BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

2000 Construction workers install a 15-foot-high and 56-foot-long replica of an 1862 steam locomotive ninety feet above the field onto the rails that run alongside the moveable roof at Enron Field, Houston's new downtown, which is home partially located on the former home of the city's Union Station. The 60,000-pound train, with its cargo of oranges, makes a 40-second trip back and forth on its track every time an Astro player hits a home run.
2000 After reacquiring Jesse Orosco from the Orioles in December, the Mets send the veteran left-hander to the Cardinals for utility player Joe McEwing. In 1978, the eventual four-decade hurler (1979-2003) was the player to be named later in the trade when New York dealt veteran southpaw Jerry Koosman to Minnesota.

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2005 After Mark McGwire, who had previously denied using steroids, refuses to answer the questions concerning his involvement during the congressional hearings, U.S. Representative William Lacy Clay (D-MO) wants to remove the slugger's name given to a stretch of highway in his state. The legislators officially renamed a five-mile segment, a distance approximately as long traveled by the 70 home runs, of Interstate-70 the Mark McGwire Highway as a tribute to 'Big Mac' hitting a record 70 home runs in 1998.
(Note: In May, 2010, the Missouri Legislature passed a bill to change the name of Mark McGwire Highway to the Mark Twain Highway.)

 

2008 The possibility of collusion by the major league owners against Barry Bonds, who has pleaded innocent to four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice, will be examined by the Players Association. The San Francisco slugger, who hit .276 last year with 28 home runs, has not been offered a contract by any major league team.
2008 In an attempt to be part of a healing process on the campus where 32 students and staff became victims of a deadly shooting spree last April, the Yankees play the Hokies at Virginia Tech's English Field. George Steinbrenner, moved by coverage of the massacre last spring, donated $1 million to a memorial fund and made arrangements for his team to participate in an exhibition game at the school.

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2009 The Cubs announce the team will retire its fifth number when 31 will be set aside on May 3rd in honor of both Fergie Jenkins (1966-73, 1982-83) and Greg Maddux (1986-92, 2004-06). The hurlers will join Ron Santo (#10), Ernie Banks (#14), Ryne Sandberg (#23), and Billy Williams (#26) as honorees chosen by the Chicago club.

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2010 Free-swinging slugger Mark Reynolds (.260, 44, 102) and the Diamondbacks agree to a new three-year, $14.5 million contract. The deal covers the 26-year-old third baseman's first two arbitration years.

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2011 The Mets make a symbolic but expensive roster move when they release their second baseman, Luis Castillo. The oft-injured embattled 35 year-old, best remembered by New York fans for the dropped popup in a 2009 Subway Series game at Yankee Stadium, is still owed the remaining $6 million on the four-year, $25 million contract he signed before the 2008 season.
2014 In a Cactus League game, all nine batters Jose Quintana faces reach base and eventually score in the White Sox's 16-6 loss to the A's at Camelback Ranch. The southpaw starter gives up seven hits, including a homer by Jed Lowrie and a triple by Sam Fuld, and issues two walks before exiting the game without retiring a batter.
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Today in Baseball History
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On March 18 in Baseball History...

• • 1942 - Two black players, Jackie Robinson and Nate Moreland, request a tryout with the Chicago White Sox during spring training at Pasadena. Manager Jimmy Dykes allows the two to work out but later dismisses them.
  • 1953 - The Milwaukee Braves become the first franchise shift in baseball since 1903, when Baltimore moved to New York. The Braves have been in Boston for 77 years. Milwaukee assumes Pittsburgh's place in the Western Division for scheduling purposes and night games. The minor-league Milwaukee Brewers move to Toledo.
  • 1958 - In a move to change their image, the Dodgers announce that clown Emmett Kelly will not perform in 1958.
  • 1984 - White Sox coach Charlie Lau, renowned hitting instructor, dies at age 50 after a long bout with cancer. Lau, whose major league average was .255, earned his fame as the Royals batting coach from 1971-78, where his star pupil was George Brett.
  • 1985 - Commissioner Peter Ueberroth reinstates Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle, who had been banned from association with organized baseball by Bowie Kuhn due to their employment by Atlantic City casinos.
  • 1990 - Players and owners reach a new collective bargaining agreement that will end the 32-day lockout of spring training camps. Highlights of the deal include increasing the clubs' contributions to the players' pension fund, raising the minimum major league salary to $100,000, and a compromise on salary arbitration that leaves 17 percent of players with between two and three years of major league experience eligible.

