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This Day in Baseball History
November 2nd

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23 Fact(s) Found
1926 The Tigers release Ty Cobb, ending his 22-year association with the team. The Georgia Peach, as Detroit's player-manager for the past six seasons, compiled a 479-444 (.509) winning record, but the club never finished closer than 16 games from first place.
1938 Red Sox's first baseman Jimmie Foxx (.349, 50, 175), receiving 19 of 22 first-place votes, becomes the first player to win the Most Valuable Player Award three times. The 31-year-old slugger was also the recipient in 1932 and '33, playing for the Philadelphia A's.
1950 Jim Konstanty (16-7, 2.66, 22 saves) becomes the first reliever to win a Most Valuable Player Award, receiving 18 of 24 first-place votes cast by the writers to finish ahead of Stan Musial (Cardinals) and Eddie Stanky (Giants) to cop the NL honor. The 33-year-old Philadelphia reliever, who joins Chuck Klein as the only Phillies to have won an MVP award, appeared in 74 games for the pennant-winning Whiz Kids, finishing 62 of the contests.
1960 In the second-closest vote ever, Yankee outfielder Roger Maris edges teammate Mickey Mantle for the American League MVP honors. The Mick receives two more first-place votes, but the Rajah, who will also cop the award next season, outpoints his rival, 225-222.
1964 The Columbia Broadcasting System becomes the first corporate owner of a major league team by buying eighty percent of the Yankees from Dan Topping and Del Webb for $11.2 million. During the first year under CBS, the Bronx Bombers will come in sixth place with a 77-85 record, finishing in the second division for the first time in 40 years.
1971 Pat Dobson, one of four 20-game winners for the Orioles this season, becomes the first player to throw a no-hitter in a Japanese-American baseball contest. The 29-year-old right-hander's gem, a 2‐0 victory over Japan's champion Tokyo Yomiuri Giants, occurs on the American League champs' 17‐game exhibition tour of the Asian island as guests of today's opponent.
1972 Freddy Parent, who hit the first grand slam in Red Sox history, dies at 96. The former shortstop had been the last surviving participant from the first-ever World Series, played in 1903 between Boston and the Pirates.
1972 Leading the league in victories (27), ERA (1.97), starts (41), complete games (30), and strikeouts (310), Steve Carlton wins the NL's Cy Young Award, becoming the first pitcher to cop the prestigious honor while toiling for a last-place team. 'Lefty's' 27 victories account for nearly half (45.8%) of the last-place Phillies' wins.
1972 The Braves trade southpaw George Stone and second baseman Felix Milan to the Mets for hurlers Danny Frisella and Gary Gentry, who will combine to win just nine games for Atlanta over the next three seasons. New York's acquisitions will play key roles in the team's success next season when their recently acquired infielder hits .290, and their new left-hander posts a 12-3 record along with an ERA of 2.80 for the National League champions.
1974 The Braves trade Hank Aaron to the Brewers for Dave May and Roger Alexander. The move allows the all-time career home run champ to finish his career in Milwaukee, where he started in the majors.
1976 San Diego left-hander Randy Jones (22-14, 2.74) captures the National League's Cy Young Award, capturing 15 of the 24 first-place votes cast by the writers. Two seasons ago, the 26-year-old southpaw lost 22 games for the last-place Padres.
1983 John Denny garners 20 of 24 of the writers' first-place votes to win the National League's Cy Young Award, easily outdistancing runners-up Mario Soto and Jessie Orosco. The Prescott (AZ) native posted a 19-6 record with a 2.37 ERA for the National League Champion Phillies.
1995 The expansion Devil Rays unveil their official game uniforms during a special fashion show staged at the Florida Aquarium. The black, green, and blue jersey, which the team will start wearing in 1998, features a manta ray as its logo.

1999 Ken Griffey Jr., wanting to be nearer his family in Orlando, asks the Mariners to move him to a team closer to Florida. In February, the superstar outfielder will get his wish when Seattle trades him to the Reds for Mike Cameron, Antonio Perez, Brett Tomko, and minor leaguer Jake Meyer.
2000 After a 15-year big league career, first baseman Will Clark announces his retirement. 'The Thrill' ends his playing days with the McGwire-less Cardinals, supplying the Redbirds with a much-needed offense (.345, 12, 42) after being traded from Baltimore at the end of July.
2000 Former Blue Jay catcher (1981-86) and the team's present TV color analyst, Buck Martinez, is hired as the Toronto manager, replacing recently-fired Jim Fregosi. The 51-year-old ESPN commentator joins Astros' Larry Dierker and Diamondbacks' Bob Brenly as first-time major league skippers hired from the broadcast booth.
2000 The Commission grants Wrigley Field preliminary landmark status on Chicago Landmarks. Any plans to refurbish or tear down the Cubs' home since 1916 will have to be reviewed by this panel.
2004

"It's a dud, just like the Cubs were," - PAT CAMDEN, a Chicago police spokesman, comparing the team's season and the discovery of a potentially explosive device.

After a groundskeeper finds a grenade in the Wrigley Field turf, bomb and arson investigators evaluate the right field discovery. The rusty, hollowed-out shell proves harmless, with its origins remaining a mystery.

2005 Pat Gillick signs a three-year deal, becoming the Phillies' general manager. The 68-year-old, who has held the same position with the Orioles, Blue Jays, and Mariners, has led his teams to two World Series titles and nine playoff appearances.
2009 At Citizens Bank Park, Chase Utley ties Reggie Jackson's 1977 record with his fifth home run of the World Series, going deep twice in the Phillies' 8-6 victory over the Yankees in Game 5. The Philadelphia second baseman becomes the second player to have two multi-homer games in the Fall Classic, joining Royals' outfielder Willie Aikens, who accomplished the feat against the Phillies in 1980.

2011 Matt Wieters becomes the first Baltimore backstop to win the Rawlings Gold Glove Award. The 25-year-old All-Star catcher, who appeared in 132 games behind the plate for the Orioles, gets the nod from the American League managers and coaches as the best defensive player in his position.
2012 The Astros reveal a new look to coincide with the franchise's shift to the American League next season, having their brick red jerseys replaced by orange and navy blue, the club's color scheme from 1962-93. A redesigned Orbit, the green space creature that was Houston's mascot from 1990-99, is also coming out of retirement after 12 years to replace a rabbit character named Junction Jack, the team's current good luck charm.

2016

"A little bouncer slowly toward Bryant. He will glove it and throw to Rizzo. It’s in time. And the Chicago Cubs win the World Series! The Cubs come pouring out of the dugout, jumping up and down like a bunch of delirious 10-year-olds. The Cubs have done it! The longest drought in the history of American sports is over, and the celebration begins." - PAT HUGHES, Cubs' announcer call of the final out in Game 7

After a 108-year drought, the Cubs capture the World Series, needing ten innings in Game 7 to defeat the Indians at Progressive Field, 8-7. Cleveland, who had a 3-1 game advantage in the Fall Classic, now owns the longest span between World Championships, with their last title coming in 1948.


23 Fact(s) Found