BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

1974 The Braves trade Hank Aaron to the Brewers for Dave May and Roger Alexander. The move allows the all-time career home run champ to finish his career in Milwaukee, where he started in the majors.

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1976 San Diego left-hander Randy Jones (22-14, 2.74) captures the National League's Cy Young Award, capturing 15 of the 24 first-place votes cast by the writers. Two seasons ago, the 26-year-old southpaw lost 22 games for the last-place Padres.

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1983 John Denny garners 20 of 24 of the writers' first-place votes to win the National League's Cy Young Award, easily outdistancing runners-up Mario Soto and Jessie Orosco. The Prescott (AZ) native posted a 19-6 record with a 2.37 ERA for the National League Champion Phillies.

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1995 The expansion Devil Rays unveil their official game uniforms during a special fashion show staged at the Florida Aquarium. The black, green, and blue jersey, which the team will start wearing in 1998, features a manta ray as its logo.

1999 Ken Griffey Jr., wanting to be nearer his family in Orlando, asks the Mariners to move him to a team closer to Florida. In February, the superstar outfielder will get his wish when Seattle trades him to the Reds for Mike Cameron, Antonio Perez, Brett Tomko, and minor leaguer Jake Meyer.

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2000 After a 15-year big league career, first baseman Will Clark announces his retirement. 'The Thrill' ends his playing days with the McGwire-less Cardinals, supplying the Redbirds with a much-needed offense (.345, 12, 42) after being traded from Baltimore at the end of July.

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2000 Former Blue Jay catcher (1981-86) and the team's present TV color analyst, Buck Martinez, is hired as the Toronto manager, replacing recently-fired Jim Fregosi. The 51-year-old ESPN commentator joins Astros' Larry Dierker and Diamondbacks' Bob Brenly as first-time major league skippers hired from the broadcast booth.

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2000 The Commission grants Wrigley Field preliminary landmark status on Chicago Landmarks. Any plans to refurbish or tear down the Cubs' home since 1916 will have to be reviewed by this panel.

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2004 "It's a dud, just like the Cubs were," - PAT CAMDEN, a Chicago police spokesman comparing the team's season and the discovery of a potentially explosive device. After a groundskeeper finds a grenade in the Wrigley Field turf, bomb and arson investigators evaluate the right field discovery. The rusty, hollowed-out shell proves harmless, with its origins remaining a mystery.

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2005 Pat Gillick signs a three-year deal, becoming the Phillies' general manager. The 68-year-old, who has held the same position with the Orioles, Blue Jays, and Mariners, has led his teams to two World Series titles and nine playoff appearances.

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2009 At Citizens Bank Park, Chase Utley ties Reggie Jackson's 1977 record with his fifth home run of the World Series, going deep twice in the Phillies' 8-6 victory over the Yankees in Game 5. The Philadelphia second baseman becomes the second player to have two multi-homer games in the Fall Classic, joining Royals' outfielder Willie Aikens, who accomplished the feat against the Phillies in 1980.

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2011 Matt Wieters becomes the first Baltimore backstop to win the Rawlings Gold Glove Award. The 25-year-old All-Star catcher, who appeared in 132 games behind the plate for the Orioles, gets the nod from the American League managers and coaches as the best defensive player in his position.

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2012 The Astros reveal a new look to coincide with the franchise's shift to the American League next season, having their brick red jerseys replaced by orange and navy blue, the club's color scheme from 1962-93. A redesigned Orbit, the green space creature that was Houston's mascot from 1990-99, is also coming out of retirement after 12 years to replace a rabbit character named Junction Jack, the team's current good luck charm.

2016 "A little bouncer slowly toward Bryant. He will glove it and throw to Rizzo. It’s in time. And the Chicago Cubs win the World Series! The Cubs come pouring out of the dugout, jumping up and down like a bunch of delirious 10-year-olds. The Cubs have done it! The longest drought in the history of American sports is over, and the celebration begins." - PAT HUGHES, Cubs' announcer call of the final out in Game 7
After a 108-year drought, the Cubs capture the World Series, needing ten innings in Game 7 to defeat the Indians at Progressive Field, 8-7. Cleveland, who had a 3-1 game advantage in the Fall Classic, now owns the longest span between World Championships, with their last title coming in 1948.

