BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

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12/20
BIRTHDAYS

Branch Rickey (1881-1965) HOF catcher (St. Louis Browns), manager (St. Louis Browns, Cardinals) and executive (GM St.Louis Cardinals 4 x World Series), born in Stockdale, Ohio


1888 Fred Merkle born in Watertown, Wisconsin (d. 1958)

1900 Gabby Hartnett Hall of Fame catcher (MLB All Star 1933–38; NL MVP 1935; Chicago Cubs) and manager (Chicago Cubs), born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island (d. 1972)


1949 Cecil Cooper, born in Brenham, Texas


1974 Augie Ojeda infielder (Olympic bronze 1996), born in Los Angeles, California


1976 Aubrey Huff born in Marion, Ohio


1979 David DeJesus born in Brooklyn, New York City


1981 James Shields, born in Santa Clarita, California


1982 David Wright (New York Mets), born in Norfolk, Virginia

 

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1926 The World Champion Cardinals trade Rogers Hornsby to the Giants for Jimmy Ring and Frankie Frisch, who plays an integral role in the success of the Gashouse Gang in the 1930s after being sent to St. Louis due to a falling out with NY's manager John McGraw. The trade gets complicated when the 'Rajah' refuses to sell his 1,167 shares of the team stock back to the Redbirds at the asking price.

Hornsby & Frisch

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1940 Connie Mack announces he has acquired the controlling interest in the A's, a team he has managed for the past 40 years, for a reported $42,000. The Philadelphia skipper, who will celebrate his 78th birthday in three days, had shared the ownership with Benjamin Shibe's heirs, who started the franchise on a joint basis in 1901.

1973 American League president Joe Cronin, siding with Charlie Finley, rules the Yankees cannot sign A's manager Dick Williams. The Bronx Bombers, who will eventually hire Bill Virdon to manage the team, had announced a deal with the Oakland skipper two days earlier.

1978 Don Blasingame becomes the first American not of Japanese descent hired as a manager of a Japanese team. The former major league second baseman will pilot the cellar-dwelling Hanshin Tigers to a fourth-place finish next season.

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1980 The Brewers obtain future Cy Young winners Rollie Fingers [1981] and Pete Vuckovich [1982] along with catcher Ted Simmons in a seven-player deal with the Cardinals. The Brew Crew sends pitcher Lary Sorensen, outfielder Sixto Lezcano, and minor league players Dave Green and Dave LaPointe to St. Louis.​

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1980 Baseball's basic agreement allows certain veterans to become free agents unless the clubs tendered the players contracts today. The Red Sox will miss the deadline, permitting All-Stars Fred Lynn and Carlton Fisk to be eligible for free agency.

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2000 After trading their All-Star shortstop to the Mets last season, the Orioles get him back, agreeing to a two-year deal with free-agent Mike Bordick. The move will send Melvin Mora, the player obtained from the Mets to replace Bordick, to the outfield, where he will be a stronger defensive player.

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2001 Hideo Nomo (13-10, 4.50), last season's American League strikeout leader with 220, inks a $13.75 million, two-year free-agent deal with the Dodgers. The former Red Sox right-hander was the National League Rookie of the Year when he broke into the majors with Los Angeles in 1995.

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2001 The Red Sox announce the partners of the Jean Yawkey Trust have voted unanimously to sell 100 percent of the team to a group of investors led by Marlins' owner John Henry, who also has a one-percent share of the Yankees and is Boston's managing partner-in-waiting. The price tag for a family-owned business since 1933, rumored to be $600+ million, doubles the largest amount ever spent to buy a major league team.

2002 After rejecting Boston's salary arbitration, Cliff Floyd (.288, 28, 79) agrees to a $26 million, four-year contract deal with the Mets. Last season, the 30-year-old outfielder, in addition to ending the season with the Red Sox, also played with the Marlins and Expos.

