This Day In Baseball December 4

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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 4 in baseball history.

Things you don’t want to miss:

  • On December 4, 1927 —  Pirates OF Paul Waner noses out Frank Frisch for National League MVP honors with 72 points to 66. Rogers Hornsby, Cubs P Charlie Root, and Giants SS Travis Jackson also score high.
  • On December 4, 1914 —  Walter Johnson accepts a $6,000 bonus from the Federal League’s Chicago Whales and signs a three-year contract for $17,500 per year. Clark Griffith threatens to take Johnson to court, claiming he has paid Johnson for the reserve option in his contract. American League President Ban Johnson asserts that Johnson was on the market and is “damaged goods,” worth getting rid of. Griffith travels to Coffeyville, KS, to persuade his franchise player that the option clause is legal and binding. Two weeks later Griffith signs Johnson for three years at $12,500 per year and returns the bonus to the Feds.
  • On December 4, 1952 — In the fourth major Detroit-St. Louis deal in a year Detroit Tigers trades P Virgil Trucks, who tossed two no-hitters during the year, along with P Hal White and OF Johnny Groth, to the Browns in exchange for 2B Owen Friend, OF Bob Nieman, and OF/C J.W. Porter.
  • On December 4, 1963, the Detroit Tigers trade future Hall of Famer Jim Bunning and catcher Gus Triandos to the Philadelphia Phillies for outfielder Don Demeter and pitcher Jack Hamilton. Bunning will win 19 games for the Phillies over each of the next three seasons.
  • On December 4, 1964, the Los Angeles Dodgers trade slugger Frank Howard and P Phil Ortega, P Pete Richert, and 3B Ken McMullen to the Senators for P Claude Osteen, IF John Kennedy, and  $100,000. Howard will hit 307 home runs for the Senators over the next seven seasons.
  • On December 4, 1975 —  Ted Turner enters a tentative purchase agreement to buy the Atlanta Braves.
  • On December 4, 1988, the Los Angeles Dodgers acquire first baseman Eddie Murray from the Baltimore Orioles for infielder Juan Bell and pitchers Brian Holton and Ken Howell. Murray will bat a career low .247 for the Dodgers in 1989.
  • Born on this day . . . Jesse Burkett was one of the finest hitters of the 1890s and early 1900s, winning three batting titles and hitting .338 in a 16-year major league career. Burkett played for the Cleveland Spiders in the 1890s, where he set records for hits and batting. He twice topped the .400 mark, and scored 100 runs or more nine times. He earned his nickname “Crab”, not because of his playing style, but due to his surly disposition.
  • Born on this day . . . Harvey Kuhn the unassuming, broad-faced Tiger bonus baby reached the majors in his first pro season after just 63 games in the low minors. En route to the 1953 Rookie of the Year Award, Kuenn hit .308 with a league-leading 209 hits, setting a ML rookie record with 679 at-bats and an AL rookie record with 167 singles. Smooth and consistent, Kuenn was Detroit’s shortstop from 1953 to 1957 and then switched to the outfield. A line-drive hitter, he led the AL in hits four times and won the league batting title in 1959 with a .353 mark. Traded to Cleveland the next year for home run champion Rocky Colavito, he was booed by Indian fans who blamed him for Colavito’s departure. Nevertheless, Kuenn hit .308. He spent the remainder of his playing career in the NL and retired after the 1966 season with 2,092 hits.
  • On more birthday . . . Lee Arthur Smith The intimidating, 6’6″ 265-lb Smith recorded at least 29 saves each year from 1983 to 1988 with a menacing glare and a 95-mph fastball. When he retired, he stood alone as the all-time saves leader with 478 and also ranked first in games finished (802) and third all-time in appearances (1022).

 

Notable Events and Chronology for December 4

1885 – The National League Metropolitans franchise is sold to millionaire Erastus Wiman. The Metropolitan Exhibition Company receives $25,000 for the transaction.

1886 – The St. Louis Maroons trade 1B Alex McKinnon to Pittsburgh for 1B Otto Schomberg and $400.

