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This Day in Baseball History
November 9th

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17 Fact(s) Found
1950 After twenty-one years with the club, Luke Appling is released by the White Sox, allowing him to become the manager of the Memphis Chicks of the South Atlantic League. The 43-year-old future Hall of Fame infielder, known as 'Old Aches and Pains' to his teammates, compiled a lifetime batting average of .310 during his two-plus decades with Chicago.


White Sox infielder Luke Appling
1950 Bowman Gum Baseball Card

1953 In a case involving Yankee minor leaguer George Toolson, who refused his demotion from Triple-A to Double-A, the U.S. Supreme Court, voting 7-2, reaffirms its earlier position baseball is a sport and not a business. This decision exempts baseball from antitrust laws, a collection of federal and state government mandates that regulate the conduct and organization of corporations enacted to promote fair competition.
1981 Edward Bennett Williams proposes constructing a new downtown ballpark named Babe Ruth Stadium within walking distance of the Harborplace development in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. At Memorial Stadium in 1988, the Orioles owner, who will never attend another game due to cancer, hears Governor Schaefer announce his team and the Maryland Stadium Authority have agreed on a new downtown facility to be ready for the 1992 season.

(Ed. Note: The stadium will be known as Oriole Park at Camden Yards, reflecting the venue's proximity to B&O Railroad's Camden Station building, which the HOK Sport's architects integrated into the project's design. -LP.)

1982 Brewers' shortstop Robin Yount (.331, 29, 114) wins the American League MVP unanimously. The 26-year-old future Hall of Famer (1999) captures all 27 first-place votes, easily distancing runners-up Eddie Murray and Doug DeCinces.
1983 University of Alabama's first baseman Dave Magadan wins the Golden Spike Award as the country's top amateur player. The Tampa (FL) native, selected by the Mets in the second round of the June draft, hit .535 in NCAA play for the CWS runner-up Crimson Tide.
2000 The BBWAA selects Dusty Baker, who posted the best record in baseball this season, as the National League's Manager of the Year. The 51-year-old skipper, who guided the Giants to a 97-65 record, joins Tony La Russa (White Sox '83 and A's '88 and '92) as the award's only three-time winner, also coping the honor twice more with San Francisco in 1993 and 1997.

[Ed. Note: Before retiring at the end of the 2023 season, the likable skipper will compile a 2,183-1,862 (.540) record during his 26-year managerial tenure with five franchises)- LP]
2001 After exercising Omar Daal's $4.5 million contract option for 2002 yesterday, the Phillies trade him to the Dodgers for minor league pitchers Eric Junge and Jesus Cordero. Philadelphia acquired the right-hander along with Travis Lee, Nelson Figueroa, and Vicente Padilla in the 2000 deal, which sent Curt Schilling to the Diamondbacks.
2002 Dusty Baker signs a four-year deal to pilot the Cubs, leaving the Giants after guiding the club to a pennant this season. The three-time National League Manager of the Year compiled an 840-715 record during his ten-year tenure with San Francisco.
2004

"You want the truth. You can't handle the truth. The truth of this situation is an extremely talented bunch of guys who want to look at all directions except where they should really look and kind of make excuses for what happened. At the end of the day, boys, don't tell me how rough the water is, you bring in the ship." - STEVE STONE, the Cubs veteran broadcaster, criticizing the team for making excuses during an October interview on WGN radio.

Hoping to fill the void created by Steve Stone's resignation, the Cubs hire former Diamondback manager and current Fox television analyst Bob Brenly to broadcast games on WGN. After spending twenty years in the broadcast booth, Stone left Chicago after his on-air comments concerning the team's swoon in the wild-card race angered manager Dusty Baker and some players.

2004 After coming out of retirement to pitch for his hometown team, Roger Clemens (18-4, 218, 2.98) becomes the oldest hurler to win the Cy Young Award. The 42-year-old 'Rocket' has received the honor a record seven times and becomes the first to win the award with four different teams: Red Sox (1986-87, 1991), Blue Jays (1997-98), Yankees (2001), and the Astros (2004).
2005 After leading a young Braves team to the East Division title, Bobby Cox is named the National League's Manager of the Year. The well-respected field boss becomes the first skipper in either league to win the award in consecutive years.
2005 At a White House ceremony, President George W. Bush presents Frank Robinson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor given to individuals who have made meritorious contributions to the nation. The Hall of Fame outfielder, best known for his seasons with the Reds and Orioles, became the first major leaguer to win the MVP award in both leagues before becoming the first Black manager in major league history in 1975 with the Indians. 
2005 After delivering his annual address to major league general managers, Bud Selig tells reporters he favors revised congressional legislation that would suspend players for a half-season for using steroids. Also, while admitting the postseason umpiring calls need more scrutiny, the commissioner continued to state his opposition to using instant replay for baseball.
2005 The BBWAA selects Ozzie Guillen as the American League's Manager of the Year after guiding his team to a World Championship. The White Sox skipper joins his former field boss, Bobby Cox, the NL's selection, as a recipient of the honor this season.
2008 Participants in a team-sponsored high school program aimed at helping Bronx youths pursue careers in architecture, engineering, and construction, along with a few players, remove rain-soaked dirt from the former Yankee Stadium and bring it across the street to the site of the team's new $1.3-billion field. The soil removed during the ceremony from the 'House that Ruth Built' and the new stadium's dirt becomes a mixture applied around home plate and the pitcher's rubber.
2011 Kidnappers take Wilson Ramos at gunpoint from his Santa Ines home in Venezuela. After being held captive for two days, the 24-year-old Nationals' catcher will be rescued unscathed after the police exchange heavy gunfire results in the arrest of his five alleged abductors.
2023 The Tigers hire Jason Benetti, one of the best-known MLB broadcasters, as the voice of the team for their telecasts on Bally Sports Detroit. The 40-year-old play-by-play announcer spent eight years with the White Sox at NBC Sports Chicago, working with longtime TV analyst Steve Stone.
17 Fact(s) Found