BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

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On February 3 in Baseball History...

• • 1900 - Rival forces fight for control of the Union Park Ball Grounds in Baltimore. John McGraw's men camp around a fire at third base. Ned Hanlon, his former manager in Baltimore in the 1890s, now manager of Brooklyn and still president of the Baltimore club in the N.L., has forces camped around first base.
  • 1942 - At a special meeting to discuss wartime regulations, MLB owners decide to allow 14 night games for each club, with Washington allowed 21. Two All-Star Games will be played, one with a military All-Star team. Curfews are set for night games with no inning to start after 12:50 A.M.
  • 1965 - Braves officials propose a $500,000 payment to county officials if the club's lease to play in Milwaukee can be terminated a year early. The offer is refused.
  • 1975 - Billy Herman, Earl Averill, and Bucky Harris are selected for the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee. Herman was a ten-time All-Star second baseman who batted .304 in 15 seasons and played in four World Series. Averill batted .299 or better in nine of his first ten seasons and finished as a .318 career hitter. Harris managed the Senators to two pennants in his first two seasons as a player-manager and was a career .274 hitter.
  • 1977 - The Hall of Fame's Special Committee on the Negro Leagues picks Martin Dihigo, the versatile Cuban star, and shortstop John "Pop" Lloyd.

Baseball Birthdays on February 3...

• • 1860 - Derby, Gene
  • 1872 - Criger, Lou
  • 1879 - Savidge, Ralph
  • 1880 - Randall, Newt
  • 1882 - Barberich, Frank
  • 1885 - Sallee, Slim
  • 1896 - Hawks, Chicken
  • 1901 - Maun, Ernie
  • 1903 - Stripp, Joe
  • 1916 - Garbark, Mike
  • 1918 - Schacht, Sid
  • 1921 - Durrett, Red
  • 1922 - Dyck, Jim
  • 1925 - Byrd, Harry
  • 1931 - Cox, Glenn
  • 1935 - Kaiser, Don
  • 1935 - Tracewski, Dick
  • 1944 - Sanchez, Celerino
  • 1944 - Comer, Wayne
  • 1947 - Coleman, Joe
  • 1949 - McBride, Bake
  • 1951 - Wallace, Mike
  • 1952 - Lynn, Fred
  • 1957 - Welchel, Don
  • 1961 - Toliver, Freddie
  • 1962 - Klink, Joe
  • 1965 - Scheid, Rich
  • 1966 - McClellan, Paul
  • 1969 - Bradshaw, Terry
  • 1971 - Owens, Eric
  • 1971 - Klingenbeck, Scott
  • 1973 - Long, Ryan
  • 1976 - Miadich, Bart

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On The Road with out internet for the next few days Posting a couple without pictures
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2/4
BIRTHDAYS
1951 Stan Pap

1962 Dan Plesac, pitcher (Pittsburgh Pirates), born in Gary, Indiana

1969 Brad Cornett pitcher, appeared in 14 games (Toronto Blue Jays, 1994-95), Brad Cornett

1970 John Frascatore pitcher (St Louis Cardinals)

1981 Ben Hendrickson born in St. Cloud, Minnesota

1981 Tom Mastny born in Bontang, Indonesia

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FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1861 In front of a reported crowd of over 10,000 spectators, the champion Atlantics defeat the Charter Oak Club, 36-27, in a game played on frozen Litchfield Pond in South Brooklyn. The players, wearing ice skates, are allowed to glide past the bases painted on the icy surface.

1893 The first recorded version (Columbia Graphophone Grand, #9649) of the poem Casey at the Bat, vocalized by recording pioneer Russell Hunting, is released. The more well-known rendition of Earnest Thayer's work, the one popularized by DeWolfe Hopper, will not be heard by the public until 1906.

1909 Hall of Fame hurler John Clarkson, a 326-game winner, dies from pneumonia at 47. The right-hander pitched for the Worcester Ruby Legs (1882), Chicago White Stockings (1884-1887), Boston Beaneaters (1888-1892), and the Cleveland Spiders (1892-1894).

1956 Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick introduces the Cy Young Memorial Award in memory of the Hall of Fame hurler who died last year, honoring the outstanding major league pitcher of the year. The first recipient will be Don Newcombe, who will post a 27-7 record and a 3.06 ERA for the Dodgers next season.

1956 The American League announces its plans to test automatic intentional walks during spring training. The major leagues will not implement the concept until 2017, but some youth leagues and academic teams use the concept before then.

1963 Mayor Robert Wagner signs a bill that officially changes the stadium's name under construction in Queens to William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, honoring the New York lawyer who was instrumental in obtaining a National League team for the Big Apple. The ballpark, formerly known as Flushing Meadows Stadium, will serve as the Mets' home from 1964 to 2008.

