12/6 BIRTHDAYS 1899 John "Jocko" Conlan, HOF umpire (National League 1941-65), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1989) Tony Lazzeri (1903-1946) HOF second baseman (World Series x 5; only player to complete natural cycle with grand slam; NY Yankees), born in San Francisco, California 1945 Larry Bowa 2nd baseman (Phillies), born in Sacramento, California 1953 Gary Ward player, born in Los Angeles, California 1967 Kevin Appier pitcher, 1989-94 (Kansas City Royals, and three others), born in Lancaster, California 1971 José Contreras pitcher (MLB All-Star 2006; World Series 2005; Olympic gold 1996; Chicago White Sox), born in Las Martinas, Pinar del Río, Cuba 1975 Natalie Titcume softball catcher (Olympic bronze 1996), born in Sydney, Australia 1977 Kevin Cash catcher (World Series 2007, 09; Boston Red Sox; New York Yankees) and manager (AL Manager of the Year 2020; TB Rays), born in Tampa, Florida 1978 Chris Başak player, born in North Platte, Nebraska 1980 Ehren Wassermannll player, born in Sylacauga, Alabama
FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+1913 At Keio University Stadium in Tokyo, the White Sox defeat the Giants, 9-4, as part of their world tour. Tomorrow, a combined squad will beat the Keio University team, 16-3, before the White Sox defeat the Giants again, 12-3. 1920 A lawsuit that had awarded $264,000 damages to the Federal League's Baltimore franchise is reversed by a court of appeals, upholding the reserve clause, which cites baseball is not interstate commerce nor subject to antitrust laws. The legal action grew out of the Baltimore Feds' exclusion in the Federal League war settlement, thus thwarting an effort to have a major league team in the Charm City. 1941 The Giants select Mel Ott to replace Bill Terry, who compiled an 823-661 (.550) record during his decade as the team's skipper. The team's new player-manager will spend all of his 22 years in the majors with the New York franchise, hitting 511 home runs during his Hall of Fame career. 1946 Except for choosing the pitchers, major league baseball agrees to return the All-Star teams' selection to the fans. In 1933 and 1934, the public selected the 18 starters but beginning in 1935, and each All-Star squad manager selected the players who would participate in the Midsummer Classic.
1952 To curb interleague trading after June 15th, the American League approves a two-league waiver rule. 1954 The Tigers trade one first baseman for two when the team swaps Walt Dropo, along with outfielder Bob Nieman, and southpaw Ted Gray to the White Sox for first sackers Ferris Fain and Jack Phillips with right-hander Leo Cristante included in the deal. Before being dealt to the Reds, the 1950 Rookie of the Year will hit .266 during his 3+ seasons on the South Side. 1959 The Indians trade fan-favorite Minnie Minoso with Dick Brown, Don Ferrarese, and Jake Striker to the White Sox for Norm Cash, Bubba Phillips, and John Romano. The 34-year-old 'Cuban Rocket' will play in every game for Chicago next season, leading the American League in hits (184) and stolen bases (13) while collecting a Gold Glove for his defensive play in left field. 1959 The Reds trade Frank Thomas to the Cubs in exchange for reliever Bill Henry. The deal, which also includes Lou Jackson and Lee Walls coming to Cincinnati, gives the team a southpaw out off the bullpen who will save 17 games in the upcoming season.
