BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

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12/29
BIRTHDAYS
1964 Craig Grebeck infielder (Florida Marlins), born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania


1968 James Mouton outfielder (Houston Astros), born in Denver, Colorado


1973 Theo Epstein baseball executive and President of Baseball Operations, born in NYC, New York

1973 Tomas Perez infielder (Toronto Blue Jays), born in Lara, Venezuela


1974 Richmond "Richie" Sexson born in Portland, Oregon


1975 Jaret Wright born in Anaheim, California


1977 Jimmy Journell born in Springfield, Ohio

 

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1878 In Havana, the first game is played in the Professional Baseball League of Cuba, later known as the Cuban League, when hometown Habana edges its rivals from suburban Almendares, 21-20. Player-manager Esteban Enrique Bellan, who will become the first Latino to appear in the major leagues for the Troy Haymakers and the New York Mutuals of the National Association from 1871 to 1873, leads the winning team.

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1932 The Boston Braves reacquire Shanty Hogan when they purchase the catcher traded away four years ago to the Giants for $25,000. The slow-footed but gifted defensive backstop lost his spot in the New York lineup at the end of the season when new player-manager Bill Terry, who replaced the legendary John McGraw in early June, elected to build the team around speed and pitching.

Catcher Shanty Hogan and pitcher Danny MacFayden, Boston Braves​

1933 Babe Ruth loses an opportunity to manage the Reds when Jacob Ruppert refuses to release his 38-year-old outfielder. The Yankee owner still viewed the aging superstar, who batted .301 with 34 home runs and 103 RBIs last season, as an asset to the team.

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1969 The New York Times reports Curt Flood will challenge the reserve clause by suing major league baseball. The Cardinal outfielder's legal action, whose case will ultimately be appealed unsuccessfully in the U.S. Supreme Court, paves the way for the players in the future to overturn baseball's reserve clause in their attempt to gain free agency.

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1973 Philip G. Epstein, an American screenwriter, best known, along with his identical twin, Julius, and Howard Koch, for writing the 1942 Academy Award-winning screenplay for Casablanca, welcomes his fraternal twin grandsons into the world. In twenty-eight years, the 60-second younger brother of Paul, Theo, will become the youngest GM in major league baseball history when the Red Sox hired him in 2002.

1977 Melissa Ludtke, female Sports Illustrated sportswriter, files suit against major league baseball, the Yankees, and New York City officials for denying her access to the locker room to interview players during the World Series. In September, a federal judge will rule that the Bronx Bombers can no longer enforce an MLB policy that bans female reporters in the locker rooms because it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment giving an unfair advantage to males.

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2002 Sending a huge dust cloud down the Ohio River, Cinergy Field, formerly known as Riverfront Stadium, is imploded with 1,275 pounds of explosives. The Reds' former home was where Hank Aaron tied Babe Ruth's career home run record on Opening Day in 1974, and Pete Rose broke Ty Cobb's all-time hits record in 1985.

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2003 The Angels announced their ballpark will now be known as Angel Stadium of Anaheim. In 1997, their 41-year-old home, originally known as Anaheim Stadium, was renamed Edison International Field.

2005 Agreeing to a $60 million, five-year contract, Indians free agent Kevin Millwood (9-11, 2.86) joins the Rangers' new and improved rotation as the ace the team has been seeking. The 31-year-old right-hander, who had the lowest ERA in the American League last season, will anchor a staff including newcomers Vicente Padilla (9-12, 4.71) and Adam Eaton (11-5, 4.27), acquired from the Phillies and Padres, respectively.

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2005 In an attempt to permit Cuba to participate in the 16-team World Baseball Classic, Venezuela offers to host the Group C teams in place of the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and suggests the finals be played in Canada rather than in San Diego's Petco Park. The venue change would mean Castro's charges would avoid playing on U.S. soil and not be subject to the U.S. Treasury Department regulations, which ban the team due to American trade and financial embargoes.

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2009 Mark DeRosa, a veteran .275 hitter, signs a $12 million, two-year deal with the Giants. The 34-year-old versatile infielder, who was traded by Cleveland to the Cardinals at the end of June, will most likely play first or third base and hit fifth behind cleanup batter Pablo Sandoval.

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2009 The Mets and Jason Bay, a former farmhand, agree to a four-year deal worth approximately $66 million, including a vesting option for a fifth year for an additional $14 million. The 31-year-old outfielder joined the organization as a minor leaguer in 2002 when Omar Minaya, then the general manager of the Expos, traded the Class-A pull hitter to New York, who shipped him four months later to San Diego as part of an undistinguished deal.

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2012 Ruth Ann Steinhagen, the infamous 19-year-old obsessed fan who shot former Phillies' first baseman Eddie Waitkus in 1949 at the Chicago's Edgewater Beach Hotel, dies anonymously at 83. Her crime, the inspiration for the book and movie The Natural, put a spotlight on 'baseball Annies,' young, hero-worshipping females who relentlessly pursued major league ballplayers.

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2020 The Rays trade 2018 Cy Young Award recipient Blake Snell to the San Diego Padres in exchange for minor league prospects Blake Hunt and Cole Wilcox along with RHP Luis Patiño and backstop Francisco Mejía. San Diego's newest southpaw joins Yu Darvis, recently obtained from the Cubs, at the top of the team's much-improved rotation.

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Today in Baseball History
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Search archives: Historical Events Baseball Birthdays Baseball Deaths
On December 29 in Baseball History...

• • 1877 - The Professional Baseball League of Cuba was founded.
    
  • 1932 - Shanty Hogan, who started his career in Boston, is purchased by the Braves after five years as the regular catcher for the Giants. Hogan will finish his career as a part-time player, but will also have a .295 career batting average.
    
  • 1933 - Yankees owner Jake Ruppert refuses to release Babe Ruth so he can become manager of the Cincinnati Reds.
    
  • 1969 - The New York Times reports that Curt Flood will sue baseball and challenge the reserve clause.

Baseball Birthdays on December 29...

• • 1884 - Fiene, Lou
  • 1885 - Salve, Gus
  • 1889 - McAllester, Bill
  • 1890 - Aiton, George
  • 1892 - Skeels, Dave
  • 1893 - Smith, Joe
  • 1894 - DeBerry, Hank
  • 1895 - Barnhart, Clyde
  • 1904 - Sweeney, Bill
  • 1911 - Knickerbocker, Bill
  • 1926 - Upton, Tom
  • 1934 - Conde, Ramon
  • 1937 - Perez, George
  • 1941 - Upham, John
  • 1941 - Brubaker, Bruce
  • 1946 - Rudolph, Ken
  • 1952 - Werth, Dennis
  • 1956 - Ford, Dave
  • 1959 - Brown, Mike
  • 1960 - Wilson, Jim
  • 1962 - White, Devon
  • 1964 - Nichols, Rod
  • 1964 - Grebeck, Craig
  • 1966 - de los Santos, Luis
  • 1969 - Ruffcorn, Scott
  • 1972 - Brower, Jim
  • 1973 - Perez, Tomas
  • 1974 - Sexson, Richie
  • 1974 - Brown, Emil
  • 1975 - Jacquez, Tom
  • 1975 - Wright, Jaret
  • 1977 - Wilson, Jack

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