1969 Bowie Kuhn, a compromise candidate filing an interim one-year term, becomes baseball's fifth commissioner when the owners cannot resolve the stalemate between the Giants vice president Chub Feeney and the Yankee president Michael Burke. The 42-year-old former National League attorney, who will hold the position until 1984, replaces the unpopular William Eckert, who resigned after serving only three years of his seven-year term.

1969 Bob Gibson, appearing as a guest of Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show, shares with the nationwide audience, using carefully chosen words, that the Major League Baseball Players' Association has suggested that the union members consider striking before the start of the regular season. The Cardinals' ace also reveals, in addition to seeking increased contributions by the owners to the players' pension and insurance funds, the MLBPA is seeking maintenance of the same and an ongoing percentage of the growing television revenues.

1971 After Commissioner Bowie Kuhn announces former Negro League players will have a separate wing in the Hall of Fame, the outpouring of negative public opinion causes the concept's quick abandonment. The inclusion of the former black players into the regular Hall of Fame will continue to be a more fitting honor.

1976 Federal judge John W. Oliver of the United States district court for Western Missouri upholds Peter Seitz's arbitration ruling, making Dodger right-hander Andy Messersmith and Expo southpaw Dave McNally free agents. The pitchers challenged the reserve clause by playing but not signing their contracts, contending they are now free to sign with another team for next season, negating the owners' belief that the one-year contracts renew perpetually without a player's consent.

1984 The Yankees obtain third baseman Toby Harrah and minor leaguer Rick Brown from the Indians for Dan Boitano, rookie outfielder Otis Nixon, and minor leaguer Guy Elston. The team's new third baseman will hit just .217 in the one season he plays for the Bronx Bombers, but Nixon will go on to have a solid 17-year major league career, leaving the game in 1999 with a lifetime batting average of .270.

1990 Bobby Tolan's St. Petersburg Pelicans defeat the Palm Beach Tropics to win the first and only championship of the Senior Professional Baseball Association, 12-4, played in Fort Myers when the Tropics could not host the game at West Palm Beach Municipal Stadium. The eight-team Florida winter circuit for 35-and-older professional baseball players and a minimum age of 32 for catchers, the brainchild of 32-year-old of former University of Arizona ballplayer and Colorado property developer Jim Morley, will shutdown less than halfway through next season.

1991 The twelve Hall of Fame board of directors vote unanimously to accept the proposal presented last month by a select committee that excludes any player placed on the permanently ineligible list from consideration for enshrinement. The decision will prevent Pete Rose's name from being placed on the HOF ballot.

2002 The Minnesota Supreme Court refuses to consider an appeal of an injunction that forces the Twins to fulfill their Metrodome lease in 2002. The decision puts an end to any possibility of contraction in major league baseball for this season.

2004 The Cardinals and Albert Pujols, avoiding an arbitration hearing, agree to a $100 million, seven-year deal. The 24-year-old slugging first baseman/outfielder (.359, 43, 124) was the runner-up to Barry Bonds of the Giants in the National League's MVP voting.

2005 The Cubs, needing to fill the void created by Sammy Sosa and Moises Alou's departure, sign an arbitration-eligible Aramis Ramirez (.318, 36, 103) to an $8.95 million, one-year contract. All-Star manager Clint Hurdle selects the 26-year-old Dominican as a reserve for the National League squad this season.

2005 A dentist, who became partially blind after being struck attempting to catch a foul ball, is appealing his case in which he alleges the Phillies need to do more to protect fans. The case, dismissed by a Philadelphia Common Pleas judge citing the club made multiple warnings, including public address announcements, text on the back of the ticket, and posted signs in the ballpark, will now be heard in the state's Commonwealth Court.

2008 Curtis Granderson (.302, 23, 74) and the Tigers come to terms on a five-year contract, including a club option for 2013 worth $30.25 million. The 26-year-old outfielder last season became the third player in major league history, joining Willie Mays and Frank Schulte to swipe 20 bases, and hit at least 20 homers, 20 triples, and 20 doubles.

2009 Brian Bannister and the Royals avoid salary arbitration, agreeing to a one-year deal valued at $1,737,500. The right-hander, who was 9-16 with a 5.76 ERA in 32 starts for Kansas City in his sophomore season, placed third in the AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2007 after being obtained from the Mets for Ambiorix Burgos.

2010 Justin Verlander and the Tigers finalized an $80 million, five-year deal that keeps the talented hurler in the Motor City until 2014. The 26-year-old right-hander compiled a 65-43 record and a 3.92 ERA during his first four years in the major leagues, all with Detroit.

2010 Minnesota unveils a bronze statue of Rod Carew outside of Target Field, the team's new home beginning this season. The bigger-than-life sculpture, created by Twins fan Bill Mack, depicts the Panamanian infielder's unorthodox batting stance, used to bat .334 during the dozen seasons played for the team, beginning in 1968.

