BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

December 8 Baseball Birthdays
1896 Bucky Harris HOF manager (World Series 1947 NY Yankees) and second baseman (WS 1924 Washington Senators), born in Port Jervis, New York (d. 1977)
Bucky Harris and Roger Bresnahan


1952 Jerry Remy infielder (MLB All Star 1978; California Angels, Boston Red Sox) and broadcaster (NESN), born in Fall River, Massachusetts (d. 2021)1952 John Denny, American baseball pitcher (NL Cy Young Award 1983; Philadelphia Phillies), born in Prescott, Arizona


1965 Jeff Blauser infielder (Atlanta Braves), born in Los Gatos, California


1967 Henry Rodriguez outfielder (Montreal Expos), born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic


1968 Jose Offerman infielder (KC Royals), born in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic


1977 Nick Punto 2001-14 (Philadelphia Phillies; Minnesota Twins, and 4 other teams), born in San Diego, California


1989 Giancarlo Stanton (New York Yankees), born in Panorama City, California


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This Day in Baseball History December 8​

1914 Afraid of losing his unsigned second baseman to the upstart Federal League, Connie Mack sells Eddie Collins to the White Sox for the hefty sum of $50,000. The A's have already lost Eddie Plank and Chief Bender to the new league 1941 yesterday's bombing of Pearl Harbor and America's sudden involvement in the war change the tentative plans of the American League owners, who were considering shifting a franchise. The group would have considered moving the Browns from St. Louis to Los Angeles at their meeting.

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1947 Brooklyn acquires sure-handed infielder Billy Cox and southpaw Preacher Roe from the Pirates, and both will play vital roles in the Dodgers' successes during the next decade. The deal, which includes utility player Gene Mauch, sends hurlers Vic Lombardi, Al Gregg, and Dixie Walker, a former batting champ who asked to be traded in the spring because he didn't want to play with Jackie Robinson, to Pittsburgh.

Cox

Jackie Roe Hodges


After Branch Rickey announced that the second baseman would be on the Opening Day roster, longtime Dodger Dixie Walker began circulating a petition among his teammates to have Robinson removed from the team.
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1961 The Mets purchase outfielder Richie Ashburn from the Cubs. The veteran outfielder, who will be the club's first-ever representative on the National League's All-Star team, will be given a boat after being named the Most Valuable Player of the last-place team, which unfortunately will sink before he uses it.

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1966 The Yankees trade two-time MVP Roger Maris to the Cardinals for third baseman Charley Smith, who will hit only .224 during his two-year tenure in New York. The former Bronx Bomber outfielder will play a vital role in the Redbirds' World Championship next season, helping the club win another pennant the following year.

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1980 The first significant trade ever made at the annual winter meeting occurs in Dallas when Padres' reliever Rollie Fingers and Cardinals' catcher Terry Kennedy are the key players involved in an eleven-player swap.

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1983 The Dodgers trade southpaw Sid Fernandez and utility infielder Ross Jones to the Mets in exchange for infielder/outfielder Bob Bailor and left-hander Carlos Diaz. 'El Sid' will compile a 98-78 record, posting a respectable ERA of 3.14 during his ten-year tenure with New York.

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1988 Free-agent southpaw Bruce Hurst agrees to a three-year, $5.25 million deal to pitch for the Padres. The left-hander leaves the Red Sox, the only major league team he has known, after compiling an 88-73 record during nine seasons with Boston.

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1992 Former Pirates outfielder Barry Bonds signs the richest contract in major league history when he agrees to a $43-million, six-year deal to play for the Giants. The free agent will not disappoint the San Francisco fans, winning the National League Most Valuable Player award, his third in four years, when he hits a career-high .336 batting average to go along with 46 homers and 123 RBIs.

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1992 Replacing Lee MacPhail, the owners elect Dr. Bobby Brown as the American League president. The former Yankee infielder, now a heart specialist, will serve in the post until 1994.

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2005 After signing the two-time Gold Glove shortstop to a four-year, $40 million deal, the Red Sox trade Edgar Renteria to the Braves for third base prospect Andy Marte. The 30-year-old Colombian infielder, who led the majors with 30 errors last season, will fill the void created when Atlanta's free-agent Rafael Furcal signed with the Dodgers earlier this week.

