Howard Johnson, who will turn 33 at the end of the month, becomes the first free agent to sign with another team this off-season when he agrees to a one-year deal worth $2,100,000 to play for the Rockies. The switch-hitting slugger, who led the National League in homers and RBIs two years ago, has seen his production drop in recent seasons, primarily due to injuries.
The Dodgers trade future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez to the Expos for second baseman Delino DeShields, who will hit .241 during his three seasons with Los Angeles. The 21 year-old Dominican right-hander will win 55 of 88 decisions in his four-year tenure with Montreal, before being dealt to Boston before the 1998 campaign.
1993 – Terry Collins is hired as Astros manager. Coming from the Pirates organization, Collins projects an aggressive no-nonsense attitude that eventually wears thin on the veteran players.
On November 12, 1993, Hall of Fame catcher Bill Dickey dies at the age of 86. The former New York Yankees’ great, who was elected to the Hall in 1954, batted .313 with 202 home runs over a 17-year career in the major leagues.
The Seattle Mariners trade infielder Dave Magadan to the Florida Marlins for pitcher Jeff Darwin and cash considerations.
San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds is voted the National League MVP for the third time in four years. He joins Stan Musial, Roy Campanella and Mike Schmidt as the National League’s only three-time MVPs. In his first year in San Francisco, Bonds reached career highs with a .336 batting average, 46 home runs, 129 runs and 123 RBI to help the Giants to 103 wins, although the team missed the NL West division title by one game.
1993 – Cleveland Indians pitcher Cliff Young is killed in a truck crash in Willis, Texas. He is the third Indians pitcher to die this year in an accident.
Greg Maddux (20-10, 2.36) wins his second Cy Young Award when he easily outpoints Bill Swift of the Giants and teammate Tom Glavine on ballots cast by the BBWAA. The 27 year-old right-hander becomes first hurler to win the prestigious pitcher prize in back-to-back seasons for different teams, having copped the award with the Cubs last season.
1993 – The Cleveland Indians trade pitcher Heathcliff Slocumb to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for outfielder Ruben Amaro, Jr.
1993 – Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott returns to take over the day-to-day operations of the Reds following her nine-month suspension for using racial and ethnic epithets.
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