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Satchel Paige of @kscity monarchs and Josh Gibson of Homestead Grays before a game in 1941,

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"Say Hey!" Willie Mays of @SFGiants with "Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks of @Cubs
before a game at Wrigley Field in Chicago

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Mangers who have won 4+ World Series titles: - Joe McCarthy (7) - Casey Stengel (7) - Connie Mack (5) - Walter Alston (4) - Joe Torre (4) - Bruce Bochy (4
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Will Smith is the first player to ever win 3 straight World Series on 3 different teams
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Braves open as 2024 World Series favorites, followed by Dodgers: What are the Rangers odds to repeat?
By Dan Santaromita from the Athletic
Nov 1, 2023
The Atlanta Braves were a bust this postseason, but are the favorites to win next year’s World Series. The Braves opened with +650 odds to win the 2024 title on BetMGM.
After winning 104 games, the franchise’s most regular-season wins since 1998, the Braves fell in four games to the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series. However, the betting odds are going with the team that had the best regular season in baseball and has a young core. Seven of the Braves’ lineup regulars and three of the team’s top four starting pitchers are under the age of 30.


The Los Angeles Dodgers are behind the Braves with +800 odds. The Dodgers had a similar season to the Braves, winning 100 games before getting swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the other NLDS.

The two Texas teams that met in the American League Championship Series are next in the odds. The Houston Astros have +900 odds to win it all in 2024 while the recently-crowned Texas Rangers are given +1000 odds to repeat.

Next up are the Phillies (+1100), Baltimore Orioles (+1600), New York Yankees (+1600), San Diego Padres (+1600), Tampa Bay Rays (+1600) and Toronto Blue Jays (+1600).

As for just making it to the World Series, the Braves (+300), Dodgers (+380), Phillies (+500) and Padres (+800) are the favorites to win the National League. The Astros (+425), Rangers (+475), Orioles (+650), Yankees (+750), Rays (+750) and Blue Jays (+750) are given the top odds to win the American League. Just based on those odds, the NL is more top-heavy, while the AL is viewed as a more wide-open race.

 

Yogi Berra watches Henry Aaron hit a 3 run HR during Game 4 of the 1957
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Benito Santiago, Ivan Rodriguez, and Sandy Alomar Jr.
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"The Champs!" World Series Champion Minnesota Twins (Sports Illustrated - November 2, 1987)
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November Baseball Birthdays 11/3
1856 Jim McCormick pitcher and manager (first Scot in MLB; NL wins leader 1880, 82; NL ERA leader 1883), born in Thornliebank, Renfrewshire (d. 1918)

1866 Harry Staley pitcher (MLB record 9 RBI 1893; record lasts 70+ years), born in Jacksonville, Illinois (d. 1910)


1911 Johnny Keane manager (World Series 1964 St. Louis Cardinals; NY Yankees), born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 1967)

1918-2010 Bob Feller HOF pitcher (8 x MLB All Star; AL Triple Crown 1940; 3 x no-hit games; Cleveland Indians), born in Van Meter, Iowa


1945 Ken Holtzman pitcher (2 x no hitters; MLB All Star 1972-73; World Series 1972-74), born in St. Louis, Missouri


1951 Dwight Evans right fielder (MLB All-Star 1978, 81, 87; Boston Red Sox), born in Santa Monica, California


1956 Bob Welch pitcher (AL Cy Young Award 1990; Oakland A's; World Series 1981, 89, 2001), born in Seal Beach, California (d. 2014)


1968 Paul Quantrill pitcher and coach (MLB All Star 2001; Toronto Blue Jays), born in London, Ontario

1972 Armando Benitez pitcher (NL saves leader 2004; MLB All Star 2003, 04; NY Mets, Seattle Mariners, Florida Marlins), born in Ramón Santana, San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic


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This Day in Baseball History November 3rd​

1953 After two days of meetings, the rules committee ends the practice that allows players to leave their gloves on the playing field, requiring outfielders and infielders to carry their gloves with them into the dugout after each half-inning. Before the controversial change, left fielders, right fielders, first basemen, and third basemen would leave their gloves in foul territory, with center fielders, shortstops, and second basemen dropping their gloves at their position, with plays occurring around the scattered leather.

1953 The Rules Committee re-establishes the sacrifice fly ruling, which credits a batter with an RBI who flies out driving in a run without charging the hitter with a time at-bat. MLB dropped the original decree in 1939.

