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This Day in Baseball History
March 6th

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16 Fact(s) Found
1884 High winds tear off the grandstand roof of Manhattan's Southeast Diamond, but the one-year-old ballpark will be ready for the Gothams' National League home opener on May 1st. The team, renamed the Giants next season, will win their first dozen games at the repaired facility at 5th Avenue and 110th Street, commonly called Polo Grounds because the sport of kings took place in the 1870s at the site.
1907 The courts formally acquit Phillies' owner A.J. Reach and John Rogers from damages resulting from the 1903 Baker Bowl disaster. A balcony had collapsed at the Broad Street and Lehigh Avenue ballpark, killing 12 and leaving 232 fans injured.
1923 The Cardinals announce that players will wear numbers on their uniforms' sleeves, with the digits corresponding to their place in the batting order. The Redbirds strongly disapproved of the concept implemented by St. Louis manager Branch Rickey, who acted on a suggestion from sportswriter John Sheridan.

1938 The Phillies trade first baseman Dolph Camilli to the Dodgers for utility player Eddie Morgan and $45,000. The heavy-hitting infielder will spend six seasons in Brooklyn, having his best year in 1941 when he wins the National League MVP after leading the circuit in home runs and RBIs.
1945 In some of the fiercest fighting of World War II, Harry O'Neill is killed in the battle for Iwo Jima. In 1939, the fallen Marine played one game in the major leagues, appearing with the A's as a catcher.
1948 The Braves acquire All-Star second baseman Eddie Stanky from the Dodgers for Bama Rowell and $60,000. This season, the 32-year-old hard-nosed infielder, the Brat, will play a pivotal role in Boston's National League championship.
1951 Perennial loser Charlie Brown, who made his debut in Charles Schultz's Peanut comic strip last October, appears in his first baseball game. The team's pitcher and the manager usually fielded the following lineup: first baseman - Shermy, second baseman - Linus, third baseman - Pig-pen, shortstop - Snoopy, right fielder - Lucy, center fielder -Patty, left fielder -Violet, and catcher - Schroeder.

1961 The County Board approves an ordinance barring fans from bringing beer, liquor, or soda into Braves' games at County Stadium that includes fines of $5 to $500 or up to 90 days in jail for violating the ban. Organizers of 'Operation Six-Pack,' a campaign to reverse the board's decision, will collect 87,000 signatures calling for repeal, but Circuit Judge Ronald A. Dreschler upholds the ruling in June.
1971 Joe Cronin, the AL president, defers to A's owner Charlie Finley's request to allow three balls, rather than four, to constitute a base on balls during an exhibition game against the Brewers. The experiment, designed to add offense and speed up the game, proves tedious for both teams when 19 walks are issued and six homers clear the fence during the 13-9 spring training victory for Oakland.
1973 In a spring training game against the Pirates, Larry Hisle becomes the first designated hitter in major league history. The contention that the new American League rule will add more offense to the game appears correct when the Twins' DH hits two homers and drives in seven runs.
1976 Before the return of natural grass is in place for Opening Day, approximately a thousand people show up at Comiskey Park to get a piece of the 18,000 square feet of artificial turf covering the infield Bill Veeck made available to the fans. The new White Sox owner, sensing a lack of public interest during the work stoppage, decided to stage the promotion to spark interest in the upcoming season, reminding fans, "when you go to the ballpark, you are entitled to the smell of freshly cut grass."
1987 Free agent Andre Dawson signs a blank contract to join the Cubs. The former player for the Expos will win the National League MVP, making him a bargain at $500,000, the amount Chicago decided to pay the All-Star outfielder.
2001 The dedication of two sculptures, located 60 feet, six inches apart, depicting Johnny Podres pitching to Roy Campanella during the seventh game of the 1955 World Series, takes place on the south lawn of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. The life-sized bronze statues, designed by figurative sculptor Stanley Bleifeld, were donated by an ardent Dodger fan, Sheldon Fireman.

2001 Bill Mazeroski, the 1960 World Series hero who compiled a .260 batting average during his 17 seasons with the Pirates, is elected into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. The group, who met in closed sessions and cast multiple classified ballots, also selected six-time All-Star right-hander Hilton Smith, a pitching standout with the Kansas City Monarchs, often overshadowed by his teammate Satchel Paige.
2005 Suzyn Waldman, making her debut with John Sterling on WCBS-AM (880), the Yankees radio flagship, becomes the first woman in big-league history to be a full-time color commentator. The former radio-talk host on WFAN, the first all-sports radio station in the country, was the first female to broadcast on a nationally telecast baseball game and the first local TV (Yankees) major league play-by-play announcer.
2020 Twenty-eight-year-old outfielder Chris Yelich signs the most extended and richest deal in Brewers' history, agreeing to a seven-year, $187.25 million contract extension. The agreement most likely keeps the 2018 National League Most Valuable Player, who won the National League's batting title last two seasons in Milwaukee, for the remainder of his career.
16 Fact(s) Found