The following are the events that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball.
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1800s[]
- 1888 - In Detroit, Michigan is organized a club to compete in the International Association next season to take the place of the disbanded Detroit Wolverines, fifth place finishers this past season in the National League. The Wolverines sell of their stars, including Big Sam Thompson going to the Philadelphia Phillies, and the so-called "Big Four" Dan Brouthers to the Boston Beaneaters, Hardy Richardson to the Boston Reds and Jack Rowe and Deacon White to the Pittsburgh Alleghenys.
1900s-1940s[]
- 1919 - Clark Griffith becomes a club owner and president when he joins Philadelphia grain broker William Richardson in buying controlling interest in the Washington Senators for $175,000. Griffith, unable to get financial help from the American League, mortgages his Montana ranch to raise funds.
- 1930 - Veteran pitcher Hippo Vaughn is reinstated by Judge Landis after eight years of ineligibility. Vaughn, who had lost a double no-hitter duel to Fred Toney in the 1917 season, had jumped the Chicago Cubs in 1922. Vaughn chose to pitch for a semipro team following a salary dispute with Chicago. He will go to spring training with the Cubs in 1931 but will fail to make the team at age 43.
- 1932 - Donie Bush, pennant-winning manager of the American Association Minneapolis Millers, is named to manage the Cincinnati Reds.
- 1948 - In a move that will give their pitching ace for the next deacade, the Chicago White Sox acquire young left handed Billy Pierce from the Detroit Tigers for All-Star catcher Aaron Robinson. The Tigers even sweeten the deal with $10,000. Pierce will win 186 games for the White Sox over the next 13 years. Robinson will last fewer than three seasons in Detroit.
1950s-1960s[]
- 1950 - After nine years at the helm, the Cleveland Indians fire their manager, Lou Boudreau, amid the howls of fan protest. Although Boudreau's overall winning percentage is a moderate .529, he won 92 games in a fourth-place finish – his best showing since 97 victories in the 1948 World Championship season. Al Lopez, who has piloted Minneapolis (American Association) since 1948, takes over with a two-year contract.
- 1951 - In Tokyo, 50,000 fans are on hand as an American All-Star team battles a Central League All-Star team. Joe DiMaggio hits a 400 ft. home run in the eighth inning to tie the game at 1–1, then his brother Dom laces an RBI-triple in the ninth and later scores to give the Americans a 3–2 victory. The Americans have won 12 games and tied one.
- 1953 - The New York Giants end their tour of Japan. It is reported that each player received just $331 of the $3,000 they were promised.
- 1964 - The Braves sign a 25-year lease to play in the new Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.
- 1965 - San Francisco Giants outfielder Willie Mays, who hit .312 with 52 home runs and 112 RBI, is named National League MVP. Mays receives 224 votes to 177 for Sandy Koufax, who pitching for the Dodgers had a 2.04 ERA, won 26 games, allowed just 5.79 hits per nine innings, and struck out 382.
1970s-1980s[]
- 1971:
- Joe Torre, who hit 24 home runs for the St. Louis Cardinals and led the National League in RBI (137) and batting average (.363), wins the MVP Award over Willie Stargell of the Pittsburgh Pirates (48, 125, .295). Torre receives 318 points to Stargell's 222.
- Oakland Athletics pitcher Vida Blue adds the American League MVP to his list of awards for 1971, easily outpointing teammate Sal Bando 268-182.
- 1975 - The Kansas City Royals release slugger Harmon Killebrew, ending a 22-year career marked by 573 home runs, good for fifth on the all-time list.
- 1978 - In a major trade, the New York Yankees send former Cy Young Award winner Sparky Lyle along with four players to the Texas Rangers. In return, Texas pack up pitcher Dave Righetti and four players to the Yankees. Righetti, considered the top left handed prospect in the minors, will win Rookie of the Year honors in 1981.
- 1987 - In the closest vote in Cy Young Award history, Steve Bedrosian edges Rick Sutcliffe 57-55 to win the National League honors. Bedrosian is the third relief pitcher ever to win the award in the NL.