1960 The American League awards the new Los Angeles franchise to Gene Autry, a well-known cowboy movie star who once turned down an opportunity to play in the minor leagues, and former football player Bob Reynolds for $350,000. After spending its inaugural season at LA's Wrigley Field and the next three years at Dodger Stadium, the team will move to Anaheim, a short distance from Chavez Ravine, and will be known as the California Angels (1965-1996), the Anaheim Angels (1997-2004) and will become known as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2005 to market the team better. 1964 Major League Baseball releases its official 1964 batting averages that confirms Twins' outfielder Tony Oliva, who finished the season hitting .323, is the first rookie to win a batting title. The recently crowned American League Rookie of the Year finished ahead of Orioles' third baseman Brooks Robinson (.317), who copped the circuit's Most Valuable Player Award. 1968 William Eckert, sometimes referred to as the 'Unknown Soldier,' resigns as baseball commissioner. The former U.S. Air Force lieutenant general, who served as the game's fourth commissioner from 1965-68, will be replaced by Bowie Kuhn. 1973 The National League owners unanimously approve the sale and relocation of the Padres to the nation's capital in time to start the 1974 season as the Washington Stars. Grocery-chain magnate Joseph Danzansky, who offered to buy the team, sees his effort fail due to local legal maneuvers, giving McDonald's co-founder Ray Kroc the opportunity to buy the Friars and keep the club in San Diego. 1973 The Dodgers trade pitcher southpaw starter Claude Osteen and minor league reliever David Culpepper, a player never to appear in a major league game, to the Astros for outfielder Jim Wynn. The 'Toy Cannon' hits .261 in his two-year stint with the West Coast team, and Houston's newest left-hander posts a 9-9 record in his one season under the Dome. 1976 The Brewers trade first baseman George Scott and outfielder Bernie Carbo to the Red Sox for Cecil Cooper. Cooper will become a dominant player during the early eighties, appearing in five All-Star games, batting over .300 in the first seven of his eleven years with Milwaukee.
1989 The Mets and Reds swap relievers. Randy Myers goes to Cincinnati, and fellow closer John Franco will finish games in New York. 1989 Free-agent closer Jeff Reardon signs with the Red Sox. While in Boston, 'The Terminator,' who will save 88 games during the three years with the team, becomes the all-time leader with 342, breaking Rollie Fingers' previous record. 1989 The Padres trade catcher Sandy Alomar, left fielder Chris James, and minor-league third baseman Carlos Baerga to the Indians for outfielder Joe Carter, who has averaged 30 home runs and 108 RBIs during the past four seasons with Cleveland. San Diego's newest outfielder will spend one season with the team, batting .232 and driving in 115 runs, while Alomar, selected as the 1990 Rookie of the Year, and Baerga become perennial all-stars for the Tribe. 1990 The signature of Shoeless Joe Jackson, known not to read or write, is purchased for a record $23,100 at New York's Leland's auction house, making the bid the highest amount ever paid for a 19th or 20th-century ballplayer's autograph. The White Sox outfielder copied the inscription from one written out by his wife from an unknown document. 1997 Tickets for Opening Day of the Devil Rays' inaugural season sell out in 17 minutes after being put on sale to the general public. The 45,369 fans attending the March 31st contest see their team play their first game in franchise history, with Tampa Bay dropping an 11-6 decision to the Tigers. 2001 Bud Selig tells the House Judiciary Committee that baseball owners cannot be competitive and lose money due to the current system. The commissioner uses many statistics to make his case, including a team without a payroll in the top 25 percent has failed to win a single World Series game over the last seven years. 2002 The MLB Players Association agrees to allow the Expos to play 22 of its home games in Puerto Rico. To increase overall attendance, the team will play three homestands at San Juan's Hiram Bithorn Stadium while hosting 59 contests at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.
