2/12/25 BASEBALL BIRTHDAYS ************************* 1878 Clarence "Pants" Rowland, manager (World Series 1917; Chicago White Sox 1915-18) and MLB umpire (American League 1923-27) 1903 Chick Hafey HOF outfielder (World Series 1926, 31 St. Louis Cardinals; NL batting champion 1931; MLB All Star 1933 1918 Dom DiMaggio center fielder (7 x MLB All Star; AL stolen base leader 1950; Boston Red Sox) 1926 Joe Garagiola catcher (World Series 1946 St. Louis Cardinals) and sportscaster (KMOX, NBC 1931 Cliff Gustafson College Baseball HOF coach (College World Series 1975, 83; Collegiate Coach of the Year 1983; University of Texas, Austin) 1944 Mike Martin College Baseball HOF coach (all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division I: Florida State Uni 1980-2019; Baseball America Coach of the Year 2012,19) 1955 Chet Lemon outfielder (MLB All-Star 1978, 79, 84; World Series 1984 Detroit Tigers) 1982 Onil Joseph *********************************
Today in Baseball HistoryFebruary 12th1878 After designing the device last season to protect his team's promising but skittish catcher, James Tyng, Fredrick Thayer receives a patent for his innovative invention, the catcher's mask. The Harvard captain, who will never play in a major league game, designed an oblong wireframe modeled after a fencing mask with eye holes that supports a series of strategically placed pads made from animal skins. 1924 The National League announces the circuit will join the AL in awarding a thousand dollars to the player selected by writers as the league's Most Valuable Player. Dazzy Vance, who posts a 28-6 record and an ERA of 2.16 for the Dodgers, easily outpoints Rogers Hornsby to become the Senior Circuit's first MVP. 1930 After leading his A's to a world championship, Connie Mack becomes the first Philadelphian sports figure to receive the prestigious Edward W. Bok Prize. The honor, now known as the Philadelphia Award, recognizes distinguished Philadelphians for their achievements in education, industry, law, politics, science, medicine, philosophy, and the creative arts. 1942 The White Sox and Cubs issue a 150-word joint statement that eliminates the Northside team's possibility of renting Comiskey Park as a venue for National League night games next season. The Chicago rivals agree it is in the city's best interest to retain the north-south boundary that demarcates the fans' loyalty to the two Windy City clubs. 1942 Former Texarkana outfielder Gordon Houston is the first professional ballplayer killed in WW II. The 25-year-old minor league batting champion, who became a full-time fighter pilot following the Pearl Harbor attack, dies when his Republic P-43 Lancer crashes at Washington's McChord Field after leading a sortie along the West Coast, looking for Japanese submarines. 1944 Bob Coleman, who filled in for Casey Stengel last season when the Boston skipper suffered a broken leg after being hit by a taxi cab trying to cross a street, is named to replace the 'Old Perfessor' as the manager of the Braves. The 54-year-old, considered one of the best managers in minor league history, can not work his magic, finishing sixth followed by a slow start in 1945, the team fires former big-league catcher.
1980 The American League thwarts Marv Davis' plan to buy the A's from Charlie Finley when the circuit offers to buy out the Oakland Coliseum lease. The billionaire businessman, who will also make failed bids for the NFL's Cowboys and Broncos, had hoped to move the franchise from the City by the Bay to Denver. 1981 Arbitrator Raymond Goetz officially declares Carlton Fisk a free agent, citing the Boston Red Sox had violated the CBA by not mailing the catcher's contract by the December 20th deadline as specified in the agreement. Next month, the 33-year-old future Hall of Fame backstop will sign a $3.5 million deal to catch for the White Sox this upcoming season. 2002 For the first time in history, Major League Baseball will own a team after acquiring the Expos from Jeffrey Loria. The former Montreal owner sells the Expos for $120 million, then buys the Florida Marlins for $158.5 million with a loan from major league baseball to cover the shortfall. 2002 Many personnel changes occur with the unanimous approval of the Florida Marlins' sale to Jeffrey Loria, the former owner of the Montreal Expos, and the MLB's acquisition of the Montreal franchise. The Expos name Frank Robinson as the manager, Tony Tavares as president, and Omar Minaya as GM, while south of the border, former Expo skipper Jeff Torborg becomes the Marlins' pilot, with Larry Beinfest as the GM, and David Samson taking over the duties of team president. 2003 Federal Judge James Holderman gives the Cubs and the owners of rooftop bleachers, which provide fans a view of Wrigley Field, a year to settle their dispute. The team believes the seating provided above the field via rooftops directly competes with the club for ticket sales revenue, with the surrounding neighbors, in turn, have not been sympathetic to the team's expansion plans. 2007 The Major League Baseball Players Association asks the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider its 2-1 decision, allowing the names of more than 100 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs to be made available to authorities investigating the use of steroids in baseball. MLB collected the 1993 urine samples to gauge the prevalence of steroid use, with players and owners agreeing the results would be confidential.