- 1988 - Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser, who posted a 23-8 record with 178 strikeouts and a 2.31 ERA, is a unanimous choice as National League Cy Young Award winner. Hershiser becomes the ninth pitcher in National League history to win the award unanimously. He receives all twenty-four first place votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America.
1990s[]
- 1992 - MLB owners refuse to grant permission for the San Francisco Giants to move to St. Petersburg, Florida.
- 1996 - At Tokyo, in the finale of the Japanese team against the MLB All-Stars, Japan rally for three runs to earn an 8–8 tie. The Americans hit .302 in the series with 11 home runs, and come away with four wins, two losses, and two ties. None of the games go extra innings. Steve Finley, who hit 8-for-20 with nine RBI, is named MVP.
- 1997:
- Roger Clemens becomes the first American League pitcher to win the Cy Young Award four times. Clemens, the first pitcher since Hal Newhouser in 1945 to win the pitching Triple Crown in the American League, led the league in wins (21), strikeouts (292) and ERA (2.05) in his first season with the Toronto Blue Jays. Clemens won his first three Cy Young Awards with the Boston Red Sox in 1986, 1987 and 1991.
- The Cincinnati Reds trade pitcher Jeff Brantley to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for first baseman Dmitri Young.
- 1998:
- The Atlanta Braves trade pitchers Denny Neagle and Rob Bell and outfielder Michael Tucker to the Cincinnati Reds for second baseman Bret Boone and P Mike Remlinger.
- Texas Rangers outfielder Juan González is named the American League MVP. His 157 RBI total was the most in the AL in 49 years. 101 came in by the All-Star break.
- 1998 - Oakland Athletics outfielder Ben Grieve is named the American League Rookie of the Year.
- 1999 - Jack McKeon of the Cincinnati Reds is named the National League Manager of the Year.
2000s[]
- 2003 - Florida Marlins pitcher Dontrelle Willis wins the National League Rookie of the Year Award. Willis is the only player in either league named on every BBWAA ballot.
- 2004:
- Buck Showalter wins his second American League Manager Award, after piloting the Rangers to an 89-73 record – an 18-game victories improvement from the previous season. He also copped the honor in 1994 managing the Yankees.
- The BBWAA selects Bobby Cox as the National League Manager of the Year. Although the team loses Greg Maddux, Gary Sheffield, Javy López and Vinny Castilla to free agency, the Atlanta Braves, with a 96-58 under Cox, still capture their 13th straight, and unexpected, NL East Division flag.
- 2005 - St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter was named the winner of the National League Cy Young Award for 2005, topping Florida Marlins left-hander Dontrelle Willis in a close vote. The Cardinals' ace received 19 of 32 first-place votes from the BBWAA and finished with 132 points, 20 more than Willis, who garnered 11 first-place votes. Roger Clemens of the Houston Astros, the only other pitcher named on every ballot, was a distant third with two first-place votes and 40 points.
Births[]
- 1857 - Jim Whitney, pitcher (d. 1891)
- 1878 - Cy Morgan, pitcher (d. 1962)
- 1896 - Jimmy Dykes, All-Star player and manager (d. 1976)
- 1912 - Birdie Tebbetts, All-Star player and manager (d. 1999)
- 1922 - Johnny Lipon, infielder (d. 1998)
- 1923 - Cal Ermer, player and manager (d. 2009)
- 1930 - Gene Conley, All-Star pitcher
- 1934 - Norm Cash, All-Star infielder (d. 1986)
- 1953 - Larry Christenson, pitcher
- 1953 - Larry Parrish, All-Star infielder
- 1954 - Bob Stanley, All-Star pitcher
- 1955 - Jack Clark, All-Star outfielder
- 1964 - Keith Lockhart, infielder
- 1964 - Junior Noboa, infielder
- 1964 - Kenny Rogers, All-Star pitcher
- 1971 - Butch Huskey, outfielder
- 1972 - Shawn Green, All-Star outfielder
- 1977 - Matt Cepicky, outfielder
- 1978 - Jorge DePaula, pitcher
- 1981 - Tony Blanco, infielder/outfielder