The history of sports is both vast and rich, thanks to the existence of so many different events and the longevity associated with them. With so much history to cull through, We offer the opportunity to look back and see what memorable things happened or milestones were reached on December 19 in baseball history.

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Notable Events and Chronology for December 19

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December 19, 1914

 Washington manager Clark Griffith meets with Walter Johnson in Kansas City and convinces the star to re-sign for $12,500

December 19, 1928

Senators player-manager Bucky Harris is traded to the Tigers for infielder Jack Warner

December 19, 1934

New York Yankees send five players to the San Francisco Seals for Joe DiMaggio

December 19, 1934

Hall of Famer Al Kaline is born in Baltimore, Maryland

December 19, 1936

The Bees purchase Eddie Mayo from the Giants.

December 19, 1954

Wally Moon becomes the first Cardinal player to be selected by the BBWAA as the National League’s Rookie of the Year

December 19, 1957

In a continuing family squabble, Charles Comiskey, Jr. denies his sister, Mrs. Dorothy Comiskey Rigney’s, allegation that he used the “rule or ruin” tactic to gain control of the club.

December 19, 1960

Billy Martin signs with the Reds

December 19, 1974

The race to sign newly-minted free agent Catfish Hunter begins Yankee and Red Sox representatives are the first arrivals

December 19, 1976

A single-engine plane crashes into the upper deck of Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium

December 19, 1983

Detroit Tigers sign free agent infielder Darrell Evans

December 19, 1983

Pittsburgh Pirates sign outfielder Amos Otis as a free agent

December 19, 1983

Former Cy Young Award winner Vida Blue is sentenced to 90 days in prison

December 19, 1985

The Expos trade P Bill Gullickson and C Sal Butera to the Reds for 4 players

December 19, 1986

Michael Sergio, a Mets fan who parachuted into Shea Stadium during Game 6 of the World Series, is sentenced to 100 hours of community service and fined $500.

December 19, 1986

Jack Morris agrees to salary arbitration when no clubs will sign him

December 19, 1990

Tigers release Ernie Harwell after 32 years

December 19, 1990

Danny Darwin leaves the Astros, signing a free agent deal with the Boston Red Sox. It is one month after he was named the club’s MVP for the 1990 campaign. Darwin would return via trade for the last two months of the 1996 season. 

December 19, 1991

Toronto Blue Jays sign free agent outfielder-designated hitter Dave Winfield

December 19, 1991

Yankees P Steve Howe is arrested in Montana on a charge of possession of cocaine. Howe has been suspended from baseball five times for drug and alcohol problems.

December 19, 1991

The Orioles sign P Rick Sutcliffe as a free agent. The former 1984 Cy Young Award winner was 6-5 with a 4.10 era with the Cubs last season.

December 19, 1991

Former minor league umpire Pam Postema files a sex discrimination suit against the National and American leagues, the Triple-A Alliance, and the Baseball Office for Umpire Development.

December 19, 1996

1996 – Outfielder Luis Gonzalez and pitcher Mike Magnante are signed to free agent deals. It’s the second go-round in Houston for the popular Gonzalez who, after leaving again, would find a home run stroke and blast 57 for Arizona in 2001 and muscle a bloop single off Mariano Rivera to beat the Yankees in Game Seven of the World Series. 

December 19, 2001

Colorado sends Pokey Reese, acquired from the Reds yesterday, to the Red Sox for C Scott Hatteberg. The Sox will make Pokey a free agent by not tendering him a contract and he’ll sign in January with Pittsburgh. Hatteberg will go the same route and sign with the A’s.

December 19, 2001

Moises Alou (.331, 27, 108) signs a $27 million, three-year deal with the Cubs

December 19, 2001

Several hours before a midnight deadline, Barry Bonds accepts the Giants’ offer of salary arbitration. San Francisco’s decision to go to arbitration avoids a bidding war for their franchise player, and this season’s National League MVP will be likely worth at least $20 million for one year of service.

December 19, 2002

2002 – One of Japan’s most heralded players, 28-year-old outfield slugger Hideki Matsui (.334, 50, 107), reaches a preliminary agreement with the Yankees on a $21 million, three-year contract. “Godzilla”, the three-time Most Valuable Player of Japan’s Central League, rejected the Yomiuri Giants’ $33 million, four-year offer opting to play for the Bronx Bombers.

December 19, 2003

Kevin Millwood agrees to the Phillies’ surprise offer of salary arbitration. As the ace of the staff, the All-Star hurler will anchor an outstanding rotation which includes Randy Wolf, Vicente Padilla, Eric Milton and Brett Myers.

December 19, 2003

Gary Deporter, the managing partner of the late broadcaster Harry Caray’s area restaurants, submits the winning bid of $106,600 to obtain the foul ball that Steve Bartman deflected, costing the Cubs a costly out during Game 6 of the NLCS. The plan is to have the ball destroyed as an act of exorcism during a worldwide toast to Harry on his birthday, February 26th.

December 19, 2003

Agreeing to a $6 million, two-year contract with the Angels, Jose Guillen (.311, 31, 86) will become the team’s right fielder next season. The deal will give Tim Salmon the opportunity to become Anaheim’s designated hitter full-time.

December 19, 2005

Owner Drayton McLane presents to star pitcher Roy Oswalt a $200,000 Caterpillar bulldozer to fulfill a promise he made before Game 6 of the N.L.C.S. Oswalt’s strong performance catapulted the Astros into their first World Series as he pitched two of the four victories over St. Louis. 

