Major League Baseball Season Recap 1960 World Series – Pittsburgh Pirates NL over New York Yankees AL 4 games to 3 World Series MVP – Bobby Richardson Babe Ruth Award – Bill Mazerowski Awards – Major League Cy Young Award Vern Law MVP Awards – NL Dick Groat AL Roger Maris Major League Rookie of The Year – NL…
Chicago Cubs owner Phil Wrigley announces that the team will use a rotating “College of Coaches,”
Charlie Finley buys the 52 per cent of the Kansas City A’s contained in the estate of the late Arnold Johnson
Dec. 18, 1959 Gabe Paul smiles as well traveled ballplayer Billy Martin signs his 1960 contract to play for the Reds. Cincinnati Reds; manager Fred Hutchinson hoped Martin could instill some fight into his team. Although he could not make the Reds a winner with his diminished skills, he still was a battler…
The Reds acquire pitchers Joey Jay and Juan Pizarro from the Braves for SS Roy McMillan and a player to be named later. Cincy then trades Pizarro and P Cal McLish to the White Sox for 3B Gene Freese. The two pitchers will win 24 games between them for the Sox in 1961, while Freese will have one good year in Cincy.
The biggest trade in history? The Phils lose more than 1 1/2 inches when they acquire P Frank Sullivan from the Red Sox for 6’9″ Gene Conley. In the next two years, Conley will win 26 games for the Sox, the third Boston team he will play for: Conley started with the Boston Braves in their last year before moving to Milwaukee, and played several seasons with the Celtics as Bill Russell’s backup.
1960 – The two new American League franchises, the first expansion teams in over a half of a century, select their rosters in the first ever expansion draft. The Los Angeles Angels make New York Yankees pitcher Eli Grba the first selection of the draft, and the “new” Washington Senators follow by tabbing another Yankee pitcher, Bobby Shantz. Among the Angels selections also are Jim Fregosi (SS), Ted Kluszewski (1B) and Albie Pearson (OF). Washington selections include Chuck Hinton (OF), Gene Woodling (OF) and Hal Woodeshick (P).
1960 – Detroit trades 2B Frank Bolling and a player to be named later (OF Neil Chrisley) to Milwaukee for OF Bill Bruton‚ 2B Chuck Cottier‚ C Dick Brown‚ and P Terry Fox.
The new Los Angeles American League franchise is awarded to Gene Autry, a well-known cowboy movie star who once turned down an opportunity to play in the minor leagues, and former football player Bob Reynolds for $350,000. After spending its inaugural season at LA’s Wrigley Field and then playing the next three years at Dodger Stadium, the team will move to Anaheim, a short distance from L.A., and will be known as the California Angels (1965-1996), the Anaheim Angels (1997-2004) and then, to better market the team, will become known as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2005.
1960 – American League President Joe Cronin suggests that if the National League starts its new New York franchise in 1961, the American League will stay out of Los Angeles until 1962. The NL turned down the suggested compromise of November 22nd because Houston will not be ready in 1961.