BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

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

Search archives: Historical Events Baseball Birthdays Baseball Deaths
On February 28 in Baseball History...

• • 1903 - A syndicate headed by Pittsburgh owner Barney Dreyfuss and James Potter buys the Phillies from John Rogers and A. J. Reach for $170,000. It will be another seven years before ownership interest in more than one team is prohibited.
    
  • 1931 - Ban Johnson dies after a long illness. He had created the A.L. and was its dynamic, dictatorial leader until subdued by the advent of Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who took office as the first commissioner in January 1921.
    
  • 1966 - Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale begin a joint holdout of the Dodgers. They seek an unprecedented three-year, $1.05 million contract to be divided evenly.
    
  • 1986 - In baseball's sternest disciplinary move since the Black Sox were banished for life, Commissioner Peter Ueberroth gives seven players who were admitted drug users a choice of a year's suspension without pay or heavy fines and career-long drug testing, along with 100 hours of drug-related community service. Joaquin Andujar, Jeffrey Leonard, Enos Cabell, Keith Hernandez, Dave Parker, Dale Berra, and Lonnie Smith will be fined 10 percent of their annual salaries, while 14 other players will receive lesser penalties for their involvement with illegal drugs.
    
  • 1989 - The Special Veterans Committee elects Red Schoendienst, a former second baseman and manager of the Cardinals, and Al Barlick, a major league umpire for over 29 seasons, to the Hall of Fame.

Baseball Birthdays on February 28...

• • 1867 - Easton, Jack
  • 1872 - McAuliffe, Gene
  • 1875 - Gillpatrick, George
  • 1879 - Martin, Frank
  • 1881 - Turner, Terry
  • 1881 - McCormick, Moose
  • 1885 - Walsh, Tom
  • 1886 - Humphrey, Al
  • 1887 - Fautsch, Joe
  • 1893 - Mayer, Sam
  • 1896 - Ezzell, Homer
  • 1898 - Miller, Jake
  • 1899 - Stoner, Lil
  • 1900 - Wood, Doc
  • 1906 - Baker, Al
  • 1907 - Daglia, Pete
  • 1909 - Bertrand, Lefty
  • 1909 - Hilcher, Whitey
  • 1912 - Filley, Marc
  • 1916 - Krist, Howie
  • 1928 - Kokos, Dick
  • 1929 - Albrecht, Ed
  • 1930 - Samford, Ron
  • 1930 - Malzone, Frank "His (Frank Malzone) stellar defense remained an asset throughout his career although his range did decrease a little with age. His offense alone wouldn’t have been enough to make him a star, but he was no slouch with the bat either." - Sportswriter Brian Martin in Red Sox News (03/10/2007 #39, Frank Malzone, The Top 100 Red Sox in History)
  • 1930 - Nichols, Dolan
  • 1933 - Kern, Bill
  • 1947 - Perez, Marty
  • 1948 - Wiley, Mark
  • 1948 - Kremmel, Jim
  • 1951 - Spencer, Tom
  • 1951 - Wohlford, Jim
  • 1951 - Linares, Rufino
  • 1952 - Alvarez, Orlando
  • 1954 - Poloni, John
  • 1958 - Williams, Dallas
  • 1968 - Milchin, Mike
  • 1975 - Stone, Ricky
  • 1975 - Moreno, Juan
  • 1978 - Reith, Brian

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.​

 

​

 

3/1
BIRTHDAYS
1855 Paul Hines outfielder (Triple Crown 1878, Providence Grays), born in Virginia (d. 1935)


1914 Harry Caray Hall of Fame broadcaster (Chicago Cubs), born in St Louis, Missouri (d. 1998)


1916 Bing Devine MLB executive (St. Louis Cardinals, NY Mets), born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 2007)

1918 Hank Wyse pitcher (MLB All Star 1945; Chicago Cubs), born in Lunsford, Arkansas (d. 2000)


1957 Johnny Ray utility (MLB All Star 1988; Silver Slugger Award 1983; Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels), born in Chouteau, Oklahoma


1962 Mark Gardner pitcher and coach (World Series 2010, 12, 14; SF Giants), born in Los Angeles, California


1978 Ken Harvey first baseman (MLB All Star 2004; KC Royals), born in Los Angeles, California


1988 Trevor Cahill pitcher (MLB All Star 2010; Oakland Athletics), born in Oceanside, California


1988 Yang Hyeon-jong pitcher (Korean Series 2009, 2017 [MVP]; KBO MVP 2017; KIA Tigers), born in Gwangju, South Korea


1993 Michael Conforto outfielder (MLB All Star 2017; New York Mets), born in Seattle, Washington

***********​

 

FROM MLB's This Day in Baseball History+​

1903 The rules committee sets the height of the pitcher mound (box) to a maximum of fifteen inches. In 1969, the maximum elevation will drop to ten inches due to last season's dominating pitching, which saw batting averages plummet to all-time lows.

