1998 – Shortly after beating Jorge Fabregas in an arbitration case, Arizona owner Jerry Colangelo stuns the catcher – and fellow owners – by signing him to a 2-year, $2.9 million contract, which includes a significant raise over the arbitration salary in the first year.

ByTom

1998 – Shortly after beating Jorge Fabregas in an arbitration case, Arizona owner Jerry Colangelo stuns the catcher – and fellow owners – by signing him to a 2-year, $2.9 million contract, which includes a significant raise over the arbitration salary in the first year.

1995 – The Toronto Blue Jays assign manager Cito Gaston and his coaching staff to work with minor league players until the strike is settled so that they will not have to deal with replacement players.

ByTom

1995 – The Toronto Blue Jays assign manager Cito Gaston and his coaching staff to work with minor league players until the strike is settled so that they will not have to deal with replacement players.

After signing a contract as a free agent with the A’s less than a month ago 37 year-old Vida Blue unexpectedly retires

After signing a contract as a free agent with the A’s less than a month ago 37 year-old Vida Blue unexpectedly retires

ByTom

After signing a contract as a free agent with the A’s less than a month ago, 37 year-old Vida Blue unexpectedly retires from baseball. The veteran southpaw, who played a significant role in the A’s consecutive world championships in 1972, 1973, and 1974, compiled a 209-161 record during his 17-year major league career, which also included stints with the Giants and Royals.

Fernando Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Dodgers becomes the first player to earn a $1 million salary through arbitration.

Fernando Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Dodgers becomes the first player to earn a $1 million salary through arbitration.

ByThis Day in Baseball

On February 19, 1983, Fernando Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Dodgers becomes the first player to earn a $1 million salary through arbitration. Valenzuela’s victory makes him the third highest-paid player in the game. The Dodgers had offered Valenzuela $750,000 for this season.

1977 – The Oakland A’s sell P Paul Lindblad to the Texas Rangers for $400,000, calling into question Bowie Kuhn’s policy on player sales. Kuhn had previously voided an Oakland sale of players (on June 18, 1976) as “not being in the best interest of baseball,” but had not specified the maximum amount allowable in a player sale.

ByTom

1977 – The Oakland A’s sell P Paul Lindblad to the Texas Rangers for $400,000, calling into question Bowie Kuhn’s policy on player sales. Kuhn had previously voided an Oakland sale of players (on June 18, 1976) as “not being in the best interest of baseball,” but had not specified the maximum amount allowable in a player sale.

The Kansas City Athletics and Yankees trade 13 players including Clete Boyer

The Kansas City Athletics and Yankees trade 13 players including Clete Boyer

ByThis Day in Baseball

1957 – The Kansas City Athletics ship pitchers Art Ditmar, Bobby Shantz, and Jack McMahan, and infielders Clete Boyer, Curt Roberts and Wayne Belardi to the Yankees. In return they receive pitchers Mickey McDermott, Tom Morgan, Rip Coleman and Jack Urban, OF Irv Noren, plus infielders Billy Hunter and Milt Graff. Roberts will not go to New York City till May 4th, while Boyer goes a month later, conveniently just when his mandatory service time in the majors as a result of the bonus rule expires. Hunter and Urban don’t switch until April 5th. The veteran Shantz and Boyer will be valuable pick-ups for New York, with Shantz leading the American League in ERA this year, and Boyer a tough defensive 3B for eight years in pinstripes. The A’s will eventually admit that when they signed Boyer for a $40,000 bonus in 1955, it was on behalf of the Yankees, with the understanding that they’d ship him to NY as soon as he became eligible to be sent down to the minors.

19-year-old Roberto Clemente signs with the Brooklyn Dodgers 

19-year-old Roberto Clemente signs with the Brooklyn Dodgers 

ByThis Day in Baseball

1954 – 19-year-old Roberto Clemente signs with the Brooklyn Dodgers for one year at $5,000 with a $10,000 signing bonus. The Dodgers thus beat out a number of other clubs in the Clemente sweepstakes. They’ve outspent the prior two entrants, their cross-river rivals in Manhattan and the Bronx, and simply beaten the Milwaukee Braves to the punch. By far the biggest spenders of the bunch (by all accounts exceeding Brooklyn’s offer by at least 150%), the Braves were just a tad tardy, Clemente having already accepted the Dodgers’ terms. The Dodgers may have won the first battle, but they will lose Clemente’s services in one year when they fail to protect him in the 1954 Rule V Draft.