2011 In an SRO news conference at Yankee Stadium, 38-year-old southpaw Andy Pettitte becomes the first 'Core of Four' teammate, a group which includes shortstop Derek Jeter, catcher Jorge Posada, and closer Mariano Rivera, to announce his retirement. The five-time World Champion, who compiled a 240-138 record and won the most postseasons games (19) in history during his sixteen years in the major leagues, tells the reporters, "my body would get to where it needs to be, but my heart's not where it needs to be."

2014 The Diamondbacks announce the contracts of general manager Kevin Towers and skipper Kirk Gibson have been extended but do not disclose the length and financial terms of their new deals. The extensions prevent the club's brain trust from becoming lame ducks with just a year remaining on their current agreement with Arizona, which they signed after its 2011 National League West championship season.

2015 Former major leaguer John Hudek's daughter, Sarah, announces she has signed a letter of intent with Louisiana's Bossier Parish Community College, making her one of the first females to compete in baseball at the collegiate level. The 5-foot-10, 150-pound teenage southpaw, whose fastball clocks in at 82 mph, is as good as, or even better than, some of the males on the team, according to BPCC coach Aaron Vorachek.

2015 Carlos Delgado, who enjoyed eight consecutive 30-homer seasons with the Blue Jays while becoming the team's all-time leader in home runs (336), RBIs (1,058), and runs (889), will be inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in June. The Class of 2015 will also feature former Canadian players Corey Koskie and Matt Stairs, longtime Montreal Expos skipper Felipe Alou, along with Toronto Sun columnist Bob Elliott, the recipient of the 2012 Spink Award given by the National Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

2020 The Phillies announced the team plan to posthumously retire Roy Halladay No. 34 in a pregame ceremony at Citizens Bank Park on May 29, marking the 10th anniversary of his perfect game. 'Doc,' who died in a 2017 plane crash, posted a 55-29 (.655) record during his four seasons with the team, winning the National League Cy Young Award in 2010.
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2/5
BIRTHDAYS
1903 Joan Whitney Payson, American heiress, businesswoman and philanthropist (co-founder & majority owner of MLB's New York Mets), born in NYC, NY (d. 1975)

1929 Al Worthington
Hank Aaron(1934-2021) Hall of Fame right fielder (MLB record 755 HRs; NL MVP 1957; 25 × MLB All-Star; Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers), born in Mobile, Alabama

1936 Lee Thomas utility (MLB All Star 1962, 62²; LA Angels, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs) and executive (GM Philadelphia Phillies 1988-93), born in Peoria, Illinois (d. 2022)

1955 Mike Heath born in Tampa, Florida

1968 Roberto Alomar HOF infielder (World Series 1992, 93 Toronto Blue Jays; 12 x MLB All Star; 10 x Gold Glove Award), born in Salinas, Puerto Rico
1968 Will Furrer, American football quarterback (Chicago Bears, Houston Oilers), born in Danville, Pennsylvania


1973 Laura Espinoza-Watsonl infielder (Silver Bullets), born in Torrance, California

1977 Adam Everett born in Austell, Georgia

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FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+
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1930 The Reds select Leo Durocher (.246, 0, 32) off waivers. The 24-year-old shortstop, an unpopular player in the Yankees clubhouse, falls out of favor in New York after a salary dispute with Ed Barrow, the club's general manager.

1931 Hack Wilson, who set National League records last season when he drove in 191 runs and hit 56 home runs, a mark since surpassed in 1998 by Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, signs for $35,000. The 31-year-old Cub outfielder's 1930 RBI total remains one of the game's most enduring records.


1934 A day before Babe Ruth's 39th birthday, future all-time home run leader Hammerin' Hank Aaron is born in Mobile, Alabama. The slugger, who will finish his career hitting 755 home runs playing for the Braves and Brewers, will surpass the 'Bambino's' record of 714 home runs in 1974, after receiving much hate mail from people who did not want to see a black man break baseball's hallowed mark.

1951 California governor Earl Warren denies the rumor that he is under consideration to be baseball's next commissioner. The US Senate will confirm Thomas Dewey's running mate on the 1950 Republican ticket as the 14th Chief Justice of the United States in 1954.

1977 The Cubs deal southpaw Darold Knowles to the Rangers for a player to be named later and cash. The left-hander will post a 5-2 record for Texas, and outfielder Gene Clines made part of the trade ten days later, will help his new club, batting a respectable .293 playing in 101 games for Chicago.

1983 The Royals trade minor league prospect Cecil Fielder to the Blue Jays for 32-year-old outfielder Leon Roberts, who will retire after having two mediocre seasons in Kansas City. 'Big Daddy' will go on to enjoy several MVP-caliber seasons during his 13-year tenure in the major leagues, having his best years playing for the Tigers.

1999 Major league baseball will start recognizing the best hitter in each league with the Hank Aaron Award. The all-time home run king learns about the honor on his 65th birthday at an event that includes President Bill Clinton, Ernie Banks, and Reggie Jackson.