2007 An agreement is reached after a year of negotiations on the sale of the Braves from Time Warner to Liberty Media. Seventy percent of the owners must approve the deal, which includes the retention of general manager John Schuerholz and manager Bobby Cox. 2008 To add experience to a young rotation, the Twins sign Livan Hernandez (11-11, 4.93) to a $5 million, one-year deal with an additional $2 million in performance bonuses. The 32-year-old Cuban right-hander will also add innings to a staff depleted due to the departures of starters Johan Santana and Carlos Silva.
2009 "While Alex deserves credit for publicly confronting the issue, there is no valid excuse for using such substances, and those who use them have shamed the game." - COMMISSIONER BUD SELIG, commenting on Alex Rodriguez's admission of using PEDs. Three days after Alex Rodriguez apologizes for using steroids, commissioner Bud Selig chastises the Yankee superstar and all the other players using such substances for bringing shame to the game. The third baseman's apology followed a SI.com report that he was one of 104 players who tested positive in tests taken in 2003 to determine the extent of steroid use in the national pastime. 2009 Ervin Santana avoids arbitration, agreeing to a deal with the Angels, which could be worth $42 million over the next five years. The 26-year-old right-hander, who posted a 16-7 record with a 3.49 ERA for the AL West Champions last season, is the youngest active hurler with 50 career victories (51-37). 2009 Dan Uggla (.260, 32, 92), eligible for arbitration for the first time, is awarded $5.35 million by the process. The All-Star second baseman, who has averaged 30 home runs and 90 RBIs in his first three seasons in the majors, rejected the Marlins' offer of $4.4 million. 2009 Bluefish catcher John Nathans sues Jose Offerman, a former major league All-Star with the Red Sox and Dodgers, for the infielder's 2007 bat-wielding attack at a minor league game played at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The backstop is seeking $4.8 million in damages against the Long Island Ducks player, claiming the 2007 incident left him with career-ending injuries, including inner ear damage, vertigo, headaches, and post-concussion syndrome.
2010 Corey Hart (.260, 12, 48) is awarded a raise from $3.25 million to $4.8 million in the Brewers' first salary arbitration hearing in a dozen years. In the first case to use the process this year, Milwaukee's offer of $4.15 million to their 27-year-old right-fielder, an All-Star in 2008, was rejected by a panel of arbitrators. 2010 Tim Lincecum, the two-time reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, reaches a preliminary agreement on a $23 million, two-year deal with the Giants before starting a scheduled arbitration hearing. The 25-year-old right-hander has compiled a 40-17 record along with an ERA of 2.90 ERA during his first three big-league seasons, and all played for San Francisco. 2011 "Doris From Rego Park" debuts on Jonathan Schwartz's weekend program on WNYC-FM. The song, written and performed by Don Rosler, is a tribute to Doris Bauer, the Mets fan who became a New York institution as a late-night caller to WFAN sports radio before dying in 2003. 2014 Derek Jeter, who will turn 40 in June, announces the 2014 season will be his final one, informing his fans via a lengthy Facebook post. The 13-time All-Star shortstop acknowledged that his numerous injuries had taken their toll, making the game more of a struggle and less enjoyable. 2016 Jenrry Mejia becomes the first player to receive a lifetime ban for three failed tests for performance-enhancing substances after testing positive for boldenone, a steroid used in horse racing. The 26-year-old Mets former closer claims that he only failed one test, states the second set of results to be inaccurate, and believes that MLB fabricated the latest violation to remove him from the sport. ******************************************** 164,854
I'm un-pinning this thread from the top of the board during the season so we can have the game threads there. No worries, I'll re-pin it once the 2025 season is done.