December 19, 2006

The Yankees purchase left-handed pitcher Kei Igawa from the Hanshin Tigers for a posting fee of $26 million, and will sign the Eiji Sawamura Award winner to a five-year deal worth another $20 million. The deal, prompted by Boston’s signing of Daisuke Matsuzaka, will prove to be disastrous for the Bronx Bombers when the 27 year-old southpaw compiles a 2-4 record in 14 starts along with an ERA of 6.66 over two seasons.

December 19, 2008

Agreeing to stay in Anaheim, Juan Rivera (.246, 12, 45) agrees to a $12.7 million, three-year deal to roam the outfield for the Angels. The 30 year-old Venezuelan, who was the team’s best pinch hitter, going 5-for-14, including two game-winning hits, could also be used as the club’s designated hitter.

December 19, 2009

2009 – 3B Scott Rolen re-signs with the Cincinnati Reds for two years. He had been acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays at the trading deadline last season.

December 19, 2010

Kansas City trades ace pitcher Zack Greinke, the 2009 American League Cy Young Award winner, and SS Yuniesky Betancourt to the Milwaukee Brewers in return for a package of young players, headed by SS Alcides Escobar. P Jake Odorizzi, OF Lorenzo Cain and P Jeremy Jeffress complete the Royals’ haul, as Milwaukee outbids the Yankees and the Rangers to obtain Greinke.

December 19, 2010

45-year-old Carlos Yánes beats the Pinar del Río Tobacco Growers for his 234th win in Cuba, tying Jorge Luis Valdés for second all-time behind only Pedro Luis Lazo.

December 19, 2011

The Texas Rangers make the winning bid for star Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish

December 19, 2011

The Diamondbacks sign free agent OF Jason Kubel and the Nationals offer OF Mike Cameron a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training.

December 19, 2011

The Phillies finalize a $33 million, three-year deal with Jimmy Rollins (.268, 16, 63), which includes a vesting option for 2015 at $11 million. The 33 year-old shortstop has been an integral part of Philadelphia’s recent success of winning five consecutive NL East titles and the 2008 world championship.

December 19, 2012

Seattle trades P Jason Vargas to the Angels for 1B Kendrys Morales.

December 19, 2012

Boston signs free agent P Ryan Dempster for 2 years and $26.5 million.

December 19, 2013

2013 – After three months of frenzied speculation, it appears that Japanese ace hurler Masahiro Tanaka will not be posted after all, and thus will not leave Japan for the United States next year. Tanaka went 24-0 for the Rakuten Golden Eagles and led them to the first Japan Series title in franchise history, but his team is unhappy that it can only receive $20 million for its top player, after changes to the posting system agreed to recently by Major League Baseball and Nippon Pro Baseball. However, in five days’ time, Rakuten will turn around and grant Tanaka’s request.

December 19, 2014

The Dodgers end the Yankees’ fifteen-year streak of owning Major League Baseball’s biggest payroll. When the luxury tax calculations are in for the year, the Dodgers owe $26.6 million, based on a payroll of $257 million. The Yankees also need to pay the tax levied on payrolls above $189 million, and their bill is $18.3 million, down from $28 million in 2013.

December 19, 2014

A busy off-season continues with a number of trades and signings. The Padres acquire their third starting outfielder in a few days, landing Justin Upton from the Braves for four prospects, and also obtain 3B Will Middlebrooks from Boston, giving up catcher Ryan Hanigan, who has been with the team for less than a week. The Marlins also continue to be active, as they get OF/IF Martin Prado and P David Phelps from the Yankees for P Nate Eovaldi, 1B Garrett Jones and prospect Domingo German and also send 3B Casey McGehee to San Francisco for a couple of minor leaguers. The Dodgers complete their rumored deal for Jimmy Rollins, sending a couple of pitchers to Philadelphia to obtain the Phillies’ long-time shortstop. In free agent signings, the Royals ink OF Alex Rios for one year at $11 million and the Cubs add back-up C David Ross.

December 19, 2017

2017 – For the fourth straight year, the Dodgers are assessed the largest luxury tax payment in MLB, while the Yankees have to make a payment for the 15th straight year – in spite of going through a successful youth movement before the season. Los Angeles will have to pay $36.2 million and New York $15.7 million. Three other teams are assessed much smaller amounts.

December 19, 2018

2018 – Major League Baseball and the Cuban Baseball Federation reach a historic deal that will allow players from the island to be scouted and signed without having to defect. This recognizes the fact that there should be no going back to the days when players had to put their life and the well-being of their families at risk, and deal with unsavory criminal elements, in order to come to the United States. It creates a situation that is akin to that which prevailed before the Cuban Revolution in 1959. However, the Administration of President Donald Trump will kill the deal on April 8th as part of a policy of maintaining as hard a line as possible in dealing with Cuban authorities.

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Major League Baseball Birthdays on December 19

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Todays Major League Debuts On  

Major League Baseball Debuts – To see all the Famous Debuts in baseball history check out the famous debut page

Todays Major League Final Games 

Major League Baseball – Famous LASTS! Check them all out here!

Major League Baseball Deaths On December 19

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Major League Baseball Birthdays, Debuts, Final Games and Deaths, on **DATE** 

Todays Birthdays  – – – Check out all the famous Birthdays HERE

Major League Baseball Debuts – To see all the Famous Debuts in baseball history check out the famous debut page

Major League Baseball – Famous LASTS! Check them all out here!

Todays Passings  – – – Check out all the passing here!