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This Day in Baseball History
January 14th

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20 Fact(s) Found
1922 The Senators name Clyde Milan to replace George McBride, who guided Washington to a fourth-place finish with an 80-73 record in his only season as a big-league skipper. The team's new player-manager, an outfielder with the club since 1907, will see his sixth-place club finish 16 games under .500 during his final year in baseball.

Clyde Milan (1921) - Harris & Ewing Collection

1954 Former Yankees outfielder Joe DiMaggio and actress Marilyn Monroe elope, getting married at City Hall in San Francisco where reporters and adoring fans mob the newlyweds. The couple, who had captivated the nation with their romance, will divorce just 274 days after the ceremony, with the filmstar accusing her husband of "mental cruelty."
1963 The White Sox trade shortstop Luis Aparicio and outfielder Al Smith to the Orioles for knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm, who will post during his six seasons in the Windy City a 41-33 record along with 98 saves while compiling a minuscule ERA of 1.92. Chicago also obtains outfielder Dave Nicholson, former Rookie of the Year Ron Hansen, and Pete Ward.
1970 After seeing his upstart team win the World Series three months ago, Mets general manager Johnny Murphy dies after suffering a massive heart attack. The 61-year-old baseball executive, a talented reliever for the Yankees in the 1930s and early '40s, will be succeeded by Bob Scheffing, the team's special assignment scout.
1981 Frank Robinson is named manager of the Giants, replacing Dave Bristol, who was dismissed by Bob Lurie at the winter baseball meetings in Dallas last month. Robinson becomes the first black skipper in the National League after being the first in baseball history when he managed the Indians in 1975.
1987 The BBWAA elects hurler Catfish Hunter and outfielder Billy Williams (Cubs, A's) to the Hall of Fame. The right-hander, an ace with the A's and Yankees, became one of the game's first big-money free agents, and the Chicago flychaser established a National League record by playing in 1,117 consecutive games.
1998 The Astros trade James Mouton to the Padres for hurler Sean Bergman. The right-hander will post a 12-9 record in Houston, and the Friars' new outfielder will hit a meager .190 in his only season in San Diego.
2002 Barry Bonds, stating his heart has always been in San Francisco, avoids arbitration by agreeing to a five-year, $90 million deal with the Giants. The contract also calls for a 10-year personal services commitment at the end of the 37-year-old left fielder's playing days.
2006 The Dodgers trade right-hander Edwin Jackson and prospect lefty Chuck Tiffany to the Devil Rays to obtain All-Star penmen Danys Baez, Lance Carter, and a player to be named. Baez, who saved 41 games for Tampa Bay last season, will be the team's closer until Eric Gagne returns from elbow surgery.
2007 According to an anonymous team official, the Blue Jays avoid arbitration by coming to terms with Lyle Overbay (.312, 22, 92). The 29-year-old first baseman agrees to a four-year deal worth $24 million to stay in Toronto.
2008 The Cardinals and Blue Jays swap their All-Star third baseman when Scott Rolen (.265, 8, 62) goes north of the border, and Troy Glaus (.262, 20, 58) heads to the Gateway to the West. Rolen, known not to be a fan of Tony La Russa, his former manager, joins one-time teammate David Eckstein on the left side of the diamond in Toronto.
2008 To replace Andruw Jones, their former Glove Glover in centerfield, the Braves acquire Mark Kotsay from the rebuilding A's in exchange for reliever Joey Devine and a minor league pitching prospect. Additionally, Atlanta will pick up approximately $5 million of their new outfielder's $7.35 million salary.
2009 The Angels avoid arbitration when the team agrees to a $5,775,000, one-year deal with Chone Figgins, the club's versatile switch-hitter. The 30-year-old, who led the team with 34 stolen bases last season, has employed mostly third base, but he has also played second, shortstop, and in the outfield by Halos' skipper Mike Scioscia.
2010 Adam LaRoche, reportedly turning down a more lucrative two-year deal with the Giants, finalizes a one-year contract with the Diamondbacks that guarantees the first baseman $6 million for next season. The 30-year-old corner infielder played for Atlanta, Boston, and Pittsburgh last year, compiling a .277 batting average with 25 homers and 83 RBIs.
2012 The Yankees deal Jesus Montero, considered the top catching prospect in the major leagues, to the Mariners to obtain Michael Pineda, a promising 22-year-old starting pitcher. The trade adds an All-Star right-hander, who posted a 9-10 record and an ERA of 3.03, averaging nearly a strikeout per frame in 171 innings of work last season in Seattle, to the Bronx Bombers' starting rotation.
2015 The Braves continue their youth movement, dealing Evan Gattis and right-handed prospect James Hoyt to the Astros for minor leaguers Rio Ruiz, Andrew Thurman, and Mike Foltynewicz. Earlier in the offseason, Atlanta obtained four prospects from the Padres in exchange for Justin Upton and added starting pitcher Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins, another pitching prospect, from St. Louis when they traded Jayson Heyward and reliever Jordan Walden to the Cardinals.
2016

"I think it is a plan that is in the best interest of the entire bay area, and I have to give him [St. Pete's mayor Rick Kriseman] an awful lot of credit for perseverance and for crafting a plan that has the best interests of the citizens of St. Petersburg, protects their investment in that stadium and, at the same time, recognizes the fiscal reality of the situation." - BOB BUCKHORN, mayor of Tampa, Florida

The St. Petersburg's City Council votes 5-3, supporting a measure that allows the Rays to explore new stadium sites in Hillsborough County, which has not been up for discussion due to the team's agreement to play at Tropicana Field until 2027. The heralded deal looks out for taxpayers while securing the franchise's commitment to remain in the Tampa Bay area's environs.

2016 At his home in Atlanta, the Japanese consul general presents Hank Aaron with the Gold Rays with Rosette, the fourth class of Order of the Rising Sun, one of Japan's highest honors. The 81-year-old American home run king is commended, along with Sadaharu Oh, for his efforts towards the World Children's Baseball Fair, an organization fostering an environment of world understanding and cultural exchange through the celebration of the sport.
2020 The Red Sox and Alex Cora mutually agree to part ways in light of Major League Baseball's investigation of the team's alleged use of electronics to steal signs. During his two seasons with Boston, the 43-year-old skipper compiled a 192-132 (.593), winning 108 games and capturing the 2018 World Series in his first year at the helm.
2021 A 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle mint baseball card sets a new record with a $5.2 million price tag, surpassing the sale of the one-of-a-kind autographed Mike Trout 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects Superfactor BGS 9 card that sold for $3.93 million last August. Entrepreneur and actor Rob Gough purchased the rare piece of memorabilia, one of only nine known to exist in its condition, in a deal brokered by PWCC Marketplace, a leader in the trading card investment market.

20 Fact(s) Found