2004 Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year issue, featuring the 2004 Red Sox as the magazine's choice for its prestigious honor, arrives on newsstands today. Since its inception in 1954, SI annually has named an "athlete whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement," making the World Champions the first team to earn the distinction in the 50-year history of the award. 2004 The Mets and Royals exchange right-handers with starter Brian Bannister going to Kansas City and reliever Ambiorix Burgos heading for the Big Apple. The son of former major league southpaw Floyd Bannister will place third in the AL Rookie of the Year voting, earning nine victories for the last-place club, and the 23-year-old Dominican will appear in only 17 games for New York, being derailed by injuries and off-the-field incidents. 2005 At the Winter Meetings, the Blue Jays continue to keep their wallets open as the team agrees to a five-year, $55 million deal with A.J. Burnett (12-12, 3.44). The signing of the Marlin free agent, who many consider the best starter available on the market, comes on the heels of Toronto giving B.J. Ryan $47 million over five years, making it the richest contract in baseball history. 2005 Filling a two-month managerial void, the Dodgers hire Grady Little as the team's skipper. The former Red Sox manager, who compiled an outstanding 188-136 (.580) record in two seasons in Boston in 2002-03, is best remembered for not pulling a tiring Pedro Martinez during the eighth inning of ill-fated Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. 2005 Trevor Hoffman agrees to stay with the Padres, signing a $13.5 million, two-year contract which includes an option for 2008. The Tigers had courted the veteran closer but could not close the deal after San Diego improved its offer for the second year and made the accomplishments needed to trigger the option year a bit easier to reach.
2007 The Dodgers and Andruw Jones (.222, 26, 94) reach a preliminary agreement on a $36.2 million, two-year deal, the fifth-highest average salary in the major leagues. The 30-year-old center fielder from Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles, has won ten consecutive Gold Gloves but suffered through one of the worst offensive seasons in his 12 years of playing with the Braves. 2010 The Red Sox complete their deal for Adrian Gonzalez by sending minor league right-hander Casey Kelly, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, outfielder Reymond Fuentes, and a player to be named to San Diego for the All-Star first baseman. The left-handed slugger, expected to take advantage of the Green Monster's proximity to home plate, is entering the last year of his contract, and the deal does not include a contract extension to stay in Boston. 2010 A trade between two last-place teams sends Arizona slugger Mark Reynolds to the Orioles in exchange for right-handed relievers David Hernandez and Kam Mickolio. The O's new third baseman will bring much-needed offense to Baltimore, and San Diego's acquisition of the young pitchers will strengthen the team's bullpen for the late innings. 2011 During baseball's Winter Meetings, the White Sox trade their closer Sergio Santos to the Blue Jays in exchange for Nestor Molina, a 22-year-old right-handed prospect with a 27-7 minor league won-loss record and a 2.21 ERA overall. Toronto's new reliever, who recorded 30 saves in 36 opportunities with Chicago last season, will be an upgrade for the club, whose top closer in 2011 recorded only 17 saves. 