2011 – Major League Baseball names former manager Joe Torre as executive vice-president for baseball operations, replacing Bob Watson who retired after last season. Torre will be in charge of supervising umpires and meting out discipline for on-field incidents.

2011 – The first injury reports come out of spring training, with the Cardinals getting the worst news. Starting pitcher Adam Wainwright, runner-up for the Cy Young Award last season, has a “significant injury” to his pitching elbow and will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the entire season. Also out indefinitely is Dodgers P Vicente Padilla who will undergo surgery on his forearm tomorrow. Finally, Brewers starting C Jonathan Lucroy fractures the little finger of his throwing hand during drills and will be out from four to six weeks.

Seven new members of the College Baseball Hall of Fame are announced, including four former Golden Spikes Award winners (Oddibe McDowell, Tim Wallach, Terry Francona and Dave Magadan). Also inducted are 1950s All-American Dick Groat and longtime coaches Prez Jones and Bill Wilhelm.

Bryce Harper, the first overall pick in the 2010 amateur draft, creates a stir on his first day at the Washington Nationals camp in Viera, FL. He hits nothing but hard line drives in his first batting practice session, then is mobbed by autograph-seekers as he tries to leave the field. Harper has yet to make his minor league debut, but observers are already wondering how quickly he will make it to the big leagues.

36-year-old Justine Siegal makes a bit of history at the Cleveland Indians spring training complex in Goodyear, AZ. The former assistant coach at Springfield College and first base coach with the Brockton Rox is believed to be the first woman to throw batting practice to a group of major league hitters.

In the first game of the season, Garrett Wittels goes 0-for-4 against Southeastern Louisiana, leaving the Florida International University junior two games short of Robin Ventura’s Division l record of hitting in 58 consecutive games, established by the former major leaguer in 1987. The overall NCAA mark is 60 straight games, set by Damian Costantino playing for Division III Salve Regina from 2001-03.

SS Garrett Wittels of Florida International University goes hitless in a game against Southeastern Louisiana University, ending his hitting streak at 56 games, two shy of the NCAA Division I record of 58 games set by Robin Ventura of Oklahoma State University in 1987. Wittels’ streak began on February 10, 2010 and lasted all of last season before ending in this year’s season opener.

The Society for American Baseball Research announces the second class of recipients of the Henry Chadwick Award. Sean Forman, founder of Baseball-Reference.com and the BR Bullpen is one of the five honorees.

Albert Pujols’ self-imposed deadline for reaching agreement on a long-term contract extension with the St. Louis Cardinals expires without a deal. Pujols, who is seeking $300 million over 10 years, states that there will be no more negotiations during the season in order to avoid a potential distraction. The three-time National League MVP is slated to become a free agent next fall.

Late tonight, Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera is arrested in Fort Pierce, FL and charged with driving under the influence and refusing to cooperate with police officers. In October 2009, Cabrera was arrested for threatening his wife while intoxicated as the Tigers were playing a crucial series to determine the AL Central champion.