The BBWAA elects former Red Sox and White Sox catcher Carlton Fisk and the ‘Big Red Machine’s first baseman Tony Perez to the Hall of Fame. ‘Pudge’ is selected in his second year of eligibility, and the Reds infielder from Ciego De Avila, Cuba makes it on his ninth try.
2000 – The Seattle Mariners sign free agent pitcher Aaron Sele to a two-year, $15 million contract after Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos nixes a negotiated four-year $29 million deal because of questions regarding Sele’s physical condition. Sele had been offered a four-year, $28 million deal by the Texas Rangers, but didn’t act on it. Sele will win 17 games this season, making him just one of seven pitchers to win 15 or more games in 1998, 1999 and 2000 – Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, David Wells, Dave Burba and Charles Nagy, are the others.
Gene Budig resigns as American League president and is appointed a senior adviser to Commissioner Bud Selig. The American and National Leagues will be disbanded as legal entities later this month, with their functions consolidated in the commissioner’s office.
Major League Baseball officials order Atlanta Braves reliever John Rocker is to undergo psychological testing following derogatory remarks he made in an interview with Sports Illustrated magazine. Commissioner Bud Selig says he will listen to what the doctors say before deciding what punishment – if any – will be handed down to the pitcher.
Houston signs veteran pitcher and former Cy Young winner Dwight “Doc” Gooden to a free agent contract. He pitches in the debut of Enron Field but gets into only one game during the regular season before he is sent to Tampa Bay.
On January 4, 2000, former major leaguer John Milner dies from lung cancer at the age of 50. Nicknamed “The Hammer,” Milner slugged 131 home runs over a 12-year career with the New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Montreal Expos. A member of the 1979 world champion Pirates, he batted .306 in 10…
2000 – San Diego Padres pitcher Carlton Loewer suffers a broken leg after falling from a tree while hunting. At the very least, he will miss spring training. While pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies last year, Loewer missed almost four months due to a stress fracture in his arm, an injury that doctors say could easily have resulted in a situation in which the arm broke while he was throwing a pitch.