BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

Connie Johnson, pitcher for the Kansas City Monarchs, #Orioles and others, was born #OTD in 1922. An All-Star in 1940, he led the league in wins, strikeouts, shutouts and complete games in 1946, and led the AL in FIP and SO/W ratio in 1957.
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December 29 Baseball Birthdays
1938 Wayne Huizenga owner (Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers, Florida Marlins), born in Evergreen Park, Illinois (d. 2018)

1962 Devon White outfielder (MLB All-Star 1989, 93, 98; World Series 1992, 93 Toronto Blue Jays, 1997 Florida Marlins; 7 × Gold Glove Award), born in Kingston, Jamaica


1968 James Mouton outfielder (Houston Astros), born in Denver, Colorado

1973 Theo Epstein, baseball executive and President of Baseball Operations, born in NYC, New York

1973 Tomas Perez infielder (Toronto Blue Jays), born in Lara, Venezuela


1974 Richmond "Richie" Sexson born in Portland, Oregon


1975 Jaret Wright born in Anaheim, California Pitcher NY Yankees


1977 Jimmy Journell born in Springfield, Ohio


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This Day in Baseball History December 29​

1878 In Havana, the first game is played in the Professional Baseball League of Cuba, later known as the Cuban League, when hometown Habana edges its rivals from suburban Almendares, 21-20. Player-manager Esteban Enrique Bellan, who will become the first Latino to appear in the major leagues for the Troy Haymakers and the New York Mutuals of the National Association from 1871 to 1873, leads the winning team.

HAYMAKERS

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1932 The Boston Braves reacquire Shanty Hogan when they purchase the catcher traded away four years ago to the Giants for $25,000. The slow-footed but gifted defensive backstop lost his spot in the New York lineup at the end of the season when new player-manager Bill Terry, who replaced the legendary John McGraw in early June, elected to build the team around speed and pitching.

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1933 Babe Ruth loses an opportunity to manage the Reds when Jacob Ruppert refuses to release his 38-year-old outfielder. The Yankee owner still viewed the aging superstar, who batted .301 with 34 home runs and 103 RBIs last season, as an asset to the team.

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1969 The New York Times reports Curt Flood will challenge the reserve clause by suing major league baseball. The Cardinal outfielder's legal action, whose case will ultimately be appealed unsuccessfully in the U.S. Supreme Court, paves the way for the players in the future to overturn baseball's reserve clause in their attempt to gain free agency.

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1973 Philip G. Epstein, an American screenwriter, best known, along with his identical twin, Julius, and Howard Koch, for writing the 1942 Academy Award-winning screenplay for Casablanca, welcomes his fraternal twin grandsons into the world. In twenty-eight years, the 60-second younger brother of Paul, Theo, will become the youngest GM in major league baseball history when the Red Sox hired him in 2002.

1977 Melissa Ludtke, female Sports Illustrated sportswriter, files suit against major league baseball, the Yankees, and New York City officials for denying her access to the locker room to interview players during the World Series. In September, a federal judge will rule that the Bronx Bombers can no longer enforce an MLB policy that bans female reporters in the locker rooms because it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment giving an unfair advantage to males.

2002 Sending a huge dust cloud down the Ohio River, Cinergy Field, formerly known as Riverfront Stadium, is imploded with 1,275 pounds of explosives. The Reds' former home of 32 seasons was where Hank Aaron tied Babe Ruth's career home run record on Opening Day in 1974, and Pete Rose broke Ty Cobb's all-time hits record in 1985.

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2003 The Angels announced their ballpark will now be known as Angel Stadium of Anaheim. In 1997, their 41-year-old home, known as Anaheim Stadium, was renamed Edison International Field.

 

2005 Agreeing to a $60 million, five-year contract, Indians free agent Kevin Millwood (9-11, 2.86) joins the Rangers' new and improved rotation as the ace the team has been seeking. The 31-year-old right-hander, who had the lowest ERA in the American League last season, will anchor a staff including newcomers Vicente Padilla (9-12, 4.71) and Adam Eaton (11-5, 4.27), acquired from the Phillies and Padres, respectively.

Vicente Padilla Adam Eaton


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2005 In an attempt to permit Cuba to participate in the 16-team World Baseball Classic, Venezuela offers to host the Group C teams in place of the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and suggests the finals be played in Canada rather than in San Diego's Petco Park. The venue change would mean Castro's charges would avoid playing on U.S. soil and not be subject to the U.S. Treasury Department regulations, which ban the team due to American trade and financial embargoes.

2009 Mark DeRosa, a veteran .275 hitter, signs a $12 million, two-year deal with the Giants. The 34-year-old versatile infielder, who Cleveland traded to the Cardinals at the end of June, will likely play first or third base and hit fifth behind cleanup batter Pablo Sandoval.

