Baseball Hall of Fame legends Jackie Robinson, Ernie Banks and Nolan Ryan were all born on January 31st!
Baseball Birthdays February 1, 2024 ********************************* 1910 - Dutch Lieber,25 years old when he broke into the big leagues on April 18, 1935, with the Philadelphia Athletics 1915 - Woody Abernathy, Millers pitcher every time fans see him put something behind his fastball, toss up his effective change of pace or curve, they say to themselves: 'That gent could be quite a pitcher.'" 1943 - Ron Woods Tigers,Yankees, Expos 1944 -Hal King, Oviedo, Florida Astros,Braves,Rangers,Rds played with the Indianapolis Clowns (Negro Leagues) prior to making it to the majors, and when he did on September 6, 1967, he became the first Oviedo High School graduate to play in the big leagues. 1944 -Paul Blair, Orioles,Yankes, Reds played very shallow. People talked about how Willie Mays played shallow, and Paul did the same thing. He played with assuredness. 1966 -Eduardo Zambrano, Cubs Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela 1967 -Juan Guerrero, Astros 1968 -Kent Mercker, broke into the big leagues 1989, with the Atlanta Braves ****************************************
This Day in Baseball History February 1st 1913 Olympic hero Jim Thorpe, turning down an offer from the last-place Browns, signs with the Giants, the defending NL champs. The Native American, who grew up in the Sac and Fox Nation in Oklahoma, will compile a lifetime .252 batting average during his six seasons in the major leagues, including stints with the Reds and Braves. 1914 In the first game ever in the Egyptian desert, the White Sox and Giants play to a 3-3 tie. The contest is part of a 56-game world tour, including stops in Tokyo, Paris, and London, organized by New York manager John McGraw and Chicago owner Charles Comiskey to promote baseball globally. 1954 In a six-player trade, the Braves deal a pair of southpaws, Johnny Antonelli and Don Liddle, catcher Ebba St. Claire, and shortstop Billy Klaus to the Giants for playoff hero Bobby Thomson and backstop Sammy Calderone. Milwaukee's new outfielder will break his ankle in an exhibition game and appears in only 43 games, while Johnny Antonelli posts a 21-7 record, leading the league with an ERA of 2.30 for his new team in New York. 1957 At the American League meeting in New York, a three-member committee consisting of George Weiss, Hank Greenberg, and Joe Cronin submits a catastrophe plan, enabling a club affected by a transportation accident to field a high-caliber team. The proposal, prompted by the teams' increased use of air travel, calls for the disabled club after a disaster to make selections from a talent pool created by each Junior Circuit team submitting ten names from its active 25-man roster.
1970 The Special Veterans Committee selects Earle Combs, a lifetime .325 hitter EARLE COMBS WAS THE LEAD-OFF HITTER FOR SOME OF THE GREATEST YANKEES TEAMS during his 12 years with the Yankees, and Jesse Haines, a right-hander who posted a 210-158 (.571) record during his 18 years with the Cardinals, for induction into the Hall of Fame. The group also elects former commissioner Ford Frick, who campaigned for a Hall of Fame to honor baseball's greatest baseball players when he became the National League president in 1934 Combs Haines 1973 Commissioner Bowie Kuhn announces the selection of Monte Irvin to the Hall of Fame by the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues. The outfielder, who hit .293 during his eight seasons in the major leagues, played a pivotal role in the Giants' National League Championship in 1951, hitting .312 with 24 homers and a league-leading 121 RBIs. 1976 The East Lansing police arrest Mike Marshall for taking batting practice on the Michigan State University campus. MSU officials had asked the Dodger reliever not to hit baseballs near the tennis courts, fearing for the safety of the students. 1985 The Giants trade first baseman Jack Clark to the Cardinals for David Green, Jose Uribe, Dave LaPoint, and Gary Rajsich. The Silver Slugger Award recipient will play a pivotal role in the Redbirds winning the National League pennant this season. 1999 The Yankees trade highly-touted third base prospect Mike Lowell to the Marlins for minor league pitchers Eddie Yarnall, Todd Noel, and Mark Johnson. Scott Brosius' outstanding 1998 performance made the former minor league player of the year expendable. 2001 Postseason hero Jim Leyritz signs a $500,000, one-year minor league contract with the Mets. The former Yankee has hit one home run per 7.6 postseason at-bats, making his performance the third-best for players with five or more postseason round-trippers.