1899 – Buck Ewing, Cincinnati manager for five years, is released.

Walter Johnson accepts a $6,000 bonus from the Federal League's Chicago Whales and signs a three-year contract for $17,500 per year

Walter Johnson accepts a $6,000 bonus from the Federal League’s Chicago Whales and signs a three-year contract for $17,500 per year

1915 – Former Giant owner Andrew Freedman dies at the age of 55. He owned the team for seven years, firing a Steinbrennian 16 managers during his reign.

Pirates OF Paul Waner noses out Frank Frisch for National League MVP honors

Pirates OF Paul Waner noses out Frank Frisch for National League MVP honors

1931 – Bump Hadley, Jackie Hayes, and Sam Jones are traded from Washington to the White Sox for Carl Reynolds and John Kerr.

1936 – The Dodgers trade Lonny Frey to the Cubs for Woody English and Roy Henshaw. The Boston Bees buy Vince DiMaggio from San Diego (Pacific Coast League). The Dodgers get Cookie Lavagetto and Ralph Birkofer from Pittsburgh in exchange for Ed Brandt.

The Cubs swap SS Bobby Mattick and OF Jim Gleeson to the Reds for SS Billy Myers. Myers will split his time between Chicago and the minors next year and quit in 1942 rather than take a pay cut.

Larry MacPhail continues his dealing and gets his catcher. The Dodgers trade for Mickey Owen, giving Gus Mancuso and $85,000 to the Cardinals.

1943 – After one disappointing season in Washington, the Senators sell veteran slugger Indian Bob Johnson to the Red Sox. Clark Griffith will later call it the worst trade he ever made. Johnson will have two solid years in Fenway before retiring.

Roger Bresnahan pitching

Roger Bresnahan, who will be elected to the Hall of Fame eight weeks later, dies in Toledo, OH

W.G. Bramham retires as head of the minors. George Trautman will replace him.

The Reds trade pitcher Ed Heusser to Brooklyn for veteran Augie Galan.

virigil trucks 2 no hitters

Virgil (No-Hit) Trucks Traded To Brownies In Big Six-Player Swap

minnie minoso

Cleveland Indians trade pitcher Early Wynn for Minnie Minoso

The major league owners raise the minimum salary to $7,000 and eliminate the bonus rule.

Wally_Moon_1961

The Dodgers trade OF Gino Cimoli to the Cardinals for OF Wally Moon and RHP Phil Paine.

The American Association expands to 10 teams by admitting Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth from the Texas League. This effectively denudes the Texas League, leaving it with five teams and a vacancy.

Detroit Tigers trade future Hall of Famer Jim Bunning and catcher Gus Triando

Detroit Tigers trade future Hall of Famer Jim Bunning and catcher Gus Triando

Cleveland trades OF Willie Kirkland to the Orioles for OF Al Smith and an estimated $25,000.

Los Angeles Dodgers trade slugger Frank Howard

Los Angeles Dodgers trade slugger Frank Howard

The major leagues restore to the commissioner’s office all powers rescinded after Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis’s death in 1944. Principally, they waive their right to take legal action in the event of disagreements with the commissioner and grant him authority to judge whether actions taken by the owners in concert are, automatically “in the best interests of baseball.” Voting for the annual All-Star teams is turned back to the fans.

Minnesota acquires versatile Cesar Tovar from the Reds for P Gerry Arrigo. Tovar will play eight seasons in Minnesota.

The owners vote to use a free-agent draft with clubs selecting in the inverse order of the previous year’s standings to choose players every four months. The new system, scheduled to begin next month, is designed to level the playing field by preventing rich clubs, like the Yankees, from using their wealth to lock up all of the talented players.

1965 – Masanori Murakami, 4-1 this year, does not renew his contract with the Giants, signing instead with the Nankai Hawks of Osaka for $40,000.

mike_cuellar_1968

Baltimore Orioles make a quietly brilliant trade

The Dodgers trade P Mike Kekich (2-10) to the Yankees for OF Andy Kosco.

