BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

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BIRTHDAYS
1847 George Wright HOF shortstop (NA pennant 1872-75 Boston Red Stockings; NL pennant 1877-78 Boston Red Caps, 1879 Providence Grays), born in Yonkers, New York (d. 1937)


1891 Bill Doak pitcher (NL ERA leader 1914, 21; St. Louis Cardinals), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 1954)


1934 Bill White infielder (8 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1964; 7 × Gold Glove Award; St. Louis Cardinals), broadcaster (NY Yankees) and executive (NL President 1989-94), born in Lakewood, Florida


1974 Jermaine Dye outfielder (Atlanta Braves, White Sox), born in Oakland, California


1974 Magglio Ordóñez


1975 Junior Spivey born in Oklahoma, City, Oklahoma


1977 Lyle Overbay

 

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1949 Monte Irvin becomes the first African-American player, along with hurler Ford Smith, to sign with the Giants. Although the 29-year-old outfielder will play only five full seasons in the major leagues, the former Newark Eagles standout will be elected to the Hall of Fame in 1973, primarily for his outstanding play in the Negro Leagues with the Newark Eagles.

Irvin

Smith

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1953 Embattled Cardinal owner Fred Saigh is found guilty of income tax evasion and is sentenced to a fifteen-month jail term but will serve only five months at the federal prison in Terre Haute before being given parole for good behavior. Under the pressure of losing his franchise, he enters a lucrative deal with a consortium that plans to move the team to Houston; Anheuser-Busch president Gussie Busch, however, persuades him to sell the team for less ($3.5 million), citing that civic pride was more important than financial gain.

1958 Detroit trades infielder Jim Finigan and $25,000 to the Giants for first baseman Gail Harris and utility man Ozzie Virgil, who becomes the first non-white to play for the Tigers. The 26-year-old Dominican will make his debut at third base for the Motor City team at Griffith Stadium on June 6, doubling in the top of the eighth in the team's 11-2 victory over Washington.

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1958 Roy Campanella, driving home from his liquor store in Harlem, breaks his neck when his rented 1957 Chevrolet sedan hit a telephone pole in an early morning auto accident on Long Island. The 36-year-old Dodger catcher, who has won three MVP awards (1951, '53, '55), will remain paralyzed for the rest of his life.

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1961 The International League Board of Directors votes to move the Montreal franchise to Syracuse, New York, where the former Dodger farm club will play as the Chiefs. The Canadian city holds a unique place in baseball history for being the home of the first major-league affiliate to break the so-called 'color barrier,' signing Jackie Robinson in 1945 to play with the Royals the following season.

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1968 Former Senator and Tiger outfielder Goose Goslin, a career .316 hitter, and Kiki Cuyler, a .321 career hitter who won four stolen base crowns while running the bases for the Pirates and Cubs, are elected into the Hall of Fame by a unanimous vote of the Veterans Committee. Goslin believed his interview shared in Lawrence Ritter's 1966 book, The Glory of Their Times: The Story Of The Early Days Of Baseball Told By The Men Who Played It, paved the way for his enshrinement into Cooperstown.

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1982 The Orioles, to make room for Cal Ripken, Jr., trade third baseman Doug DeCinces and minor league southpaw Jeff Schneider to the Angels for outfielder Dan Ford. The Halos' new infielder, who had succeeded future Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson in Baltimore, will win the Silver Slugger Award this season.

Cal Ripken, Jr

Doug DeCinces

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1986 The Rangers sign 34-year-old free-agent catcher Darrell Porter to a one-year contract valued at $162,500. The bespectacled backup backstop from Missouri will hit .253 during his tenure in Texas, his last two years in the majors.

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2005 Traded to the Mets yesterday, first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, who caught and kept the ball used to make the final out, giving the Red Sox their first World championship in 86 years, will lend his souvenir to his former club. The historic horsehide, which Boston claims belongs to the team, will be encased within a plaque and become part of the victory tour, featuring the World Series trophy.

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2008 The Rays and James Shields (12-8, 3.85) finalize a four-year, $11.25 million deal, including options that could make the contract worth nearly $38 million over the next seven years. The 26-year-old right-hander was second in the big leagues in the strikeout-to-walk ratio - an impressive 184 to 36, trailing only CC Sabathia (209 to 37).

