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21 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.
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| 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."
 Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio at the San Francisco City Hall |
| 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.
(Ed. Note: Frank Robinson will go on to manage the Orioles and Nationals, compiling over 1,000 victories during his 16-year managerial career. - LP) |
| 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. |
| 1988 |
After playing with the Central League's Yakult Swallows last season, Bob Horner returns to the major leagues by agreeing to a one-year, $950,000 deal with the Cardinals. The 30-year-old former slugging Braves' first baseman played in Japan last season due to the collusion of the MLB owners that lowered the demand for his services.
(Ed. Note: The 1978 National League Rookie of the Year will play one season with St. Louis, ending his 10-year career with a .277 lifetime batting average and 218 home runs. - LP) |
| 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 swap 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, along with Sadaharu Oh, is commended 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.
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| 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 cardboard, one of only nine known to exist in its condition, in a deal brokered by PWCC Marketplace, a market leader in trading card investments.
 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Baseball Card |
21 Fact(s) Found