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1887 |
![]() of Mike King Kelly, Baseball's First Superstar
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1928 |
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1934 | Sam Rice, who spent the first 19 seasons with the Senators, ends his career after playing one year with the Indians. The 44 year-old future Hall of Famer collected 2,987 career hits during his two decades in the major leagues. |
1945 | Braves president Bob Quinn retires, with his son, John, becoming the team's general manager of the team following his father's departure. The former owner of the Red Sox and Braves, whose grandson will also become a major league GM, will serve as president of the Baseball Hall of Fame from 1948 to 1951, resigning from the position after suffering two strokes. |
1957 |
"Anything that tends to break down the bulwarks of segregation must be forcibly met by this general assembly. We have a situation in Georgia which has come about because of a national situation. I am referring to the Negroes in organized baseball in this state. It is unfortunate that some few people would participate in the destruction of our institutions for a few dollars." - GEORGIA STATE SENATOR LEON BUTTS, commenting on his bill that prohibits blacks from playing baseball with whites. Ten years after the integration of major league baseball, the Georgia Senate unanimously approves Leon Butts' bill barring that prohibits blacks from playing baseball with whites except at religious gatherings. The Lumpkin legislator's measures, which carries fines up to a $1000 and imprisonment for 60 days to a year for committing the misdemeanor, will directly impact the minor league spring training centers of the Braves and Cardinals, whose farmhands workout, respectively, in Waycross and Albany. |
1959 | The Orioles, to find a backup for first baseman Bob Boyd, buy 32 year-old veteran infielder/outfielder Whitey Lockman from the Giants for an undisclosed sum. In June, Baltimore will trade their new acquisition to the Reds for Walt Dropo, who has played the position exclusively since winning the Rookie of the Year award in 1950. |
1996 | Kevin McClatchy and his group of investors purchase the Pirates from the Pittsburgh Associates. The deal includes the condition of having to build a baseball-only ballpark in Pittsburgh within five years. |
2001 | The Ford C. Frick Award, named in memory of the former baseball commissioner who was a broadcaster, will be given to the Marlins' radio announcer Rafael Ramirez during Hall of Fame induction ceremonies this summer. 'Felo,' who began his 56-year career broadcasting games in Cuba, has been in the Miami broadcast booth since the team's inaugural season in 1993. |
2001 | According to the Detroit Free Press, major league baseball is informing umpires to remove pitchers without issuing a warning who deliberately throw a beanball at a batter's head from the game. The crackdown, according to officials, is a clarification and reinforcement of an existing rule. |
2002 | The Tigers sign Dmitri Young (.302, 21, 69) to a four-year contract with two team options. The Tigers traded outfielder Juan Encarnacion (.242, 12, 52) and minor league right-hander Luis Pineda in December to acquire the first baseman/outfielder from the Reds. |
2003 | After much speculation with the help of Major League Baseball, the Chunichi Dragons return Kevin Millar to the Marlins for an undisclosed amount of money for relinquishing their rights to the outfielder. After reconsidering an offer from the Red Sox, who blocked the waiver deal to obtain him, the 31 year-old California native had a change of heart and didn't want to play for the Japanese Central League team. |
2005 | The Twins sign Johan Santana (20-6, 2.61), who was eligible for arbitration, to a four-year deal. Last season, the 25 year-old southpaw became the first Venezuelan to win the Cy Young Award. |
2009 | The Angels and Bobby Abreu (.296, 20, 100) agree to a $5 million, one-year deal. The 34 year-old free-agent outfielder, taking a significant pay cut after having a solid season with the Yankees last season, is expected to add some much-needed punch from the left side for the AL West champions. |
2011 | The Yankees come to terms with free-agent Andruw Jones on a $1.5 million, one-year contract, eliminating the likelihood of the team resigning Johnny Damon. The 'Curacao Kid,' best known for his outstanding outfield defense for the Braves at the start of his career, will spend two seasons in the Bronx, before finishing his 17-year major league tenure with a lifetime .254 batting average. |
2011 | Avoiding arbitration, Carlos Marmol agrees to a three-year, $20 million deal with the Cubs. The 28 year-old closer saved 38 games in 43 opportunities last season along with compiling a 2-3 record and an ERA of 2.55. |
2014 | Avoiding arbitration, 24 year-old outfielder Jason Heyward and the Braves agree to a two-year, $13.3 million deal. After the season, Atlanta will trade their 2007 first-round pick (14th overall) along with right-handed reliever Jordan Walden to the Cardinals for right-handers Tyrell Jenkins and Shelby Miller. |
2014 | Freddie Freeman agrees to a franchise-record eight-year, $135 million contract, surpassing the six-year, $90 million deal the Braves gave Chipper Jones in 2000. The 24 year-old All-Star first baseman, who finished fifth in the MVP balloting this season, has hit .285 during his four years with the team, annually averaging 17 home runs and 70 RBIs. |