The following are the events that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball.
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1800s[]
- 1884 - National League president Abraham G. Mills resigns and is replaced by former league secretary Nick Young.
- 1885 - At an National League meeting, it is decided that that the Buffalo Bisons "Big Four" (Dan Brouthers, Hardy Richardson, Jack Rowe and Deacon White) can play for the Detroit Wolverines next season.
1900s-1950s[]
- 1900 - At an American League meeting at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Chicago, Ban Johnson says the AL chose not to renew the National Agreement with the National League, but sees no need for friction between the two leagues.
- 1921 - Future Hall of Famer Roy Campanella is born in Philadelphia. Campanella will begin his professional career in the Negro Leagues in 1937 before arriving in the major leagues in 1948 with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
- 1928 - In one of their most important acquisitions ever, Cleveland Indians GM Billy Evans sends $40,000 and two players to the San Francisco Seals (PCL) for outfielder Earl Averill. A future Hall of Famer, Averill will play 11 years in Cleveland.
- 1937 - The St. Louis Browns release future Hall of Famer Jim Bottomley, who had served the team as first baseman/manager. The move ends the 16-year playing career of Bottomley, who leaves the game with 219 home runs and a .310 batting mark.
- 1939 - The National Professional Indoor Baseball League, headed by league president Tris Speaker, begins play. The league has 10 clubs, one in each then major-league city except Washington. Alas, it disappears within a month.
- 1952 - American League President Will Harridge says there will be greater fines for managers who use abusive language while arguing with umpires.
1960s-1980s[]
- 1960 - The new Washington Senators name Mickey Vernon the first manager in franchise history. An exceptional hitter during his playing career, Vernon played for the original Washington Senators franchise from 1939 to 1948.
- 1962 - The St. Louis Cardinals send newly acquired pitcher Don Cardwell, along with shortstop Julio Gotay, to the Pittsburgh Pirates for SS Dick Groat and P Diomedes Olivo. Groat, the National League MVP in 1960, will be an All-Star for the next two seasons and will become a force in Cardinals World Championship in 1964.
- 1963 - Hank Bauer is named to replace Billy Hitchcock as manager of the Baltimore Orioles.
- 1968 - New York Yankees pitcher Stan Bahnsen, who posted a 17-12 record with 162 strikeouts and a 2.05 ERA, is named American League Rookie of the Year. Bahnsen easily outdistances outfielder Del Unser of the Washington Senators.
- 1975 - By the most overwhelming margin ever, Cincinnati Reds second baseman Joe Morgan is named [[MLB Most Valuable Player Award|National League Most Valuable Player. Morgan batted .327 with 67 stolen bases and a league-leading 132 walks.
- 1976 - The Milwaukee Brewers sign free agent third baseman Sal Bando to a multi-year contract. Bando, the captain of three consecutive World Championship teams in Oakland, will play the final five seasons of his career in Milwaukee. He will bat .250 with 17 home runs and 82 RBI in his first season with the Brewers.
- 1979 - The Houston Astros sign free agent pitcher Nolan Ryan. The former California Angels ace and future Hall of Fame member signs a four-year deal worth $4.5 million, making him the highest paid player in major league history. Ryan also becomes the first player to earn a $1 million annual salary.
1980s-1990s[]
- 1986 - Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt wins the National League Most Valuable Player Award, joining Stan Musial and Roy Campanella as the only three-time NL award winners. Schmidt led the NL with 37 home runs and 119 RBI.
- 1990 - Barry Bonds of the Pittsburgh Pirates wins the National League MVP Award, easily outdistancing teammate and runner-up Bobby Bonilla. Bonds hit .301 with 23 home runs, 114 RBI, and 52 stolen bases.
- 1992:
- The Pittsburgh Pirates trade second baseman José Lind to the Kansas City Royals for pitchers Dennis Moeller and Joel Johnston.
- Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros is named National League Rookie of the Year. Karros hit .257 with 20 home runs, becoming the first Dodgers rookie to reach 20 homers since Frank Howard in 1960.
- 1993:
- The Montréal Expos acquire starting pitcher Pedro Martínez from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for second baseman Delino DeShields.
- Free agent Howard Johnson iis signed by the Colorado Rockies.
- 1996 - MLB most controversial owner, Jerry Reinsdorf, and most controversial player, Albert Belle, join forces with the Chicago White Sox. Belle signs a record five-year, $55M deal that makes him the first player to surpass the $10M per year mark. Reinsdorf, seen as the instigator in the owners' vote against the collective bargaining agreement, draws the ire of owners in both leagues who feel Reinsdorf sold them out.
- 1998:
- Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa is an easy winner in the National League MVP Award balloting over Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals, creating an historic Hispanic American sweep of the MVP awards with Texas Rangers OF Juan González winning the award in the American League this season. Sosa received 30 of 32 first-place votes after leading the Cubs to a wild card spot in the NL playoffs.
- The Philadelphia Phillies trade pitchers Ricky Bottalico and Garrett Stephenson to the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Ron Gant, pitchers Jeff Brantley and Cliff Politte, and cash consideration.
- The St. Louis Cardinals sign free agents Eric Davis and reliever Scott Radinsky to a two-year contracts.
2000s[]
- 2000:
- Free agent outfielder Ellis Burks is signed by the Cleveland Indians to a three-year contract.
- The Chicago Cubs obtain third baseman Bill Mueller from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for pitcher Tim Worrell.
- 2001 - San Francisco Giants left fielder Barry Bonds is named National League Most Valuable Player by the Baseball Writers Association of America with 30 of 32 first-place votes. Bonds, who hit .328 with 73 home runs and 137 RBI, wins the Award for an unprecedented fourth time. Previously, he was awarded as a Pittsburgh Pirates member in 1990, 1992 and 1993. Three-time MVP Award winners include Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial and Mike Schmidt, all of them Hall of Famers.
- 2002 - Jesse Orosco, agrees to a one-year contract with the San Diego Padres estimated at $800,000. Orosco started his major league career in 1979 with the New York Mets (traded by the Minnesota Twins for Jerry Koosman). He will retire the next season at age 45, after set a ML record with 1,252 games pitched.
- 2004 - The Los Angeles Angels trade outfielder José Guillén to the Washington Nationals for OF Juan Rivera and IF Maicer Izturis. Guillén, now playing for his sixth team in an eight-year career, was suspended by the Angels after throwing a batting helmet during a tirade caused by being taken out for a pinch runner last September.
Births[]
- 1862 - Billy Sunday, outfielder (d. 1935)
- 1892 - Everett Scott, infielder (d. 1960)
- 1921 - Roy Campanella, Hall of Fame catcher (d. 1993)
- 1930 - Joe Morgan, player and manager
- 1938 - Ted Turner, executive
- 1943 - Aurelio Monteagudo, pitcher (d. 1990)
- 1945 - Bobby Tolan, outfielder
- 1947 - Bob Boone, All-Star catcher and manager
- 1956 - Dickie Noles, pitcher
- 1967 - Gary DiSarcina, All-Star infielder
- 1977 - Justin Duchscherer, pitcher
- 1979 - John-Ford Griffin, outfielder
- 1979 - Ryan Howard, infielder