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This Day in Baseball History
November 16th

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34 Fact(s) Found
1912 In failing health, Giants president John T. Brush dies aboard a train en route to California in his private car. Harry Hempstead, his son-in-law, will take over the club.
1961 Using blue and orange, the team colors of the departed Dodgers and Giants, the Mets unveil the franchise's logo selected from over 500 entries submitted in the expansion team's $1000 design contest. Sports cartoonist Ray Gatto's winning entry displays a skyline representing all five boroughs with various iconic symbols of the Big Apple.

1962 Lou Perini sells the Braves for $6.2 million to the Chicago-based Lasalle Corporation, led by 34-year-old insurance broker William Bartholomay. Team president John McHale, one of the primary stockholders in the purchase, will take the brunt of the wrath of the fanbase when the new ownership makes clear their intent to move the team out of Milwaukee.
1966 Roberto Clemente, edging out Dodger hurler Sandy Koufax (27-9, 1.73, 317 strikeouts), is named the National League MVP. The Pirates' 32-year-old right fielder hit .317 with 29 home runs and drove in 119 runs for the third-place team.
1966 The Dodgers finish their tour Japan tour with the worst results ever compiled by an American big league team. Los Angeles loses the last four games of the trip, returning to the West Coast with a mediocre 9-8-1 record against their Japanese opponents.
1976 California signs free-agent Don Baylor to a six-year, $1.6 million deal. The Austin (TX) native, who played with the A's last season after being dealt by the Orioles in the Reggie Jackson trade, will become the first Angel to win the MVP Award (1979) until Vladimir Guerrero cops the honor in 2004.
1977 Rod Carew is selected by the BBWAA as the recipient of the American League's Most Valuable Player Award, easily outpointing right-fielders Al Cowens (A's) and Ken Singleton (Orioles), the runner-ups for the honor. The Twins' first baseman led the league in hitting with a .338 batting average.
1979 Former Red and Expo infielder Tony Perez signs as a re-entry free agent with the Red Sox. The future Hall of Famer will spend three seasons in Boston, compiling a .266 batting average while appearing in 304 games, mostly as the team's designated hitter.
1988 Jose Canseco, who led the circuit in homers, RBIs, and slugging percentage, is the unanimous choice of the BBWAA for the MVP of the American League. The A's right fielder is the first player to be selected unanimously since the writers chose Oakland outfielder Reggie Jackson in 1973.
1989 Kevin Bass, who batted .300 for the Astros last season, signs as a free agent with the National League champion Giants. The 30-year-old outfielder will hit .249 during his three seasons with San Francisco.
1995 Boston slugger Mo Vaughn (.300, 39, 126), taking 12 first-place votes, wins the American League Most Valuable Player award, edging Cleveland's Albert Belle in the BBWAA voting, 308-301. The Red Sox first baseman becomes the eighth player in franchise history to win the prestigious prize.
2000 Jeff Kent (.334, 33, 125) outpoints teammate Barry Bonds to become the National League's MVP. The Giants' infielder becomes the first second baseman to win the honor since Ryne Sandberg of the Cubs won the award in 1984.
2001

"The welfare, recreation, prestige, prosperity, trade and commerce of the people of the community are at stake. The Twins brought the community together with Homer Hankies and Bobblehead dolls. The Twins are one of the few professional sports teams in town where a family can afford to take their children to enjoy a hot dog and peanuts and a stadium. The vital public interest, or trust, of the Twins substantially outweighs any private interest." - HARRY SEYMOUR CRUMP, Hennepin County District Judge ruling that thwarts the baseball owners' plan to eliminate two major league teams next season.

Judge Harry Seymour Crump rules that the Twins must continue to play home games at the Metrodome, prohibiting Twins owner Carl Pohlad from selling the team unless the new owner agrees to play next season's games at the team's current ballpark. The Hennepin County District's lower court decision, likely to be appealed, results from MLB's decision to contract two clubs, including the one expected to be Minnesota.