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2009 Avoiding salary arbitration, the Angels and 28-year-old infielder Maicer Izturis come to terms on a one-year deal worth $1.6 million. The Halos' opening-day shortstop missed 61 games last season after tearing a ligament in his left thumb in August and straining his lower back in May, necessitating the first of his two stints on the disabled list.

2009 Aaron Heilman is traded for the second time this offseason when the Mariners swap the 30-year-old right-hander to the Cubs for utility infielder Ronny Cedeno and southpaw Garrett Olson. Seven weeks ago, the Mets dealt the much-maligned reliever to Seattle as part of a three-team trade that included the Indians.

2009 David Weathers decides to stay with Cincinnati after signing a one-year deal that guarantees the 39-year-old reliever $3.9 million. A member of the Reds pitching staff for the past four seasons, the right-hander compiled a 4-6 record, posting a 3.25 ERA in 72 appearances from the bullpen last season.

2011 The Twins plan to remove the 14 pine trees behind the center-field wall that served as the batter's eye at Target Field. The evergreens, planted last season, likely to be relocated inside the newly opened ballpark, made it difficult for hitters to pick up the ball from the pitcher's hand due to their shadows cast during afternoon contests and the conifers' movement in the wind.

2016 In an Oklahoma City ceremony, Cy Young Award recipient Dallas Keuchel receives the Warren Spahn Award, an honor given baseball's top left-handed pitcher. The 28-year-old southpaw, who posted a 20-8 record along with an ERA of 2.48 for the Astros this season, is the first Oklahoman to collect the prestigious pitching prize named in honor of the crafty left-hander.

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Today in Baseball History
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On January 28 in Baseball History...

• • 1949 - The Giants sign their first black players: Negro Leaguers Monte Irvin and pitcher Ford Smith. Both men are assigned to Jersey City. Irvin will star for the Giants, but Smith is not destined to reach the major leagues.
    
  • 1968 - Goose Goslin and Kiki Cuyler are admitted to the Hall of Fame by unanimous vote of the Special Veterans Committee. Goslin was a career .316 hitter who played in four World Series. Cuyler was a .321 career hitter with four stolen base crowns.

Baseball Birthdays on January 28...

• • 1847 - Wright, George
  • 1854 - Lowe, Dick
  • 1868 - Sweeney, Dan
  • 1869 - Holmes, Ducky
  • 1874 - Burris, Al
  • 1882 - Arellanes, Frank
  • 1884 - Hughes, Tom
  • 1887 - Coffey, Jack
  • 1891 - Doak, Bill
  • 1893 - Cooper, Guy
  • 1898 - Bishop, Jim
  • 1898 - Snyder, Bill
  • 1900 - Yde, Emil
  • 1901 - Knode, Ray
  • 1902 - Gallagher, Jackie
  • 1902 - Crawford, Pat
  • 1904 - Hoffman, Dutch
  • 1906 - Lary, Lyn
  • 1913 - Kohlman, Joe
  • 1914 - Anderson, Alf
  • 1916 - Muncrief, Bob
  • 1916 - Tobin, Pat
  • 1921 - Moreno, Julio
  • 1922 - Arft, Hank
  • 1927 - Bernier, Carlos
  • 1928 - Runnels, Pete "After a dozen years in the American League, Pete Runnels has returned home as a member of the new Colt .45s of the National League. 'Never dreamed I would return as major leaguer,' smiled Runnels, awaiting his turn in batting practice at Geronimo Park on the desert 30 miles east of Phoenix. Runnels was a student at Rice University when he signed his first professional contract. He resides in suburban Houston. Runnels, easily the most under-publicized good hitter in baseball, always has led off or batted second. With the light-firing Colt .45s, Pistol Pete suddenly becomes a big gun as a cleanup man. 'I'm going to put him where we can get the most out of the 183 hits he gets a year,' said Harry Craft, whose Cowpokes scored less than any other NL outfit last trip. 'Pete doubles, triples, and gets his share of home runs.'" - The Standard Speaker (March 7, 1963, Houston Makes Cleanup Hitter of Leadoff Man Pete Runnels
  • 1934 - White, Bill "I don't want anyone telling me how much I owe baseball. Like Paul Richards saying that Henry Aaron would be running an elevator if not for baseball. What would Paul Richards be doing if not for baseball? And was has he ever done for baseball? I gave it 16 years of my life and never less than 100 percent on the field. So we're even." - Bill White in Baseball Digest (January 1969, Stan Hochman, 'Bill White Keeps His Promise',
  • 1950 - Blanks, Larvell
  • 1955 - Beckwith, Joe
  • 1960 - Pederson, Stu
  • 1963 - Mielke, Gary
  • 1971 - Tolar, Kevin
  • 1972 - Falteisek, Steve
  • 1972 - Shinjo, Tsuyoshi
  • 1972 - Peters, Chris
  • 1973 - Cruz, Jacob
  • 1974 - Dye, Jermaine "I had a great run, a great career. I'm happy with all my accomplishments. I played on some great teams, won a World Series. Not a lot of people get a chance to say that." - Dye, Jermaine. Fox Sports: Dye 'At Peace With Decision to Retire. 31 March 2011.
  • 1974 - Henriquez, Oscar
  • 1974 - Ordonez, Magglio "In a country that celebrates its baseball players like royalty, Ordonez was now among the chosen ones. A couple years ago, kids on Caracas ballfields would all yell: 'I'm Andres (Galarraga)' or 'I'm Omar (Vizquel).' Suddenly, 'I'm Magglio' was added to the mix. After a six-year journey that included minor league stops in Sarasota, Hickory, Prince William, Birmingham and Nashville, Ordonez realized he had arrived. 'It was exciting,' Ordonez said. 'I get to the airport and everyone is like, `Oh, it's Magglio.' It's a good feeling. When you get used to that, it makes you work even harder: That's what I have done this year -- work harder and see what happens next.'" - Sportswriter Paul Sullivan in Baseball Digest (October 2000)
  • 1975 - Spivey, Junior
  • 1976 - Lindsey, Rod
  • 1977 - Overbay, Lyle
  • 1977 - File, Bob
  • 1978 - de la Rosa, Tomas

