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3 Fact(s) Found
| 1961 | Despite top-administrative support for bringing back a pitch banned in 1920, the Professional Baseball Rules Committee votes, 8-1, against legalizing the spitball, with only National League supervisor of umpires Cal Hubbard voting in favor of the change. Commissioner Ford Frick and American League president Joe Cronin favored the proposal, citing the deceptive pitch could help reduce the recently increasing home run totals. |
| 1962 |
After batting .326 to capture his second batting title, Red Sox infielder Pete Runnels is traded to the Colt .45s, as he requested. Boston swaps the 34-year-old Texas native, who will hit only .252 next season, for outfielder Roman Mejias, who will spend two seasons with Boston in a part-time role before retiring.
(Ed. Note: The two-time batting champ, who won his first title in 1960, will spend two seasons with Houston before ending his 14-year career with a .291 lifetime batting average. - LP) |
| 1965 | Dodgers second baseman Jim Lefebvre is selected as the National League Rookie of the Year, receiving 13 of 20 first-place votes to easily outdistance runners-up Astro second baseman Joe Morgan (4) and Giants reliever Frank Linzy (3). Frenchy hit a team-leading 12 home runs (tied with Lou Johnson) and led the league with 14 game-winning hits (tied with Cubs outfielder Billy Williams) for the eventual World Champs. |
3 Fact(s) Found