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This Day in Baseball History
December 21st

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15 Fact(s) Found
1926 Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis dismisses claims by Dutch Leonard, Ty Cobb's former Tiger teammate, alleging the Georgia Peach and Indian outfielder Tris Speaker bet on a fixed game six years ago. The commissioner will declare the matter closed, with both future Hall of Famers getting a clean bill of health, given their support from the public and the accuser's failure to defend his claim at last month's hearing.
1959 After Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh rejects the A's offer to deal Roger Maris for shortstop Dick Groat, Pittsburgh obtains Gino Cimoli and Tom Cheney from the Cardinals for right-hander Ron Kline. The Yankee-bound Maris will enjoy the first of his two consecutive MVP years in New York, while Groat plays a vital role for the World Champion Bucs next season, and he will also be named the most valuable player of his league.
1960 Cub owner P.K. Wrigley announces the club will not have a manager next season but will use a college of coaches instead. The 'faculty' of head coaches for the upcoming campaign will include El Tappe, Charlie Grimm, Goldie Holt, Bobby Adams, Harry Craft, Rube Walker, Ripper Collins, and Vedie Himsl.
1978 The creator of the lovable caricature known as the 'Brooklyn Bum,' Sports cartoonist Willard Mullin, dies in Corpus Christi at 76. The cartoon featured a low-brow, working-class character who would proudly represent the borough of Brooklyn, quickly becoming a favorite of the Dodger fans.
1995 After considering an attractive offer from the Orioles, David Cone re-signs with the Yankees as a free agent, inking a three-year deal worth $19.5 million. The 32-year-old 'hired hand' starts 4-1 with a 2.02 ERA before being diagnosed with an aneurysm in his right arm, placing him on the disabled list for most of the season.
1995 The Orioles sign Toronto free-agent Roberto Alomar to a three-year $18 million contract. The 27-year-old second baseman will be selected as an All-Star during each of his three seasons with the team, winning two Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger award for the Charm City club.
2000 Hoping to pick up where his success started, 41-year-old outfielder Tim Raines, a lifetime .295 batter, signs a minor league contract with the Expos, the team he played for as a rookie in 1979. Last season, the Rock retired during spring training with the Yankees and failed to make the U.S. Olympic baseball team.
2002 After deciding not to exercise their club option to sign Mark Grace (.252, 7, 48), the Diamondbacks retain the popular veteran first baseman. The lifetime .305 hitter agrees to a one-year deal, including a club option for the 2004 season that the club declines after the 39-year-old bats .200 in 66 games.
2005 With the announcement that Oakland will no longer sell tickets for the third deck of McAfee Coliseum, the A's home has become the smallest park in the major leagues. The seating capacity, reduced from 44,073 to 34,179, is less than Fenway Park, which now accommodates 38,805 denizens of Red Sox Nation after recent renovations.
2005 After trying to sign the All-Star outfielder twice as a free agent, the Giants finally acquire Steve Finley (.222, 12, 54) in a trade with the Angels, which sends third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo (.277, 2, 43) to Los Angeles. The veteran infielder appeared in only 109 games last season due to injuries.
2009 The Yankees are assessed with a luxury tax of $25.69 million for its spending in 2009. The World Series champion club is the only team to be penalized this year for crossing the salary threshold, as it has in all seven years since the collective bargaining agreement initiated the tax in 2002.
2009 Chip Caray, who left Turner Sports three weeks ago under a storm of criticism, reveals Fox Sports South and SportsSouth has hired him as their play-by-play announcer for Braves games. The 44-year-old broadcaster, son of the late Atlanta broadcaster Skip Caray and grandson of fabled Harry Caray, is replacing ESPN-bound Jon Sciambi and is expected to call approximately 105 games next season.
2010 The Red Sox and Bobby Jenks agree to a two-year, $12 million deal, bringing the former White Sox closer to Boston as a set-up man for Jonathan Papelbon. The two-time All-Star reliever, who did not pitch after saving both ends of a doubleheader against his new team in early September, saved 27 games for Chicago but lost his job at the end of the season when he struggled because of difficulties with his forearm.
2022 Eight days after Carlos Correa tentatively agreed to terms on a 13-year, $350 million deal with the Giants, his agent, Scott Boras, informs the team, concerned about the results of a physical, that his player doesn't want to wait any longer to sign a contract. Upon hearing the news, Mets owner Steve Cohen quickly negotiates a 12-year, $315 million contract to acquire the free-agent shortstop.
2023 Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Dodgers agree on a 12-year, $325 million deal, the richest contract ever given to a pitcher in baseball history. The 25-year-old Japanese right-hander joins fellow countryman Shohei Ohtani, who signed a $700 million pact with the team earlier in the month.
15 Fact(s) Found