2002 Six-time All-Star Kenny Lofton (.261, 14, 66) agrees to a $1.25 million, one-year contract with the White Sox. The 34-year-old center fielder, who has played with the Indians, Braves, and Astros during his 11-year major league career, has a .302 lifetime batting average. 2003 Red Sox president Larry Lucchino announces four United States senators, Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), John F. Kerry (D-MA), John McCain (R-AZ), and Tom Daschle (D-SD), plan to file legislation nominating Jackie Robinson for the Congressional Gold Medal. Other medal recipients have included statesman George Washington, boxer Joe Louis, and poet Robert Frost. 2005 Yogi Berra files a $10 million lawsuit with the New York Supreme Court against Turner Broadcaster System due to a 'Sex and the City' ad, which used the Hall of Famer's name as a possible answer concerning the definition of yogasm. The choices included: (a) a type of yo-yo trick, (b) sex with Yogi Berra, and (c) what Samantha has with a guy from yoga class. 2006 At a luncheon at Safeco Field, Astros' second baseman Craig Biggio becomes the 41st recipient of the Hutch Award. The prestigious award, named in honor of Seattle's Fred Hutchinson, a major league pitcher and manager who died of cancer in 1964, is given annually to a Major League Baseball player who best exemplifies Hutch's fighting spirit and competitive desire. 2008 In the richest contract ever given to a pitcher, southpaw Johan Santana agrees to a $137.5 million, six-year deal, completing the blockbuster trade between the Twins and the Mets. In exchange for the two-time Cy Young Award winner, Minnesota gets four of New York's highly touted minor leaguers, including three top pitching prospects, Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey, and Deolis Guerra, as well as fleet-footed outfielder Carlos Gomez. 2008 Avoiding arbitration, the Indians sign Casey Blake (.270, 18, 78) to a $6.1 million, one-year deal. The 34-year-old third baseman moved to Cleveland's hot corner, replacing Andy Marte, who was injured and then sent back to the minors last season.
2010 The Hall of Fame announces that 58-year-old Jon Miller is the recipient of this year's Ford C. Frick Award, an honor for baseball broadcasting excellence. The veteran broadcaster, starting his career with the A's in 1974 and calling games for the Rangers, Red Sox, and Orioles, is the current voice of the Giants and has served as ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball play-by-play commentator along with color analyst Joe Morgan since the telecast's debut in 1990. 2010 The Reds trade center fielder Willy Taveras and infielder Adam Rosales to the A's for infielder Aaron Miles and a player to be named. Cincinnati, using the money they saved in the deal, agrees to a $3.02 million, one-year contract with Orlando Cabrera to become the team's starting shortstop 2011 Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon sign one-year deals with the Rays. The free-agent outfielders, former Red Sox teammates who won two world championships with Boston, will help Tampa Bay fill the void created by Gold Glover Carl Crawford's departure to their old team. 2011 Wandy Rodriguez and the Astros avoid arbitration by agreeing on a $34 million, three-year deal. The 32-year-old southpaw, who has compiled a 62-64 record in his six years in the majors, all with Houston, won eight of his last ten decisions, posting a 2.03 ERA over his final 18 starts last season. 2021 Much to the chagrin of their fans, the Rockies officially announce the Nolan Arenado trade, sending the third baseman and cash consideration to the Cardinals for five players, including southpaw Austin Gomber and four minor league prospects. In April, Colorado will fire General Manager Jeff Bridich over being fleeced by St. Louis and his handling of the All-Star infielder, who is dissatisfied with the front office's efforts to build a contender. ******************************************** 160,858
New York Giants players Monte Irvin, Willie Mays & Hank Thompson formed the first all African American outfield in World Series history! (October 4, 1951)
"I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me. All I ask is that you respect me as a human being." ~ Baseball legend & civil rights pioneer Jackie Robinson
Baseball Birthdays February 2, 2024 ********************************* 1908 -Bobby Coombs Indians 1908 -Wes Ferrell, broke into the big leagues on September 9, 1927, with the Cleveland Indians. best ball is his fast ball he also had a most servicable curve, and developed a baffling change of pace." 1923 -Red Schoendienst, according to Hank Aaron calling him 'a Moses come to lead (the Braves) out of the wilderness of bitter disappointment 1937 Don Buford Chicago White Sox. Orioles versatile switch-hitter with speed and a little power, and also the ability to draw walks 1938 -Max Alvis, Cleveland Indians 1954 -Rob Dressler, Giants, Cardinals, Mariners, Cubs 1962 -Pat Clements 1968 -Scott Erickson ****************************************
This Day in Baseball History February 2nd1876 The National League forms charter teams in Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Hartford, Louisville, New York, Philadelphia, and St. Louis. The Hartford Dark Blues will play its second season in Brooklyn as the Hartfords before disbanding in 1877. Hartford Dark Blues 1936 Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Walter Johnson, and Christy Mathewson are the first five men elected into baseball's new Hall Fame, scheduled to be open in 1939 as part of the game's celebration of its centennial. A claim made by the former 1905 Mills Commission, which proves to be erroneous, suggests that the national pastime was invented by Civil War hero Abner Doubleday in Cooperstown, making the small village in upstate New York the perfect place for the induction of the legendary ballplayers. 1950 At a Boston sportswriters dinner, infielder Bobby Doerr receives the Fred Hoey Award, given by the scribes in memory of the first full-time broadcaster for both the Red Sox and the Braves. The scrappy second baseman's friend and Boston teammate, Ted Williams, surprises the gathering by attending the event wearing a tie.
