ralph kiner

Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Ralph Kiner gains election to the Hall of Fame

ByThis Day in Baseball

On January 23, 1975, former Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Ralph Kiner gains election to the Hall of Fame in his final year on the ballot. Kiner hit 369 home runs over a 10-year career, leading the National League in home runs each season from 1946 to 1952. In one of the narrowest margins ever, Kiner is…

Pitcher Don Wilson , at age 29, dies at home from carbon monoxide poisoning.
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Pitcher Don Wilson , at age 29, dies at home from carbon monoxide poisoning.

ByThis Day in Baseball

1975 – Pitcher Don Wilson , at age 29, dies at home from carbon monoxide poisoning after falling asleep in his car. His young son, asleep in a bedroom above the garage, also dies in the tragedy. His number 40 is retired by the Astros the following spring, the second Houston player to be so honored. 

St. Louis Cardinals speedster Lou Brock is named Sportsman of the Year by The Sporting News

ByThis Day in Baseball

1974 – St. Louis Cardinals speedster Lou Brock is named Sportsman of the Year by The Sporting News. He finishes ahead of such sports luminaries as tennis great Jimmy Connors, golfer Johnny Miller, and Dodgers ironman reliever Mike Marshall.

Roberto Clemente

Two baseball greats whose careers ended tragically, Roy Campanella and the late Roberto Clemente, each of whom already occupies baseball’s Hall of Fame, are named today with twelve others to the Black Athlete’s Hall of Fame. The formal induction ceremony will come on March 13th of next year.

ByThis Day in Baseball

1974 – Two baseball greats whose careers ended tragically, Roy Campanella and the late Roberto Clemente, each of whom already occupies baseball’s Hall of Fame, are named today with twelve others to the Black Athlete’s Hall of Fame. The formal induction ceremony will come on March 13th of next year.

1974 – Bobby Tolan, traded by Cincinnati for P Clay Kirby on November 9, 1973, finally signs a 1974 contract with the Padres, leading to a withdrawal of the grievance initiated by the Players’ Association on his behalf.

ByThis Day in Baseball

1974 – Bobby Tolan, traded by Cincinnati for P Clay Kirby on November 9, 1973, finally signs a 1974 contract with the Padres, leading to a withdrawal of the grievance initiated by the Players’ Association on his behalf.

Ken Singleton

Montreal Expos send OF Ken Singleton and P Mike Torrez to the Orioles for P Dave McNally, OF Rich Coggins, and minor league pitcher Bill Kirkpatrick

ByThis Day in Baseball

1974 – In a dismal trade for Montreal, the Expos sed OF Ken Singleton and P Mike Torrez to the Orioles for P Dave McNally, OF Rich Coggins, and minor league pitcher Bill Kirkpatrick. McNally and Coggins will be gone before the end of June, while Kirkpatrick will never reach the majors; meanwhile, Torrez and Singleton will both be top-notch players for another decade.