The Astros trade 3B Bob Aspromonte

The Yankees send veteran P Al Downing and C Frank Fernandez to Oakland for 1B Danny Cater and C Ossie Chavarria. They also trade 1B Joe Pepitone to the Astros for 1B Curt Blefary.

The Cubs send OF Boots Day to the Cardinals for P Rich Nye.

1969 – First Baseman Curt Blefary is traded to the Yankees for first baseman Joe Pepitone. A year to the day since being acquired, Blefary is dealt and his career is never able to recapture the magic of his first three years in Baltimore. Pepitone turns out not to be the answer at first base either and spends less than a year in Houston. 

1973 – The Reds trade P Ross Grimsley to the Orioles for OF Merv Rettenmund and IF Junior Kennedy. Grimsley will win 18 next year for the Orioles.

Ken Singleton

Montreal Expos send OF Ken Singleton and P Mike Torrez to the Orioles for P Dave McNally, OF Rich Coggins, and minor league pitcher Bill Kirkpatrick

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Ted Turner enters a tentative purchase agreement to buy the Atlanta Braves.

1976 – Aurelio Rodriguez becomes the first American League 3B since 1959 to beat out Brooks Robinson for the Gold Glove Award. Other newcomers on The Sporting News fielding team include 3B Mike Schmidt, OF Dwight Evans, and C Jim Sundberg, who will combine to win 24 awards.

1981 – Oakland signs free-agent OF-1B Joe Rudi, who hit just .180 in 49 games for the Red Sox last season, to a two-year contract.

Eddie Murray

Los Angeles Dodgers acquire first baseman Eddie Murray from the Baltimore Orioles

Mark Portugal is acquired from Minnesota for minor leaguer Todd McClure

SimLeague Baseball

Astros acquire righthander Xavier Hernandez from the Toronto Blue Jays’ system in the major league phase of the winter draft

The Giants sign Yankee free agent Dave Righetti (1-1, 3.57, 36 saves) to a four-year deal worth nearly $10 million. After the South Bay native’s playing days are over, the left-handed reliever will become the club’s long-time pitching coach.

The Yankees sign free agent SS Spike Owen to a three-year contract.

SimLeague Baseball

Lefthander Greg Swindell is signed as a free agent, the second major free agent acquisition for Houston in a week

Michael Stirn, a 32 year-old carpenter, who caught the home run ball Cal Ripken hit on the night Baltimore infielder tied Lou Gehrig’s consecutive-game record, sells the historic horsehide to a Maryland businessman at an auction for $41,736. The lucky Orioles fan had offered the ball back to the Baltimore third baseman through the club but never received a reply.

1997 – The Rockies sign free agent P Darryl Kile to a three-year contract.

The Rockies sign free agent P Denny Neagle to a five-year contract.

Miguel Caldés dies in a car crash in Camagüey Province, only three months after helping the Cuban national team win a Silver Medal at the 2000 Olympics. The 30-year-old Caldés once won a home run title in Cuba.

The Red Sox announce the signing of Terry Francona to a three-year deal, with an option for a fourth, to be the team's manager

The Red Sox announce the signing of Terry Francona to a three-year deal, with an option for a fourth, to be the team’s manager

Rafael Furcal, reaching a preliminary deal with the Dodgers a day before baseball’s winter meetings, 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.

The Florida Marlins and Detroit Tigers pull off a blockbuster deal for 3B Miguel Cabrera 

The San Francisco Giants sign free agent Edgar Renteria to replace Omar Vizquel at shortstop. The deal is for $18.5 million over two years.

The Atlanta Braves acquire pitchers Javier Vazquez and Boone Logan from the Chicago White Sox in a deal for Tyler Flowers, Jon Gilmore, Brent Lillibridge and Santos Rodriguez.

Junichi Tazawa becomes the first blue chip Japanese prospect to skip the NPB draft and sign directly with a Major League Baseball team. He inks a three-year, $3.3 million deal with the Boston Red Sox. A member of Japan’s squad in the 2007 Baseball World Cup, he is projected to start 2009 at AA.

