager. During Watson's brief 2+ year tenure, the Bronx Bombers won their first World Series since 1978. 1999 The Mets tell a surprised Tim McCarver that he will not be returning to the team's broadcast booth. The franchise's pitching legend Tom Seaver, who was in the television booth for the Yankees from 1989 to 1993, will replace the highly regarded but outspoken 57-year-old broadcaster, who spent 16 years with the team doing local telecasts.
2002 Yankee catcher Jorge Posada (.277, 22, 95) signs a five-year, $51 million contract with a club option for a sixth season. The 30-year-old Bronx Bomber backstop, with an average annual value of more than $10 million, is the second-highest among major league catchers, trailing only the receiver Mike Piazza, who signed a seven-year, $91 million deal with the Mets in 1998 that averages $13 million annually. 2008 Eli Manning leads the Giants to an upset victory over the previously undefeated Patriots, making it the second consecutive year a Manning has been the quarterback for the victorious NFL Super Bowl team. Eli and Peyton, who QBs for the Indianapolis Colts, join a select group of brothers who have won world championship games in back-to-back years that include Livan (Marlins, 1997) and Orlando Hernandez (1998, Yankees), Irish (Giants, 1922), and Bob Meusel (Yankees, 1923), and Bubba (Colts, 1970) and Tody Smith (Cowboys, 1971). 2009 Oliver Perez agrees to a $36 million, three-year deal to stay with the Mets. The 29-year-old inconsistent southpaw, who has posted a 26-20 record with New York since being obtained from Pittsburgh during the 2006 season,will be part of the team's starting rotation. 2009 Garrett Atkins (.286, 21, 99) avoids arbitration, agreeing to a one-year deal with the Rockies. The 29-year-old third baseman's $7.05 million contract makes him the second-highest-paid player on the team, trailing only Todd Helton. 2009 Justin Verlander (11-17, 4.84) agrees to a one-year deal worth $3,675,000 to stay with the Tigers, a dramatic increase from last season. The 2006 AL Rookie of the Year's original five-year contract, which slated the right-hander for a $600,000 salary in 2009, could be terminated if he had enough service time to become eligible for arbitration. 2009 Rickie Weeks (.234, 14, 89) avoids arbitration with the Brewers, agreeing to a $2.45 million, one-year deal. The 26-year-old second baseman, who has been injury-prone over his first five seasons with the Brew Crew, can earn more with performance bonuses based on plate appearances. 2010 Casey Kotchman and the Mariners, who recently acquired the first baseman in a trade with Boston for Bill Hall, come to terms on a one-year deal worth $3,517,500. The 26-year-old slick-fielding infielder has not made an error in his last 1,584 chances, covering 185 games. 2011 Contending Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz enriched themselves with many years of profitable investing in the Ponzi Scheme while ignoring many warnings that the payoffs might have been fraudulent, victims Bernie Madoff name the Mets owners in a lawsuit. Speculation concerning the team's sale to meet the financial obligations caused by a possible $1 billion settlement has circulated in the sports and banking industries. 2012 The Cubs and Matt Garza avoid arbitration when they agree to a one-year, $9.5 million deal. The 28-year-old right-hander posted a 10-10 record and a 3.32 earned run average last year, his first season with the team.
