BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

1/25
BIRTHDAYS
1918 Ernie Harwell sportscaster, born in Washington, Georgia (d. 2010)


1971 Kerry Taylor pitcher (San Diego Padres), born in Bemidji, Minnesota


1978 Derrick Turnbow baseball player, born in Union City, Tennessee

 

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1934 "Is Brooklyn still in the league?" - GIANTS' MANAGER BILL TERRY, speaking of the Dodgers' chances in the upcoming season. During an interview with the New York Herald Tribune, Giants' manager Bill Terry wakes a sleeping giant when he jests, "Is Brooklyn still in the league?" In September, New York, tied for first place with two games to play, finishes second when sixth-place Brooklyn sweeps them at the Polo Grounds in the season's final two games, allowing the Cardinals, who complete the campaign 13-2, to capture the National League pennant.

1943 The Braves buy future Hall of Famer Lefty Gomez, known as Goofy to his teammates, from the Yankees for $10,000. Boston releases the southpaw before he plays a game with his new team, but he will pitch one more time before retiring, hurling for the Senators, a club he joins in May, allowing four hits, four runs, and five walks before leaving the contest with a pulled shoulder muscle.

​

1945 In one of the best sports business deals ever made, NFL Brooklyn Dodgers co-owner Dan Topping, real estate developer Del Webb, and baseball executive Larry MacPhail purchase 96.9% of the Yankees from the Ruppert estate for just $2.8 million. After the trio buys the remaining 3.12 percent in March for complete ownership, Topping and Webb will buy out MacPhail after two years, selling 80% of the Bronx Bombers to CBS after the 1964 season for $11.2 million.

1947 Houma (LA) Indians Bill Thomas, winner of all four games of his team's final-round victories, is among the five persons, including two of his teammates and his manager, put on baseball's ineligible list for allegedly betting on the 1946 Class D Evangeline League playoffs. The 41-year-old right-hander, the all-time minor league winningest pitcher with 383 wins, will be reinstated in 1949, pointing out that he pitched in all four games that his team won in the final round.

​

1949 Lou Boudreau signs a two-year contract worth $65,000 with the World Champion Indians to remain the team's player-manager. The future Hall of Famer will pilot the Tribe for nine years, six as a player, and compile a 728-649 (.529) record.

​

 

1966 Yankees shortstop Tony Kubek announces his early retirement, citing the improper healing of an injured nerve at the top of his spinal column impairing his reflexes. During the last game of the season, the nine-year veteran had gone 3-for-4 at Fenway Park, including a ninth-inning home run, now be remembered as the 29-year-old infielder's final big-league at-bat.

​

1980 At Shea Stadium's Diamond Club, the Mets' new owners formally introduced themselves to the local media. Nelson Doubleday will be the board's new chairman, replacing the outgoing Lorinda de Roulet, who no longer will play a role in the franchise's future, and Fred Wilpon is named the president and CEO of the club.

1983 The White Sox trade pitchers Warren Brusstar and Steve Trout to the Cubs for Dick Tidrow and Randy Martz, shortstop Scott Fletcher, and first baseman Pat Tabler. Trout will prove to be the key player in the deal as the left-hander will post a 43-38 record during his five seasons on the north side of Chicago.

​

1997 The Devil Rays sign Gregg Blosser, the organization's first player with major league experience. The former Boston Red Sox outfielder, a Florida native, will never appear in a game for Tampa Bay.

1999 The Oakland A's sign former Yankee free-agent outfielder Tim Raines for $600,000. The 39-year-old future Hall of Famer batted .290 for the World Champs last season and had a .296 career batting average.

​

1999 After being aired on WOR, Channel 9 since the team's inception in 1962, Mets games will be broadcasted this season by WPIX, Channel 11. The Yankees games, which had aired for nearly 50 years on the Amazins' new station, will now be seen on Channel 5, a Fox affiliate.