In other shortstop news, the St. Louis Cardinals acquire Khalil Greene, a star in 2007 who struggled in 2008, from the San Diego Padres for Mark Worrell and a player to be named later.

The Seattle Mariners also dip into the free agent pool, signing infielder Chone Figgins to a four-year, $36 million deal. It’s still not certain whether Figgins will play 2B or 3B for his new team, as this hinges on whether Seattle re-signs 3B Adrian Beltre. While the deal is announced today, it will only be finalized on December 8th. However, Figgins will be a huge disappointment and will be released before the end of his contract.

The Red Sox have found their new shortstop, after struggling with Jed Lowrie, Julio Lugo, Nick Green and Alex Gonzalez in 2009. Free agent Marcos Scutaro signs a two-year deal worth $11 million, with an option for a third year. Ironically, Gonzalez signed with the Blue Jays earlier this week, where he will fill Scutaro’s shoes.

San Diego names Jason McLeod as the team’s assistant general manager. The former Red Sox director of amateur scouting is hired by the team’s new GM Jed Hoyer, who also comes from Boston and served in the same capacity working as Theo Epstein’s assistant before joining the club

The Yankees and SS Derek Jeter agree on a three-year deal worth $51 million, with an option for a fourth year.

The Red Sox acquire All-Star 1B Adrian Gonzalez from San Diego for three prospects, P Casey Kelly, 1B Anthony Rizzo and OF Reymond Fuentes; Kelly and Fuentes are former first round picks in the amateur draft and are considered prize catches for the Friars, although Rizzo will turn out to be the best of the three. The move also means that 1B Kevin Youkilis will move across the diamond to 3B, where he played in the minor leagues, and signals that the Sox have given up hopes of re-signing 3B Adrian Beltre, their best hitter last season. The deal will be official in two days when Gonzalez signs a seven-year contract with Boston, worth $154 million.

The Cardinals sign free agent 1B Lance Berkman from the Yankees. He will move to LF in St. Louis, as 1B Albert Pujols is very much entrenched at his position.

The Miami Marlins sign free agent SS Jose Reyes, the National League batting champion, to a six-year contract worth $60 million. The Marlins are expected to move Hanley Ramirez to third base as a result.

Manny Ramirez applies for reinstatement from the voluntarily retired list

Manny Ramirez applies for reinstatement from the voluntarily retired list

2012 – In the second day of the annual Winter Meetings, the Red Sox sign free agent OF Shane Victorino to a three-year contract and the Nationals sign P Dan Haren for one year. On the trade front, the Astros send P Wilton Lopez to Colorado for Ps Alex White and Alex Gillingham and the Marlins trade SS Yunel Escobar, acquired in last month’s 12-player blockbuster deal with Toronto, to Tampa Bay for minor leaguer Derek Dietrich.

2014 – Pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka returns to Japan after eight seasons in the major leagues, signing a deal with the Softbank Hawks of the Pacific League.

The Diamondbacks make a splash on the free agent market as they shell out $206 million to sign P Zack Greinke for six years. Greinke’s annual salary of $34.3 million will make him the highest-paid player in the game.

1B Joey Votto of the Reds is named the winner of the Tip O’Neill Award as the top Canadian baseball player for the fifth time in six years.

The Marlins hire the former steroids-tainted superstar Barry Bonds, who joins the staff of newly hired manager Don Mattingly as the team’s hitting coach. Some see the return of the 51 year-old all-time home king to baseball as a way for him to enhance his Hall of Fame chances, but his presence in Miami may also be beneficial for a 71-91 team that finished next to last in the majors in runs and home runs, and last in walks.

2016 – The Veterans Committee elects two executives, former Commissioner Bud Selig and GM John Schuerholz from the “Today’s Game” ballot featuring players and executives active after 1988. Schuerholz is a unanimous choice, while Selig receives 15 of 16 votes. Both will be formally inducted in July, 2017.

2018 – Patrick Corbin, one of the most sought-after free agents of the current off-season, signs a six-year deal with the Nationals worth $140 million.

 

Todays Major League Birthdays On December 4

Major League Baseball Deaths On December 4

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