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2002 Hoping to fill the void after trading Eric Karros to the Cubs, the Dodgers agree with 39-year-old veteran first baseman Fred McGriff (.273, 30, 103) on a one-year deal. The 'Crime Dog,' who has played for the Blue Jays, Padres, Braves, Devil Rays, and the Cubs, with 478 career homers is fourth among active players behind Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Rafael Palmeiro.

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2004 Free agent Carl Pavano signs a four-year deal worth $39.95 million to pitch for the Yankees. The oft-injured Southington (CT) right-hander, who tossed over 220 innings en route to winning 18 games for the World Champion Marlins last season, appears in only 26 games in his three years with the Bronx Bombers, posting a 9-8 record with a 5.00 ERA in during his 145 innings on the mound.

2005 The World Champion White Sox finalizes the trade with the Diamondbacks, bringing starter Javier Vazquez and $4 million to the Windy City. The veteran right-hander Orlando Hernandez, along with reliever Luis Vizcaino, and minor league outfield prospect Chris Young, go to Arizona to complete the deal.

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2007 Dontrelle Willis and the Tigers agree to a $29 million, three-year contract extension. Detroit obtained the affable southpaw and Miguel Cabrera from the Marlins in a blockbuster trade at the winter meetings for six very talented prospects, including left-hander Andrew Miller and outfielder Cameron Maybin.


2007 The Mariners and right-hander Carlos Silva (13-14, 4.19) finalized a $48 million, four-year contract. The M's expect the 28-year-old free-agent, formerly with the Twins, to 'bring a quality arm to the starting rotation' and be the pitching staff's workhorse.


2007 Tadahito Iguchi (.267, 9, 43) and the Padres come to terms on a one-year, $3.85 million deal, which could amount to more with performance-based bonuses. The former Phillies infielder will replace a slumping Marcus Giles at second base.


2007 Ron Mahay (3-0, 2.55) and the Royals finalize a two-year, $8 million deal. The 36-year-old southpaw reliever pitched a total of 67 innings for the Rangers and Braves last season.

2007 Geoff Jenkins (.255, 21, 64) signs a two-year, $13 million contract as a free agent with the Phillies after the Brewers declined his option. Milwaukee chose not to pay the 33-year-old outfielder $9 million to keep him with the Brew Crew.

2007 During an interview with the Hattiesburg American, Jonathan Papelbon shares his bulldog, Boss, ate the ball used to record the World Series's final out. Teammate Jason Varitek had given the ball to the reliever when Rockies pinch-hitter Seth Smith struck out to complete Boston's sweep of Colorado in the Fall Classic.

 

2008 The Nationals sign a one-year contract with free-agent hurler Daniel Cabrera. The 27-year-old right-handed starter (8-10, 5.25 ERA), who was non-tendered by the Orioles earlier in the month after spending five seasons in Baltimore, has never lived up to his potential, given his live fastball and above-average curveball.

2009 Roy Halladay, who was traded by the Blue Jays to the Phillies last week in a complicated four-team deal, takes out a full-page ad in the Toronto Sun to thank everyone for their support during his 12-year tenure with the team. Using the newspaper advertisement, he tells the fans he felt "blessed" to have been part of the organization and that the city will "forever have a special place" in his heart.

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2011 The Mets announce they are eliminating their minor league team in the Class A Gulf Coast League, a move that could save the cash-strapped team between $750,000 and $800,000. Although eliminating a farm team may appear to be a desperate act for the financially troubled franchise, New York was one of only three clubs to have as many as nine minor league teams.
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Today in Baseball History
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Search archives: Historical Events Baseball Birthdays Baseball Deaths
On December 20 in Baseball History...

• • 1921 - At the major league meetings, the AL votes to return to the best-of-seven World Series the NL votes to keep it best-of-nine. Judge Landis casts the deciding vote, and the best-of-seven format is reinstated.
    