1909 The Pirates begin constructing a new ballpark near Schenley Park near the Oakland section of Pittsburgh. The spacious state-of-the-art venue, named a Forbes Field in honor of a pre-Revolutionary British general, will never have a no-hitter thrown in its spacious confines during the sixty-one years the Bucs call the ballpark home, a span of more than 4,700 games.

​

1947 Father Vincent Powell announces the diocese's Catholic Youth Organization will no longer participate in the Dodgers' Knothole Club, stating the church cannot continue to have their youngsters associated with the team's manager, Leo Durocher. The monsignor, who has been the director of the local CYO since 1940, believes the Brooklyn skipper "represents an example in complete contradiction" to the faith's moral teachings.

​

1949 As a ploy to increase their rental income, the Browns move to evict the Cardinals, their Sportsman's Park tenants. The Redbirds accuse the owners of breaking the lease, and as the season approaches, it is uncertain where the St. Louis National League team will play its home games.

 

1954 After surviving two plane crashes serving in Korea, Red Sox outfielder Ted Williams breaks his collarbone on the first day of spring training when he stumbles in the outfield fielding a line drive during batting practice. The Boston superstar, who hit .407 in 37 games at the end of the season after flying thirty-nine combat missions as a Marine pilot, will miss the first four weeks of the season.

​

1961 After leaving the Oval Office six weeks ago, former President Dwight Eisenhower jokes with the Angel players before an intra-squad game. Ike will sit in the dugout with the newly established expansion team during the five-inning scrimmage. Eisenhower autographs glove for Steve Bilko Ted Kluszewski and skipper Bill Rigney (right) look on.

​

1967 Commissioner William Eckert approves the BBWAA's plan to select a Cy Young Award recipient from the National League and American League. The honor, initiated in 1956, had been given to just one pitcher in the major leagues each season, a position strongly supported by former commissioner Ford Frick.

1969 Citing "I can't hit when I need to," Mickey Mantle announces his retirement, thus ending his fabled Hall of Fame career. The oft-injured Yankee slugger ranks third, behind Babe Ruth and Willie Mays, on the all-time home run list with 536 round-trippers, and finishes his 18-year stay in the majors with a .298 batting average.

​

 

1987 Charlie Kerfeld and the Astros finally agree on a one-year contract worth $110,037.37 and 37 boxes of orange Jello, planned to be used future pranks. The Houston reliever, who wears number 37, insisted he earned more than right-hander Jim Deshaies, and the reliever's new deal pays him $37.37 more than his teammate.

​

1993 Yankee owner George Steinbrenner, two and half years after accepting a life-long ban from being involved in the team's day-to-day operation, is reinstated by major league baseball. 'The Boss' had been exiled from baseball by commissioner Fay Vincent in 1990 for hiring Howie Spira, a known gambler, to snoop into the life of star outfielder Dave Winfield.

1994 Leonard Coleman, MLB's executive director of market development, is elected the National League president, replacing the retiring Bill White. The position will be eliminated in 1999, making the former banker the last person to hold the position.

1995 In an evening exhibition game, the Angels, using replacement players, beat the Arizona State University Sun Devils squad, 13-5. The Tempe (AZ) contest marks the first time since 1912 that replacement players participate in a major league game and the only time the team has worn big league uniforms.

​

1999 In the episode "Big Shots" of the Everybody Loves Raymond show, security kicks out fictional Newsday sports writer Ray Barone, played by Ray Romano, from an event honoring the Mets' 1969 World Series championship team. The guards at Hall Fame lose their patience when the title character, who insists on using his journalist's credentials to avoid the wait, refuses to get in line with the fans waiting to meet their heroes, including Tug McGraw and Art Shamsky.

 

2005 Deciding not to file as a free agent at the end of the season, Tim Hudson (12-6, 3.53) agrees to a four-year, $47-million contract extension with his new team, the Braves. The 29-year-old right-hander, acquired in a trade with Oakland in the off-season, grew up near Atlanta and rooted for the local team as a youngster.

​

2005 The Cubs announce construction for an additional 1,790 bleacher seats at Wrigley Field will begin at the end of the season and be ready for Opening Day next year. A deal is reached for the expansion when the team agrees to pay the city $3.1 million before starting the project, contributing the funds for a local school park and a $400,000 traffic signal system near the ballpark.

2009 Insisting there was no wrongdoing on his part, Jim Bowden resigns as the Nationals' general manager. The Washington GM is part of a federal probe investigating scouts and executives that accepted kickbacks from baseball bonuses intended for players signed in Latin America.