2002 The Latin American Baseball Hall of Fame Museum inducts Luis Arroyo. The Puerto Rican reliever, who made the National League All-Star squad as a rookie with the Cardinals in 1955, had an eight-year career mark of 40-32, saving 36 games with a 3.93 ERA, is best remembered for his 1961 season with the Yankees (15-5, 29 saves).

2002 Major League Baseball announces the withdrawal of its plan for contraction this upcoming season, but the sport is still determined to eliminate two teams in 2003. Attempts to contract the Twins and Expos this season did not happen due to a series of legal decisions and fierce opposition from the Players Association.

2002 Troy Percival's seven-year tenure with Anaheim, the longest on the current roster, will increase when the All-Star reliever signs a two-year contract extension to stay with the club. The 32-year-old right-hander, the Angels' all-time leader with 210 career saves, converted 39 of 42 save opportunities last season.

2002 The Astros file a motion in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, asking the court to determine whether the 30-year naming agreement with Enron signed in 1999 should continue. The team does not want to call its stadium Enron Field due to the financial burden faced by many Houston-area residents due to the bankrupt energy company's business practices.

2008 Alex Rios (.297, 24, 85) and the Blue Jays agree on a $4,835,000, one-year deal, including a $3.5 million signing bonus with a base salary of $1,335,000. The 26-year-old All-Star outfielder will not become eligible for free agency until the end of the 2010 season.

2008 Freddie Sanchez signs an $11 million, two-year contract to continue to play second base for the Pirates. The 2006 National League batting champ could add another $8 million in 2010 if the Bucs exercise their option to retain his services.

2008 Scott Podsednik (.243, 2, 11) agrees to a $750,000 minor league contract with the Rockies, appearing in 93 games in a part-time role for the third-place club. The speedy 31-year-old outfielder, best known for his role in the 2005 White Sox World Championship, has been slowed down with injuries during the past two season.

2008 Dave Bush (12-10, 5.12), vying to stay in the starting rotation, signs a $2.55 million, one-year deal to pitch for the Brewers. The durable 28-year-old right-hander, who made at least 31 starts each of the previous two seasons, will make an additional $50,000 as part of the arbitration agreement if he pitches 210 innings.

2009 In an arrangement similar to last year, Odalis Perez and the Nationals agree to a non-guaranteed minor league deal, which will reward the southpaw with an $850,000 major league contract if he makes the club this season during spring training. A year ago, the left-hander made 30 starts for Washington, posting a 7-12 record with a 4.34 ERA for the last-place team.

2009 Joseph Reaves, Dodgers director of international relations, announces that the May 16 regular-season game between the Mexico City Diablos Rojos and the Monterrey Sultanes will occur at Dodger Stadium. The contest between the two most storied franchises south of the border marks the first time a Mexican League game has played in the City of Angels.

2010 The Twins and Dodger former infielder Orlando Hudson (.283, 9, 62) agree to a $5 million, one-year contract. The 32-year-old free-agent second baseman, known as O-Dog, is expected to bat second in the Minnesota lineup, hitting between leadoff man Denard Span and AL MVP Joe Mauer.

2010 The ball Alex Rodriguez hit for his 500th home run is sold at an auction for $103,579 to an anonymous bidder. The historic horsehide, which cleared the left field wall at Yankee Stadium on August 4, 2007, was recovered by 6-foot-4-inch Walter Kowalczyk, a Rutgers University student who used his 250-pound frame to protect his prized possession from the scrum of souvenir seekers.

2014 The Dodgers agree to a minor league contract with free-agent Justin Turner, who was non-tendered by the Mets, after hitting .265 in 301 games with the team over four seasons. Since his arrival, the All-Star third baseman's steady fielding and consistent hitting prove to be a significant asset in LA's string of titles.

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2/6
BIRTHDAYS
1895 Babe Ruth Hall of Fame slugger (MLB All-Star 1933, 34; 7 x World Series champion; 12 × AL home run leader 1918–21, 23-24, 1926–31; Boston RS, NY Yankees), born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 1948)

1927 Smokey Burgess (Pittsburgh Pirates), born in Caroleen, North Carolina (d. 1991)

1949 Richie Zisk player & pro scout (Chicago Cubs), born in Brooklyn, New York

1958 Bill Dawley pitcher (MLB All Star 1983), born in Norwich, Connecticut

1969 Bob Wickman pitcher (Chicago White Sox, NY Yankees), born in Green Bay, Wisconsin

1970 Mark Huttonl pitcher (NY Yankees), born in Adelaide, Australia

1975 Chad Allen outfielder (Olympic bronze 1996), born in Dallas, Texas

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FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1921 The New York American League franchise purchases a ten-acre plot of land for $675,000 from William Waldorf Astor's estate as the future Yankee Stadium site. The club's new ballpark, located on the west side of the Bronx, will sit directly across the Harlem River from the Polo Grounds, the team's current home for the past ten years as tenants of the Giants

1934 Ford Frick, a New York news reporter and broadcaster, is named the National League's public relations director. In November, the DePauw University graduate will be elected as the president of the Senior Circuit, succeeding John A. Heydler, who resigns due to poor health.

