The Indianapolis and Little Rock franchises are transferred from the International League to the Pacific Coast League. The IL is reduced to eight clubs and the PCL membership raised to 12 clubs.
The Houston Colt .45’s draft minor league pitcher Jim Ray from Triple-A Rochester (Orioles).
The Angels trade OF Leon Wagner to Cleveland for P Barry Latman and a player to be named later, who turns out to be 1B Joe Adcock.
The major league rules committee bans the use of oversized catcher gloves, starting with the 1965 season. The larger catcher mitt was devised in 1960 by Orioles manager Paul Richards to help his backstops catch Hoyt Wilhelm’s knuckleball.
1963 – Major league owners agree to allow the expansion clubs four protected first-year players who can be optioned to the minors without being subject to a draft.
Chicago White Sox pitcher Gary Peters edges teammate third baseman Pete Ward and Minnesota Twins outfielder Jimmie Hall for American League Rookie of the Year honors.
The A’s and Orioles swap first basemen with Jim Gentile along with $25,000 going to Oakland in exchange for Norm Siebern. Each player will have a mediocre season with their new club, but Baltimore’s new infielder plays for American League’s All-Star team.
1963 – Second baseman Pete Rose is a landslide winner of National League Rookie of the Year honors, taking 17 of 20 votes. Rose becomes the second Cincinnati Reds player to win the award, after Frank Robinson.
Bill Veeck, along with his son Mike and a nephew, is among the 250,000 people who pay their respect to John F Kennedy, lying in state in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol. The former owner of the Phillies, Indians, Browns, and White Sox is encouraged by the slain president’s family to move to the front, but he insists he is just an ordinary citizen and keeps his place in the extreme cold as blood from his amputated leg begins to soak his trousers during the 15 hours of standing in line.
1963 – Hank Bauer is named to replace Billy Hitchcock as manager of the Baltimore Orioles.