Baseball Birthdays on March 18...

• • 1854 - Walker, Oscar
  • 1861 - Scanlan, Mort
  • 1863 - Clark, Bob
  • 1870 - Snodgrass, Chappie
  • 1874 - Callahan, Nixey
  • 1874 - Bean, Joe
  • 1882 - Myers, Joseph
  • 1888 - Higgins, Eddie
  • 1888 - Taylor, Wiley
  • 1888 - Coombs, Cecil
  • 1890 - Mee, Tommy
  • 1893 - Wrightstone, Russ
  • 1901 - Cooney, Johnny
  • 1902 - Potter, Squire
  • 1911 - Benton, Al
  • 1916 - Fletcher, Elbie
  • 1916 - Bithorn, Hi
  • 1916 - Lake, Eddie
  • 1917 - Williams, Ace
  • 1918 - Mulligan, Dick
  • 1919 - White, Hal
  • 1920 - Rutner, Mickey
  • 1924 - Hamner, Garvin
  • 1925 - Hatfield, Fred
  • 1926 - Littlefield, Dick
  • 1928 - Olivo, Chi-Chi
  • 1932 - Tate, Lee
  • 1940 - Martinez, Tony
  • 1941 - Jarvis, Pat
  • 1946 - Kelly, Van
  • 1953 - Miller, Randy
  • 1955 - Murphy, Dwayne
  • 1957 - Keeton, Rickey
  • 1957 - Olmsted, Al
  • 1960 - Winters, Matt
  • 1962 - Fisher, Brian
  • 1965 - Berroa, Geronimo
  • 1967 - Edenfield, Ken
  • 1973 - Chavez, Raul
  • 1976 - Ohka, Tomo
  • 1976 - Miller, Corky
  • 1976 - Podsednik, Scott

Copyright � 2001-2007. All Rights Reserved.
Part of the Baseball Almanac family: 755 Home Runs | Around the Horn | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Today in Baseball History.​

 

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3/19
OTD
BIRTHDAYS
1859 Edward J. McKeever baseball executive (co-owner Brooklyn Dodgers), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1925)
1927 Richie Ashburn Hall of Fame infielder (6 × MLB All-Star; NL batting champion 1955, 58; Philadelphia Phillies) and sportscaster (Phillies TV 1963-71), born in Tilden, Nebraska (d. 1997)

1962 Ivan Calderón outfielder (MLB All Star 1991; Chicago White Sox, Montreal Expos), born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico (d. 2003)

1974 John Coppinger, pitcher (Baltimore Orioles), born in El Paso, Texas

1979 Hee-Seop Choi, Korean baseball player

 

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1951 In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, Fred Hutchinson, the American League player representative, says the players should have a voice in selecting the new commissioner replacing A. B. Happy Chandler, who the owners recently ousted. The Tigers right-hander suggests that the major leaguers, if not given input, would be inclined to hire and pay their own commissioner, with Chandler being their first choice.

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1961 The Yankees signal opposition to any plan enabling the new National League franchise of sharing their Bronx ballpark, with team owner Dan Topping citing his former GM George Weiss, now in a similar position with the expansion team, vehemently against the idea during his last two seasons with the club. William Shea, chairman of the Mayor's Baseball Committee, is not believing the Polo Grounds or Roosevelt Field in Jersey City as viable venues for the new team until the completion of the new stadium in Flushing Meadows.
1970 During a spring training game against Oakland, Indians' first baseman Ken Harrelson fractures his leg and will not play until September, appearing in only 17 games. Next season, after losing his starting position to Chris Chambliss, the eventual AL Rookie of the Year, the 'Hawk' will retire in June to pursue a professional golf career.