1935 Cardinal right-hander Dizzy Dean, who posted a 30-7 record last season for the Gashouse Gang, becomes a holdout when the team refuses to meet his demand for a yearly salary of $25,000. The 23-year-old future Hall of Famer, the NL's reigning MVP, quickly comes to terms with the Redbirds the following day, signing for $18,500, including a thousand dollar bonus.

1956 Dodger owner Walter O'Malley, showing his support for the Wagner-Cashmore plan to build a $30-million downtown Brooklyn sports center, promises to buy four million dollars worth of bonds for the project. The proposed legislation, which will be passed and signed by New York Governor Averill Harriman in April, becomes irrelevant due to a lack of funding from the city's Board of Estimates.

1958 The Red Sox sign Ted Williams for reportedly $135,000, making him the highest-paid player in major league history, surpassing his annual salary of a hundred grand he's collected since 1949. The 39-year-old outfielder, starting his 18th season with the club, led the major leagues with a .388 batting average last year. The Pirates agreed to give Hank Greenberg six-figures after being traded from the Tigers in 1946, and Joe DiMaggio also signed $100,000 contracts with the Yankees in 1949 and 1950


1962 The Phillies announce the team will retire Robin Roberts' uniform number 36 when his new club, the Yankees, visits Clearwater to play Philadelphia in a March spring exhibition game. The team's tribute to future Hall of Famer marks the first time a uniform number has been retired in the franchise's 79-year history.

1986 The Yankees sign well-traveled free-agent Al Holland, who saved a total of five games for three different teams last season. The one-year contract has a clause that requires the 33-year-old southpaw reliever, one of the players granted immunity in exchange for their testimony in last year's Pittsburgh cocaine trials, to submit to drug tests.

1992 Jeff Innis (0-2, 2.66, 84 IP) loses his arbitration bid against the Mets, awarded the team's offer of $355,000 (more than double his 1991 salary) rather than the $650,000 he sought. During the season, the 29-year-old middle-reliever with a submarine delivery became the first major league pitcher to appear in 60 or more games without recording a win or a save, a stat that worked against winning his case.

2008 The Rangers hire Nolan Ryan as team president during a pivotal point in club history, according to club president Tom Hicks. The 61-year-old Hall of Fame hurler, who retired with the Rangers in 1993 after playing a record 27 major league seasons, is introduced at The Ballpark in Arlington with much fanfare, including a video highlight package featuring many of the right-hander's milestones.

2010 After Seattle declined to offer him salary arbitration, oft-injured free-agent Erik Bedard agrees to stay a part of the Mariners' pitching rotation, inking a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2011. The 30-year-old southpaw, who is rehabilitating after surgery on his pitching shoulder last August, will not have to continue his disappointing role as the ace of the team with the off-season trade for Cliff Lee and the emergence of Felix Hernandez.

2012 An arbitration panel rules in favor of 27-year-old Anibal Sanchez (8-9, 3.67), awarding the Marlin right-hander with a record-breaking $8 million salary for this season. The decision, which puts aside the team's counteroffer of $6.9 million, represents the most substantial amount ever given to a starting pitcher who went to arbitration.

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2/7
BIRTHDAYS
1938 Juan Pizarro pitcher, 1957-74, 2x All-Star (Milwaukee Braves, Chicago White Sox, and 7 other teams), born in Santurce, Puerto Rico (d. 2021)

1950 Burt Hooton Hall of Fame pitcher (MLB All-Star, World Series, NLCS MVP 1981; no-hitter 1972; Chicago Cubs, LA Dodgers), born in Greenville, Texas

1951 Benny Ayala, player
1953
Dan Quisenberry (1953-1998) (5-time AL saves leader), born in Santa Monica, California,

1955 Charlie Puleo MLB pitcher (NY Mets, Atlanta Braves), born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey

1957 Carney Lansford, baseball player

1957 Dámaso García second baseman (MLB All-Star 1984, 85; Silver Slugger Award 1982; Toronto Blue Jays), born in Moca, Dominican Republic (d. 2020)



1978 Endy Chávez, baseball player

1979 Jon Leicester

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FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1898 Chris Von der Ahe is taken into custody to face charges in Pittsburgh after being kidnapped by detective Nicholas Bendel in a St. Louis hotel. The Brown Stockings (AA) owner faces jail time in Pennsylvania if he doesn't pay the $2,500 awarded to right-hander Mark E. Baldwin, who brought suit against the baseball magnate for malicious prosecution after being acquitted in a dispute between the National League and the American Association.

