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This Day in Baseball History
November 30th

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23 Fact(s) Found
1948

"Sometimes the best trades are the ones you never make" - BILL VEECK, the Indian owner's observation about a possible deal not made.

Lou Boudreau is selected as the American League Most Valuable Player, becoming the only manager to win a World Series and being named the circuit's MVP in the same season. The fan-favorite Cleveland shortstop, the team had almost been dealt to the Browns earlier in the year, but the protest of the Indian fans prompted owner Bill Veeck to rethink the transaction.

1952 On Youth Wants to Know, a local NBC New York television show, Jackie Robinson accuses the Yankee organization of being racist due to its failure to have a black player on the club. In 1955, Elston Howard will become the first black ballplayer in the Bronx, nine years after Robinson broke the color barrier with the Dodgers.

NYT Robinson Charges Yankee Race Bias

1961 The Giants acquire right-hander Don Larsen and southpaw Billy Pierce from the White Sox in exchange for Bob Farley, Eddie Fisher, Dom Zanni, and Verle Tiefenthaler, who will be the player to be named later. Both pitchers contribute to the Giants' National League championship next season, with Pierce winning 16 games for San Francisco.
1961 On Youth Wants to Know, a local NBC New York television show, Jackie Robinson accuses the Yankee organization of being racist because of its failure to have a black player. In 1955, the first black ballplayer in the Bronx will be Elston Howard, nine years after Robinson broke the color barrier with the Dodgers.
1967 The Cubs trade Ray Culp, who posted an 8-11 record in 30 games in his one season with the team, for cash and outfielder Rudy Schlesinger, a player whose entire major league career consisted of one contest in 1965. After perfecting the use of a palm ball, the 26-year-old right-hander will average 16 wins for Boston over the next four seasons.
1970 The Cubs trade veteran knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm to the Braves for Hal Breeden, a minor league first baseman, used sparingly before being dealt to the Expos at the start of the 1972 season. Atlanta releases Old Sarge in June, but he will finish his 21-year Hall of Fame career, playing with the Dodgers for the next two years.
1972 The Orioles trade second baseman Davey Johnson, Pat Dobson, Roric Harrison, and Johnny Oates to the Braves for Taylor Duncan and 24-year-old Earl Williams, a power-hitting catcher who hit 28 home runs last season. The Birds' former All-Star infielder, replaced admirably by rookie Bobby Grich, has three productive seasons in Atlanta.
1972 The Royals obtain Hal McRae, a future inductee to the team's Hall of Fame in 1989, and Wayne Simpson from the Reds for outfielder Richie Scheinblum and right-hander Roger Nelson. During his 15-year tenure in Kansas City, McRae received votes for American League MVP five times.
1977 Dave Kingman, joining his fifth team this year, signs as a free agent with the Cubs. Sky King, put on waivers in September by the Padres after a midseason trade with the Mets, was selected by the Angels, who dealt the much-traveled slugger to the Yankees a week later.
2000 Mike Mussina inks an $88.5 million, six-year free-agent deal with the Yankees. The ten-year veteran right-hander, who compiled a 147-81 (.635) record with the Orioles, will finish his 18-year career in New York, adding another 123 victories in 195 decisions for the Bronx Bombers.
2001 The Expos, unsure of their major league status, sign a one-year lease to play next season's home games at Olympic Stadium. The agreement gives Montreal the right to unilaterally cancel the contract due to the team's possible elimination under the owners' proposed plan for contraction.
2001 The Minnesota courts jeopardize the major leagues' plan to contract by two teams next season. The state's Supreme Court refuses to grant the request for a quick review of the appeal of the injunction, which forces the Twins to play in 2001, and the appellate court sets the hearing for December 27th, a date many believe is too late to make the elimination of two teams a reality.
2005 The Red Sox petition a judge to take possession of the ball used to make the last out of the 2004 World Series. Former first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, who kept the ball after closer Keith Foulke threw it, loaned the sensational sphere to the club but continues to claim ownership of the historic horsehide that made the team World Champions for the first time in 86 years.

