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This Day in Baseball History
December 20th

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23 Fact(s) Found
1921 The Fall Classic changes to a best-of-seven series from a best-of-nine, the format used in 1903 and 1919 through 1921. Baseball Commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis cast the deciding vote, favoring the American League plan over the National League's desire to keep the existing number of games.
1926 The World Champion Cardinals trade Rogers Hornsby to the Giants for Jimmy Ring and Frankie Frisch, who plays an integral role in the success of the Gashouse Gang in the 1930s after being sent to St. Louis due to a falling out with NY's manager John McGraw. The trade gets complicated when the 'Rajah' refuses to sell his 1,167 shares of the team stock back to the Redbirds at the asking price.
1940 Connie Mack announces he has acquired the controlling interest in the A's, a team he has managed for the past 40 years, for a reported $42,000. The Philadelphia skipper, who will celebrate his 78th birthday in three days, had shared the ownership with Benjamin Shibe's heirs, who started the franchise jointly in 1901.
1973 American League president Joe Cronin, siding with Charlie Finley, rules the Yankees cannot sign A's manager Dick Williams. The Bronx Bombers, who will eventually hire Bill Virdon to manage the team, had announced a deal with the Oakland skipper two days earlier.
1978 Don Blasingame becomes the first American not of Japanese descent hired as a manager of a Japanese team. The former major league second baseman will pilot the cellar-dwelling Hanshin Tigers to a fourth-place finish next season, compiling a managerial record, including two seasons with the Nankai Hawks, of 180–208–28 during his four years piloting Japanese teams.
1980 The Brewers obtain future Cy Young winners Rollie Fingers [1981] and Pete Vuckovich [1982] along with catcher Ted Simmons in a seven-player deal with the Cardinals. The Brew Crew sends pitcher Lary Sorensen, outfielder Sixto Lezcano, and minor league players Dave Green and Dave LaPointe to St. Louis.
1980 Baseball's basic agreement allows certain veterans to become free agents unless the clubs tendered contracts to the players today. The Red Sox will miss the deadline, permitting All-Stars Fred Lynn and Carlton Fisk to be eligible for free agency.
2000 After trading their All-Star shortstop to the Mets last season, the Orioles get him back, agreeing to a two-year deal with free agent Mike Bordick. The move will send Melvin Mora, the player obtained from the Mets to replace Bordick, to the outfield, where he will be a stronger defensive player.
2001 Hideo Nomo (13-10, 4.50), last season's American League strikeout leader with 220, inks a $13.75 million, two-year free-agent deal with the Dodgers. The former Red Sox right-hander was the National League Rookie of the Year when he broke into the majors with Los Angeles in 1995.
2001 The Red Sox announce the partners of the Jean Yawkey Trust have voted unanimously to sell 100 percent of the team to a group of investors led by Marlins' owner John Henry, who also has a one-percent share of the Yankees and is Boston's managing partner-in-waiting. The price tag for a family-owned business since 1933, rumored to be $600+ million, doubles the largest amount ever spent to buy a major league team.
2002 After rejecting Boston's salary arbitration, Cliff Floyd (.288, 28, 79) agrees to a $26 million, four-year contract deal with the Mets. Last season, the 30-year-old outfielder ended the season with the Red Sox, also playing with the Marlins and Expos.
2002 Hoping to fill the void after trading Eric Karros to the Cubs, the Dodgers agree with 39-year-old veteran first baseman Fred McGriff (.273, 30, 103) on a one-year deal. The 'Crime Dog,' who has played for the Blue Jays, Padres, Braves, Devil Rays, and the Cubs, with 478 career homers, is fourth among active players behind Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Rafael Palmeiro.
2004 Free agent Carl Pavano signs a four-year deal worth $39.95 million to pitch for the Yankees. The oft-injured Southington (CT) right-hander, who tossed over 220 innings en route to winning 18 games for the World Champion Marlins last season, appears in only 26 games in his three years with the Bronx Bombers, posting a 9-8 record with a 5.00 ERA in during his 145 innings on the mound.
2005 The World Champion White Sox finalizes the trade with the Diamondbacks, bringing starter Javier Vazquez and $4 million to the Windy City. The veteran right-hander Orlando Hernandez, reliever Luis Vizcaino, and minor league outfield prospect Chris Young, go to Arizona to complete the deal.
2007 Dontrelle Willis and the Tigers agree to a $29 million, three-year contract extension. Detroit obtained the affable southpaw and Miguel Cabrera from the Marlins in a blockbuster trade at the winter meetings for six talented prospects, including left-hander Andrew Miller and outfielder Cameron Maybin.
2007 The Mariners and right-hander Carlos Silva (13-14, 4.19) finalized a $48 million, four-year contract. The M's expect the 28-year-old free agent, formerly with the Twins, to 'bring a quality arm to the starting rotation' and be the pitching staff's workhorse.
2007 Tadahito Iguchi (.267, 9, 43) and the Padres agree on a one-year, $3.85 million deal, which could amount to more with performance-based bonuses. The former Phillies infielder will replace a slumping Marcus Giles at second base.
2007 Ron Mahay (3-0, 2.55) and the Royals finalize a two-year, $8 million deal. The 36-year-old southpaw reliever pitched 67 innings for the Rangers and Braves last season.
2007 Geoff Jenkins (.255, 21, 64) signs a two-year, $13 million contract as a free agent with the Phillies after the Brewers declined his option. Milwaukee chose not to pay the 33-year-old outfielder $9 million to keep him with the Brew Crew.
2007 During an interview with the Hattiesburg American, Jonathan Papelbon shares that his bulldog, Boss, ate the ball used to record the World Series's final out. Teammate Jason Varitek had given the ball to the reliever when Rockies pinch-hitter Seth Smith struck out to complete Boston's sweep of Colorado in the Fall Classic.

2008 The Nationals sign a one-year contract with free agent hurler Daniel Cabrera. The 27-year-old right-handed starter (8-10, 5.25 ERA), who was non-tendered by the Orioles earlier in the month after spending five seasons in Baltimore, has never lived up to his potential, given his live fastball and above-average curveball.
2009 Roy Halladay, who was traded by the Blue Jays to the Phillies last week in a complicated four-team deal, takes out a full-page ad in the Toronto Sun to thank everyone for their support during his 12-year tenure with the team. Using the newspaper advertisement, he tells the fans he felt "blessed" to have been part of the organization and that the city will "forever have a special place" in his heart.
2011 The Mets announce they are eliminating their minor league team in the Class A Gulf Coast League, which could save the cash-strapped team between $750,000 and $800,000. Although eliminating a farm team may seem desperate for the financially troubled franchise, New York was one of only three clubs with as many as nine minor league teams.
23 Fact(s) Found