1974 – Houston trades pitcher Pat Darcy and cash to Cincinnati for infielder Denis Menke. For former All-Star Menke, he closes his career hitting .103 in a bench role. For the Ohio-born Darcy, it’s great timing as two of his three big-league seasons are on World Championship teams.
1974 – James (Cool Papa) Bell is elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues. Known for his legendary footspeed, Bell joins Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard and Monte Irvin, as Negro Leagues greats selected to the Hall.
The first arbitration ruling in baseball history is decided in favor of Twins’ hurler Dick Woodson. The right-hander, the first player to invoke the new free agency clause, is awarded the $29,000 he asked for, rather than having to take Minnesota’s offer, which was six thousand dollars less.
On January 28, 1974, the Veterans Committee elects Sam Thompson, Jim Bottomley and umpire Jocko Conlan to the Hall of Fame. Thompson batted .336 lifetime, while Bottomley drove in 100 or more runs six consecutive seasons. Bottomley also set a record by driving in 12 runs in one game.
1974 – Ray Kroc, fast-food entrepreneur (McDonald’s), buys the San Diego Padres for $12 million, ending talk of a possible move to Washington, DC.
1974 – The Baseball Writers Association of America elects former New York Yankees teammates Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford to the Hall of Fame. Mantle becomes only the seventh player to make it in his first try. His 536 home runs with the Yankees rank second only to Babe Ruth, and he played in more games (2,401) than any other pinstriper, including Lou Gehrig. Ford was arguably the greatest Yankees pitcher of all time, retiring with more wins (236), innings pitched (3,171), strikeouts (1,956), and shutouts (45) than anyone in club history.
1974 – Picking first in the January amateur draft, the Texas Rangers select shortstop Roy Smalley, son of ten-year major league veteran SS Roy Smalley and nephew of manager Gene Mauch. Smalley, who dropped out of USC in the fall to make himself eligible, will sign for $100,000.
Due to heavy financial losses, Rheingold Beer announces it will close its Brooklyn-based plant. As as a result, the brewery will be forced to end its 13-year relationship with the Mets as the team’s primary radio-TV sponsor.
On January 3, 1974, the New York Yankees give up on their pursuit of former Oakland A’s manager Dick Williams and hire Bill Virdon. In December, the Yankees had announced the signing of Williams, only to learn that A’s owner Charlie Finley would not surrender him without compensation. Although the former Pirates skipper will manage…
On January 1, 1974, Joe Cronin steps down as president of the American League and is replaced by Lee MacPhail. MacPhail, a longtime executive in baseball, will lead the AL through 1984. He is inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.
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