Edgar Renteria Andy Marte

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2005 The Pirates send southpaw Dave Williams (10-11, 4.41) to the Reds for Pittsburgh area native Sean Casey. The popular first baseman, dubbed 'The Mayor' because of his outgoing personality, becomes expendable as Cincinnati seeks to bolster its pitching to complement the team's heavy-hitting lineup.

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2005 Julio Franco, the oldest player in the major leagues, signs a two-year deal with the Mets. The 47-year-old is the last active player who was born in the 1950s.

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2007 In U.S. District Court, Barry Bonds pleads not guilty to five felony charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. Four years ago, the federal government challenged the sworn testimony given by the new home run king to a grand jury, in which he denied using performance-enhancing drugs.

2008 Casting 10 of their possible 12 votes (83.3%), the Veterans Committee elect Joe Gordon to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The 1942 Most Valuable Player, who played second base for the Yankees and Indians, was a nine-time All-Star and played on five World Series champion teams.

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2009 As a result of a three-team, seven-player transaction, Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson leave the Tigers to play for the Yankees and Diamondbacks, respectively, and New York deals right-hander Ian Kennedy to Arizona. The Bronx Bombers also send Phil Coke and Austin Jackson to Detroit, and the D-Backs trade Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth to the Motor City.

 

2009 Peter Gammons, who won the 2004 J.G. Taylor Spink Award for his outstanding work as a baseball journalist, announces he will leave ESPN to join the fledgling MLB Network as an analyst. The 64-year-old reporter says he will miss his former employer of the past twenty years but is excited about working in a venue that is "devoted to baseball, and baseball only.”

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2009 Avoiding arbitration, Mark Teahen and the White Sox agree to a $14 million, three-year deal. The 28-year-old third baseman, acquired in a trade with the Royals last month for infielders Chris Getz and Josh Fields, would have been eligible for free agency after the 2011 season.

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2009 Chone Figgins (.298, 5, 54) and the Mariners finalized the $36 million, four-year deal which will bring the former L.A. Angel to Seattle. The 31-year-old infielder, who primarily played third, will switch to a new position if free-agent Adrian Beltre, the team's current third baseman, returns to the team after an injury-plagued season.

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2011 In the first of their two major free-agent acquisitions today, the Angels sign former Texas ace C. J. Wilson to a five-year, $77.5 million deal. Later in the day, the 31-year-old southpaw will be delighted to hear one of his new teammates will be Albert Pujols, who will sign a 10-year deal with the Halos for a reported $254 million.

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2011 The Angels reach an agreement with Albert Pujols on a 10-year deal for a reported $254 million. The three-time NL MVP, who has spent his entire career with the Cardinals, has compiled a .328 batting average and hit 445 career home runs during his 11-year tenure in the major leagues.

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2012 International Olympic Committee votes in favor of allowing host cities to propose including one or more additional events for their games. The decision clears the way that baseball and softball may be included in the 2020 Tokyo Games because of their popularity in Japan after the IOC dropped both for the Beijing Games twelve years ago.

2015 Amanda Hopkins is hired by the A's as a full-time major league scout, becoming the first female to hold that position in over seventy years. The 22-year-old former Central Washington University softball captain, whose dad is also a scout, joins Edith Houghton and Bessie Largent, pioneers who held similar positions with the Phillies and White Sox, respectively, in the 1930s and 1940s.

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2017 Shohei Ohtani, a prized Japanese pitcher as well a power hitter, comes to terms with the Angels with a very reasonable signing agreement. Los Angeles will place the 23-year-old Oshe native, one of the most widely-sought prospects in baseball history, atop their starting rotation and in the middle of their lineup.

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142,816

 

Dave Stieb had a filthy slider
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Johnny Bench: 1976 World Series MVP 2X NL MVP 2X World Series Champ 10X Gold Glove 14X All-Star 2,048 Hits 389 Home Runs 1,376 RBIs Threw out 469 Baserunners
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December 9 Baseball Birthdays
1925 Bill Bruton outfielder (NL stolen bases leader 1953-55 Milwaukee Braves), born in Penola, Alabama (d. 1995)


1930 Charlie Jones sportscaster (Almost Anything Goes), born in Fort Smith, Arkansas (d. 2008)

1931 Whitey Herzog HOF manager (World Series 1982, NL Manager of the Year 1985 St Louis Cardinals), born in New Athens, Illinois


1935 Bob Gibson Hall of Fame pitcher (NL Cy Young Award 1968, 70; NL MVP 1968; 9 x MLB All Star; St. Louis Cardinals), born in Omaha, Nebraska (d. 2020)


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This Day in Baseball History December 9​

1913 On the same day, the Dodgers offer the Reds $35,000 for Joe Tinker, the team's owner Charles Ebbets joins the National League Board of Directors. The 33-year-old shortstop will jump to the Federal League as player-manager of the Chicago Whales for $12,000 when Brooklyn delays meeting his salary demands of being paid a 'commission' of $10,000 of his final sale price of $25,000.