  • 1926 - Rogers Hornsby, who batted .317 and managed the Cardinals to the World Championship in 1926, is traded to the Giants for shortstop Frankie Frisch and Jimmy Ring. While the trade of future Hall of Famers is highly unpopular in St. Louis, Frisch will become a fan favorite and bat .300 or better in seven of his next eight seasons while successfully managing the team for six years. Hornsby will bat .361, .387, and .380 over the next three seasons while bouncing between the Giants, Braves, and Cubs.
    
  • 1929 - Bill Carrigan has had enough of managing the Red Sox. He quits, and Heinie Wagner signs on for a year.
    
  • 1940 - Connie Mack acquires controlling interest in the Athletics from the Shibe family at the price of $42,000.

Baseball Birthdays on December 20...

• • 1852 - Doscher, Herm Doscher was 23 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 4, 1876, with the Troy Trojans.
  • 1853 - Manning, Jack
  • 1856 - Stovey, Harry
  • 1866 - Gormley, Joe
  • 1869 - McCauley, Bill
  • 1876 - Williams, Jimmy
  • 1878 - Hall, Bob
  • 1879 - Moskiman, Doc
  • 1880 - Wade, Ham
  • 1881 - Rickey, Branch
  • 1885 - Baumann, Paddy
  • 1885 - Wilhoit, Joe
  • 1886 - Berger, Joe
  • 1888 - Merkle, Fred
  • 1892 - Jones, Deacon
  • 1894 - Henline, Butch
  • 1897 - Dowd, Snooks
    Snooks Dowd was born on Monday, December 20, 1897, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Dowd was 21 years old when he broke into the big leagues on April 27, 1919, with the Detroit Tigers.
  • 1899 - Pipgras, George
  • 1900 - Hartnett, Gabby "Most catchers have to wear a mask because their so ugly, but I have to wear one because I'm so pretty." - Hall of Famer Gabby Hartnett
  • 1902 - Yowell, Carl
  • 1904 - Davis, Spud
  • 1908 - McLarney, Art
  • 1910 - Chapman, Calvin
  • 1912 - Irwin, Tommy
  • 1915 - Felderman, Marv
  • 1920 - Gonzalez, Julio
  • 1923 - Dunlap, Grant "Grant Dunlap, young first baseman who may be the 'sleeper' in the Cardinals' Spring training camp, hit a home run and pleased Manager Eddie Stanky with his batting form in the club's first squad game Sunday. 'Dunlap is an aggressive hitter, with a sharp eye and a bat that is always ready,' Stanky said, after the six inning contest." - The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois) (March 2, 1953, 'Grant Dunlap Shines in Cardinal Workouts'
  • 1930 - Herriage, Troy "The Cy Young Award is presented each year to the best pitcher in each league. Until now, no award has been given to the worst pitcher. We are announcing winners for the Sigh Young Award. 3. Troy Herriage. Troy Herriage was another one-year blunder. Herriage was a rookie with the Kansas City Athletics in 1956. He had a 1-13 record with a 6.64 earned run average." - Author Floyd Conner in Baseball's Most Wanted II (Potomac Books, Inc., 'Sigh Young Awards',
  • 1931 - Becquer, Julio
  • 1936 - Pfister, Dan
  • 1940 - Tillotson, Thad
  • 1943 - Noriega, John
  • 1944 - Mason, Don
  • 1945 - Lampard, Keith
  • 1945 - Colbert, Vince
  • 1948 - Norris, Jim
  • 1949 - Gamble, Oscar
  • 1949 - Cooper, Cecil
  • 1951 - Hart, Mike
  • 1953 - Moskau, Paul
  • 1957 - Laskey, Bill
  • 1960 - DeLeon, Jose
  • 1965 - Ramsey, Fernando
  • 1966 - Mutis, Jeff
  • 1971 - Valdes, Marc
  • 1974 - Ojeda, Augie
  • 1976 - Huff, Aubrey

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