The following are the events that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball.
January |
February |
March |
April |
May |
June |
July |
August |
September |
October |
November |
December |
Sources |
1900s-1960s[]
- 1901 - Ban Johnson and Charles Comiskey lease Sportsman's Park for five years for an American League team. Two weeks later it is announced the Milwaukee Brewers franchise will became the St. Louis Browns.
- 1907 - The New York Yankees trade second baseman Jimmy Williams and outfielder Danny Hoffman to the St. Louis Browns for pitcher Fred Glade, 2B Harry Niles and OF Charlie Hemphill. Glade will pitch just five games in 1908 before retiring.
- 1914 - The ban on Sunday Baseball is upheld in Washington, DC by the Court of Appeals.
- 1922 - Pitcher Jim Bagby, Sr. is waived by the Cleveland Indians to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bagby won 31 games for Cleveland in the 1920 season.
- 1932 - In the Pacific Coast League, Tony Freitas of the Sacramento Solons pitches the first night game no-hitter, stopping the Oakland Oaks, 2–0, in nine innings.
- 1936 - The Brooklyn Dodgers name former pitcher and future Hall of Fame member Burleigh Grimes their new manager. Grimes replaces another future Hall of Famer – Casey Stengel.
- 1940 - Former pitcher Walter Johnson, who won 416 games for the Washington Senators, goes down in defeat as a Republican party candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland. Johnson entered the Hall of Fame in 1936.
- 1958 - The Baltimore Orioles replace general manager Paul Richards with future Hall of Famer Lee MacPhail. The Orioles allow Richards to continue in other role as the team field manager. Baltimore will end up with a 74-79 record.
- 1968 - Pitcher Denny McLain, a 31 game winner for the American League champion Detroit Tigers, is the unanimous choice as American League Most Valuable Player.
- 1969 - In a trade of pitchers, the Cincinnati Reds send George Culver to the St. Louis Cardinals for Ray Washburn.
1970-1990s[]
- 1970 - Former major league pitcher Charlie Root dies at the age of 71. Root posted a 201-160 record over 17 ML seasons, but was best known for an incident in the 1932 World Series. Root was on the mound for the Chicago Cubs when Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees allegedly “called his shot” before hitting a home run.
- 1976:
- Baltimore Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer, who led the American League with 22 victories and 315 innings pitched, easily outpoints Detroit Tigers rookie Mark Fidrych to win the American League Cy Young Award.
- The Oakland Athletics make an unusual trade by sending manager Chuck Tanner to the Pittsburgh Pirates for catcher Manny Sanguillén and $100,000. Sanguillén will play only one season in Oakland before returning to Pittsburgh. Tanner will lead the Pirates to the World Championship in 1979.
- The new franchises Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays select 30 players apiece from other American League teams in the expansion draft. The Mariners take outfielder Ruppert Jones with their first choice, while the Blue Jays tab infielder Bob Bailor with their initial pick.
- 1991:
- Terry Pendleton of the Atlanta Braves wins the American League Most Valuable Player. The third baseman led the NL in batting average (.319) and hits (187), tied for first in total bases (303) and was third in slugging average (517). Pendleton will be named Comeback Player of the Year, becoming the first major player to raise his average 80 points and add 16 home runs (six to 22). He also win his third Gold Glove Award. Barry Bonds is runner-up, as the two will switch places next year.
- The Cleveland Indians trade pitcher Greg Swindell to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Ps Jack Armstrong, Scott Scudder and Joe Turek.
- 1996 - New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is the unanimous choice as American League Rookie of the Year. Jeter becomes the eighth Yankees player to win the award and the fifth unanimous choice in AL history.
- 1997:
- In what Bud Selig says is Phase One of a realignment of the major leagues, his Milwaukee Brewers move from the American League to the National League.
- 1997 - In an unprecedented move, Davey Johnson resigns the same day he is named American League Manager of the Year. Despite the fact that Johnson ended Baltimore Orioles' 13-year American League playoff drought in 1996 and led the Orioles to the league's best record in 1997, a dispute over $10,500 in fines to second baseman Roberto Alomar ends Johnson's reign in Baltimore. Johnson directed the fines to be paid to a charity. Orioles owner Peter Angelos is upset with the way the matter is handled and Johnson resigns.
- 1999 - After two days of play in the 1999 Intercontinental Cup tourney in Sydney, Australia, the USA baseball team has a 2–0 record. Yesterday, they won 4–0 over Japan by scoring four runs in the ninth inning, including three on Dan Held's home run. Meanwhile, Cuba beats Taiwan, 1–0, to avenge a loss yesterday to Cuba, as Australia beats Italy after winning yesterday, 4–3 over the Netherlands, behind Montreal Expos pitcher Shayne Bennett.
2000s[]
- Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson wins the National League Cy Young Award, his fifth overall and fourth in a row. Johnson is the first NL player since the Mets' Dwight Gooden to win the pitching triple crown, going 24–5 with 334 strikeouts and a 2.37 ERA. Johnson also led the major leagues in strikeouts for the ninth time.
- The Silver Slugger Award winners are announced. Barry Bonds and Mike Piazza win their 10th awards.
- 2003 - Promising Cincinnati Reds outfielder Dernell Stenson was kidnapped, robed, and brutally murdered by four men in Scottsdale, Arizona, for reasons that are still unclear. He was 25.
Births[]
- 1867 - Elton Chamberlain, pitcher (d. 1929)
- 1900 - Pete Donohue, pitcher (d. 1988)
- 1909 - Harry Gumbert, pitcher (d. 1995)
- 1916 - Jim Tabor, infielder (d. 1953)
- 1921 - Mike Goliat, infielder (d. 2004)
- 1942 - Richie Scheinblum, All-Star outfielder
- 1959 - Craig McMurtry, pitcher
- 1959 - Lloyd Moseby, All-Star outfielder
- 1961 - Fred Manrique, infielder
- 1970 - Javy López, All-Star catcher
- 1973 - Johnny Damon, All Star outfielder
- 1974 - José Santiago, pitcher
- 1976 - Alex Herrera, pitcher
- 1976 - Liu Rodríguez, infielder
Deaths[]
- 1951 - George Stovall, player and manager (b. 1877)
- 1970 - Dave Robertson, outfielder (b. 1889)
- 1970 - Charley Root, pitcher (b. 1899)
- 1971 - Sad Sam Jones, All-Star pitcher (b. 1925)
- 1992 - Rod Scurry, pitcher (b. 1956
- 1994 - Gene Desautels, catcher (b. 1907)
- 2000 - Willard Marshall, All-Star outfielder (b. 1921)
- 2003 - Dernell Stenson, outfielder (b. 1978)