2002 Yankee catcher Jorge Posada (.277, 22, 95) signs a five-year, $51 million contract with a club option for a sixth season. The 30-year-old Bronx Bomber backstop, with an average annual value of more than $10 million, is the second-highest among major league catchers, trailing only the receiver Mike Piazza, who signed a seven-year, $91 million deal with the Mets in 1998 that averages $13 million annually. 2008 Eli Manning leads the Giants to an upset victory over the previously undefeated Patriots, making it the second consecutive year a Manning has been the quarterback for the victorious NFL Super Bowl team. Eli and Peyton, who QBs for the Indianapolis Colts, join a select group of brothers who have won world championship games in back-to-back years that include Livan (Marlins, 1997) and Orlando Hernandez (1998, Yankees), Irish (Giants, 1922), and Bob Meusel (Yankees, 1923), and Bubba (Colts, 1970) and Tody Smith (Cowboys, 1971). 2009 Oliver Perez agrees to a $36 million, three-year deal to stay with the Mets. The 29-year-old inconsistent southpaw, who has posted a 26-20 record with New York since being obtained from Pittsburgh during the 2006 season, will be part of the team's starting rotation. 2009 Garrett Atkins (.286, 21, 99) avoids arbitration, agreeing to a one-year deal with the Rockies. The 29-year-old third baseman's $7.05 million contract makes him the second-highest-paid player on the team, trailing only Todd Helton. 2009 Justin Verlander (11-17, 4.84) agrees to a one-year deal worth $3,675,000 to stay with the Tigers, a dramatic increase from last season. The 2006 AL Rookie of the Year's original five-year contract, which slated the right-hander for a $600,000 salary in 2009, could be terminated if he had enough service time to become eligible for arbitration. 2009 Rickie Weeks (.234, 14, 89) avoids arbitration with the Brewers, agreeing to a $2.45 million, one-year deal. The 26-year-old second baseman, who has been injury-prone over his first five seasons with the Brew Crew, can earn more with performance bonuses based on plate appearances. 2010 Casey Kotchman and the Mariners, who recently acquired the first baseman in a trade with Boston for Bill Hall, come to terms on a one-year deal worth $3,517,500. The 26-year-old slick-fielding infielder has not made an error in his last 1,584 chances, covering 185 games.
“HE DOESNT WANT TO SWING” a mom yells. Kid follows it up with one of the best swings a kid could have.
A seven-time World Series-winning manager and baseball’s all-time leader in triples joined baseball’s greatest team #OTD in 1957 when Joe McCarthy and Sam Crawford were elected to the Hall of Fame
Boston #RedSox star Fred Lynn hammers a HR vs. Philadelphia #Phillies pitcher Steve Carlton during the 1979 All-Star Game at the Kingdome in Seattle!
2/4/25 Baseball BIRTHDAYS *********** 1951 Stan Papi 1962 Dan Plesac pitcher (Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Indians 1969 Brad Cornett pitcher, appeared in 14 games (Toronto Blue Jays, 1994-95) w1970 John Frascatore pitcher (St Louis Cardinals,white Sox) 1981 Ben Hendrickson pitcher 1981 Tom Mastny ********************************
This Day in Baseball History February 4th 1861 In front of a reported crowd of over 10,000 spectators, the champion Atlantics defeat the Charter Oak Club, 36-27, in a game played on frozen Litchfield Pond in South Brooklyn. The players, wearing ice skates, are allowed to glide past the bases painted on the icy surface. 1893 The first recorded version (Columbia Graphophone Grand, #9649) of the poem Casey at the Bat, vocalized by recording pioneer Russell Hunting, is released. The more well-known rendition of Earnest Thayer's work, the one popularized by DeWolfe Hopper, will not be heard by the public until 1906. 1909 Hall of Fame hurler John Clarkson, a 326-game winner, dies from pneumonia at 47. The right-hander pitched for the Worcester Ruby Legs (1882), Chicago White Stockings (1884-1887), Boston Beaneaters (1888-1892), and the Cleveland Spiders (1892-1894).
1956 Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick introduces the Cy Young Memorial Award in memory of the Hall of Fame hurler who died last year, honoring the outstanding major league pitcher of the year. The first recipient will be Don Newcombe, who will post a 27-7 record and a 3.06 ERA for the Dodgers next season. 1956 The American League announces its plans to test automatic intentional walks during spring training. The major leagues will not implement the rule until 2017, but some youth leagues and academic teams will use the concept before then.
1963 Mayor Robert Wagner signs a bill that officially changes the stadium's name under construction in Queens to William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, honoring the New York lawyer who was instrumental in obtaining a National League team for the Big Apple. The ballpark, formerly known as Flushing Meadows Stadium, served as the Mets' home from 1964 to 2008. 1969 Bowie Kuhn, a compromise candidate filing an interim one-year term, becomes baseball's fifth commissioner when the owners cannot resolve the stalemate between the Giants' vice president, Chub Feeney, and the Yankees' president, Michael Burke. The 42-year-old former National League attorney, who will hold the position until 1984, replaces the unpopular William Eckert, who resigned after serving only three years of his seven-year term.
