<< Yesterday

This Day in Baseball History
February 26th

Tomorrow>>
14 Fact(s) Found
1911 General Taylor acquires the rights to a parcel of land known as the Dana Lands, a property once owned by a leader of the Sons of Liberty named Francis Dana, at a public auction for $120,000. The Red Sox minority owner's acquisition will become Fenway Park, the team's new home,
1914 In London, the White Sox edge the Giants, 5-4, in 10 innings in the final contest of their World Tour. Chicago won 24 and lost 20 against New York, with two games ending in ties during their five-month global journey that included stops in Japan, Australia, and Egypt.
1935 Babe Ruth is granted his release by the Yankees, allowing the aging superstar to play for the Braves. The 39-year-old outfielder hit 659 home runs and batted .349 during his 15-year tenure with New York.
1943 The Phillies hire future Hall of Famer Bucky Harris to manage the club. The veteran skipper, who compiles a 39-54 record, will be fired by the team's new owner, Bill Cox, at the end of July and replaced by Freddie Fitzsimmons.
1952 Don Newcombe, who posted a 56-28 record his first three years with the Dodgers, will miss the next two seasons when he is sworn into the Army to serve in the Korean War. The 26-year-old right-hander struggles upon his return in 1954 but returns to form the following season with a 20-5 record, helping the team capture their only world championship while playing in Brooklyn.
1957 The Giants trade right-hander Hoyt Wilhelm to the Cardinals for their former All-Star first baseman/outfielder Whitey Lockman. The knuckleballer will win only one of five decisions for the Redbirds before being selected off waivers by Cleveland in September, with New York's newest infielder spending two seasons with his old club, hitting .246 in 225 games over that span.
1989 A California court throws out the $12-million breach-of-contract suit brought against Wade Boggs by Margo Adams. During their four-year association, the former Miss Anaheim claimed the Red Sox third baseman had promised her a salary and expenses.
1991 The Veterans Committee select Bill Veeck, considered the P.T. Barnum of baseball due to the imaginative innovations he put in place as the owner of the Indians (1946-50), Browns (1951-53), and White Sox (1959-61, 1975-80), for induction into the Hall of Fame. 'Sport Shirt Bill' integrated the American League by signing Larry Doby to play for the Tribe and assembled the 1948 World Champion Indians, a team that drew more than 2.6 million fans, setting an attendance record that lasted over three decades.
1992 Red Sox owner Jean Yawkey dies at 83 after suffering a stroke. The JRY Trust, headed by the club's CEO John Harrington, inherits her interest in the team, selling the team to John Henry and an investor group in 2002.
2004 At Harry Caray's restaurant in Chicago with hundreds of onlookers, including a man covered in ivy, singing Take Me Out to the Ball Game, Michael Lantieri blows up the foul ball made famous by Steve Bartman in the 2003 NLCS. The Oscar Award-winner, a die-hard Cubs fan who has worked on similar special effects in Jurassic Park and Back to the Future, executes the infamous ball's demise.

2005 Atlanta Braves' hurler Mike Hampton and his wife offer a $25,000 reward for the safe return of Jessica Marie Lunsford. The nine-year-old, who disappeared from her Florida bedroom four days ago, is in the same grade as one of the Hamptons' two sons at Homosassa Elementary School.
2006

"He's an idiot. He's selfish. That's why we don't miss him. And we've held it in for far too long." - KENNY WILLIAMS, White Sox general manager, reacting to his former player's negative comments.

Frustrated with the latest comments from former employee Frank Thomas, Chicago White Sox general manager Kenny Williams responds by calling his former superstar selfish and an idiot. The former MVP, who signed with the A's in January, has been very vocal about feeling unappreciated and mistreated by Chicago after spending 16 years with the organization.

2009 Tim Lincecum (18-5, 2.62) signs a $650,000, one-year deal with the Giants. The 24-year-old right-hander, last season's National League's Cy Young Award recipient, fanned a big league-leading 265 batters while yielding 182 hits in 227 innings.
2019 Nolan Arenado becomes baseball’s highest-paid position player annually, making $33.5 million per season after signing an eight-year, $260-million extension with the Rockies. Last month, the 27-year-old third baseman set an arbitration record, receiving a $26 million award in a one-year deal with Colorado.
14 Fact(s) Found