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This Day in Baseball History
November 27th

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21 Fact(s) Found
1941 Joe DiMaggio, who copped the honor in 1939, wins the American League Most Valuable Player award for the second time in his career. The Yankee Clipper edges Ted Williams, who hit .406 this season, when a writer leaves the Red Sox right-fielder off the ballot.


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1947 Joe DiMaggio (.315, 20, 97) edges out Triple Crown winner Ted Williams (.343, 32, 162) by one point for the American League MVP when a writer from the Midwest leaves the Red Sox right-fielder off the ballot. The BBWAA also denied the 'Splendid Splinter' the award in 1942, another season in which he led the Junior Circuit in every major offensive category.
1950 Former Cleveland shortstop standout Lou Boudreau signs a two-year contract with the Red Sox for $150,000. The 33-year-old future Hall of Fame infielder will hit .267 playing full-time next season, becoming the team's player-manager in 1952 before managing full-time from the bench for the following two seasons.
1953 The writers select Indian third baseman Al Rosen (.336, 43, 145) as the American League's MVP by an unprecedented unanimous vote, naming first on all 24 ballots. The 28-year-old infielder, completing his fourth full season as a major leaguer, barely misses garnering the triple crown when Mickey Vernon tops him by one point for the best batting average in the circuit.
1953 Future Hall of Famer Roy Campanella (.312, 41, 142) is named the National League's MVP for the second time. The Dodger catcher also copped the prize in 1951 and will win the honor again in 1955, joining Stan Musial as the circuit's second three-time award recipient.
1956 En route to play winter ball for Valencia, Charlie Peete, his wife, and three small children are among the 25 fatalities when a Caracas-bound plane crashes into the side of a Venezuelan mountain during a severe thunderstorm. The 27-year-old outfielder, who won the American Association batting title by hitting .350 for Omaha, played in 23 games for the Cardinals last season and was likely to become the first black player to be a regular starter in the St. Louis lineup.
1956 After winning the MVP last week and the Rookie of the Year in 1949, Brooklyn starter Don Newcombe (27-7, 3.06) receives major league baseball's inaugural Cy Young Award, an honor given to just one hurler until 1967 when each league will name a winner of the prestigious pitching prize. The Dodgers' director of Community Affairs remained the only player in baseball history to have won all three major postseason awards until Tiger right-hander Justin Verlander, the ROY in 2006, copped both CYA and MVP awards in 2012.

1962 The Braves trade first baseman Joe Adcock and southpaw Jack Curtis to the Indians outfielders Don Dillard and Ty Cline and reliever Frank Funk, who won 11 games, lost 11 games, and had 11 saves for Cleveland last season. The acquisition of the Milwaukee slugger will keep 24-year-old Walt Bonds in the minors before he is called up in September when he hits .380 with six home runs in 50 at-bats.
1963 Gary Peters (19-8, 2.33) edges White Sox teammate third baseman Pete Ward (.295, 22, 84) and Twins' outfielder Jimmie Hall (.260, 33, 80) for the American League Rookie of the Year Award. In his sophomore season, the 26-year-old left-handed fireballer, who struck out 189 batters in 243 innings, will become a 20-game winner for Chicago.
1963 The A's and Orioles swap first basemen Jim Gentile, along with $25,000, going to Kansas City for Norm Siebern. Each player will have a mediocre season with their new club, but Baltimore's new infielder earns a spot on the American League's All-Star team.
1967 The Mets complete the deal that brings Senator skipper Gil Hodges (321-444, .420), who still had a year left on his contract with Washington, to New York to become the team's fourth manager in the brief history of the five-year-old franchise. The Amazins obtained the beloved former Dodger and original Met by sending 21-year-old right-hander Bill Denehy and $100,000 in reparations to the nation's capital.
1970 Carl Morton, who finished the season with an 18-11 record for the last-place Expos, wins the National League Rookie of the Year award. The 26-year-old Montreal right-hander receives 11 of the 24 first-place votes cast by the writers, with Bernie Carbo (8), Larry Bowa (3), Cesar Cedeno (1), and Wayne Simpson (1) also named on the BBWAA ballots.
1972 The Mets trade Tommie Agee to the Astros for right-handed prospect Buddy Harris and outfielder Rich Chiles, who will appear in only eight games for New York. The 1969 World Series hero, dealt by Houston to the Cardinals in August, will retire at the end of the season.
1972 The Indians trade third baseman Graig Nettles and catcher Gerry Moses to the Yankees for backstop John Ellis, infielder Jerry Kenney, and outfielders Charlie Spikes and Rusty Torres. Nettles will play a significant role on the Bronx Bombers' championship teams later in the decade, helping the club win three American League pennants and two World Series.
1973 Gary Matthews easily outdistances right-hander Steve Rogers of the Expos for the National League's Rookie of the Year honors, garnering 11 of 24 first-place votes cast by the writers. The Giants left fielder, known as Sarge, played in 148 games, batting .310 and hitting 12 home runs for the third-place club.
1978

"I'll never make the mistake of finishing second again." - SPARKY ANDERSON, commenting after being fired by the Reds.

The Reds unexpectedly fired Sparky Anderson, who compiled a career mark of 863-586 (.596) during his nine seasons with the club, after his team won 92 games but finished in second place in the NL West, 2.5 games behind the Dodgers. Cincinnati GM Dick Wagner announces John McNamara, who has managed in Oakland and San Diego with mediocre results, will replace the future Hall of Fame skipper.

1985 The BBWAA selects Vince Coleman as the National League's Rookie of the Year. The Cardinals freshman outfielder, who stole 110 bases for the pennant-winning Redbirds, joins Frank Robinson, Orlando Cepeda, and Willie McCovey as only the fourth unanimous winner of the award.

1989 Tony Pena, 32, becomes the Red Sox's first highly-paid free agent when he signs a $6.4 million, three-year contract to catch for the team. The former Cardinal backstop, a five-time National League All-Star, will lead the Junior Circuit this season in putouts and games played behind the plate, finishing second in assists and fielding percentage.
1991 The Mets and Eddie Murray agree to a two-year deal worth $7.5 million. The All-Star first baseman, who played the previous three seasons with the Dodgers, spent the first dozen years of his Hall of Fame career in Baltimore.
2001 The major league owners vote unanimously to extend baseball commissioner Bud Selig's contract through 2006. The former Brewers' owner, who had held the top spot on an interim basis since 1992, was given the title permanently midway through the 1998 season.
2007 The Brewers and Jason Kendall agree to a one-year contract that guarantees $4.25 million and includes a vesting option for 2009. The 33-year-old catcher, who split time with the A's and Cubs last season, replaces recently traded Johnny Estrada behind the plate.
21 Fact(s) Found