1942 Reds general manager Warren Giles announces the team has traded veteran catcher Ernie Lombardi to the Braves for two players to be named later. The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer will hit .330 during his one season with his new team, capturing the batting crown, a feat that a catcher will not repeat until 2006 when Twins' backstop Joe Mauer leads the American League .with a .347 batting average.

1949 Yankee outfielder Joe DiMaggio becomes the first American Leaguer to make $100,000 in one season. In 1947, the Pirates paid the recently-waived Hank Greenberg six figures, making the former Junior Circuit superstar the first major leaguer to reach the plateau, albeit for his skills with Detroit.

1979 Jesse Orosco becomes 'the player to be named later' in the Mets' trade of Jerry Koosman to the Twins. The left-handed reliever will spend 24 seasons in the major leagues, setting the record for appearances with 1,252.

1983 The Mariners select Reds minor leaguer Danny Tartabull as compensation for the loss of Floyd Bannister to the White Sox. The outfielder will hit .270 and receive consideration for the Rookie of the Year Award in 1986 but will be traded away in the off-season with Rick Luecken to the Royals for Scott Bankhead, Mike Kingery, and Steve Shields.

1987 For only the second time since Major League Baseball implemented the rule, a player takes less pay due to salary arbitration when Orel Hershiser signs for $800,000, taking a twenty-percent pay-cut. The Dodger right-hander will become the highest-paid player in the major leagues after winning the Cy Young Award and leading the team to a World Series championship next year.


2005 The Tigers sign 31-year-old right fielder Magglio Ordonez (.292, 9, 37) for five years for a reported $75 million. The contract for the free-agent slugger, recovering from knee surgery, includes options that could extend the All-Star's stay in Detroit for an additional two years, making the deal nearly $100 million.

2006 Alex Gonzalez, who signed with the Red Sox as a free agent yesterday, singles in the tying run and then scores the winning run when Henry Blanco's pop fly bounces off the head off Erick Aybar, giving Venezuela its first Caribbean Series championship since 1989. The ball, which the Dominican Republic Licey's Tigers' shortstop lost in the lights, is ruled a double and caps a two-run bottom of the ninth rally, resulting in a 5-4 comeback victory for the Caracas Lions.

2009 The Sports Illustrated website reports Alex Rodriguez is one of the 104 players who tested positive for steroids in 2003. The testing, which was intended only to determine the extent of steroid use by players at the time, revealed the Ranger shortstop was using Primobolan, an anabolic substance.

2012 Avoiding arbitration, Elvis Andrus and the Rangers come to terms on a three-year, $14.6 million contract. The agreement gives the 23-year-old infielder an early opportunity to sign a huge deal when he reaches free agency, which works with Texas' plans to make Jurickson Profar, currently playing A ball, their starting shortstop in a couple of years.

2012 The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame announces Rusty Staub's selection for induction and former big-league pitcher Rheal Cormier, Brewers general manager Doug Melvin the 2011 Pan Am Games gold-medal winning Team Canada senior squad. The former Expos outfielder, referred to as Le Grand Orange by the Montreal fans because of his red hair, was a fan favorite in the franchise's early days due to his work ethic and active role in promoting the game north of the border.

2014 A class action suit is brought to federal court by former minor league players, who allege MLB teams violated the Fair Labor Standards Act and other state laws by not paying their farmhands minimum wage and overtime. The case filed as Senne v. the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball, initially scheduled for a hearing in February of
2017, will be postponed indefinitely until U.S. district court Joseph C. Spero decides the question of class certification.

2014 Yankee superstar Alex Rodriguez drops his two lawsuits against MLB, ending the likelihood of a long, drawn-out legal battle over his season-long suspension for the alleged use of performance-enhancing substances. The Bronx Bombers' third baseman was one of 14 individuals suspended due to the investigation of a Florida anti-aging clinic, but he was the only one to contest his penalty, the longest ever given for using PEDs.

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2/8
BIRTHDAYS
1914 Bert Haas born in Naperville, Illinois (d. 1999)


1920 Buddy Blattner baseball player, Broadcaster born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 2009)


1921 Walter "Hoot" Evers 1941, 1946-56, 2X All-Star (Detroit Tigers, and 5 other teams), born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 1991)


1924 Joe Black Negro league and MLB player, born in Plainfield, New Jersey (d. 2002)


1942 Fritz Peterson pitcher (NY Yankees), born in Chicago, Illinois


1943 Bob Oliver born in Shreveport, Louisiana (d. 2020)

1976 Adam Piat player

1976 Jim Parque (Olympic bronze 1996), born in Norwalk, California

1978 Christa Williams softball pitcher (Olympic gold 1996), born in Houston, Texas


1979 Aaron Cook born in Fort Campbell, Kentucky

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FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1901 Rumors of the Phillies' star second baseman Napoleon Lajoie jumping to the Athletics, the Philadelphia franchise in the new American League, prove true. The National League's leading hitter, clearly in violation of the reserve clause, switches to the Junior Circuit, winning the Triple Crown, leading the league with a .426 batting average, 14 homers, and 125 RBIs.

