American League President Joe Cronin reports that expansion plans are indefinite. Branch Rickey scores him for his indecisiveness.
The Continental League awards a franchise to Atlanta.
Two days after trading Norm Cash, the White Sox send young OF Johnny Callison to the Phillies for veteran infielder Gene Freese. This ranks as one of the Phils’ better trades.
1959 – American League umpires Bill Summers and Ed Rommel retire.
The Cubs trade OF Lee Walls and Lou Jackson‚ and P Bill Henry to the Reds for slugger Frank Thomas.
Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians strike a major trade.
Representing Major League Baseball, the Yankees’ Yogi Berra visits Italy to present baseball equipment and aid in the sport’s development.
The Phils ship Chico Fernandez and Ray Semproch to Detroit for Ken Walters, Ted Lepcio, and minor leaguer Alex Cosmidis. The Cuban-born Fernandez was the first ethnic minority to play for the Phils, and will be the second ethnic minority to play for Detroit.
On December 11, 1959, former first baseman Jim Bottomley dies of a heart attack at the age of 59 in St. Louis, Missouri, where he’d starred for many years with the Cardinals. Bottomley earned election to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.
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