BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1917 The Phillies trade 30-year-old Grover Cleveland Alexander and catcher Bill Killefer to the Cubs for right-hander Mike Prendergast, who compiles a 13-15 record in his one-plus season with Philadelphia, and reserve backstop William Dillhoefer, who bats .091 in the eight games he plays for the team. From 1918 to 1926, 'Old Pete' compiles a 128-83 record in a Cubs uniform en route to Hall of Fame career, including playing for the Cardinals.

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1928 To speed up the game and add more offense, National League president John Heydler proposes a designated batter for the pitcher. The American League opposes the idea, and the NL withdraws the proposal before asking Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis to break the deadlock.

1941 The Giants deal hurler Bill Lohrman, catcher James O'Dea, first baseman Johnny McCarthy, and $50,000 to the Cardinals for Johnny Mize. Despite missing three years due to WWII, the Giants' new first baseman will spend five productive seasons of his Hall of Fame career with the team, hitting .299 and averaging more than 100 RBIs per season.

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1950 A. B. 'Happy' Chandler's contract as commissioner isn't renewed for a second term when he receives only nine of the twelve owners' votes needed for re-election. The future Hall of Famer is given credit for integrating the majors, putting six umpires on the field during the World Series, and establishing the players' pension fund in 1947, with the $475,000 made by selling the rights to broadcast the World Series on the radio.

1951 "I can no longer produce for my ballclub, my manager, my teammates, and my fans the sort of baseball their loyalty to me deserves." - Joe DiMaggio
At the Yankees' Fifth Avenue suite in the Squibb Tower, a tearful Joe DiMaggio, two weeks after his 37th birthday, announces to the press his decision to retire from baseball. The Bronx Bomber outfielder, claiming he "no longer has it" due to age and injuries, ends his thirteen-year career with a lifetime .325 BA and 361 home runs, rejecting owner Dan Topping's $100,000 offer to play next season.

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1952 The Pirates name Fred Haney to be the team's manager, replacing Billy Meyer, who was selected as The Sporting News Major League Manager of the Year in 1948 following his first season at the helm. The Bucs will finish each season in last place, compiling a dismal 163-299 (.353) record during their new skipper's three-year tenure in Pittsburgh.

1954 The Phillies purchase Connie Mack Stadium for $1,675,000 from Arnold Johnson, the A's new owner who acquired the ballpark as part of his purchase of the American League team. The Phils, who had been paying a minimal amount of rent to share the park with the American League team, become the sole occupants of the aging downtown facility, their home for the next 15 seasons, when their Junior Circuit rivals move to Kansas City.

1956 Bob Feller, a future Hall of Fame hurler with the Indians, becomes the first president of a major league player association. One of many attempts by the players to form a union will prove to be very successful a decade later with the hiring of Marvin Miller to be the MLBPA's first executive director in 1966.

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1959 After the Pirates reject the A's offer to exchange Dick Groat for Roger Maris, Kansas City, prohibited from trading the outfielder to the Yankees for 18 months, send the right fielder and two other players to the Bronx for Hank Bauer, Don Larsen, Norm Siebern, and Marv Throneberry. The American League put a moratorium on trades by Kansas City, hoping to alleviate the perception that the team was serving as a 'big league' farm club for the Bronx Bombers.

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1962 The Red Sox trade Tracy Stallard, Pumpsie Green, and a player to be named later (Al Moran) to the Mets in exchange for Felix Mantilla. Stallard, best known for throwing the pitch to Roger Maris for the record-breaking 61st home run, will become a twenty-game loser for New York in 1964.

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1968 The Angels trade two catchers, Ed Kirkpatrick and Dennis Paepke, to the Kansas City A's for Hoyt Wilhelm. Before being traded to Atlanta in September, the right-handed knuckleballer will post a 5-7 record along with ten saves while compiling a respectable ERA of 2.47 during his five months with the Halos.

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1973 After being the first player to invoke the new 10 and 5 rule to avoid being dealt to the Angels, Ron Santo agrees to be traded to the south side of Chicago to play for the rival White Sox. In return for the 33-year-old infielder, who will play just one season with the Pale Hose before retiring, the Cubs receive southpaw Jim Kremmel (the player to be named later), Ken Frailing, Steve Stone, and Steve Swisher.

