On March 18, 1984, famed batting coach Charley Lau dies from cancer at the age of 50. Lau, whose major league career batting average was .255, earned his fame as the Kansas City Royals batting coach from 1971 to 1978, where his star pupil was George Brett. Lau had also served as a coach for the Baltimore Orioles, Oakland A’s, New York Yankees, and Chicago…
On March 17, 1984, – Ferguson Jenkins announces his retirement. In 1983, Jenkins struggled to a record of 6-9 with an ERA of 4.30. The 1971 National League Cy Young Award winner, Jenkins posted a record of 284-226 with 3192 strikeouts and a 3.34 ERA in 4500 innings pitched in a 19-season major career. He will…
1984 – Two outstanding defensive players, shortstop Pee Wee Reese and catcher Rick Ferrell, are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee. Reese hit .269 in 16 seasons with the Dodgers while Ferrell batted .281 with just 28 home runs in 18 seasons for the Browns, Red Sox, and Senators.
On March 3, 1984, Peter Ueberroth is elected commissioner of baseball, succeeding Bowie Kuhn starting on October 1, 1984. Ueberroth, the president of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, will become the game’s sixth commissioner. Ueberroth will serve a five-year term before giving way to A. Bartlett Giamatti. Peter Ueberroth will receive compensation of $450,000,…
1984 – The San Francisco Giants send pitcher Fred Breining and outfielder Max Venable to the Montreal Expos in exchange for first baseman Al Oliver. Because Breining is found to be injured, the Giants will send pitcher Andy McGaffigan to Montreal on March 31st to complete the trade.
1984 – Pedro Guerrero becomes the highest-paid player in Dodgers history when he signs a five-year, seven-million dollar contract to play in Los Angeles.
1984 – Houston signs infielder Enos Cabell, back from Detroit, as a free agent. A popular Astro during his six seasons (1975-1980) which he spent mostly as a third baseman, Cabell becomes the regular first baseman and bats .310 with eight homers. He is dealt to the Dodgers early in the 1985 season.
After five months of discussion, the Mets and Keith Hernandez, who was eligible for free-agency at the end of the season, come to terms on an $8 million, five-year contract. The deal makes the first baseman the second-highest paid player in franchise history, earning slightly less than George Foster’s $10 million, five-year pact signed precisely two years ago.
After vetoing a trade to Oakland, two-time All-Star Dusty Baker is waived by the Dodgers. The 35 year-old outfielder will sign as a free agent, hitting .294 in 100 games, with the Giants, before ending his career with the A’s, the team he had refused to play for when dealt last season.
1984 – After losing Type A free agent Tom Underwood to the Orioles, Oakland grabs pitcher Tim Belcher from the Yankees as compensation. The number-one selection in the June 1983 draft, Belcher did not sign with Minnesota and was available in the January draft. The Yankees signed him on February 2nd, only to lose him because they had already submitted their list of 26 protected players, a blunder which will cost general manager Murray Cook his job.
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