BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

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12/30
BIRTHDAYS

1935 Sandy Koufax Hall of Fame pitcher (7 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1955, 59, 63, 65; perfect game 1967; Cy Young Award 1963, 65, 66; Triple Crown 1963, 65, 66; LA Dodgers), born in Brooklyn, New York


1976 A.J. Pierzynski


1977 Grant Balfour

 

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1925 The Giants deal two pitchers, southpaw Jack Bentley and right-hander Wayland Dean, to the Phillies for righty hurler Jimmy Ring. Philadelphia's new pitchers post a 0-3 record for their new team, with Ring compiling a mediocre 11-10 mark for New York before being included in the off-season blockbuster trade, swapping Rogers Hornsby and Frankie Frisch from St. Louis to the Big Apple for one season.

1926 The Chicago Tribune reports the 1917 Tigers had thrown a four-game an early September series to the eventual world champion White Sox at Comiskey Park, helping Chicago win the pennant by ten games over the Red Sox. After a three-day hearing, Commissioner Judge Landis clears all the accused, ruling lack of evidence except for the practice of players paying another team for winning.

1935 Dodger left-hander Sanford Braun is born in Brooklyn. In his 12-year career, the southpaw will compile a winning percentage of .655 (165-87), whiff 300 batters or more in three seasons, and fan 18 to set a major league mark for Ks in a single game, and will become better known as Sandy Koufax.

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1943 In a trade of the Babes in Pennsylvania, the Phillies send first baseman Babe Dahlgren to the Pirates for catcher Babe Phelps and cash. in 1939, Dahlgren replaced Lou Gehrig after the 'Iron Horse' had played in a major-league record 2,130 consecutive games.

Lou & Babe
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2002 Citing this season will probably be his last, forty-year-old Roger Clemens (13-6, 4.35) agrees to a $10.1 million, one-year deal with the Yankees. The 19-year veteran, who has won the Cy Young Award six times, is seven victories shy of 300.

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2004 Project Club Clemente will send aid, originally destined for Nicaragua in memory of the anniversary of Roberto Clemente's tragic flight 32 years ago, to the earthquake and tsunami victims in Southern Asia. Roberto Clemente, Jr., who, with the organization's help, collected two tons of supplies and raised nearly $20,000 to reenact his father's unfinished mission, decides to postpone the ceremonial flight and divert the relief to help those in desperate need right now.

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2008 Chris Snyder remains a Diamondback after agreeing to a reported three-year deal worth $14.5 million. The 27-year-old catcher becomes the latest individual to sign a multi-year contract with Arizona as the team attempts to develop a group of core players who will stay and play together for the long term.

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Today in Baseball History
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On December 30 in Baseball History...

• • 1926 - The Chicago Tribune breaks a story that the Tigers threw a four-game series to the White Sox in 1917 to help Chicago win the pennant. Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis convenes a hearing on the matter, but dismisses all charges. Landis can find no witnesses to confirm any part of Swede Risberg's claim.
    
  • 1935 - Sandy Koufax, one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball history, is born in Brooklyn. He will go on to pitch for the hometown Dodgers, but his career really takes off when the team moves to Los Angeles. Koufax will post a 129-47 record and capture three Cy Young Awards. He won all three when only one award was given annually for the two leagues.
    
  • 1943 - Babes swap places: The Phillies send first baseman Babe Dahlgren to Pittsburgh for catcher Babe Phelps and cash.

Baseball Birthdays on December 30...

• • 1851 - Caskin, Ed
  • 1856 - Morrissey, John
  • 1877 - Miller, Charlie
  • 1878 - Currie, Clarence
  • 1888 - Nicholson, Ovid
  • 1889 - Kirby, La Rue
  • 1890 - Viox, Jim
  • 1892 - Connolly, Tom
  • 1901 - Porter, Dick
  • 1905 - Pomorski, John
  • 1906 - Prim, Ray
  • 1919 - Laydon, Pete
  • 1923 - Elliott, Harry
  • 1929 - Taylor, Bill
  • 1930 - Graff, Milt
  • 1931 - Torre, Frank "...he (Frank Torre) does deserve the accolade as outstanding defensive first sacker in the National League. He has paced the circuit in fielding percentages for the last two years, made only four errors in 1957 and six last year, when he played more often. A native of Brooklyn, the 6'5" 29 year-old lefthander never was a Dodger rooter, chose the Braves from eleven big league offers, started as a pitcher, but was transposed in 1951." - Dell Sports Baseball 1959 (10 Best Infielders)
  • 1935 - Koufax, Sandy "The (golf) pro kept telling me since I hit right-handed I had to keep my left arm straight. I told him, 'If I could do that, I'd still be pitching.'" - Sandy Koufax (1970)
  • 1944 - Morales, Jose
  • 1944 - Schroder, Bob
  • 1945 - Murphy, Tom
  • 1953 - Davis, Steve
  • 1955 - Macwhorter, Keith
  • 1967 - Corbin, Archie
  • 1969 - Gajkowski, Steve
  • 1970 - Evans, Bart
  • 1970 - Blomdahl, Ben
  • 1971 - Baptist, Travis
  • 1973 - Milliard, Ralph
  • 1975 - Perez, Santiago
  • 1976 - Voyles, Brad
  • 1976 - Pierzynski, A.J.
  • 1977 - Balfour, Grant "We're talking about the intensity with which they pitch. It's authentic. It's authentic. Grant (Balfour) is just that wound up when he pitches." – Tampa Bay Rays Manager Joe Maddon on TampaBay.Rays.MLB.com (Bill Chastain, 10/02/2008, 'War of words: Balfour, Cabrera go at it')

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.​

 

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12/31
BIRTHDAYS
1857 Michael "King" Kelly HOF utility (NL batting champion 1884, 86; NL runs scored 1884–86, Chicago White Sox) and manager (Boston Beaneaters, Reds; Cincinnati KKs), born in Troy, NY (d. 1894)


1870 Tom Connolly HOF umpire (AL-record 8 x World Series), born in Manchester, England (d. 1961)


1961 Rick Aguilera pitcher BYU (Minnesota Twins), born in San Gabriel, California


1982 Julio DePaula, born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

 

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1878 The reported sale of eight million bats takes place in the United States. With a population estimated at approximately 48 million, an average of one out of every six Americans owns a bat.