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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BIRTHDAYS
1918 Bill Rigney player, 1946-53 (New York Giants), and manager, 1956-72, 1976 (NY/SF Giants; LA Angels; Minnesota Twins), born in Alameda, California (d. 2001)
Rigney & Water Alston
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1960 Steve Sax 2nd baseman, NL rookie of the year, 1981, 5x all-star (LA Dodgers, 1981-88; NY Yankees, Chicago White Sox), born in West Sacramento, California


1961 Mike Aldrete infielder (Oakland Athletics, NY Yankees)


1964 John Habyan pitcher (St Louis Cardinals)


1968 Kevin Roberson outfielder (Chicago Cubs), born in Decatur, Illinois


1973 Jason Schmidt pitcher (MLB All-Star 2003, 04, 06; Dodgers,Pittsburgh Pirates, SF Giants), born in Lewiston, Idaho

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FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1936 The BBWAA and a special Veterans Committee made up of individuals with knowledge about players of the 19th-century select Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson in the first Hall of Fame elections. Their enshrinement will have to wait until 1939 since the museum's construction in Cooperstown has not started.

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1949 The Pirates purchase Murry Dickson from the Cardinals for $125,000. During his five-year tenure in Pittsburgh, the 31-year-old right-hander will have a 20-win season for the Bucs and post three 20-loss seasons for the hapless team.

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1958 Three-time MVP Stan Musial inks the first six-figure contract in National League history when he signs a $100,000 deal with the Cardinals. The 37-year-old St. Louis legend, who won his seventh batting title, hitting .354 last season, clarifies he would have signed for less, but the $20,000 increase is the reward that the team thought he deserved.

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1960 The family feud continues in Chicago when a court rules in favor of Charles Comiskey's sister, Dorothy Rigney, allowing her to sell her White Sox shares to Bill Veeck. Her younger sibling, known as Chuck, had brought suit to gain control of the club.

1961 Max Carey and the late Bill Hamilton are voted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee, which considers players who have been out of the game for 30 years for induction. The former outfielders established stolen base records, with 'Sliding Billy' swiping 115 bases with the Phillies in 1891, and Carey, who at the time of his selection, is the National League career leader, having purloined 738 bags during his 20-year career the Pirates and Dodgers.

Carey & Hamilton

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1967 The twelve-man Veterans Committee, chaired by former baseball commissioner Ford Frick, announces its selection of the late catcher and baseball executive Branch Rickey, best known for integrating the major leagues as the Dodgers' president and GM in 1947, and former Pirates outfielder Lloyd Waner as the 105th and 106th members of the Hall of Fame. Under the current rules, only two retired players for at least 20 years or more receive consideration in the annual selection of old-timers.