 

2005 Carlos Delgado (.269, 32, 99) and Florida agree on a four-year, $52 million contract. The 32-year-old first baseman's deal stops the intense bidding war between the Marlins, Mets, Orioles, and the Rangers for the coveted free agent.

​

2006 The A's sign 37-year-old free-agent Frank Thomas to a $500,000, one-year deal. The two-time American League aging MVP gives Oakland the right-handed bat the team needs in the middle of their lineup.

​

2007 Willie Randolph, who brought New York within one game of a World Series appearance, agrees to a $5.65 million, three-year deal to continue as the Mets manager through 2008. The skipper's new deal doubles his present salary from $700,000 to $1.4 million.

​

2008 In an unusual move for the club, the Yankees, rather than waiting for a young talented player to become arbitration-eligible before negotiating a deal, offer Robinson Cano (.306, 19, 97) a six-year contract worth approximately $55 million. The 25-year-old second baseman will become eligible for free agency after the 2011 season if the team doesn't exercise its option in each of the following two seasons.

​

2008 After losing Torii Hunter and Carlos Silva to free agency and the possibility of trading Johan Santana, Twins fans rejoice when the club announces Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer have both signed long-term deals to stay in Minnesota. The 2006 AL MVP gets the richest contract in franchise history, $80 million for six years, and his teammate, Cuddyer, inks an agreement worth $24 million over three years.

​

2012 Five-time All-Star Jorge Posada catcher (.273, 275, 1,065) at an SRO Yankee Stadium news conference announces his retirement after 17 major league seasons. The 40-year-old backstop joins Bernie Williams and Andy Pettitte in retirement, leaving Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera as the remaining core players that led the Bronx Bombers to four World Series titles in five years.​

​

***********
53,802

 

Today in Baseball History
Home | Contact | Baseball Almanac | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Advertise | Support​

Search archives: Historical Events Baseball Birthdays Baseball Deaths
On January 25 in Baseball History...

• • 1945 - The New York Yankees are sold by the Ruppert estate to Larry MacPhail, Dan Topping, and Del Webb for $2.8 million. For that price, the trio obtains 400 players (266 of them in military service), Yankee Stadium, parks in Newark and Kansas City, and leases on other minor-league stadia.
    
  • 1974 - Ray Kroc, fast-food entrepreneur (McDonald's), buys the San Diego Padres for $12 million.
    
  • 1978 - The San Diego Padres trade pitcher Dave Tomlin and an estimated $125,000 in cash to the Texas Rangers for aging pitcher Gaylord Perry. Perry will win the N.L. Cy Young Award with San Diego in 1978.

Baseball Birthdays on January 25...

• • 1863 - Richardson, Danny
  • 1864 - Flynn, Ed
  • 1876 - Glade, Fred
  • 1889 - Nunamaker, Les
  • 1890 - Benn, Henry
  • 1891 - Lyons, George
  • 1893 - Bowman, Abe
  • 1894 - Whitehouse, Charlie
  • 1896 - Schmandt, Ray
  • 1907 - Adair, Jimmy
  • 1907 - Sherid, Roy
  • 1916 - Gardner, Glenn
  • 1917 - McNabb, Carl
  • 1918 - Head, Ed
  • 1918 - Roser, Steve
  • 1933 - Roach, Mel
  • 1934 - Kazanski, Ted
  • 1936 - Pritchard, Buddy
  • 1942 - Fazio, Ernie
  • 1943 - McCall, Brian
  • 1944 - Holman, Gary
  • 1945 - Bunker, Wally
  • 1948 - Goodson, Ed
  • 1951 - Moore, Balor
  • 1951 - Ruhle, Vern
  • 1953 - Moore, Junior
  • 1956 - Mohorcic, Dale
  • 1957 - Flannery, John
  • 1962 - Castillo, Juan
  • 1964 - Melendez, Francisco
  • 1965 - Holman, Brian
  • 1966 - Lewis, Richie
  • 1971 - Taylor, Kerry
  • 1972 - Ward, Bryan
  • 1973 - Wade, Terrell
  • 1974 - Serafini, Dan
  • 1974 - Macias, Jose
  • 1978 - Turnbow, Derrick

