On February 7, 1949, New York Yankee superstar Joe DiMaggio signs a one-year contract worth $100,000, becoming the first American League player to earn a six-figure deal in major league history. Hank Greenberg was the first player to make six figures when he accepted the Pirates offer in 1947 after being waived by the Tigers….
February 6, 1949 Richie Zisk was born in Brooklyn New York. Zisk played baseball at Parsippany High School in New Jersey. Zisk was drafted by the Pirates in the first round in 1967. He was a 2X All-Star and received MVP votes in 3 seasons. In his 13-year career (1971-1983), Richie had 1,477 hits, 207 HR,…
1949 – The Pittsburgh Pirates buy All-Star pitcher Murry Dickson from the St. Louis Cardinals for $125,000.
1949 – The New York Giants sign their first black players: Negro League players Monte Irvin and Ford Smith. Both men are assigned to the Jersey City Giants (International League). Irvin will star for the Giants, but Smith will never make the major leagues.
1949 – Fred Saigh buys out the interest of Robert Hannegan and now controls 90 percent of the St. Louis Cardinals’ stock. Saigh and Hannegan had swung the deal in 1947 with only $60,300 in cash in a $4 million deal. Hannegan comes out with $866,000 profit in two years.
On January 25, 1949, Bill Veeck and the Cleveland Indians reward player-manager and American League MVP Lou Boudreau with a two-year contract worth $62,000 with the World Champion Indians to remain the team’s player-manager. The future Hall of Famer will pilot the Tribe for nine years, six as a player, and will compile a 728-649…
January 19, 1949 – Stan Musial announced he had purchased half interest in the former 66 Café operated by Julius “Biggie” Garagnani. The restaurant, at 6435 Chippewa would be known as Stan Musial and Biggies, Stan said. The National League batting champion and MVP was in the midst of a two-year contract paying him $50,000…
1949 – The New York Giants are fined $2,000, and their manager Leo Durocher $500, for signing Freddie Fitzsimmons as a coach while he was still under contract to the Boston Braves. Fitzsimmons gets a $500 fine and a 30-day spring training suspension.
1949 – The Story Quarry site is selected as the site for the new Milwaukee County Stadium. Construction will begin on October 19, 1950.
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