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1971 The Pirates make a much-anticipated deal when they trade outfielder Matty Alou and southpaw reliever George Brunet to the Cardinals for righty Nelson Briles and outfielder Vic Davalillo, who collected 24 pinch-hits last year to establish a major league mark. The 32-year-old Alou compiled 200 hits last season but failed to hit .300 for the first time since joining the Bucs in 1966.

Matty & Vic

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1981 Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn buy the White Sox from a group headed by Bill Veeck, the team's owner. A few weeks later, the new ownership proves it is serious about winning by signing coveted free-agent catcher Carlton Fisk to a five-year, $2.9 million deal.

Fisk & Seaver
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1988 Kirk Gibson, one of seven players granted immediate free agency when an arbitrator ruled the owners had colluded to drive down salaries, signs a three-year, $4.5 million deal with the Dodgers. The former Tiger outfielder is the only one named no-risk free agents to join a new team.

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1989 Mets' first baseman Keith Hernandez becomes the all-time leader with 129 GW RBIs, and Orioles' first baseman Eddie Murray the American League leader, with 117, due to the elimination of the game-winning RBI statistic. The defunct rule, first employed in 1980, was much maligned by many players because the stat did not truly reflect clutch performance.

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1995 Deion Sanders' appearance with the NFL San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami makes the cornerback the first athlete to have played in a Super Bowl and a World Series. In 1992, 'Neon Deion' played left field for the Braves in the 1992 Fall Classic against the Toronto Blue Jays.

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1999 Jimmy Key, citing shoulder injuries, retires from baseball, compiling a 186-117 (.684) record during his 15-year major league career. The 37-year-old five-time All-Star southpaw appeared in the playoffs with all his teams, including the Blue Jays, Yankees, and Orioles.

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2002 The Astros sign Lance Berkman (.331, 34, 126) to a $10.5 million, three-year contract. The All-Star outfielder had 94 extra-base hits last season, the most ever by a switch-hitter in major league history, surpassing the previous mark of 87 shared by Ripper Collins (1934 Cardinals) and Chipper Jones (1999 Braves).

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2006 In a surprising development, former Mets backstop Mike Piazza and the National League West champion Padres come to terms on a one-year, $2 million deal. The 37-year-old future Hall of Famer, who will be behind the plate for 90 to 100 games this season, in addition to playing some first base and DHing in interleague contests, was thought to be headed to an American League team to be a full time designated hitter.

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2008 Baseball announces the annual Hall of Fame Game played since 1940 will end after the June 16th Cooperstown contest between the Cubs and Padres. With the 68-year tradition ending, there will no longer be any major league exhibition games played during the season.

2008 A conditional 4-for-1 trade with the Twins brings Johan Santana to the Mets for pitching prospects Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey, Deolis Guerra, and fleet-footed outfielder Carlos Gomez. New York has three days to come to terms with the two-time Cy Young Award winner, who has a no-trade clause and can veto the transaction if his new team cannot sign him.

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2010 Avoiding an arbitration hearing scheduled for next month, Joe Saunders agrees to a one-year, $3.7 million deal with the Angels. The 28-year-old southpaw posted a 16-7 record last year and had compiled a 33-14 record for the Halos during the previous two seasons.

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2018 After thoughtful and productive discussions between MLB and the Indians, Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. announces the team has agreed to remove the "Chief Wahoo" logo from their uniforms, beginning with the 2019 season. The bright red caricature of the Native American, long considered offensive, will continue to be available on merchandise for sale at the team's store.

2020 According to confirmed reports, the Astros have hired veteran skipper Dusty Baker to replace AJ Hinch, who was fired by owner Jim Crane, following MLB's findings that the team used electronics to steal signs in 2017 and again during the 2018 season. The 70-year-old three-time National League Manager of the Year becomes the oldest pilot in the major leagues, having compiled an 1863-1636 (.532) record over 22 seasons at the helm with the Giants, Cubs, Reds, and Nationals.

AsA Rookie

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2021 The Phillies formally announce the team has re-signed their catcher J.T. Realmuto to a five-year contract, reportedly worth $115.5 million. The $23.1 million average annual value of the deal makes the 29-year-old the highest-paid backstop in baseball history, slightly surpassing the extension the Twins gave Joe Mauer's in 2010 that averaged $23 million annually (eight-year, $184 million).

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