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2009 The Mets and Jason Bay, a former farmhand, agree to a four-year deal worth approximately $66 million, including a vesting option for a fifth year for an additional $14 million. The 31-year-old outfielder joined the organization as a minor leaguer in 2002 when Omar Minaya, then the general manager of the Expos, traded the Class-A pull hitter to New York, who shipped him four months later to San Diego as part of an undistinguished deal.

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2012 Ruth Ann Steinhagen, the infamous 19-year-old obsessed fan who shot former Phillies' first baseman Eddie Waitkus in 1949 at Chicago's Edgewater Beach Hotel, dies anonymously at 83. Her crime, the inspiration for the book and movie The Natural, put a spotlight on 'baseball Annies,' young, hero-worshipping females who relentlessly pursued major league ballplayers.

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2020 The Rays trade 2018 Cy Young Award recipient Blake Snell to the San Diego Padres in exchange for minor league prospects Blake Hunt and Cole Wilcox along with RHP Luis Patiño and backstop Francisco Mejía. San Diego's newest southpaw joins Yu Darvis, recently obtained from the Cubs, at the top of the team's much-improved rotation.

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"We're getting paid to maintain our youth, so when I get out of the game I'll actually be about 22 years old." ~ Montreal #Expos pitcher Bill Lee on staying fit during spring training!
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Bill "Spaceman" Lee! ~ Born in Burbank, California on this day in 1946, Bill learned how to pitch from his Aunt Annabelle Lee, a star pitcher for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League!


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PETE
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Vlad Guerrero
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Babe Ruth and Dizzy Dean
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December 30 Baseball Birthdays

1935 Sandy Koufax Hall of Fame pitcher (7 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1955, 59, 63, 65; perfect game 1967; Cy Young Award 1963, 65, 66; Triple Crown 1963, 65, 66; LA Dodgers), born in Brooklyn, New York



1976 A.J. Pierzynski


1977 Grant Balfour

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This Day in Baseball History
December 30​

1925 The Giants deal two pitchers, southpaw Jack Bentley and right-hander Wayland Dean, to the Phillies for righty hurler Jimmy Ring. Philadelphia's new pitchers post a 0-3 record for their new team, with Ring compiling a mediocre 11-10 mark for New York before being included in the off-season blockbuster trade, swapping Rogers Hornsby and Frankie Frisch from St. Louis to the Big Apple for one season.

Rogers Hornsby and Frankie Frisch

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1926 The Chicago Tribune reports the 1917 Tigers had thrown a four-game early September series to the eventual world champion White Sox at Comiskey Park, helping Chicago win the pennant by ten games over the Red Sox. After a three-day hearing, Commissioner Judge Landis clears all the accused, ruling a lack of evidence except for players paying another team for winning.

Landis

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1935 Dodger left-hander Sanford Braun is born in Brooklyn. In his 12-year career, the southpaw will compile a winning percentage of .655 (165-87), whiff 300 batters or more in three seasons, and fanning 18 to set a major league mark for Ks in a single game, and will become better known as Sandy Koufax.

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1943 In a trade of the Babes in Pennsylvania, the Phillies send first baseman Babe Dahlgren to the Pirates for catcher Babe Phelps and cash. As a Yankee infielder in 1939, Dahlgren replaced Lou Gehrig after the 'Iron Horse' had played in a major-league record of 2,130 consecutive games.

Babe Dahlgren Babe Phelps
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2002 Citing this season, his 20th, will probably be his last, 40-year-old Roger Clemens (13-6, 4.35) agrees to a $10.1 million, one-year deal with the Yankees. The 19-year veteran, who has won the Cy Young Award six times, is seven victories shy of 300, a milestone the Rocket will reach in June against the Cardinals.

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2004 Project Club Clemente will send aid, originally destined for Nicaragua in memory of the anniversary of Roberto Clemente's tragic flight 32 years ago, to the earthquake and tsunami victims in Southern Asia. Roberto Clemente, Jr., who, with the organization's help, collected two tons of supplies and raised nearly $20,000 to reenact his father's unfinished mission, decides to postpone the ceremonial flight and divert the relief to help those in desperate need right now.

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2008 Chris Snyder remains a Diamondback after agreeing to a reported three-year deal worth $14.5 million. The 27-year-old catcher becomes the latest individual to sign a multi-year contract with Arizona as the team attempts to develop a group of core players who will stay and play together for the long term.

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1955 Topps Sandy Koufax Rookie Baseball Card
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Gary Carter. Expos
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Hank Willie Roberto



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