BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

3/25
OTD
BIRTHDAYS
1909 Dutch (Emil) Leonard pitcher (Boston Red Sox, 1.01 ERA 1914)

1955 Lee Mazzilli utility (MLB All Star 1979, NY Mets; World Series 1986, Pittsburgh Pirates), manager (Baltimore Orioles) and coach (World Series 2000, NY Yankees), born in Brooklyn, New York

1969 Dan Wilson, MLB catcher, 1992-2005 (Seattle Mariners: Cincinnati Reds), born in Arlington Heights, Illinois

1969 Scott Sanders, Hannibal MO, pitcher (San Diego Padres)

1975 Miguel Mejia, San Pedro de Macoris, outfielder (St Louis Cardinals)

 

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1910 Hugh Chalmers, the president of the Chalmers Motor Car Company of Detroit, announces his Model 30, one of the most luxurious autos of its day, will be awarded to the player with the highest batting average this season. The prize leads to controversy when Nap Lajoie goes 8-for-9, beating out seven bunts, with the Browns' Red Corriden purposely playing deep at third base to raise the Indian infielder's final average to .384 in an attempt to surpass Ty Cobb for the batting title.

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1914 Babe Ruth makes the first start of his professional career when he defeats the world champion Philadelphia Athletics, 6-2, in an exhibition game played in Wilmington (NC). The 19-year-old International League's left-hander tosses a complete game, allowing 13 hits and four walks.

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1935 The Cubs sell 32 year-old right-hander Pat Malone to the Yankees. The former 20-game winner (1929, 1930) will go 12-4 in 1936 but will post only a 19-13 record in his three-year tenure with the Bronx Bombers.

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1945 Tryouts are granted to pitcher Terris McDuffie and first baseman Dave Thomas when a group of blacks appears at the Dodger offices in Brooklyn. The two players will work out at Ebbets Field in front of Branch Rickey on April 7.

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1959 Infielder Bill White and third baseman Ray Jablonski are traded to the Cardinals by the Giants in exchange for pitching prospect Don Choate and right-hander Sam Jones. Although southpaw 'Toothpick Sam' will have three solid seasons in San Francisco, including a 20-win season, the Redbirds' new first baseman will become a perennial All-Star and Gold Glover during his eight-year tenure in St. Louis.

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1962 The Cubs, who haven't had a manager since 1960, tap Elvin Tappe to be the team's first head coach of the campaign after he posted a 42–54 record last year, the best by far of the four who led the club as members of Chicago's college of coaches. When he gets off to a 4–16 start as the skipper, the 35 year-old veteran returns to the bench, playing 26 games as a backup catcher for the ninth-place team.

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1963 The Reds sell journeyman pitcher Johnny Klippstein to the Phillies. After going 7-7 over two seasons with Philadelphia, the 37 year-old box salesman will help the Twins win the pennant in 1965, posting a 9-3 record.

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1981 The Phillies trade Bob Walk to the Braves for outfielder Gary Matthews. The team's new center fielder will play outstanding defense along with three solid seasons at the plate for Philadelphia, while Atlanta's new right-hander will compile a 12-13 record with a 4.85 ERA during his three-year tenure with the club.

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1985 The news is terrible for the Cubs when Circuit Court Judge Richard L. Curry rules that the existing laws banning night games are constitutional. The Chicago's west-side club brought suit after giving up a home playoff game last season due to Wrigley's lack of lights.
1989 The Pirates and Indians swap shortstops with Jay Bell going to the Steel City and Felix Fermin joining the Tribe. Pittsburgh's new slick infielder will serve as the team's starting shortstop for the next eight seasons, winning a Gold Glove in 1993.

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1997 The Indians send Kenny Lofton (.317, 14, 67) and Alan Embree (3-1, 2.79) to the Braves for Marquis Grissom (.262, 10, 57) and David Justice (.337, 30, 88). The deal saves $5.8 million in salaries for Atlanta and helps the team to sign hurlers Greg Maddux ($57.5 million, five-year) and Tom Glavine ($34 million, four-year).