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1941 Although having a 3-C draft deferment due to being the sole support of his family, Bob Feller, last year's American League-leading pitcher with 27 wins for the Indians, becomes the first major leaguer to enlist after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. At a Chicago courthouse, former heavyweight boxing champion Gene Tunney swears in the 23-year-old navy recruit, who has already recorded 107 victories.

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1941 The Yankees trade prospect Tommy Holmes to the Braves for Gene Moore and Buddy Hassett, the two players to be named later. Boston's new 24-year-old outfielder, who hit over .300 during his 11-year career, will establish the National League record consecutive game-hitting streak with 37, a mark that Pete Rose will surpass in 1978.

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1959 The White Sox deal right fielder Johnny Callison to the Phillies in exchange for infielder Gene Freese, who will play in Chicago for one year after the trade before returning to the Southside team in 1965. Philadelphia's new outfielder will become the mainstay in the City of Brotherly Love, compiling a .271 average and hitting 185 home runs (fifth-best in franchise history at the time) while providing rock-solid defense during his decade with the team.

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1965 The Reds deal Frank Robinson to the Orioles for Milt Pappas, Jack Baldschun, and Dick Simpson. The trade, now considered among the worst in baseball history, was defended by Cincinnati's general manager Bill DeWitt who claimed the outfield slugger was "an old 30" before the future Hall of Famer won the American League triple crown in his first year in Baltimore.

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1965 Eleven days before his 84th birthday, Branch Rickey dies of heart failure while in intensive care at Boone County Memorial Hospital in Columbia (MO). The former executive of the Cardinals, Dodgers, and Pirates, named by ESPN as the most influential sports figure of the twentieth century, broke the color barrier in 1947 with the signing of Jackie Robinson and implemented the concept of farm systems for the major leagues.

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1976 The Rangers trade Jeff Burroughs to the Braves for Adrian Devine, Ken Henderson, Dave May, Roger Moret, Carl Morton, and an estimated $250,000. The former American League MVP (1974) will hit 41 home runs in his first season with Atlanta.

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1977 The Mariners trade outfielder Dave Collins to the Reds for rookie left-hander Shane Rawley. The southpaw will post a 20-31 record during his four seasons in Seattle, and Cincinnati's new fly chaser will hit .284 in his seven years in the Queen City.

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1977 The A's announce a deal, which will send pitcher Vida Blue to Cincinnati for outfielder Dave Revering and $1.75 million in cash. Baseball commissioner Kuhn cancels the proposed trade, stating the transaction would be bad for baseball because it would benefit an already strong team without losing significant talent.

 

1980 The Cubs trade reliever 27-year-old Bruce Sutter to the Cardinals for outfielder Leon Durham and infielder Ken Reitz. The future Hall of Fame closer will lead the league in saves in three of the four years during his four-year tenure with the Redbirds, averaging nearly 32 per season.

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1984 At the Montreal Forum, the Los Angeles Kings draft Tom Glavine in the fourth round (69th overall) ahead of future NHL Hall of Famers Brett Hull and Luc Jean-Marie Robitaille. The Cooperstown-bound southpaw, who will record 305 major league victories, also declined a scholarship offer to play hockey for the University of Lowell, opting to sign with the Braves.

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1988 In a deal given credit for starting a trend for more games broadcast by a regional sports network than on over-the-air stations, the Yankees sign a twelve-year television contract with the Madison Square Garden Network. In 2002, the Yankees left MSG to form a regional cable television channel, the Yankees Entertainment and Sports (YES) Network.

1992 Free agent Greg Maddux signs the richest guaranteed contract ever given to a pitcher, a five-year, $28 million contract with the Braves. The current Cy Young Award winner leaves the Cubs, his team for the previous seven seasons after contract talks become contentious.

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1993 Randy Johnson (19-8, 3.24, 308) re-signs with the Mariners for $20.25 million over three years. The 29-year-old southpaw will post a 36-8 record during the term of the deal, with half of the victories coming in the Unit's 18-2 campaign in 1995.

