1961 – The first tryout camp is held in Houston for the new National League expansion team. It is held at Busch Stadium, the same southeast Houston locale that had been called Buffs Stadium for decades.
1959 – The Cleveland Indians send OF Larry Doby to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for OF Tito Francona. Francona will hit .363 for the Indians, while Doby will be released after playing just 16 games for Detroit.
In an effort to keep the Giants in New York, Manhattan Borough President Hulan Jack makes plans for a new 110,000-seat stadium over the New York Central railroad tracks, on a 470,000-foot site stretching from 60th to 72nd streets on Manhattan’s West Side. The estimated cost of $75 million for the stadium eventually dooms the project and will be a major factor in Horace Stoneham’s decision to move to San Francisco.
The New York Giants and Cleveland Indians cancel an exhibition game in Meridian, Mississippi, because of mass racial violence in neighboring Alabama.
On March 3, 1953, Boston Braves owner Lou Perini blocks an attempt by the St. Louis Browns to move their franchise to Milwaukee. Since Perini owns the Braves’ minor league affiliate in Milwaukee, he is allowed to invoke “territorial privilege” in preventing the Browns from relocating to Wisconsin. Stating he has not been offered enough…
1946 – The St. Louis Browns sign veteran Joe Medwick, who has been released by the Boston Braves. St. Louis will release Medwick before the season starts and he will sign with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
1940 – The Boston Bees sell outfielder Debs Garms to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Garms will get only 358 at bats for Pittsburgh but, nevertheless, will lead the National League in hitting with a .355 average. Unlike what is the case in the American League, where 400 at bats are required to be eligible for the batting title, the NL rules state that a player must appear in at least a hundred games: Garms will play in 103. Ford Frick, NL president, will clarify this in September when it is clear that Garms will not reach the 400 at bats. Pirates teammate Virgil Davis will be the nominal runner-up at .326, but will play just 99 games. Garms will drop to .264 in 1941 and he will be out of baseball a year later.
1932 – In Century, Florida, Boston Red Sox pitcher Ed Morris dies at age 32 of knife wounds inflicted in a fight at a party given in his honor two days ago in Brewton, Alabama. Boston owner Bob Quinn is reported to have had a New York Yankees offer of almost $100,000 for the pitcher.
1916 – Jack Dunn, owner of the International League Baltimore Orioles, buys the park built by the Baltimore Terrapins of the Federal League.
1889 – Pitcher Bobby Mathews goes to court to try and collect $600 that he claims is owed to him by the Philadelphia Athletics (American Association) for his services as a coach in 1888. If Matthews collects, it will make him the first paid coach in major league history.
Enjoy our free trial and start listening to games, interviews and shows! Ruth, Mantle, Aaron, and Seaver!