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1942 At the Folsom Correctional facility in California, the annual game between big leaguers and the prison inmates occurs after a delay when the guards need to search for two convicts attempting an escape. The contest does not resume after escapees are apprehended, with the visiting team ahead 24-5 at the end of seven innings.

1956 In Philadelphia, former A's manager and owner Connie Mack, 93, dies of "old age and complications from his hip surgery." The 'Tall Tactician' set records for major league wins (3,731) and losses (3,948), compiling a .486 managerial mark during his 54 years as a skipper, including his three seasons with the Pirates before the turn of the century.

1972 Negro League Hall of Fame selection of Buck Leonard and Josh Gibson, a power-hitting catcher, called the "black Babe Ruth" during his playing days. Leonard, a teammate of Gibson on the Homestead Grays who once turned down an MLB contract believing he was too old to compete at that level, was ranked #47 on a 1999 Sporting News poll of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players.

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1973 The owners announce 'Early Bird' spring training, scheduled to begin next week, will not occur until they complete negotiations with the Players' Association. The 23-day lockout caused by a disagreement over salary arbitration will not affect the start of the regular season.

 

1982 The longest-playing infield foursome is broken up when the Dodgers trade Davey Lopes straight up for A's minor leaguer Lance Hudson, a middle infielder who will never appear in a major league game. The 36-year-old former LA second baseman had played with Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, and Bill Russell since 1974.

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2006 After rejecting an earlier proposal by an 8-5 margin a few hours ago, the District of Columbia Council reverses itself and approves a revised lease for a new Washington, D.C. ballpark. At the urging of Mayor Anthony A. Williams, the council reconvenes and votes 9-4 to approve the deal after attaching legislation capping the district's total cost at a bit less than $611 million.

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2006 Wayne Krivsky, a leading candidate for the job in 2004, is finally selected as the Reds general manager. The 51-year-old former Twins executive replaces Dan O'Brien, fired due to Bob Castellini, the team's new owner, desire to choose his baseball people.

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2006 Johnny Damon, the former beloved Red Sox outfielder who signed as a free agent with the hated Yankees, takes out a full-page ad in the Boston Globe, thanking fans for their loyalty and support. As one of the most popular players in franchise history, the long-hair self-proclaimed 'idiot' incurred the wrath of the Fenway Faithful when he agreed to a $52 million, four-year deal to play in the Bronx.

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2008 In a long and drawn-out 5-for-1 deal, the Mariners finally land Erik Bedard (13-5, 3.16) from the Orioles. In exchange for their Opening Day pitcher last season, Baltimore receives center fielder Adam Jones, veteran southpaw reliever George Sherrill, and pitching prospects Chris Tillman, Tony Butler, and Kam Mickolio from the Emerald City.

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2008 The Brewers exercise Ned Yost's 2009 option, after the 53-year-old skipper led Milwaukee to its first winning season since 1992, finishing second in the NL Central with an 83-79 won-loss record. The skipper will never manage a game in his extended contracted year after being dismissed with 12 games remaining this season, taking the blame for the under-achieving team's swoon in August and September.

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2009 In the softball championship game of the Leadoff Classic, Kylie Reynolds of Kent State strikes out 18 Stetson batters en route to throwing a nine-inning no-hitter. The Golden Flashes' junior sets a new school record for strikeouts in her 1-0 masterpiece at Patricia Wilson Field.

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2010 As a tribute to his fellow countryman, Omar Vizquel will wear the number 11 this season to honor Luis Aparicio. The White Sox will temporarily "unretire" the Hall of Famer's number for the Venezuelan shortstop, recently acquired by the team as a free agent.

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2010 The Brewers announce the club plans to erect a seven-foot statue of former owner Bud Selig with its unveiling scheduled during a pregame ceremony at Miller Park in August. Selig, the current baseball commissioner, led a group of investors that moved the bankrupt Seattle Pilots to Milwaukee in 1970.

2011 Tony Malinosky, the oldest living major leaguer, dies at 101 in Oxnard, California. In 1937, the Brooklyn infielder, a survivor of the Battle of the Bulge, played 35 games for the team before being honored on his 100th birthday in 2009.

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Today in Baseball History
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On February 8 in Baseball History...

• • 1916 - The N.L. votes down a proposal by Charlie Ebbets of Brooklyn to impose a limit of 2,000 seats that clubs can sell for 25 cents. Boston has 10,000 such seats, St. Louis 9,000, Philadelphia 6,500 and Cincinnati 4,000.
    
