For the third straight year, 1B Joey Votto of the Reds is named recipient of the Tip O’Neill Award given to the best ballplayer in Canada.
2011 – Ron Santo, former Chicago Cubs third baseman in the 1960s, who died last year, is the lone player elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. He receives 15 of 16 votes from members of the “Golden Era” Committee.
On the eve of the winter meetings, free-agent Jayson Werth (.296, 27, 85) and the Nationals come to terms on a $126 million, seven-year contract. The signing of the 31 year-old right-fielder, who has been a cog in Philadelphia’s recent success, will help to fill the void created by the departure of Adam Dunn, the team’s former clean-up hitter, to the south side of Chicago.
2010 – The Washington Nationals sign free agent OF Jayson Werth to a seven-year deal worth $125 million. The deal is considered shocking because of its length, considering Werth is already 31 and was a late bloomer.
After trying seven shortstops since Nomar Garciaparra’s 2004 trade to the Cubs, the Red Sox give Marco Scutaro an opportunity to play the position, inking the 34 year-old infielder to a two-year deal with a club option for 2012. The free-agent, who hit a career-best .282 along with 12 homers and 60 RBIs for Toronto last season, will replace Alex Gonzalez, who left the Red Sox after Boston declined his $6 million option and recently signed with the Blue Jays.
2005 – Reaching a preliminary deal with the Dodgers a day before baseball’s winter meetings, Rafael Furcal agrees to a $39-million, three-year contract to play shortstop in the City of Angels. The 28-year old Dominican infielder was also strongly pursued by the Braves, his former team for the past six seasons, and the Cubs.
December 5, 2002: The New York sign Tom Glavine to a 3yr, $35 million deal. “It’s almost surreal that it happened. I never thought I would play for someone else.” He pitched five seasons (2003-2007) for the Mets, going 61-56 one of his wins includies his 300th career game. He will return home to…
2001 – New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani announces he wants to complete new stadium deals for the Mets and Yankees before he leaves office at the end of the month. Before the September 11th attacks, which dramatically changed the city’s financial stature, the mayor thought an arrangement in which the city, the state and the owners agreed to pay one-third of the cost of the new stadiums might complete the negotiations with the teams. A deal will be struck and the two new ballparks will both open in 2009.
1999 – Major League Baseball and ESPN agree to settle their lawsuit by signing a new six-year, $800 million deal. The suit involved ESPN’s decision to give NFL football games priority over late-season Sunday night baseball games on its main channel.
1998 – The Orioles sign free agent 1B Will Clark to a two-year contract.