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1989 The Yankees, hoping to replace the injured Dave Winfield, trade catcher Joel Skinner and a minor leaguer to the Indians for outfielder Mel Hall. The future Hall of Fame outfielder will miss the entire season due to back surgery.

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2002 The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (YES) debuts as a regional cable TV channel. The team-owned network, similar to NESN of the Red Sox, will carry Bronx Bombers games and cover New Jersey Nets NBA contests.
2005 After avoiding salary arbitration by signing a one-year $10.5 million deal in the offseason, Lance Berkman agrees to a six-year, $85 million contract. The three-time All-Star outfielder will be an Astro until 2010, with the club holding the option for an additional year.

A RICE OWL

ASTRO

HOUSTON BAPTIST
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2008 In a protest of their coaches not receiving the same $40,000 stipend negotiated by the players union, the Red Sox players boycott their exhibition game, scheduled to be televised nationally from the City of Palms Park, and tomorrow's flight to Japan for the season-opening game against the A's. The delayed game starts an hour later when MLB consents to pay the managers, coaches, and trainers $20,000 each from management's proceeds, with the team agreeing to make up the difference.
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1,251

 

Today in Baseball History
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Search archives: Historical Events Baseball Birthdays Baseball Deaths
On March 19 in Baseball History...

• • 1957 - In what is believed to be the largest offer for a player to date, the Indians reject Boston's bid of $1 million for Herb Score. Cleveland General Manager Hank Greenberg says that the team is interested in building for the future, not in selling its best ballplayers. Six weeks later Score is struck in the eye by Gil McDougald's liner.
    
  • 1960 - Red Sox catcher Sammy White announces he will retire rather than report to Cleveland, where he had been traded.
  • 1984 - Denny McLain, the last major league pitcher to achieve a 30-win season, is indicted on various charges of racketeering, loan-sharking, extortion, and cocaine possession.
  • 1989 - With Dave Winfield sidelined, the Yankees trade catcher Joel Skinner and a minor leaguer to the Indians for outfielder Mel Hall. Winfield will miss all of the 1989 season after undergoing back surgery.

Baseball Birthdays on March 19...

• • 1868 - Smith, Skyrocket
  • 1871 - McGinnity, Joe
  • 1874 - Evans, Roy
  • 1881 - Maharg, Billy
  • 1884 - Engle, Clyde
  • 1884 - Messenger, Bobby
  • 1887 - Covington, Tex
  • 1891 - Schauer, Rube
  • 1894 - Wambsganss, Bill
  • 1894 - Torkelson, Red
  • 1897 - Bowman, Elmer
  • 1908 - Walker, Gee
  • 1915 - Gonzales, Joe
  • 1927 - Ashburn, Richie
  • 1931 - Smith, Paul
  • 1935 - Brickell, Fritz
  • 1940 - Smith, Pete
  • 1947 - Mangual, Angel
  • 1947 - Rose, Don
  • 1947 - Jestadt, Garry
  • 1948 - Powell, Paul
  • 1953 - Corcoran, Tim
  • 1955 - Norris, Mike
  • 1962 - Calderon, Ivan
  • 1963 - Jackson, Chuck
  • 1964 - Hamilton, Jeff
  • 1966 - Scruggs, Tony
  • 1968 - Young, Pete
  • 1971 - Cromer, D.T.
  • 1974 - Coppinger, Rocky
  • 1974 - LaRue, Jason

Copyright � 2001-2007. All Rights Reserved.
Part of the Baseball Almanac family: 755 Home Runs | Around the Horn | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Today in Baseball History.​