 

2012 After spending 15 seasons, including serving as the team captain for the past seven, Red Sox backstop Jason Varitek announces his retirement, leaving only Carl Yastrzemski (23), Ted Williams (19), and Jim Rice (16) with longer tenures with the team without playing for another franchise. The venerable catcher, ninth on the all-time franchise list with 1,546 games, is the only major leaguer to have played in the Little League World Series, the College World Series, the World Series, the Olympics, and the World Baseball Classic.

Varitek vs A Rod
​

2012 Yadier Molina signs a five-year extension with the Cardinals worth $75 million, an agreement that will keep the Gold Glove catcher with the world champions through 2017. This new contract, which takes effect next season, includes a mutual $15 million option that could add another year to the deal.

​

2019 Bryce Harper reaches a free-agent deal with the Phillies for 13 years and $330 million, the largest guaranteed contract for a baseball player. The 26-year-old six-time All-Star's historic agreement eclipses the 13-year, $325 million contract extension Giancarlo Stanton signed with the Marlins in November of 2014 but will be far surpassed in a few weeks when the Angels give Mike Trout $426.5 million over 12 years.

***********​

60,160

 

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

Search archives: Historical Events Baseball Birthdays Baseball Deaths
On March 1 in Baseball History...

• • 1942 - Owners decide not to allow furloughed players in the military to play for their clubs if based near a game site.
    
  • 1947 - In anticipation of the signing of the first black players, Bill Veeck, a resident of Phoenix, sets up a spring training camp there for the Cleveland Indians. Arizona is chosen because of its relatively tolerant racial climate. During the season, Veeck will sign the A.L.'s first black player, Larry Doby, who will train at the Arizona camp. The Giants also set up camp in Arizona, while the Dodgers move their training camp from Florida to Havana, Cuba.
    
  • 1949 - The Browns, owners of Sportsman's Park, move to evict the Cardinals in order to gain a rent increase.
    
  • 1954 - Red Sox slugger Ted Williams breaks his collarbone in his first spring training practice and will be out until May 15.
    
  • 1969 - Mickey Mantle retires. He ends his career with 2,415 hits and 536 home runs in 18 years with the New York Yankees, numbers that would have certainly been higher if not for persistent knee injuries.
    
  • 1988 - For the first time since 1956, the Special Veterans Committee does not elect anyone to the Hall of Fame. Phil Rizzuto, Leo Durocher, Joe Gordon, and Gil Hodges are among the candidates passed over.

Baseball Birthdays on March 1...

• • 1852 - Hines, Paul
  • 1853 - Somerville, Ed
  • 1860 - Sullivan, Tom
  • 1864 - Vaughn, Farmer
  • 1864 - Yaik, Henry
  • 1871 - Boone, George
  • 1881 - Shaw, Al
  • 1883 - Pickett, Charlie
  • 1885 - Webb, Lefty
  • 1888 - Baker, Howard
  • 1892 - Elsh, Roy
  • 1897 - Jones, Howie
  • 1899 - Padgett, Ernie
  • 1905 - Beckman, Jim
  • 1915 - Strincevich, Nick
  • 1917 - Pearson, Ike
  • 1917 - Johnson, Rankin
  • 1918 - Wyse, Hank
  • 1921 - Fox, Howie
  • 1921 - Rosso, Frank
  • 1924 - Thompson, Tim
  • 1925 - Usher, Bob
  • 1928 - Hamric, Bert "A hard-hitting flychaser, Bert stands a very good chance to nail down a regular spot in the Brooklyn outfield this season. Starting as a pitcher in '49, he was soon changed into an outfielder because of his powerful batting. At Newport News in'51 he hit .304 and led the league in Triples. Last season he was well on his way to the Batting Title when he broke his hand." - Topps
  • 1932 - Zanni, Dom "Dom (Zanni) can work as a starter or reliever for the White Sox in 1962, for he has done both in the minor leagues. A hard throwing right-hander, he had eleven years of pitching experience in the minors (including a no-hitter with the 1954 Nashville Sounds)."
  • 1940 - Brown, Larry
  • 1944 - Klimkowski, Ron
  • 1944 - Fuller, Vern
  • 1945 - Panther, Jim
  • 1952 - Davis, Bob
  • 1953 - Holly, Jeff
  • 1957 - Ray, Johnny
  • 1962 - Gardner, Mark
  • 1963 - Castillo, Tony
  • 1963 - Rodriguez, Rich
  • 1969 - Creek, Doug
  • 1972 - Hurst, Jimmy
  • 1972 - Daal, Omar
  • 1976 - Castro, Ramon
  • 1978 - Harvey, Ken

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.​

 

​