2/13/25 OTD BIRTHDAYS ********************************************** 1876 Fritz Buelow 1883 Hal Chase player and manager 1944 Sal Bando third baseman (4 x MLB All-Star; World Series 1972, 73, 74 Oakland A's) and executive (GM Milwaukee Brewers 1991-99 1954 Donnie Moore pitcher (MLB All Star 1985 St Louis, California Angels 1967 Eddie Pye infielder (LA Dodgers) 1968 Matt Mieske outfielder (Milwaukee Brewers 1970 Kevin Stocker infielder (Philadelphia Phillies *********************************************
************************************************ FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History February 13th 1914 The Cubs exchange second basemen with the Braves, sending future Hall of Famer Johnny Evers to Boston for Bill Sweeney. Boston's new middle infielder plays a pivotal role in the club's World Championship this season, garnering the Chalmers Award as the league's Most Valuable Player. 1920 A group of eight midwestern team owners meets at the Kansas City YMCA to organize the Negro National League, which will become one of the most successful ventures of its kind. Rube Foster, the owner/manager of the American Giants, will become president of the new circuit, leading to accusations of favoritism, which appear especially true when Chicago's schedule plays a disproportionate number of games at home. 1935 Former major league journeyman Gus Dugas, a French-Canadian obtained by the Montreal Royals from Albany of the International League in November, signs his contract while visiting relatives in his native province of Quebec. The French language contract is the first in the history of professional baseball.
1953 In honor of their longtime owner and manager, the A's rename their Philadelphia ballpark from Shibe Park to Connie Mack Stadium. During his 50-year tenure as Athletics skipper, the 'Tall Tactician' guided the team to nine American League pennants and appeared in eight World Series, winning five Fall Classics. 1964 At the age of twenty-two, Cubs' second baseman Ken Hubbs dies when the red and white Cessna 172 plane he is piloting crashes one quarter-mile south of Bird Island in Utah Lake during a winter storm. The 1962 National League Rookie of the Year took flying lessons for the past two off-seasons to overcome his fear of flying, obtaining his license last month. 1968 The Dodgers trade infielders Ron Hunt and Nate Oliver to the Giants for backstop Tom Haller. The 30-year-old All-Star catcher will compile a respectable .276 batting average during his four years behind the plate for LA.
1970 A day after his 27th birthday, Paul Edmondson and his girlfriend are killed in an automobile accident in San Barbara (CA) when his automobile skids on a rain-slicked U.S. Route 101 and crashes into oncoming traffic. The White Sox had hoped their sophomore right-hander would become the fourth starter in the team's rotation after compiling a misleading 1-6 record last season, which included a complete game two-hitter beating California 9–1 in his major league debut last June. 1986 Ron Hassey, whom the White Sox acquired two months ago from the Yankees, is traded back to the Bronx Bombers, along with three minor-leaguers for Neil Allen, Scott Bradley, and a minor leaguer. In December, the Bronx Bombers sent the 32-year-old catcher to the Windy City, along with Joe Cowley, who will toss a no-hitter in September, for Britt Burns and two minor leaguers. 1987 Jack Morris receives the highest salary ever given to a pitcher by arbitration when the Tigers must pay the hurler $1.85 million for his services next season. The 31-year-old right-hander will not disappoint, posting an 18-11 record and an ERA of 3.38 for the AL East Division champions.
1995 A Japanese Uniform Players Contract loophole enables the Dodgers to sign 26-year-old right-hander Hideo Nomo as a free agent, giving the five-time Japanese All-Star a $2 million signing bonus. In May, the 'Tornado Boy' will become the first Japanese-born Major Leaguer to appear in a major league game since Masanori Murakami pitched for the Giants in 1965. 2002 The Red Sox sign 43-year-old Rickey Henderson, who will bat .223 in 72 games for Boston this season, to a minor-league contract. Last year with the Padres, the future Hall of Famer got his 3000th career hit while breaking the major league records for walks and runs. 2003 The Mets sign 40-year-old David Cone, who compiled an 80-48 record with the team from 1987-1992, to a minor league contract. The veteran right-hander is coming out of retirement, hoping to win the fifth spot in the rotation. 2005 Avoiding an arbitration hearing, Ben Sheets (12-14, 2.70) and the Brewers agree to a one-year contract valued at $5.5 million. The All-Star right-hander, who made $2.5 million last season, established a team record last May, striking out 18 batters in a game. \2005 After 19 years at shortstop for the Reds, Barry Larkin announces his retirement as an active player to become a special assistant to Nationals general manager Jim Bowden, who served as Cincinnati's GM from 1992 to 2001. The 40-year-old former Gold Glove infielder spent his entire career in his hometown. 2006 Avoiding an arbitration hearing, Adam Dunn (.247, 40, 101) and the Reds agree to an $18.5 million two-year deal, which gives the team a 2008 option for $13 million with a buyout for $500,000. The 26-year-old outfielder/first baseman, who led the big leagues in strikeouts for the second consecutive season, had asked for $8.95 million, with the club countering with $7.1 million.
