The owners vote to use a free-agent draft with clubs selecting in the inverse order of the previous year’s standings to choose players every four months. The new system, scheduled to begin next month, is designed to level the playing field by preventing rich clubs, like the Yankees, from using their wealth to lock up all of the talented players.

ByTom

The owners vote to use a free-agent draft with clubs selecting in the inverse order of the previous year’s standings to choose players every four months. The new system, scheduled to begin next month, is designed to level the playing field by preventing rich clubs, like the Yankees, from using their wealth to lock up all of the talented players.

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1964 – General Manager Paul Richards sparks controversy when news leaks out during the Winter Meetings in Houston that he had offered the team’s entire 40-man roster plus $5 million dollars for the 40-man roster of the Milwaukee Braves. Richards claimed to have had the backing of owners Bob Smith and Roy Hofheinz but the Braves shoot down the idea as a joke that got out of hand. Had it been consumated, future Hall of Famers like Hank Aaron, Phil Niekro and Eddie Mathews could have been Astros.

ByTom

1964 – General Manager Paul Richards sparks controversy when news leaks out during the Winter Meetings in Houston that he had offered the team’s entire 40-man roster plus $5 million dollars for the 40-man roster of the Milwaukee Braves. Richards claimed to have had the backing of owners Bob Smith and Roy Hofheinz but the Braves shoot down the idea as a joke that got out of hand. Had it been consumated, future Hall of Famers like Hank Aaron, Phil Niekro and Eddie Mathews could have been Astros.

The Houston Colt .45s officially change their nickname to “Astros.”
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The Houston Colt .45s officially change their nickname to “Astros.”

ByTom

The Houston Colt .45s officially change their nickname to “Astros.” The change coincides with the team’s impending move from Colt Stadium to the Harris County Domed Stadium, also known as the Astrodome. The change in name for the three-year old franchise is prompted by a dispute with the Colt firearm company and the team’s proximity to NASA headquarters.

Tony Olivia is overwhelmingly selected as the American League’s Rookie of the Year

ByThis Day in Baseball

Twins freshman outfielder Tony Olivia, named on 19 of the 20 ballots cast by a special committee of the BBWAA, is overwhelmingly selected as the American League’s Rookie of the Year, with the lone dissenting vote going to 19 year-old Oriole right-hander Wally Bunker (19-5, 2.69). The Cuban native from Pinar del Rio won the AL’s batting crown with a .323 average while hitting 32 home runs and driving in 94 runs for the sixth-place club.

The Phillies’ slugging third baseman Dick Allen is chosen as the 1964 NL Rookie of the Year

The Phillies’ slugging third baseman Dick Allen is chosen as the 1964 NL Rookie of the Year

ByTom

The Phillies’ slugging third baseman Dick Allen is chosen as the National League’s Rookie of the Year, receiving 18 of the 20 votes cast by a special committee of the BBWAA. The ‘Wampum Walloper’ led the circuit in runs scored, triples, and total bases, batting .328, fifth best in the league, with 29 homers and 91 RBIs.