1964 Philadelphia voters approve a $25 million bond issue to build a new sports stadium. Due to cost overruns, a 1967 measure authorizes an additional $13 million, bringing the final price tag to approximately $50 million, making Veterans Stadium one of the most expensive ballparks ever built.

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1965 A's pitcher Lew Krausse strikes out a record 21 Lara batters during a winter league game, tossing a one-hitter for Caracas. The right-hander will average 5.1 strikeouts per nine innings during his dozen years in the major leagues, including stops with the Brewers, Red Sox, Cardinals, and Braves.

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1965 Sandy Koufax (26-8, 2.04, 382) wins the second of his three Cy Young Awards unanimously, capturing all twenty of the writer's votes from both leagues. The Dodger southpaw also received the honor in 1963 and will be named again next season.

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1968 Trying to cross the busy Kings Highway near the Chase Park Plaza Hotel in St. Louis, Harry Carey suffers two broken legs, a broken nose, and a dislocated shoulder after flying 40 feet in the air when struck by a car at 1:15 AM on an inclement Sunday morning. The popular Cardinals broadcaster's hospital room becomes party central before his discharge, recovering in time for Opening Day.

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1970 The Phillies swap Curt Flood to the Senators for three minor leaguers. The embattled outfielder refused to go to Philadelphia after the 1969 trade from the Cardinals, citing he was not a piece of property to be sold, becoming the first player to challenge the reserve clause seriously.

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1971 Pennsylvania lawmakers Hugh Scott and Richard South Schweiker collect their World Series wager in front of the U.S. Capitol from Maryland senators Charles Mathias, Jr. and J. Glenn Beall. After winning the bet on the Fall Classic between the Orioles and Pirates, the Keystone State lawmakers victoriously ride elephants as the losers lead and feed the pachyderms peanuts while carrying shovels to clean the street.

1979 The AL and NL all-star teams depart on an exhibition tour of Japan. The National League squad will take four of seven from the American League counterparts, but the teams will combine to split a pair of games with the Japanese all-stars.

 

1983 The Baseball Writers Association of America select Tony La Russa as the American League Manager of the Year after he guided first-place White Sox (99-63) to their first playoff appearance in 24 years. The 39-year-old skipper, in his sixth season with the club, received 17 of a possible 28 first-place votes, finishing ahead of Orioles' Joe Altobelli, who picked up seven first-place votes from the writers.

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1987 Mark McGwire wins the American League Rookie of the Year, easily outdistancing runners-up Kevin Seitzer and Matt Nokes. The 24-year-old A's first baseman, who set the freshman major league home run record for home runs in 1987 with 49, becomes the second player to win the AL award unanimously, joining Carlton Fisk, who accomplished the feat with the Red Sox in 1972.

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1988 Jeff Torborg replaces Jim Fregosi as the White Sox's manager. Chicago's new skipper, who will be named the American League Manager of the Year in 1990, will see his club finish second twice during his three-year tenure in the Windy City before leaving the team for a short-lived position managing the Mets.

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1992 The Reds trade Paul O'Neill and Joe DeBerry, a minor leaguer, to the Yankees for Roberto Kelly. The deal works well for the Bronx Bombers as the popular outfielder will become a team leader, playing a vital role in four World Series championships before he retires before the 2002 season.

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1993 Greg Maddux (20-10, 2.36) wins his second Cy Young Award when he easily outpoints Bill Swift of the Giants and teammate Tom Glavine on ballots cast by the BBWAA. The 27-year-old right-hander becomes the first hurler to win the prestigious pitcher prize in back-to-back seasons for different teams, having copped the award with the Cubs last season.

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1997 Becoming the fifth Red Sox player to receive the honor, Boston shortstop Nomar Garciaparra (.306, 30, 98) is unanimously selected as the American League Rookie of the Year by the BBWAA. The 23-year-old leadoff hitter led the league with 209 hits.

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1999 In a nine-player deal, the Rangers deal superstar Juan Gonzalez, pitcher Danny Patterson, and catcher Greg Zaun to the Tigers. Detroit ships three hurlers (Justin Thompson, Alan Webb, Francisco Cordero), outfielder Gabe Kapler, catcher Bill Haselman, and infielder Frank Catalanotto to Texas.

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