2002 After piloting the Giants to an 840-715 (.540) record during his ten-year tenure with the club and winning this season's National League pennant, Dusty Baker leaves the organization, inking a four-year deal to manage the Cubs. Chicago, a franchise that hasn't been to the World Series since 1945, made it clear the 53-year-old three-time NL Manager of the Year (1993, 1997, 2000) was the team's first choice to lead the way.
2002 The New York Yankees and the Yomiuri Giants agree to form a working relationship. As the most successful teams in their respective leagues, the organizations hope to establish scouting and marketing ties to benefit both clubs.
2004 Receiving 21 of the 28 first-place votes, Vladimir Guerrero (.337, 39, 126) wins the 2004 American League's MVP Award. The 28-year-old former Expo outfielder signed as a free agent with the Angels after the Mets refused to guarantee his salary based on advice from their medical staff.
2005 In a close vote, the Baseball Writers' Association of America selects Albert Pujols (.330, 41, 117) as the National League's MVP. The Cardinal first baseman outpoints Braves' center fielder Andruw Jones, 378-351.
2006 The Nationals name Manny Acta as the team's new manager, replacing 71-year-old Frank Robinson, the oldest pilot in baseball. The 37-year-old Dominican, who served as the Mets' third-base coach for the past two seasons, is now the youngest skipper in the majors.
2007 Scott Boras's reputation takes another hit when free agent Kenny Rogers, formerly with the Tigers, informs big-league teams that he has dismissed his agent and is now representing himself in contract talks. Earlier in the week, another client, Alex Rodriguez, contacted the Yankees to start negotiations without his involvement.
2007 After a five-year departure to play for the Mets, Tom Glavine returns to the Braves, agreeing to an $8 million, one-year deal. The 41-year-old southpaw, a two-time Cy Young winner with the team, left Atlanta in 2002 after negotiations as a free agent became acrimonious with team president Stan Kasten.
2009 Chris Coghlan edges Phillies right-hander J.A. Happ, the only player named on all 32 ballots, to become the third Marlin in franchise history, along with Dontrelle Willis (2003) and Hanley Ramirez (2006), to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award. The 24-year-old leadoff hitter, a second baseman in the minors, hit .321 in 128 games, playing mostly left field after being called up in May.
2009 Andrew Bailey is named the American League Rookie of the Year, the eighth A's player in franchise history to cop the honor. After struggling in Double-A as a minor league starter last season, the 25-year-old right-handed closer compiled 26 saves with a 1.84 ERA for Oakland.
2009 The Mets hire Wally Backman to manage the Brooklyn Cyclones, their farm team in the New York-Penn League. The team's new skipper, who played a vital role with the 1986 World Series championship club, was hired and fired to be Diamondbacks' skipper in 2004, shortly after the New York Times revealed the former second baseman had been arrested twice and had financial difficulties.
2010 The Marlins deal Dan Uggla (.287, 33, 105) to the Braves for infielder Omar Infante and left-hander Mike Dunn. Atlanta's acquisition of the two-time All-Star second baseman may signal the team is uncertain about Chipper Jones' status for next year after his surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left knee.
2010 Roy Halladay joins Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and Gaylord Perry as the fifth pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues. The Phillies right-hander, obtained as a free agent in the off-season, unanimously cops the National League honor after posting a 21-10 record and a 2.44 ERA during the major-league-leading 250.2 innings he hurled this season.
2011 In his first full season as a skipper, Kirk Gibson is named the National League's manager of the year. The 54-year-old field boss, who received 28 of the 32 first-place votes from the writers, led the Diamondbacks to a run-away NL Western Division title with a 94-68 record.
2011 Joe Maddon wins the American League Manager of the Year Award for the second time after guiding the Rays to a 91-71 record. Thanks to Boston's late-season collapse, Tampa Bay overcame a nine-game deficit at the beginning of September to win the American League Wild Card.
2012 At Busch Stadium, the Cardinals unveil an alternate home Saturday jersey that features the words "St. Louis" in script on the front for the first time in eight decades. The Redbirds also announced that the team will wear red hats on the road instead of navy, and their logo would have more detailed cardinals on the bat.

2012 The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum announces the winners of its Legacy Awards, naming Mike Trout as its choice for the AL's Oscar Charleston Award, recognizing the 20-year-old outfielder as the league's most valuable player. The Angels' freshman also receives the Larry Doby Award, an honor given to the top rookie of each circuit.
2016 With only eight of 30 first-place votes, Rick Porcello wins the American League Cy Young Award, outdistancing Justin Verlander, the Tigers ace placed on the top of a dozen ballots cast by the Baseball Writers Association of America. The 27-year-old Red Sox right-hander received 18 second-place votes from the writers in recognition of his 22-4 record while posting a 3.15 ERA for the first-place Red Sox.
2016 Max Scherzer is named the recipient of the National League's Cy Young Award, making the 32-year-old, who also won the American League award in 2013 with the Tigers, the sixth hurler in baseball history to cop the honor in both circuits. The Washington right-hander led the NL with 20 wins, compiling a major league-leading 284 strikeouts during his 228.1 innings for the first-place Nationals.
2018 Babe Ruth becomes the twelfth MLB player honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the fourth to receive the nation's highest civilian honor posthumously. President Donald Trump presents the medal to Thomas Steven, who accepts the award on behalf of his grandfather.

2019 Veteran manager Joe Maddon (1,252-1,068), who spent nine seasons with the Rays and five more with the Cubs, comes to terms on a three-year deal with the Angels, reportedly worth $12 million to $15 million. The 65-year-old skipper, replacing first-year pilot Brad Ausmus, spent 31 years with the organization before leaving to manage Tampa Bay in 2006.
2022 Pedro Martinez, Sandy Alcantara's childhood hero, announces the Marlin ace has won the National League Cy Young Award, receiving all 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. The 27-year-old right-hander (14-9, 2.28) becomes the first hurler in franchise history and the third Dominican-born player to cop the prestigious pitching prize.
34 Fact(s) Found