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2006 Acknowledging he may never play again, Jeff Bagwell announces he will start the season on the disabled list and seek consultation to determine if removing bone spurs from his shoulder would help prolong his career. The 37 year-old first baseman must stay on the injured list all season for the Astros to collect $15.6 million of the $17 million guaranteed contract from an insurance claim filed in January.
2008 In Japan's Tokyo Dome, the Red Sox beat the A's, 6-5, in the earliest major league opener ever played. Manny Ramirez's tenth inning double gives Hideki Okajima the victory, who used to pitch in this stadium for the hometown Yomiuri Giants.

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Today in Baseball History
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On March 25 in Baseball History...

• • 1910 - The Chalmers Auto Company of Detroit offers to award a new car to the batting champion of each league. The National Commission accepts.
  • 1935 - The Yankees purchase pitcher Pat Malone from the Cubs. Malone had led the N.L. in wins in 1929 and 1930.
  • 1959 - Future N.L. President Bill White comes to St. Louis along with third baseman Ray Jablonski from the Giants for pitchers Sam Jones and Don Choate. White will win six consecutive Gold Gloves with the Cardinals plus one more later in Philadelphia.
  • 1985 - An Illinois judge rules that state and city laws effectively banning night baseball at Chicago's Wrigley Field are constitutional. After being forced to give up a home game during the 1984 NLCS, and threatened with playing future postseason games at another stadium in order to accommodate network television's prime-time schedules, the Cubs had sued to overturn the laws.
  • 1997 - Big-money players change places in a big-name trade between the Braves and Indians, who had faced each other in the 1995 World Series. All-Star center fielder Kenny Lofton and reliever Alan Embree are sent to Atlanta in return from 1995 Series hero David Justice and fleet-footed center fielder Marquis Grissom.

Baseball Birthdays on March 25...

• • 1856 - Powell, Martin
  • 1861 - Scanlan, Patrick
  • 1862 - Gagus, Charlie
  • 1863 - Smith, Fred
  • 1866 - McKeon, Larry
  • 1866 - Lyons, Harry
  • 1868 - Dwyer, Frank
  • 1874 - Carney, Bill
  • 1875 - Riddlemoser, Dorsey
  • 1879 - Walsh, John
  • 1881 - Charles, Chappy
  • 1883 - Brown, Elmer
  • 1884 - Lavender, Jimmy
  • 1886 - Walsh, Jimmy
  • 1887 - Milan, Clyde
  • 1891 - McLarry, Polly
  • 1900 - Miller, Russ
  • 1901 - Grigsby, Denver
  • 1909 - Leonard, Dutch
  • 
  • 1913 - Maynard, Buster
  • 1915 - Hartje, Chris
  • 1919 - Evans, Bill
  • 1920 - Lowry, Sam
  • 1922 - Bowers, Billy
  • 1930 - Minarcin, Rudy
  • 1932 - Craddock, Walt
  • 1932 - Held, Woodie
  • 
  • 1933 - Chittum, Nelson
  • 1938 - Koch, Alan
  • 1944 - Britton, Jim
  • 1945 - Ellis, Jim
  • 1948 - Nagy, Mike
  • 1955 - Mazzilli, Lee
  • 1962 - Kunkel, Jeff
  • 1965 - Kutzler, Jerry
  • 1966 - Glavine, Tom
  • 1967 - Barnes, Brian
  • 1969 - Sanders, Scott
  • 1969 - Fryman, Travis
  • 1969 - Menhart, Paul
  • 1969 - Helfand, Eric
  • 1969 - Schullstrom, Erik
  • 1969 - Wilson, Dan
  • 1972 - Battle, Howard
  • 1975 - Mejia, Miguel
  • 1977 - Jodie, Brett

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