2011 The Baseball Writers' Association of America selects Bob Elliott as the recipient of the 2012 J.G. Taylor Spink Award for his "meritorious contributions to baseball writing." The Canadian writer, who has practiced his craft for the last 30 years, covered both the Expos and Blue Jays and is presently a columnist for the Toronto Sun. 2013 The Mariners and Robinson Canon agree to a ten-year contract worth approximately $240 million, making the former Yankee second baseman the third-highest paid baseball player in history, trailing Alex Rodriguez and equaling Albert Puljos deals for the same amount of time, signed respectively in 2008 and 2012 with the Yankees and Angels. The All-star middle infielder will spend five seasons with his new team, hitting. 296 with 107 home runs, before being traded in 2018 to the Mets along with Edwin Díaz, and $20 million for Jay Bruce, Jarred Kelenic, Anthony Swarzak, Gerson Bautista, and Justin Dunn. *********** 44,343
Today in Baseball History Home | Contact | Baseball Almanac | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Advertise | Support Search archives: Historical Events Baseball Birthdays Baseball Deaths On December 6 in Baseball History... 1913 - Exhibition teams made up of White Sox and Giants players make a Tokyo stop as part of their world tour and play each other at Keio University Stadium. The Sox win, 9-4. The next day, a combined team defeats Keio University 16-3, then the White Sox beat the Giants, 12-3. 1920 - A lawsuit that awarded $264,000 damages to the Baltimore Federal League club on April 12, 1919, is reversed by a court of appeals, which upholds the reserve clause and holds that baseball is not interstate commerce nor subject to antitrust laws. The original suit was initiated because the Baltimore Feds were not included in the settlement of the Federal League war. They wanted a major league team in Baltimore and didn't get it. 1946 - The major leagues finally accept the contention that invasion of minor league territory will result in compensation for the entire league. The major league clubs agree to return the selection of the All-Star teams, except for pitchers, to a fan ballot. 1960 - A group headed by movie star Gene Autry and former football star Bob Reynolds is awarded the new Los Angeles Angels American League franchise. 1984 - The White Sox trade 1983 AL Cy Young Award winner LaMarr Hoyt and two minor leaguers to the Padres for pitcher Tim Lollar, utility man Luis Salazar, and minor leaguers Ozzie Guillen and Bill Long. Guillen will win the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 1985. 1989 - The Mets trade reliever Randy Myers to the Reds for fellow closer John Franco. Meanwhile, in Cleveland, Joe Carter is sent by the Indians to San Diego for Chris James, Sandy Alomar and Carlos Baerga, and free-agent closer Jeff Reardon signs with the Red Sox. Baseball Birthdays on December 6... 1852 - McSorley, Trick 1867 - Berger, Tun 1873 - Wolverton, Harry 1882 - Rowan, Dave 1885 - Stansbury, Jack 1886 - Morse, Hap 1893 - Eibel, Hack 1894 - Betzel, Bruno 1894 - Mueller, Walter 1896 - Larmore, Bob 1896 - Luce, Frank 1899 - Conlan, Jocko 1903 - Lazzeri, Tony 1909 - Hack, Stan 1913 - Kerksieck, Bill 1914 - Tyson, Turkey Turkey Tyson is a trivia answer. His MLB career consisted of one game with one plate appearance. (April 23, 1944 for the Philadelphia Phillies; bottom of the ninth, blowout loss, he popped up to third.) That puts him in the gloomily exclusive club of ballplayers who were lucky enough to make it the big leagues once and unlucky enough never to make it again 1920 - Niarhos, Gus 1925 - Pless, Rance 1927 - Brown, Tommy 1934 - Dobbek, Dan 1937 - Velazquez, Freddie 1938 - Samuel, Amado 1942 - Umbach, Arnold 1944 - Horton, Tony 1945 - Dahl, Jay 1945 - Bowa, Larry 1952 - Baker, Chuck 1952 - Schneider, Jeff 1953 - Ward, Gary 1954 - Parrott, Mike 1955 - Rosado, Luis 1957 - Bedrosian, Steve 1959 - Sheets, Larry 1963 - Blankenship, Lance 1964 - Campbell, Kevin 1966 - McDaniel, Terry 1967 - Appier, Kevin 1971 - Hyzdu, Adam 1972 - Weber, Neil 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.
