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This Day in Baseball History
December 23rd

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22 Fact(s) Found
1902 The U.S Patent Office issues John A. Hillerich a patent that devises a method of hardening the surface of a bat, improving the wood's ability to drive a baseball, and preserving the material from checking, chipping, or splintering on its surface from exposure to the sun or the weather. The name "Louisville Slugger" had become the Kentuckian's business registered trademark in 1894.
1905 The A's sell Lave Cross to the Senators. The thirty-eight-year-old third baseman will appear in 171 games for Washington over the next two seasons before ending his 21-year career with a .292 lifetime batting average playing for seven teams.
1953 Jim' Junior' Gilliam (.278, 6, 63) wins the National League Rookie of the Year Award. The Dodger second baseman, who hit a circuit-best 17 triples while leading the league with 710 plate appearances, easily beats Harvey Haddix and Ray Jablonski for the freshman honor.
1958 The Dodgers trade George Lee Anderson to the Phillies for outfielder Rip Repulski and two minor league pitching prospects, Jim Golden and Gene Snyder. 'Sparky,' better known as a major league manager than being a 'good field, no-hit' infielder, becomes the first skipper to win a World Series in the American (1984 Tigers) and the National League (1975-76 Reds).
1960 Former first baseman Ripper Collins, who played with the Cardinals' Gashouse Gang, joins the Cubs' college of coaches, a group of interim skippers that will manage the team for part of the season. The original 'faculty' will include El Tappe, Goldie Holt, Bobby Adams, Harry Craft, Rube Walker, Vedie Himsl, and Charlie Grimm.
1975 A landmark decision by Peter Seitz begins a new era in major league baseball as the arbitrator's judgment makes pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally the first true free agents in baseball history. After each played for their team, the Dodgers and Expos, respectively, without signing a contract during their option year, each challenged the owners' assumption that the reserve clause meant the automatic renewal of one-year contracts.
1975 John Gaherin, the owners' labor representative, dismisses Peter Seitz when the arbitrator delivers his now-historic ruling, making Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally free agents. The fired arbitrator, hired by baseball to settle player disputes, is asked by management to refrain from discussing or writing about the landmark decision.
1985 Thousands of fans, including former President Richard Nixon and Commissioner Peter Ueberroth, attend a memorial mass conducted by John Cardinal O'Connor at New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral held for Roger Maris. The Yankee owner, George Steinbrenner, arranged the moving service for the recently deceased ballplayer.
1994 Major league owners implement a salary cap and revenue sharing on striking players. The new provisions never take effect because a ruling by a judge, which ends the protracted labor dispute, orders that the games use the existing labor agreements for the next two seasons
1997 The Cubs trade outfielder Doug Glanville to the Phillies for second baseman Mickey Morandini, who hits a respectable .272 in 298 games during his two years with Chicago. Philadelphia's newest player becomes a clubhouse leader, enjoying his most productive years in the majors by providing excellent defense in the outfield while handling a bat and stealing bases in his six-seasons stint in Philadelphia.
1999 The Mets obtain southpaw starting pitcher Mike Hampton and outfielder Derek Bell from the Astros for Octavio Dotel, Roger Cedeno, and minor league pitcher Kyle Kessel. Although the 27-year-old left-hander plays only one season with New York, his presence helps his new team capture the National League pennant when he compiles a 15-10 record with a 3.14 ERA.
2000 Giants sign 38-year-old Eric Davis for outfield insurance to a one-year $1.5 million free-agent contract. The veteran outfielder, who played with the Cardinals for the past two years, will end his 17-year career at the end of the season, averaging 28 home runs a season and compiling a .269 batting average during his 17-year career with six teams, including his first nine with the Reds.
2004 Free-agent J.D. Drew (.305, 31, 118), former flycatcher of the Braves, signs a five-year, $55 million deal with the Dodgers. After being traded by the Cardinals to Atlanta last season, the left-handed-hitting outfielder, known to be injury-prone, played in a career-high 145 games.
2004 The Cardinals ink former Angel infielder David Eckstein (.276, 2, 35) to a three-year contract. The 29-year-old free agent shortstop will replace Gold Glover Edgar Renteria, who signed with the Red Sox, making the Boston shortstop, Orlando Cabrera, available to Anaheim, Eckstein's former team.
2005 The Yankees introduce their 32-year-old clean-shaven Johnny Damon to the media. One of the 2004 Boston World Championship shaggy hair heroes signs a $52 million, four-year deal to play centerfield and bat leadoff with his former arch-rivals, much to the chagrin of the Red Sox nation.
2007 The Phillies sign 38-year-old outfielder So Taguchi (.290, 3, 30) to a one-year, $1 million deal, including performance bonuses and a 2009 club option. The 'So Man,' a Hyogo Prefecture, Japan native, batted .406 (13-32) as a pinch-hitter for the Cardinals to lead the National League last season.
2008 The Yankees reach a preliminary agreement on a $180 million, eight-year contract with Mark Teixeira (.308, 33, 121). The 28-year-old first baseman joins CC Sabathia ($161 million, seven years) and A.J. Burnett ($82.5 million, five years), becoming the third free agent signed to a big contract by the Bronx Bombers this month.
2008 The Yankees announce prices for some of the seats at their new stadium for the exhibition games against the Cubs on April 3 and 4 will match the amounts charged for the original Yankee Stadium's opener against Boston in 1923. Fans can purchase bleacher seats for 25 cents, with grandstand tickets costing $1.10.
2009 Versatile outfielder Coco Crisp (.228, 3, 14), who can play all three spots in the outfield, signs a $5.25 million, one-year contract with the A's. Last season, the 30-year-old flychaser underwent surgery on both shoulders, limiting his playing time to only 49 games with the Royals, leading the team to decline an $8 million option on the speedy switch-hitter from California.
2009 Darren Oliver inks a $3.5 million, one-year pact that includes a 2011 option, making the 39-year-old southpaw a Ranger for the third time in his 16-year major league career. The left-handed reliever retired in 2005 but resurrected his career with the Mets the following year before becoming a fixture in the Angels bullpen the past three seasons.
2009 Finalizing a $5.75 million, one-year deal, Nick Johnson returns to the Yankees to become the team's designated hitter, a void created by Hideki Matsui's departure. Before the 2004 season, the Bronx Bombers dealt the 31-year-old first baseman to the Expos for right-handed starter Javier Vazquez, recently reacquired by the club in a trade with Atlanta.
2011 The Cubs trade lefty reliever Sean Marshall to the Reds for southpaw starter Travis Wood, outfielder Dave Sappelt and minor league infielder Ronald Torreyes. In February, Chicago's former set-up man will sign a three-year, $18 million extension with his new team that runs through 2015.
22 Fact(s) Found