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1975 In a busy day of trading, the Yankees acquire pitchers Dock Ellis and Ken Brett, and second baseman Willie Randolph from the Pirates for hurler Doc Medich. In a separate deal with the Angels, the Bronx Bombers trade Bobby Bonds for outfielder Mickey Rivers and pitcher Ed Figueroa.

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1975 The Chicago White Sox announce Bill Veeck, along with a group of 40+ investors, has purchased the team, saving the cash-strapped franchise from being shifted to another city. John H. Johnson, the publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines, becomes the first black to hold an ownership stake in a major league team.

 

1981 Despite having mediocre results with the team last season, 37-year-old Joe Morgan is re-signed by the Giants. The veteran second baseman will win the Silver Slugger award next season, compiling a .289 batting average.

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1986 The Mets trade Kevin Mitchell, a rookie who played six positions for the eventual world champs, along with prospects Stan Jefferson and Shawn Abner, and two other minor leaguers to the Padres for outfielder Kevin McReynolds, southpaw Gene Walter, and a minor leaguer. After being traded to the Giants during the season, the San Diego native will become the National League's Most Valuable Player in 1989.

Bare Handed Catch

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1987 The A's obtain Jesse Orosco from the Mets and then trades the southpaw reliever along with shortstop Alfredo Griffin and right-hander Jay Howell to the Dodgers for pitchers Matt Young, Bob Welch, and Jack Savage. New York gets Savage as well as right-hand hurlers Wally Whitehurst and Kevin Tapani from Oakland to complete the three-team, eight-player deal.

1987 In a rare trade between the cross-town rivals, the Mets trade Rafael Santana to the Yankees, along with minor leaguer Victor Garcia, who pitched for Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, for Steve Frey, Phil Lombardi, and Darren Reed. The starting shortstop for the world champs last season initially signed with the Bronx Bombers as an amateur free agent in 1976.

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1991 The Royals deal right-hander Bret Saberhagen and utility player Bill Pecota to the Mets for Gregg Jefferies, Kevin McReynolds, and Keith Miller. The two-time Cy Young Award winner will post only a 3-5 record in his first season with New York, compiling a 29-27 record during his 3+ seasons with the team.

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2000 The Astros and Tigers complete a six-player trade with outfielder Roger Cedeno, catcher Mitch Meluskey, and right-hander Chris Holt going to Detroit and catcher Brad Ausmus, relievers Doug Brocail and Nelson Cruz headed for Houston. Ausmus, who attended Dartmouth College, will return to Detroit in 2014, compiling a 314-332 (.486) record during his four-year tenure as the team's manager.

2001 The Mets trade southpaw Billy Traber and outfielders Matt Lawton and Alex Escobar to the Indians for superstar second baseman Roberto Alomar along with prospect Danny Peoples and left-hander Mike Bacsik. The Gold Glove infielder, the centerpiece of the deal, will be a notable bust in Flushing, hitting just .265 and playing uninspired defense for New York before being shipped to the White Sox in the middle of the 2003 season.

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2007 After declining offers from the Yomiuri Giants and his former team, the Chunichi Dragons, Kosuke Fukudome comes to terms with the Cubs on a four-year deal reported to be worth $48 million. The 30-year-old Japanese outfielder, also sought by the Padres, White Sox, Giants, and Rangers, compiled a .305 batting average during his 13-year tenure in Japan's Central League.

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2008 The Red Sox unveil their new but familiar "Hanging Sox" logo. Originally sewn on uniforms in 1931, the pair of red socks will now appear on most of the club's letterhead and signs, diminishing the use of the circular trademark, which contains the words "Boston Red Sox."

2009 The Rays obtain Rafael Soriano (27 saves, 2.97) from Atlanta, agreeing to a $7.25 million, one-year deal with the reliever to complete the transaction. The Braves, who get right-hander Jesse Chavez from Tampa Bay in the trade, recently bolstered their bullpen with Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito, making the 29-year-old right-hander expendable.