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1994 The Rangers trade Jose Canseco (.282, 31, 90) to the Red Sox for outfielder Otis Nixon and infielder Luis Ortiz. During his two seasons with Boston, the 29-year-old slugger will compile a .298 batting average, hitting 52 of his 462 career home runs.

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1997 The Giants signed former Dodgers nemesis Orel Hershiser. The 39-year-old right-hander, who will post an 11-10 record with a 4.41 ERA in 202 innings, will spend only one season with San Francisco before moving on to the Mets the following season.

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1997 Before their inaugural season, the Devil Rays sign free agent third baseman Wade Boggs. The 40-year-old future Hall of Fame infielder will play his final two seasons with Tampa Bay, collecting the franchise's first home run in the sixth inning of the team's first game of existence.

Boggs & Sandberg
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2000 At a Coors Field press conference, the Rockies announce the signing of free-agent starting pitcher Mike Hampton to the richest contract in baseball history, a $121 million, eight-year deal. The southpaw compiles a 21-28 record during his two-year tenure with Colorado before going to the Braves in 2003.

2003 Kazuo Matsui, a Japanese seven-time All-Star shortstop, agrees to a three-year $20.1-million deal with the Mets. Twenty-eight-year-old 'Little' Matsui hit .305 with 33 home runs while driving in 84 runs last season with the Seibu Lions.

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2007 Milton Bradley reaches a preliminary agreement with the Rangers on a $5+ million, one-year contract. The former free-agent Padres outfielder will be a designated hitter when not chasing fly balls.

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2008 Tony Kubek becomes the first analyst to receive the Ford C. Frick Award, an honor reserved for broadcasters by the Hall of Fame. Known for his outstanding work on the NBC Game of the Week telecasts, the former Yankee and Blue Jay broadcaster has not watched a single baseball game on television since he signed off the air in 1994.

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2009 Andy Pettitte (14-8, 4.16) agrees to an $11.75 million, one-year deal to return to the Yankees next season. The 37-year-old southpaw played a vital role in helping the team capture its 27th World Championship, going 4-0 in his five postseason starts, including victories in the clincher in all three postseason rounds against the Twins, Angels, and Phillies.

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2009 The Astros trade minor league prospects right-hander Robert Bono, infielder Luis Bryan, and a player to be named later to the Marlins in exchange for Matt Lindstrom, who recorded 15 of 17 save opportunities last season. Houston hopes the 29-year-old right-handed hard-throwing reliever, with his 100-mph fastball, can help fill the role of a late-inning stopper in their bullpen.

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2009 The Rangers, in budget mode, deal $12-million starting pitcher Kevin Millwood (13-10, 3.67) and $3 million to the Orioles for reliever Chris Ray and a player to be named later. Then, to restock their rotation, Texas reaches a preliminary agreement for less money with free-agent Rich Harden, who posted a 9-9 record with the Cubs last season.

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2010 The Cubs sign former Tampa Bay slugger free-agent Carlos Pena to a $10 million, one-year deal after spurning several multi-year offers from other clubs. The client of agent Scott Boras is optimistic about having a big season in Chicago, leading to a long-term contract for similar money made by fellow first basemen Ryan Howard ($125 million/5 years) and Mark Teixeira ($180 million/8 years).

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2010 The Cubs sign former Tampa Bay slugger free-agent Carlos Pena to a $10 million, one-year deal after spurning several multi-year offers from other clubs. The client of agent Scott Boras is optimistic about having a big season in Chicago, leading to a long-term contract for similar money made by fellow first basemen Ryan Howard ($125 million/5 years) and Mark Teixeira ($180 million/8 yeyears).

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2013 The Mets sign Curtis Granderson to a four-year, $60 million contract, the team's richest free-agent deal since Sandy Alderson became the GM in 2010. The 32-year-old outfielder, who hit 84 homers in two seasons for the Yankees before being limited to 61 games last year due to injuries, is expected to provide some much-needed power for the team ranked 25th in the long ball in 2013.

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2013 At the start of the annual Winter Meetings, Hall of Fame chairman Jane Forbes Clark announces the induction of managers Bobby Cox, Joe Torre, and Tony LaRussa into Cooperstown next summer. The trio of skippers, who have accumulated 7,558 regular-season wins, 17 pennants, and eight World Series titles, was elected unanimously by the 16-member Expansion Era Committee.

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