  • 1956 - The legendary Connie Mack dies at age 93. After managing Pittsburgh's N.L. club from 1894 to 1896, the former catcher became a prominent figure in Ban Johnson's Western League. Mack was a founder of the American League and its Philadelphia franchise in l901. In 50 years with the Athletics, he won nine pennants and five World Championships - but also finished last 17 times.
    
  • 1972 - Commissioner Bowie Kuhn announces the Hall of Fame selection of legendary sluggers Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard by the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues. The duo led the Homestead Grays to nine straight league championships from 1937 to 1945.
    
  • 1982 - The Dodgers break up the longest-playing infield in major league history by trading veteran second baseman Davey Lopes to the A's for minor leaguer Lance Hudson. Lopes, first baseman Steve Garvey, third baseman Ron Cey, and shortstop Bill Russell had been the starting infielder for Los Angeles since 1974.
    
  • 1983 - One day after taking a job as director of sports promotions for the Claridge Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, Mickey Mantle is ordered to sever his ties with Major League Baseball by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. Mantle joins fellow Hall of Famer Willie Mays as players banned from baseball by Kuhn for involvement with legalized gambling.
    
  • 1984 - One day after losing Type A free agent Tom Underwood to the Orioles, the A's grab pitcher Tim Belcher from the Yankees as compensation. The number-one selection in the June 1983 draft, Belcher did not sign with the Twins and was available in the January draft. The Yankees signed him on February 2, only to lose him because they had already submitted their list of 26 protected players.

Baseball Birthdays on February 8...

• • 1867 - Holliday, Bug Holliday was 22 years old when he broke into the big leagues on April 17, 1889, with the Cincinnati Red Stockings /"This is a funny business. We get paid to knock the cover off the ball and pitchers get paid to keep us from hitting it." - Bug Holliday in Baseball's Greatest Quotes (1982)
  • 1873 - Richter, John
  • 1877 - Glendon, Martin
  • 1883 - Cassidy, Joe
  • 1886 - Blanding, Fred
  • 1886 - Ellam, Roy
  • 1889 - Elliott, Gene
  • 1890 - Bates, Ray
  • 1892 - Cueto, Manuel
  • 1906 - Caldwell, Bruce
  • 1911 - Blaemire, Rae
  • 1911 - Heffner, Don
  • 1914 - Haas, Bert
  • 1914 - Bosser, Mel
  • 1918 - Cuccurullo, Cookie
  • 1918 - Nieman, Butch
  • 1920 - Blattner, Buddy "He (Buddy Blattner) was the biggest influence on my broadcasting career. He didn’t just lay back and let me do my thing. He taught me about baseball, about broadcasting, about putting together a broadcast and about life." - Broadcaster Denny Matthews in The Kansas City Star
  • 1921 - Evers, Hoot
  • 1921 - Marshall, Willard
  • 1922 - Basgall, Monty
  • 1924 - Black, Joe "The Dodgers won the '52 pennant with enormous help from their untouted twenty-nine-year-old rookie right-hander, Joe Black. Like (Jackie) Robinson, Black was a college man; he had graduated from Morgan State, a school for blacks located in Baltimore. Joe stood six feet two and weighed 220. He fired high fast balls at ninety-five miles an hour and wicked sliders down and away. He had read quite a bit, taking a minor in psychology, and he had no compunction about knocking down hitters. 'We're professionals,' he said. 'If I send a guy into the dirt, it isn't personal.' Most of the time. One day when he was pitching in Cincinnati some of the Reds, still an all-white team, began singing in their dugout 'Old Black Joe." Black knocked down two Cincinnati hitters and, as he remarked pleasantly afterward, 'The music stopped.'" - Kahn, Roger. Author. Into My Own: The Remarkable People and Events that Shaped a Life. St. Martin's Griffin Publishing. 12 June 2007. Page 281.
  • 1925 - Nielsen, Milt
  • 1939 - Branch, Harvey
  • 1942 - Shockley, Costen
  • 1942 - Peterson, Fritz
  • 1943 - Oliver, Bob "Bob Oliver wanted to show the Kansas City Royals it was a mistake to trade him away. For the Royals, it was a quick but painful lesson. 'I wanted that one bad,' the California Angels slugger said smiling Sunday night after his leadoff home run in the 11th inning lifted California to a 4-3 victory over the Royals and extended the Angels' wining streak to five games [box score]. 'I really wanted to do something to beat that team,' Oliver said. 'I went up there determined to swing for the fences. I was was trying with all I had to hit one out.'" - AP Wire (The Emporia Gazette. July 31, 1972. Oliver Successful in Striking Back Against the Royals. Page 6)
  • 1946 - Burchart, Larry
  • 1946 - Brown, Oscar
  • 1951 - Dillard, Steve
  • 1964 - Diaz, Edgar
  • 1973 - McDonald, Keith
  • 1975 - Parque, Jim
  • 1976 - Piatt, Adam

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