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2009 Clearly stating he wants to be an everyday player on a winning team, Ivan Rodriguez agrees to a $6 million, two-year deal with the Nationals, the worst team in baseball last season. The 38-year-old catcher will share playing time and his experience with Jesus Flores, Washington's young up-and-coming backstop.

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2009 Free-agent Jason Kendall signs a $6 million, two-year deal to become the Royals' everyday catcher. The 35-year-old savvy backstop, a lifetime .290 hitter, batted only .241 with only two home runs and 43 RBIs with Milwaukee last season.

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2010 Rays free-agent Carl Crawford agrees to a seven-year, $142-million deal with the Red Sox. The 29-year-old outfielder's tenure in Boston will be brief when he plays only two disappointing injury-plagued seasons with the team before being traded to the Dodgers as part of a blockbuster trade.

2010 "He was a guy who was a class act and he meant more to the city than the players. When he walked down the street people knew him. He’s more recognizable than any player that’s been here." - KEN GRIFFEY, JR., former Mariners superstar speaking of Dave Niehaus in a video message played at a Safeco Field tribute to the late broadcaster. The Mariners honor Dave Niehaus, the team's long-time broadcaster, who died suddenly last month, with a Safeco Field ceremony attended by his family, team officials, former players, and thousands of fans. The Hall of Fame announcer, a fixture in the Seattle booth since the franchise's first pitch in 1977, is eulogized by Rick Rizzs, who becomes overwhelmed with emotion reminiscing about his broadcast partner for 25 years.

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Today in Baseball History
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On December 11 in Baseball History...

• • 1926 - Cleveland coach Jack McAllister is named to replace Tris Speaker as Indians manager.
    
  • 1928 - At the NL meeting, President John Heydler proposes the designated hitter for pitchers to improve and speed up the game. He contends fans are tired of seeing weak-hitting pitchers come to bat.
    
  • 1930 - The Baseball Writers Association votes to continue the custom of selecting an MVP for each league. Beginning in 1931, the annual vote of the BBWAA will designate a player for this honor in each league. Previous MVP winners will be able to repeat under the new rules, something that was prohibited by the AL in the 1920s.
    
  • 1934 - The NL votes to permit night baseball, authorizing a maximum of seven games by any team installing lights. The AL does not grant permission for night games until 1937.
    
  • 1941 - The Giants acquire Johnny Mize from the Cardinals for three players and $50,000.
    
  • 1950 - At the winter meeting, held in St. Petersburg, Florida, major league owners vote 9-7 against renewing Commissioner Happy Chandler's contract for a new term, starting in 1951. Fred Saigh of the Cardinals led the opposition to Chandler, who had jeopardized the reserve clause and ordered investigations of the alleged gambling activities of several owners.
    
  • 1951 - Joe DiMaggio officially retires as a member of the New York Yankees with 361 home runs and an average of .325 after 13 seasons. His 56-game, consecutive-game hitting streak in l941 will stand as one of the all-time best diamond achievements.
    
  • 1954 - With the Athletics poised to move to Kansas City, the Phillies purchase Connie Mack Stadium.
    
  • 1959 - Arnold Johnson of the Kansas City A's gives the New York Yankees an early Christmas present when he gift wraps Roger Maris in pinstripes. The Yankees acquire the slugger in a seven-player deal that sends pitcher Don Larsen, right fielder Hank Bauer, first baseman Marv Throneberry, and left fielder Norm Siebern to the Athletics.
    
  • 1973 - The Cubs come up with a team Ron Santo will agree to be traded to: the White Sox. Pitcher Steve Stone and three other players go to the Cubs.
    
  • 1975 - In two separate deals, the Yankees acquire pitchers Dock Ellis and Ken Brett, and second baseman Willie Randolph from the Pirates for pitcher Doc Medich and outfielder Mickey Rivers and pitcher Ed Figueroa from the Angels for outfielder Bobby Bonds.
    
  • 1989 - The Royals sign free agent Mark Davis to a four-year contract. Davis and Bret Saberhagen will make the 1990 Royals the first team ever to have both defending Cy Young Award winners.

Baseball Birthdays on December 11...