2007 The Rays sign reliever Troy Percival (3-0, 1.80) to an $8 million, two-year deal. The 38-year-old right-hander, who came out of retirement last season to make 34 appearances for the Cardinals, is a major upgrade to Tampa Bay's beleaguered bullpen.
2007 Not allowing his agent Scott Boras to broker the best free-agent deal available, Kenny Rogers represents himself in negotiations, signing an $8 million, one-year contract to return to the Tigers for a third season. The 43-year-old southpaw posted a 3-4 record with a 4.43 ERA in an injury-shortened season after leading Detroit to a World Series the previous year.
2007 In exchange for fly chaser Ryan Church and catcher Brian Schneider, the Mets trade highly-touted prospect Lastings Milledge to the Nationals. Although the transaction helps New York fill its immediate needs behind the plate and the outfield, the trade favors Washington due to Milledge's perceived potential.

(Ed. Note: After spending unsuccessful seasons with the Nationals, Pirates, and White Sox, the outgoing outfielder ends his six-year major league career with a.269 batting average before signing with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Japan's Central League. LP)

2009 The Angels vote to give a full postseason share to the estate of Nick Adenhart, the rookie pitcher who died in a hit-and-run car accident in April, a few hours after pitching six shutout innings in his first start of the season. The Halo players who lost the ALCS to the Yankees earned an additional $138,039 due to their playoff appearance.
2009 Sports Illustrated names Derek Jeter as its Sportsman of the Year, making the 'Captain' the first Yankee honored by the magazine. The other baseball recipients to win the award, given annually since SI's inception in 1954, includes Johnny Podres (Dodgers - 1955), Stan Musial (Cardinals - 1957), Sandy Koufax (Dodgers - 1965), Tom Seaver (Mets - 1969), Pete Rose (Reds - 1975), Orel Hershiser (Dodgers - 1988), Cal Ripken Jr. (Orioles - 1995), Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa (Cardinals, Cubs - 1998), Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling (Diamondbacks - 2001), and the entire Red Sox team (2004).

2009 The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center names infielder/outfielder Mark Teahen as the 2009 Hutch Award recipient for best exemplifying the honor, courage, and dedication of former major leaguer and skipper Fred Hutchinson, who died from cancer in 1964. Recently traded by the Royals, the 28-year-old was a principal spokesman and fundraiser for the Kansas City YMCA Challenger Baseball program, a Little League division that provides children with physical or mental challenges the opportunity to play ball on specially designed diamonds.
2009 TBS spokesman Jeff Pomeroy confirms Chip Caray, who just completed his third season as the lead play-by-play announcer, and the network have decided to part ways. Already scrutinized for being too subjective during postseason play-by-play, the son of the beloved late Braves broadcaster Skip Caray and the grandson of the legendary play-by-play announcer Harry Caray has also been criticized for miscalling plays and sharing misinformation.
2010 The Dodgers and free agent Juan Uribe agree to a three-year, $21 million deal to play second base for the team. The enthusiastic and versatile 31-year-old Dominican infielder gives new manager Don Mattingly more options at shortstop and third base.
2010 Troy Tulowitzki and the Rockies agree to a seven-year extension that guarantees the All-Star infielder $157.75 million until 2020. The 26-year-old Gold Glove shortstop's contract is now the eighth richest in baseball history.
2012 Mark and Cindy Hill of Dearborn (MO), big Kansas City Royals fans, say they randomly selected the numbers after being presented with an oversized check for $293,750,000, their share of one of the two $192 million Powerball jackpots. At first, reports indicated the six winning numbers chosen came from the uniform numbers of Royals greats: George Brett (No. 5), Mark Gubicza (No. 23), Bo Jackson (No. 16), Dennis Leonard (No. 22), Dan Quisenberry (No. 29), and Willie Wilson (No. 6).
23 Fact(s) Found