12/7 BIRTHDAYS Tony Lazzeri (1903-1946) HOF second baseman (World Series x 5; only player to complete natural cycle with grand slam; NY Yankees), born in San Francisco, California 1945 Larry Bowa 2nd baseman (Phillies), born in Sacramento, California 1953 Gary Ward born in Los Angeles, California 1967 Kevin Appier pitcher, 1989-94 (Kansas City Royals, and three others), born in Lancaster, California 1971 José Contreras, pitcher (MLB All-Star 2006; World Series 2005; Olympic gold 1996; Chicago White Sox), born in Las Martinas, Pinar del Río, Cuba 1975 Natalie Titcume softball catcher (Olympic bronze 1996), born in Sydney, Australia 1977 Kevin Cash catcher (World Series 2007, 09; Boston Red Sox; New York Yankees) and manager (AL Manager of the Year 2020; TB Rays), born in Tampa, Florida 1978 Chris Başak born in North Platte, Nebraska 1980 Ehren Wassermann, American baseball player, born in Sylacauga, Alabama
FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+ 1939 At the urging of Senator owner Clark Griffith, the other American League owners enact a rule prohibiting the league's pennant winner from buying, selling, or trading players during the following season. The winter meeting decision appears to have the desired effect as the Yankees finish in third place. 1939 During their winter meeting, the BBWAA elects Lou Gehrig, who played in his last major league game on June 30th, to the Hall of Fame, waiving the five-year waiting period due to his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis. At age 36, the Yankees' first baseman becomes the youngest to be honored, surpassed by Dodger southpaw Sandy Koufax, five months younger when selected in 1972. 1957 Tony Kubek (.297, 3, 39) is selected over Boston's infielder Frank Malzone (.292, 15, 103) by the BBWAA as the American League Rookie of the Year. Much to the dismay of the 27-year-old Red Sox Gold Glove All-Star third baseman, he becomes ineligible when the writers, during the season, change the minimum number of career at-bats to determine rookie status. 1962 Tom Tresh, the Yankees shortstop and left fielder, is selected as the American League's Rookie of the Year by the BBWAA. The 24-year-old son of former major league catcher Mike Tresh gets 13 of the 20 votes cast by the writers, with Bob Rodgers (4), Dean Chance (1), Dick Radatz (1), and Bernie Allen (1) also receiving consideration. 1966 Dick Ellsworth is traded by the Cubs to the Phillies for right-hander Ray Culp and cash. During his eight-year tenure in Chicago, the southpaw authored a 22-win (1963) and 22-loss (1966) season, compiled 84 victories, the most by a Northside hurler during the decade.
1973 The Giants sell Juan Marichal to the Red Sox, where the high leg-kicking right-handed Dominican will post a 5-1 record. During his 14 seasons with San Francisco, the future Hall of Famer compiled a 238-140 (.630) record. 1973 The Royals, in a controversial move, deal outfielder Lou Piniella and pitcher Ken Wright to the Yankees for 38-year-old right-hander Lindy McDaniel, who wins a total of only six games during his two years with the club. The trade draws the Kansas City fans' ire when their departed 29-year-old outfielder enjoys 11 solid seasons in the Bronx, batting .295 and playing a major role in New York's four appearances in the World Series. 1984 The Mets send right-handed starter Walt Terrell to the Tigers in exchange for infielder Howard Johnson. New York's new third baseman will spend nine years with the club, returning to the organization to become a minor league manager and big-league coach. 1988 Nolan Ryan becomes the first major leaguer to play for all four original expansion teams when he signs as a free agent with the Rangers, who played their first 11 seasons as the new Senators in Washington, D.C. The right-hander broke in with the Mets (1966, 1968-71) went to the Angels in a trade (1972-79) before signing with the Astros (1980-1988), a team initially known as the Colt .45s. 1988 The Mets deal Wally Backman and prospect Mike Santiago to the Twins for minor leaguers Jeff Bumgarner, Steve Gasser, and Toby Nivens. The trade leaves second base open for Gregg Jefferies, but the highly touted rookie infielder will falter, hitting a meager .258 next season. 1992 The Reds sign free-agent outfielder Roberto Kelly to a three-year deal. The 28-year-old All-Star outfielder will play solid baseball for his new team, compiling a .313 batting average in 125 games in Cincinnati before being traded to Atlanta during the season in 1994 for Deion Sanders. 1995 On the day he is traded to the Yankees, Tino Martinez celebrates his 28th birthday, and the birth of his daughter, Victoria. After reaching an agreement on a five-year, $20.25 million deal with his new team, the former Mariners' first baseman is acquired by the Bronx Bombers today, along with pitchers Jim Mecir and Jeff Nelson for southpaw Sterling Hitchcock and third baseman Russell Davis. 1999 The Mariners sign Mets' free-agent first baseman John Olerud to a $20-million, three-year deal. The former Washington State University All-American garners a Gold Glove in each of his three seasons with Seattle, playing a pivotal role in the team's historic 116-46 campaign in 2001, compiling a .401 on-base percentage.