1972 Lefty Gomez, a southpaw best known for his four 20-win seasons with the Yankees, and Ross Youngs, a popular outfielder for the Giants who compiled a lifetime .322 batting average before succumbing to kidney disease at the age of 30, are selected by the Special Veterans Committee to be enshrined in Cooperstown. The group also gives the nod to former American League president William Harridge, initially hired to fill a three-year term as an interim but will hold the position for the next 27 years. 1976 With his election into Cooperstown, umpire Cal Hubbard becomes the only person elected to the baseball and football Halls of Fame. The big man from Keytesville, Missouri, named the National Football League's all-time offensive tackle, played with the Giants, Packers, and Pirates (Steelers) during his ten-year career in the NFL, and was inducted into the pro gridiron Hall of Fame in 1966. 1976 The Veteran's Committee elect veteran umpire Cal Hubbard, third baseman/outfielder Freddie Lindstrom, and one-time career home run champion Roger Connor to the Hall of Fame. The Waterbury Republican-American, Connor's hometown newspaper, had heavily lobbied for their native son after Hank Aaron passed Babe Ruth's record in 1974.
1986 After returning from a three-year absence due to a knee injury, right-hander Dennis Leonard announces his retirement. The 35-year-old, a twenty-game winner in 1977, 1978, and 1980, compiled an 8-13 record and a 4.44 ERA in his comeback attempt with the Royals. 1987 The Braves trade right-handed Craig McMurtry to the Blue Jays for second baseman Damaso Garcia and pitcher Luis Leal. The right-handers will never pitch for the new team, and Garcia will hit .117 in 21 games before being released by Atlanta. 1999 Padres' outfielder Greg Vaughn becomes the first player traded in major league history after hitting 50 home runs the previous season. San Diego deals the slugger and Mark Sweeney to the Reds for Reggie Sanders, Damian Jackson, and Josh Harris.
2001 Due to the Orioles moving home plate, a fly ball will take approximately seven more feet to clear Camden Yards' fences this season. The field's new alignment will also reduce the amount of foul territory, with the fair poles almost flush against the left- and right-field corners. 2003 Red Sox manager Grady Little, knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, and first-base coach Dallas Williams appear at the Atrium Mall in Newton, modeling the team's new look, including solid red socks. The Red Sox socks have had very little red in recent years and haven't been entirely red for over fifty years. 2005 The Blue Jays announce the three-year corporate contract to rename the SkyDome to the Rogers Centre. The controversial change, revealed by Ted Rogers, President and CEO of Rogers Communications, proves unpopular with many fans, most of whom continue to refer to the Toronto ballpark by its original moniker. 2005 The much-heralded Sammy Sosa trade to the Orioles becomes final when Commissioner Bud Selig approves the deal, and the 36-year-old slugger passes a physical. The Cubs exchange 'Slammin' Sammy' for second baseman Jerry Hairston Jr. and two minor-leaguers and agree to pay Baltimore $16.15 million of the remaining $25 million left on a four-year, $72 million contract signed in 2003.
2008 Filling a tall order, the Nationals avoid arbitration with Jon Rauch, signing the 6' 11" pitcher to a $3.2 million, two-year deal. The right-handed reliever, who led the big leagues with 88 appearances, compiled an 8-4 record with four saves while posting a 3.61 ERA in 87 1-3 innings of work. 2009 According to a report in The Sports Business Journal, MLB tax documents for the fiscal year ending October 31st, 2007, show Bud Selig receiving an $18.35 million salary. The compensation package, if correct, would make the commissioner better paid than most of the superstars in the game at the time, except for Jason Giambi, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Roger Clemens, all employed by the Yankees. 2011 Alexei Ramirez and the White Sox agree to a four-year, $32.5 million contract extension and a $10 million team option for an additional year. Earlier in the off-season, the Pale Hose picked up his option for 2011, coming to terms with the 29-year-old good-hitting shortstop with a base salary of $2.75 million. 2013 In front of a home crowd of 87 fans, the California Institute of Technology baseball team snaps a 228-game losing streak, beating Pacifica in a non-conference game, 9-7. The CalTech Beavers, whose last victory occurred on February 15th, 2003, haven't won a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest since 1988, a span of 463 games.
2017 The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame elects Roy Halladay, who posted a 148-76 (.661) record during his dozen seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, and Vladimir Guerrero, a four-time all-star while playing for the Montreal Expos. Other inductees include past Baseball Canada president Ray Carter, the 2015 Canadian men's team that won gold at the Pan-Am Games, and the late Little League umpire Doug Hudlin. View attachment 172659
