2019 – After a second opinion, Royals All-Star catcher Salvador Perez resigns himself to undergo Tommy John surgery to repair a tear in his throwing elbow. He will miss the entire season as a result.
2015 – In A.J. Hinch’s managerial debut with the club, Houston drops the Phillies, 6-3, at Kissimmee, FL. Three Astros hit home runs while former overall first pick Mark Appel is the winning pitcher.
2015 – Bad news for the Giants as RF Hunter Pence suffers a broken left forearm after being hit by a pitch in a spring training game. He is expected to miss six to eight weeks of action.
2014 – The Dodgers’ newest Cuban signee, 2B Alex Guerrero, makes his presence felt with a grand slam in a 10 – 3 win over the Reds in a Cactus League contest.
2012 – Former OF Lenny Dykstra is sentenced to three years in a California state prison after pleading no contest to charges of grand theft auto and providing a false financial statement. Dykstra ran a scheme that involved leasing automobiles from high-end dealerships on the basis of false financial information.
2011 – Top Phillies OF prospect Domonic Brown breaks a hand in an exhibition game against the Pirates. Looking to succeed Jayson Werth as the Phils’ starting rightfielder, Brown had started the Grapefruit League season 0 for 15. Ironically, he singles in the at-bat that follows the injury, but then comes out of the game. He will require surgery and will miss Opening Day.
A new ownership group, headed by real estate tycoon Lewis N. Wolff and businessman John J. Fisher, takes control of the A’s, after purchasing the franchise from Steve Schott and Ken Hoffman. Oakland’s four-year playoff streak, fueled by Billy Beane’s “Moneyball” approach, had come to an end in 2004, and the former owners were anxious to sell the club they bought from the estate of Walter A. Haas, Jr. in 1995.
2003 – Although not agreeing to ban ephedra, a memo is sent to all major leaguers by the players’ union strongly recommending players “be extremely reluctant to use any products” containing the substance. The diet supplement, which is available without a prescription, has been linked to the spring training death of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler.
Red Sox skipper Joe Kerrigan becomes the fourth manager to be fired during spring training. The team’s former pitching coach, who guided the club to a 17-26 record after taking over for Jimy Williams last August, had signed a multi-year contract to be Boston’s field boss with then-GM Dan Duquette, but was not favored by the new ownership that took control last month.
1996 – The Veterans Committee elects four new members for the Hall of Fame, and just misses naming a fifth. The group elected includes fiery manager Earl Weaver, who had a .583 winning percentage in 17 seasons managing the Baltimore Orioles; pitcher Jim Bunning, who won 100 games in both leagues, including no-hitters in each circuit, one of them a perfect game; 19th-century manager Ned Hanlon, who won five National League pennants with the Baltimore Orioles (3) and Brooklyn (2), and Bill Foster, the top left-handed pitcher in the Negro Leagues. Nellie Fox receives the necessary 75% of the Committee’s votes, but the rules allow just one modern player elected, and Bunning has more votes.