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.​

 

​

 

​

 

​

 

1/26
BIRTHDAYS
1935 Bob Uecker catcher (Milwaukee Braves, St.L Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves), actor ("Mr Belvedere") and broadcaster (Milwaukee Brewers), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin


1943 César Gutiérrez, Venezuelan baseball shortstop (hit 7-for-7 in single game without making an out 1970, Detroit Tigers), born in Coro, Venezuela (d. 2005

 

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1955 The writers elect Yankee legend Joe DiMaggio (88.8%), the self-proclaimed "Greatest Living Ballplayer," to the Hall of Fame in his third year of eligibility. The three-time American MVP, instrumental in the Bronx Bombers capturing nine world championships, compiled a consecutive 56-game hitting streak in 1941, considered one of baseball's unbreakable records.

​

1957 Joe Cairnes replaces Lou Perini, the owner of the Braves, as the team's president. Perini, who earned his fortune in the construction business, is best remembered as the person responsible for moving the franchise, which he purchased from Bob Quinn in 1945, from Boston to Milwaukee eight seasons later.

1960 Jackie Jensen announces his retirement due to a fear of flying, a condition that Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey tried to help his outfielder overcome by arranging therapy. The 1958 MVP will change his mind, returning to the team in 1961, but will stay retired after the season, having what he considered a sub-par year in which he batted .263 and drove in 66 runs.

​

 

1989 The modifications initiated last season to make balk calls more uniform throughout baseball are rescinded, replaced by the pre-1988 rules. The change of wording from 'a complete stop' to 'a single complete and discernible stop, with both feet on the ground', had caused umpires to call an unprecedented amount of balks in both the American and National League.

1990 The Red Sox hire Elaine Weddington as the team's assistant general manager, making her the highest-ranking black female executive in major league baseball. The St. John's graduate received a scholarship to attend the university from the Jackie Robinson Foundation.

​

2001 The June 8-10 (Arlington) and June 15-17 (Houston) interleague games between the Astros and Rangers will be known as the Lone Star Series. The contests will mark the first time the two Texas teams have ever played against one another during the regular season.

2002 The Mariners trade David Bell to the Giants for infielder Desi Relaford acquired earlier this offseason along with Tsuyoshi Shinjo from the Mets for southpaw Shawn Estes. The 29-year-old veteran third baseman became expendable when Seattle obtained Jeff Cirillo from the Rockies last month.

​

2009 The Yankees sign starting pitcher Andy Pettitte to a $5.5 million, one-year deal, less than half the club's original $10 million offer. The 36-year-old southpaw, however, can make an additional $4.5 million based on innings pitched and another $2 million dependent on days spent on the active roster.

​

2009 The Royals and Zack Greinke, avoiding salary arbitration, agree to a $38 million, four-year contract. The 25-year-old right-hander, grateful to the club's understanding of his social disorder, which caused him to bolt from spring training two years ago, posted a 13-10 record last season with the best ERA (3.47) by a Kansas City starter in 11 years.

​

 

2010 Jon Garland and the Padres agree to a $5.3 million, one-year deal that includes a mutual option for $6.75 million in 2011. Along with Chris Young and Kevin Correia, the 30-year-old right-hander, known for his durability, will play a significant role in San Diego's rotation.

​

2010 Ben Sheets and the A's agree on a $10 million, one-year contract, making the free-agent right-hander the team's second-highest-paid player behind third baseman Eric Chavez. The 31-year-old, recovering from elbow surgery that caused him to miss all of last season, compiled an 86-83 record along with a 3.72 ERA in his first eight seasons in the major leagues, all with the Brewers.