• • 1840 - Smith, Charlie
  • 1854 - Radbourn, Old Hoss
  • 1857 - Callahan, Ed
  • 1858 - Mountjoy, Bill
  • 1868 - Gettinger, Tom
  • 1878 - Wright, Gene
  • 1885 - Anderson, Fred
  • 1885 - Wilson, Art
  • 1886 - Riggert, Joe
  • 1887 - Behan, Petie
  • 1888 - Toney, Fred
  • 1890 - Meinert, Walt
  • 1891 - Renfer, Erwin
  • 1894 - Raymond, Lou
  • 1896 - Walker, Johnny
  • 1896 - Harriss, Slim
  • 1901 - Andrews, Elbert
  • 1903 - Phelps, Ray
  • 1905 - Weston, Al
  • 1909 - Bivin, Jim
  • 1910 - Coffman, Slick
  • 1914 - Nicholson, Bill
  • 1919 - Combs, Merl
  • 1924 - Brown, Hal
  • 1925 - Hoover, Dick
  • 1926 - Gray, Johnny
  • 1930 - O'Brien, Eddie
  • 1930 - O'Brien, Johnny
  • 1930 - Varga, Andy
  • 1934 - Maye, Lee
  • 1947 - Shanahan, Greg
  • 1948 - Hiser, Gene
  • 1949 - Caskey, Craig
  • 1952 - Andrews, Rob
  • 1954 - Sykes, Bob
  • 1961 - Sebra, Bob
  • 1961 - Henneman, Mike
  • 1964 - Howard, Thomas
  • 1965 - Peterson, Adam
  • 1965 - Bell, Jay
  • 1968 - Bell, Derek
  • 1971 - Canate, Willie
  • 1972 - Rodriguez, Frankie
  • 1973 - Tracy, Andy

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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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12/12
BIRTHDAYS
1914 Buzzie Bavasi MLB executive (Brooklyn & LA Dodgers), born in NYC, New York (d. 2008)
Signed Newk and Jackie


1977 Orlando Hudson born in Darlington, South Carolina


1981 Shane Costa born in Visalia, California

 

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1903 The Cardinals trade Mordecai Brown and catcher Jack O'Neill to the Cubs in exchange for backstop Larry McLean and Jack Taylor, a righty who will set the record for consecutive complete games in one season next year with 39 when he compiles a 20-19 record for the Redbirds. The future Hall of Fame right-hander, nicknamed Three Finger due to a farm-machinery accident when he was 11 years old, will post a 188-86 (.686) record, including six consecutive seasons of 20+ wins, during his ten-year tenure with Chicago.

Brown & Taylor
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1913 The Reds trade outfielder Bob Bescher to the Giants for shortstop Buck Herzog, who will become the team's player-manager, replacing Joe Tinker in the Cincinnati dugout. In his 2+ plus seasons, the club's new skipper will compile a 165-226 (.422) record, never finishing higher than seventh place in the eight-team circuit.

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1920 Major League Baseball approaches U.S. District Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who will be elected and assume the post in January, to be its first commissioner. The selection of the tough-minded jurist is seen as a move by the owners to restore the faith in the game after the 1919 World Series scandal that involved eight White Sox players paid off by professional gamblers to throw the Fall Classic against Cincinnati. Judge and Jury: The Life and Times of Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis Judge and Jury:

1930 The rules committee decides a ball that bounces into the stands will no longer be a home run but will become a ground-rule double. Babe Ruth's career total of round-trippers may have been slightly higher due to the existing ground rules in various ballparks at the time; however, research has never uncovered any of his 60 home runs in 1927 hopped into the seats.

1933 The A's swap their ace Lefty Grove, along with Rube Wallberg and Max Bishop to the Red Sox for Bob Kline, Rabbit Warstler, and $125,000. The 33-year-old future Hall of Fame southpaw continues to pitch well for his new team, compiling a 105-62 (.629) record and will lead the league with the best ERA four of the eight seasons he hurls for Boston.

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1941 The Dodgers obtain Arky Vaughn from the Pirates for right-hander Luke Hamlin, 1B/OF Jimmy Wasdell, and catcher Babe Phelps. The future Hall of Fame infielder, who will have his stint in Brooklyn interrupted by WWII, plays four seasons for the club, compiling a .291 batting average.

