1960 – The Cleveland Indians trade OF Harvey Kuenn to the San Francisco Giants for OF Willie Kirkland and P Johnny Antonelli.
Moving from Washington, D.C. to an area near Minneapolis and St. Paul, known in Minnesota as the Twin Cities, the state’s newly arrived major league team changes its name and will be known as the Twins. The new American League expansion team now in the nation’s capital will continue to use the name Senators but will be an entirely different franchise.
1960 – Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Frank Howard is selected National League Rookie of the Year with 12 of 24 votes. The six-foot, nine-inch Howard batted 23 home runs during the regular season.
1960 – The American League proposes that both leagues expand to nine teams in 1961 and begin interleague play. There will be expansion in the American League in 1961, but interleague play will not arrive until 1997.
1960 – Bob Scheffing signs to manage the Detroit Tigers after the job is turned down by Casey Stengel.
On November 19, 1960, the expansion Washington Senators name Mickey Vernon the first manager in franchise history. An exceptional hitter during his playing career, Vernon played for the original Washington Senators’ franchise from 1939 to 1948. During his three-year tenure with the new club, ‘Mickey’ will compile a dismal 135-227 record, finishing no higher than…
1960 – Charlie Finley, a 42-year-old insurance tycoon from Gary, Indiana, makes a formal bid for the new Los Angeles club of the American League.
Elvin Quesada, a native of the District of Columbia, is awarded the American League’s Washington expansion team, filling the void created due to the original American League franchise moving to Minnesota to play as the Twins next season. The new owner of the Senators is presently the head of the Federal Aviation Administration.
Hank Greenberg drops out of the bidding to run the new American League franchise in Los Angeles.
Dick Groat, the Pirates 30 year-old shortstop who led the league with a .325 average, is selected as the National League’s Most Valuable Player, with Don Hoak, his partner on the left side of the Bucs’ infield, being the runner-up to the award. Another teammate, right-fielder Roberto Clemente, who will cop the award in 1966, is very disappointed with being named eighth on the ballot.