​

2012 The Mets announce that John Franco, the club's all-time leader in saves and games pitched, will be inducted into the team's Hall of Fame. The All-Star closer, who has the second-longest tenure in franchise history behind Ed Kranepool, collected 276 of his career 424 saves, the most by any left-handed reliever in baseball history, with New York.

​

2012 In a move necessitated by Victor Martinez's season-ending tear of his left anterior cruciate ligament, Prince Fielder and the Tigers agree to a nine-year, $214 million contract. As a child, Prince hit fence-clearing drives when taking batting practice with his dad, Cecil, who hit 51 home runs playing with Detroit in 1990.

​

2013 At the Walter E. Washington Convention Center during NatsFest, the Nationals introduce William Howard Taft as the fifth participant in the team's iconic Presidents Race, a Washington, D.C. ballpark tradition since 2006. The 27th President of the United States will compete against the Rushmore Four, George, Tom, Abe, and Teddy.

​

***********
53,949

 

Today in Baseball History
Home | Contact | Baseball Almanac | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Advertise | Support​

Search archives: Historical Events Baseball Birthdays Baseball Deaths
On January 26 in Baseball History...

• • 1932 - William K. Wrigley, owner of the Cubs since 1919, dies and is buried on Catalina Island. His only son, Philip K. Wrigley, inherits the Cubs and the minor league Los Angeles Angels.
    
  • 1951 - The baseball writers vote Mel Ott and Jimmie Foxx into the Hall of Fame. Ott hit 511 home runs, batted .304, and managed the Giants from 1942 to 1948.
    
    ​

Baseball Birthdays on January 26...

• • 1844 - Pratt, Tom
  • 1853 - Barnie, Billy
  • 1859 - Casey, Bob
  • 1870 - Hardesty, Scott
  • 1874 - Wilhelm, Kaiser
  • 1877 - Koehler, Ben
  • 1877 - Wills, Dave
  • 1877 - Cates, Eli
  • 1884 - Spencer, Tubby
  • 1885 - LaVigne, Art
  • 1886 - Cady, Hick
  • 1886 - Owens, Frank
  • 1900 - Jamerson, Lefty
  • 1902 - Frederick, Johnny
  • 1904 - Blaeholder, George
  • 1906 - Gelbert, Charlie
  • 1915 - Russell, Rip
  • 1920 - Mauney, Dick
  • 1927 - Nieman, Bob "Nieman, a journalism major at Kent State, can slug out a story two ways — with typewriter and bat. He has done some sportswriting in the off season. 'I know the problems of a sports writer, and it's always my intention to make the job easy for him,' Bob explained. 'Some of them, however, are difficult to talk to, particularly the ones who never played the game and don't know the game from a player's viewpoint. I always try to put myself in the place of the interviewer and answer the questions constructively for a story. I have no complaints with the sports writers. They have all treated me swell." - Nichols, Ed. Daily Times Staff Writer.
  • 1935 - Uecker, Bob "Baseball hasn't forgotten me. I go to a lot of Old-Timers gamees and I haven't lost a thing. I sit in the bullpen and let people throw things at me. Just like old times." - Bob Uecker in Baseball on the Brain (Dennis Purdy, Workman Publishing. 03/20/2007
  • 1943 - Gutierrez, Cesar "(Cesar) Gutierrez became first player in modern major league history to collect seven straight hits in one game as Tigers defeated Indians in 12 innings, 9-8, to sweep doubleheader." - The Sporting News
  • 1950 - Pazik, Mike
  • 1952 - Nettles, Morris
  • 1953 - Bruno, Tom
  • 1955 - Pettini, Joe
  • 1955 - Doyle, Brian
  • 1958 - Patterson, Mike
  • 1962 - Schu, Rick
  • 1963 - Blankenship, Kevin
  • 1963 - Segura, Jose
  • 1965 - Frazier, Lou
  • 1967 - Pugh, Tim
  • 1967 - Branson, Jeff
  • 1970 - Carlson, Dan
  • 1978 - Green, Steve
  • 1979 - Kelly, Kenny

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.​