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1950 The owners drop the bonus and high school rule, designed to prevent the wealthier clubs from monopolizing the available talent. The previous edict mandated that all 'bonus' players stay on the major league roster one season in the minors.

1952 Peter J. McGovern becomes the Little League's president, replacing Charles Durban, who resigned due to ill health. The organization started with two leagues in 1939 has grown to 1,800 in 48 states and international sites.

1966 The U.S. Supreme Court, with Justices W. Douglas, H.Black, and W.Brennan in favor, but opposed by Chief Justice E.Warren, and Associate Justices P. Stewart, J. Marshall Harlan II, B. White, and T.Clark, refuse to review Wisconsin's suit to block the Braves' move to Atlanta by a 4-3 vote. The team initially announced its intention to move to the Peach State for the 1965 season, but the injunction filed by the state in Wisconsin forced the club to stay put in Milwaukee for one final year.

1979 Re-entry free agents second baseman Rennie Stennett, catcher Milt May, and outfielder Jim Wohlford sign with the Giants. The combined total of the contracts is nearly $5 million.

 

1998 After being given his last rites, Hall of Fame outfielder Joe DiMaggio appears to make a miraculous recovery, defying his doctors' dire predictions. In mid-January, the 'Yankee Clipper' is allowed to go home after a 99-day hospital stay but will die at his home in Florida on March 8 after a long battle with lung cancer.

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1998 Kevin Brown signs a seven-year deal with the Dodgers, becoming baseball's first 100+ million dollar man. The right-handed free agent, who posted an 18-7 record last season with the Padres, is the first major leaguer to earn an average salary of $15 million per season, much to the chagrin of the other owners.

2007 In a six-player deal, the Orioles trade former American League MVP Miguel Tejada to the Astros for three pitchers (Matt Albers, Troy Patton, Dennis Sarfate), outfielder Luke Scott, and third baseman Michael Costanzo. The acquisition of the four-time All-Star shortstop is the latest move in a busy offseason for Houston, which includes signing free-agent second baseman Kaz Matsui and trading reliever Brad Lidge to the Phillies for Michael Bourn.

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2007 Free-agent Aaron Rowand (.309, 27, 89) and the Giants agree to a $60-million, five-year deal. The 30-year-old Gold Glove center fielder is expected to bat fifth and will help fill the void in the outfield created by the departure of Barry Bonds.

2007 Paul Lo Duca and the Nationals agree to a $5 million, one-year deal that puts the former Mets catcher behind Washington's home plate. The free-agent backstop became expendable and much-needed in the same instance when New York dealt Lastings Milledge to get the Nats starting catcher, Brian Schneider.

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2008 The Yankees sign their second ace this week as the club reaches an agreement with free-agent A.J. Burnett. The Bronx Bombers ink the former Blue Jays right-hander to an $82.5 million, five-year deal after giving CC Sabathia $161 million over seven years two days ago.

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2008 The Pirates sign Ramon Vazquez, the only player with major league experience added to the club during the winter meetings, to a two-year deal worth $4 million. The versatile infielder played all four infield positions last season while compiling a career-high .290 batting average with the Rangers.

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2008 The Mets, reeling from their second consecutive season-ending collapse, continue to overhaul their much-maligned bullpen, which blew 29 saves in 72 chances (40%). Scott Schoeneweis joins Joe Smith and Aaron Heilman in becoming the latest New York reliever to be traded when the southpaw goes to the Diamondbacks for Connor Robertson, a right-hander acquired by Arizona in the Dan Haren deal.

2009 Brandon Lyon (6-5, 2.86) and the Astros finalize their $15 million, three-year deal. The Tigers' former right-handed reliever, who saved 26 games for Arizona in 2008, hopes to be the club's closer but may be used in Houston as the set-up man to get to Matt Lindstrom.

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2013 The Mariners land the most sought-after free agent when the team signs Robinson Cano to a 10-year, $240-million contract, a value that equals Albert Pujols' deal with the Angels for the third-largest in baseball history. The Yankees, the 32-year-old's former team who did not want to commit those kinds of dollars or years for their All-Star second baseman, recently inked outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury for $153 million (7 years) and Brian McCann for $85 million (5 years). million (5 years). ​

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