Receiving 25 of 32 first-place votes, Atlanta Braves shortstop Rafael Furcal is selected by the Baseball Writers Association of America as the National League Rookie of the Year Award winner. Furcal, the only player listed on all 32 ballots, easily outdistances Cardinals pitcher Rick Ankiel and Mets outfielder Jay Payton.

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Receiving 25 of 32 first-place votes, Atlanta Braves shortstop Rafael Furcal is selected by the Baseball Writers Association of America as the National League Rookie of the Year Award winner. Furcal, the only player listed on all 32 ballots, easily outdistances Cardinals pitcher Rick Ankiel and Mets outfielder Jay Payton.

A joint meeting held in Chicago, that was foreseen as a formality, turns into a four-hour fierce debate when American League and National League owners strongly disagree on implementing divisional play for next season. The AL owners had unanimously agreed to the plan earlier in the day, but Senior Circuit brass makes it perfectly clear they believe their league will oppose any effort by the American League to implement the plan by itself, citing the possibility that an AL division winner could be a fourth-place club (under the present standings) that would play a first-place team in the World Series.

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A joint meeting held in Chicago, that was foreseen as a formality, turns into a four-hour fierce debate when American League and National League owners strongly disagree on implementing divisional play for next season. The AL owners had unanimously agreed to the plan earlier in the day, but Senior Circuit brass makes it perfectly clear they believe their league will oppose any effort by the American League to implement the plan by itself, citing the possibility that an AL division winner could be a fourth-place club (under the present standings) that would play a first-place team in the World Series.

MLB hands out a bevy of suspensions following one of the most violent on-field brawl in recent years which occurred on July 30th in a game between the Reds and Pirates. The longest suspensions go to Pirates pitcher Keone Kela who gets 10 games for starting the whole fracas by throwing at the head of Derek Dietrich, and to Reds P Amir Garrett, who distinguished himself by taking wild swings at opponents, who gets 8. Cincinnati manager David Bell will be out for 6 games after returning to the field following a prior ejection to take part in the fisticuffs, and OF Yasiel Puig who gets 3 games after joining in the fight in spite of having been traded shortly beforehand. Others being punished include Pirates manager Clint Hurdle and players José Osuna, Kyle Crick and Jared Hughes. A number of other players escape with only fines. There had already been a total of 9 ejections during the game itself.

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MLB hands out a bevy of suspensions following one of the most violent on-field brawl in recent years which occurred on July 30th in a game between the Reds and Pirates. The longest suspensions go to Pirates pitcher Keone Kela who gets 10 games for starting the whole fracas by throwing at the head of Derek Dietrich, and to Reds P Amir Garrett, who distinguished himself by taking wild swings at opponents, who gets 8. Cincinnati manager David Bell will be out for 6 games after returning to the field following a prior ejection to take part in the fisticuffs, and OF Yasiel Puig who gets 3 games after joining in the fight in spite of having been traded shortly beforehand. Others being punished include Pirates manager Clint Hurdle and players José Osuna, Kyle Crick and Jared Hughes. A number of other players escape with only fines. There had already been a total of 9 ejections during the game itself.

Although the Blue Jays already display his uniform digits on the Level of Excellence, the team officially retires Roberto Alomar’s No. 12 jersey, making the infielder the first player so honored in this manner in the 35-year history of the franchise. The newly inducted member of the Hall of Fame played five seasons with Toronto, including the back-to-back 1992-93 World Series championship teams.

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Although the Blue Jays already display his uniform digits on the Level of Excellence, the team officially retires Roberto Alomar’s No. 12 jersey, making the infielder the first player so honored in this manner in the 35-year history of the franchise. The newly inducted member of the Hall of Fame played five seasons with Toronto, including the back-to-back 1992-93 World Series championship teams.

Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick sets a waiver rule to bar inter-league deals until all clubs bid with the club lowest in the league to get the first pick. He sets the price at $10,000. He also bars all other deals after July 31st.

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Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick sets a waiver rule to bar inter-league deals until all clubs bid with the club lowest in the league to get the first pick. He sets the price at $10,000. He also bars all other deals after July 31st.

On the penultimate day before the trading deadline, a major three-team deal moves P Trevor Bauer from a contending team, the Indians, to a non-contending one, the Reds, with Cleveland taking in a haul of players, including OFs Yasiel Puig and Franmil Reyes and P Logan Allen, while San Diego receives top OF prospect Taylor Trammell from the Reds. Bauer had worn out his welcome with a series of incidents, the latest being his heaving a baseball over the centerfield fence in frustration after having been removed from a game, an incident that also cost him a fine from Major League Baseball. Bauer is the second top starting pitcher in three days to move to a non-contender, following the surprising trade of Marcus Stroman from the Blue Jays to the Mets on July 28th.

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On the penultimate day before the trading deadline, a major three-team deal moves P Trevor Bauer from a contending team, the Indians, to a non-contending one, the Reds, with Cleveland taking in a haul of players, including OFs Yasiel Puig and Franmil Reyes and P Logan Allen, while San Diego receives top OF prospect Taylor Trammell from the Reds. Bauer had worn out his welcome with a series of incidents, the latest being his heaving a baseball over the centerfield fence in frustration after having been removed from a game, an incident that also cost him a fine from Major League Baseball. Bauer is the second top starting pitcher in three days to move to a non-contender, following the surprising trade of Marcus Stroman from the Blue Jays to the Mets on July 28th.

One day after their surprise acquisition of Marcus Stroman, the Mets deal with their surplus of starting pitchers by sending Jason Vargas to the Phillies in return for AA catcher Austin Bossart, who is hitting .195.

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One day after their surprise acquisition of Marcus Stroman, the Mets deal with their surplus of starting pitchers by sending Jason Vargas to the Phillies in return for AA catcher Austin Bossart, who is hitting .195.

2019 – The Blue Jays make a couple of trades, first sending 2B Eric Sogard across the diamond to their opponents for today’s game, the Rays, then after the game dealing their ace, P Marcus Stroman, to the Mets in return for two prospects, Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods-Richardson. That last trade raises some questions, as the Mets are also out of the race, but seemingly could not resist acquiring a top-notch starting pitcher for at relatively low cost.

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2019 – The Blue Jays make a couple of trades, first sending 2B Eric Sogard across the diamond to their opponents for today’s game, the Rays, then after the game dealing their ace, P Marcus Stroman, to the Mets in return for two prospects, Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods-Richardson. That last trade raises some questions, as the Mets are also out of the race, but seemingly could not resist acquiring a top-notch starting pitcher for at relatively low cost.

The Red Sox author another chapter in the long saga that is their rivalry with the Yankees by defeating them by a score of 19 – 3 at Fenway Park. Masahiro Tanaka allows 12 earned runs in 3 1/3 innings, the most by a Yankee pitcher against the Sox. Xander Bogaerts sets the tone with a three-run homer in the 1st as part of a four-hit night in which he adds another long ball, against C Austin Romine pitching mop-up relief in the 8th. The 19 runs by the Red Sox are the most they have scored in the 117-year history of facing the New Yorkers.

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The Red Sox author another chapter in the long saga that is their rivalry with the Yankees by defeating them by a score of 19 – 3 at Fenway Park. Masahiro Tanaka allows 12 earned runs in 3 1/3 innings, the most by a Yankee pitcher against the Sox. Xander Bogaerts sets the tone with a three-run homer in the 1st as part of a four-hit night in which he adds another long ball, against C Austin Romine pitching mop-up relief in the 8th. The 19 runs by the Red Sox are the most they have scored in the 117-year history of facing the New Yorkers.