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22 Fact(s) Found
| 1898 | After the death of Charles H. Byrne, team secretary Charles Ebbets replaces the one-third owner as president of the Bridegrooms (Dodgers). The team's former office boy and future owner will also manage the Brooklyn Nine for the last 110 games of the season, finishing tenth in the 12-team National League circuit. |
| 1902 | Bill Dineen, who has averaged nearly 18 wins over the past two seasons for the National League's Beaneaters (Braves), signs with the year-old Boston Americans (Red Sox). The 24-year-old right-hander, known as 'Big Bill,' will win 20 or more contests for the next three years for the crosstown rivals in the upstart American League. |
| 1904 |
The Highlanders reveal plans to play Sunday home games at Long Island's Ridgewood Park. In March, the National Commission's chairman, August Herrman, will announce the club cannot play there due to the proximity of the ballpark to Brooklyn, the home of the National League's Superbas.
 Ridgewood Park Grandstand, 1922 |
| 1932 | After leading the Toledo Mud Hens to their first-ever pennant, Casey Stengel returns to majors when the minor league team goes bankrupt, becoming a coach for the Dodgers. The 'Old Perfessor' will get his first big league managerial opportunity when Brooklyn names him to replace Max Carey, who the team dismissed before the 1934 season. |
| 1936 | The Red Sox get center fielder Doc Cramer and utility infielder Eric McNair from the A's for right-hander Henry Johnson, middle infielder Al Niemiec, and $75,000. The deal completes the December 10th trade for Jimmie Foxx, who will hit .320 during his seven seasons with Boston. |
| 1942 | With 78% of the vote, Rogers Hornsby becomes the 14th player elected to the Hall of Fame. Former Cubs' first baseman Frank Chance (58%) and southpaw Rube Waddell (54%) are not chosen by the writers this year, but the Old Timers Committee will select both in 1946. |
| 1943 | Commissioner Landis mandates teams to conduct spring training close to home due to World War II. Except for the Cardinals and the Browns, who may stay in-state to train in Missouri, big-league camps must operate north of the Potomac and Ohio Rivers, staying east of the Mississippi River. |
| 1955 | The U.S. Patent Office issues a patent for a fiberglass and plastic batting helmet to the American Baseball Cap Inc., a company owned by Dodger president Branch Rickey and his friends and family. The improved headgear is one of many innovations brought to the game by the baseball pioneer known as “The Mahatma.” |
| 1957 |
The Dodgers become the first team to purchase an aircraft, buying a 44-passenger Convair 440 two-engine for $700,000. From 1949 through 1957, the team had flown in a 20-seat DC-3, a gift from Bud Holman, who won the plane from Eastern Airlines in a crap game, according to legend, and gave the airplane to team owner Walter O'Malley.
 Convair 440 Two-Engine 44-Passenger Airplane |
| 1994 |
At the Gate C entrance to Progressive Field off East Ninth Street, the Indians dedicate a statue honoring Bob Feller, their legendary hurler who spent his entire 18-year career with the team. The nine-foot bronze sculpture, created by Columbus (OH) artist Gary Ross, captures the Hall of Fame right-hander in the midst of his distinct wind up, standing precariously on his right leg with his right arm holding the ball, palm up and stretched behind his back.
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| 2002 | The Twins name Ron Gardenhire, a 44-year-old Twins coach, to replace long-time manager Tom Kelly, who piloted the team to world championships in 1987 and 1991 during his 16-year tenure in the dugout. Initially given a two-year pact, the former part-time Mets infielder will compile a 1,068–1,039 record as the team's skipper over 13 seasons. |
| 2002 | The Cardinals announce the team has agreed to a three-year, $27 million deal with their ace Matt Morris (22-8, 3.16 ERA). The 27-year-old right-hander, who missed the 1999 season due to elbow surgery, finished third in the Cy Young balloting last season. |
| 2002 | The Indians sign 18-year-old Matthew Haynes, the major league's first-ever Australian Baseball Academy participant. The Tribe believes the 6'-3 ", 185-pound right-hander, considered one of the best sixty players from Down Under, will become a starting pitcher in the major leagues. |
| 2002 | Tony Tavares, citing he is tired of losing, resigns as the president of the Angels. The 52-year-old executive, who until today also was the chairman of the NHL's Mighty Ducks, assumed the baseball post after Disney bought the team from Jackie Autry in 1996. |
| 2004 | Five-time batting champ Wade Boggs, who receives 92% of the record number of the 516 votes cast, becomes the 41st player elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. The Baseball Writers also give the nod to former Cubs' second baseman Ryne Sandberg, the 1984 National League MVP. |
| 2007 | Jake Peavy is arrested at the Mobile Regional Airport on his way to begin a goodwill tour of the Dominican Republic with other big-league players. The 25-year-old Padres pitcher is charged with disorderly conduct and taken to the Mobile County Metro Jail after refusing to move his ticketed doubled-park car outside the terminal building. |
| 2008 | Hideo Nomo, who hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2005, signs a minor-league pact with the Royals. The 39-year-old Japanese right-hander, who tossed no-hitters for the Dodgers and the Red Sox, has been invited to spring training by the club. |
| 2008 | The city of Chicago approves the Cubs' proposal to add 70 'bullpen box seats' and additional signage at Wrigley Field. The 93-year-old ballpark, due to its landmark status, needed permission from the Department of Planning and Development to make the changes. |
| 2010 |
"Just another Halo victory!" - RORY MARKAS, Angels announcer's signature line. Rory Markas, recently named the Angels' lead play-by-play television announcer, dies unexpectedly at home. The popular 54-year-old broadcaster, who also spent parts of 11 seasons in the Brewers booth before starting his eight-year tenure with Los Angeles, was well-known for his signature line, "Just another Halo victory!". |
| 2011 |
 The Oklahoma Sports Museum selects David Price as this season's recipient of the Warren Spahn Award, a recognition given annually to the best left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. The Rays' 25-year-old All-Star southpaw compiled a 19-6 record and an ERA of 2.72 for the AL East champs. |
| 2012 | Joe Torre resigns as MLB's executive vice president for baseball operations, a position he has held since last February, to become part of a group interested in purchasing the Dodgers from Frank McCourt. The former LA skipper, who managed the team from 2008-2010, is partnering with real estate developer Rick Caruso, who is heading up the ownership bid. |
| 2013 | Brett Myers signs a one-year, $7 million contract to become part of the Indians' starting rotation behind Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez. The 32-year-old right-hander, who has started 249 major league contests during the first 11 years of his career, appeared in 70 games, all as a reliever, for the Astros and White Sox last season. |
22 Fact(s) Found