1897 At the age of 38, Charles H. Ebbets gains controlling interest of the Dodgers with an eighty percent share of the Brooklyn team. Under his ownership, which will last until his death in 1925, the team will post a mediocre 1914-2088 (.478) record but will win four National League Championships during the next 27 seasons.

1954 Pirates rookie Roberto Clemente has three spinal discs jarred when a drunk driver broadsides him, running a red light traveling at 60-mph. The car accident will cause the 21-year-old outfielder to have recurrent lower back pain for the remainder of his career.

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1962 The State of Ohio drops its suit against the Reds' change in ownership when Bill DeWitt declares in writing the team will stay in Cincinnati for the next ten years. Although the new owner claims never having plans to move the team, the state began legal procedures when suspicion abounded after he obtained the team for below market value from the Crosley Foundation.

1966 After fifteen years with the Braves, Eddie Mathews, along with Sandy Alomar, Sr. and Arnie Umbach, is traded to the Astros in exchange for outfielder Dave Nicholson and RHP Bob Bruce. The future Hall of Fame third baseman is the only person to play for the Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta Braves.

Hank, Spahn & Eddie
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49,216

 

Today in Baseball History
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Search archives: Historical Events Baseball Birthdays Baseball Deaths
On December 31 in Baseball History...

• • 1897 - Charles H. Ebbets, team treasurer, purchased controlling interest of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
    
  • 1914 - Ban Johnson's efforts to strengthen the New York Yankees succeed when he arranges the purchase of the team by Colonel Jacob Ruppert and Cap Huston for $460,000. The new owners will name longtime Detroit pitcher Bill Donovan as manager.
    
  • 1918 - Kid Gleason replaces Pants Rowland as White Sox manager following the team's skid to fifth place. Gleason will win the American League pennant as a rookie skipper, but it will be tarnished by the improprieties of eight members of the Black Sox in the 1919 World Series.
    
  • 1949 - The 1940's came to a close without any new ML ballparks being built. No parks were built between 1939 (Cleveland) and 1953 (Milwaukee).
    
  • 1962 - The state of Ohio withdraws a suit against the Reds when owner Bill DeWitt agrees in writing that the club will stay in Cincinnati for ten years.
    
  • 1966 - After 15 seasons with the Braves in 3 different cities, Eddie Mathews was traded to the Astros. He was the only Brave to play in Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta.
    
  • 1972 - A plane carrying Roberto Clemente to Nicaragua on a mercy mission for earthquake victims crashes into the Atlantic Ocean. Clemente, who batted .317 in eighteen seasons with the Pirates, is dead at age thirty-eight.
    
  • 1974 - The Yankees sign Catfish Hunter to a five-year contract worth a reported $3.75 million. This is triple the salary of any other major league player.
    
  • 1979 - The Basic Agreement between players and owners expires, precipitating more than 19 months of bitter negotiations, culminating in the 1981 player strike.
    
  • 1984 - Despite six weeks of negotiations, the Basic Agreement between the players and owners that was reached after the 1981 strike expires. The players are now seeking increased contributions to their pension plan from the clubs' additional television revenues, while the owners are hoping to slow the rapid growth of player salaries.
  • Baseball Birthdays on December 31...
    • • 1842 - Berry, Tom
      • 1852 - Metcalf, Al
      • 1857 - Kelly, King
      • 1861 - Goldsby, Walt
      • 1863 - Sweeney, Pete
      • 1880 - Beebe, Fred
      • 1884 - Byrne, Bobby
      • 1891 - Flanagan, Charlie
      • 1894 - Berry, Joe
      • 1900 - Murray, Jim
      • 1900 - Johnson, Syl
      • 1918 - Dantonio, Fats
      • 1918 - Lakeman, Al
      • 1919 - Christopher, Loyd
      • 1919 - Byrne, Tommy
      • 1924 - Gray, Ted
      • 1933 - Rowe, Ken "He (Ken Rowe) embodied everything that we have always looked for in our staff members and our players. In the world of professional baseball, there are always things that come to mind with the sacrifices and passion and toughness it takes not only to compete at the highest level but also to be a leader. You can't be short on any of those traits and Ken Rowe had them all. He was exceptionally bright, exceptionally passionate and exceptionally tough and was really willing to do whatever it took to help young professional baseball players." - Ross Atkins (Cleveland Indians Director of Player Development
      • 1947 - Muniz, Manny
      • 1951 - Simpson, Joe
      • 1953 - Baez, Jose
      • 1955 - Tracy, Jim
      • 1961 - Nixon, Donell
      • 1961 - Aguilera, Rick "He (Rick Aguilera) might not knock your eyes out, but has three above average pitchers (fastball, slider, forkball) and can use any of them to finish off a batter." - Bill Mazeroski's Baseball
      • 1961 - Engel, Steve
      • 1965 - Campusano, Sil
      • 1971 - Loaiza, Esteban
      • 1971 - Moehler, Brian
      • 1977 - Reitsma, Chris
    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.​

 

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