After designing the device last season to protect his team’s promising, but skittish, catcher James Tyng, Fredrick Thayer receives a patent for his innovative invention, the catcher’s mask. The Harvard captain, who will never play in a major league game, designed an oblong wire frame modeled after a fencing mask with eyes holes that supports a series of strategically-placed pads made from animal skins.

1878 – Fredrick W. Thayer patents the catcher’s mask. He is the captain of Harvard University Baseball Club.

1880 – The Boston Red Caps cut the price of season tickets from $14 to $12 after the team failed to win its third straight National League pennant last season.

1885 – The Western League is officially formed, with Indianapolis, Kansas City, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Toledo and Omaha as the original clubs. It will last until June 23rd.

1903 – Charles (Chick) Hafey is born in Berkeley, California. Hafey will make his major league debut in 1924 with the St. Louis Cardinals. During a 13-year career with the Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds, Hafey will hit .317, including a National League batting crown with .349 in 1931, and will be part of two World Series championships in 1926 and 1931. Hafey will enter the Hall of Fame in 1971.

Chick Hafry

Charles “Chick” Hafey is born in Berkeley, California

1912 – In a change of outfielders, the Boston Braves send Mike Donlin to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Vin Campbell. After one season with Pittsburgh, Donlin will be waived to the Phillies but will refuse to report and elect to retire.

Dissatisfaction with the National Commission system comes to a head. The National League votes 6-2 for a one-man commission while the American League votes 6-2 for the status quo. Chairman Garry Herrmann resigns, stating his belief that no club owner should serve on the governing board. When the two leagues cannot agree on a chairman, it is left to the league presidents to decide disputes.

Frank “Home Run” Baker’s wife, Ottalee, dies at 31, leaving two small children. Baker will miss the entire season to stay home and take care of the family, returning in 1921 to hit .294.

In a defeat for American League president Ban Johnson, pitcher Carl Mays is reinstated, and the Yankees’ third-place finish is recognized. Furthermore, a two-man committee is appointed to review all fines over $100 and suspensions of more than 10 days.

The National League announces it will join the AL in awarding a thousand dollars to the player selected by writers as the league’s Most Valuable Player. Dazzy Vance, who posts a 28-6 record along with an ERA of 2.16 for the Dodgers, easily outpoints Rogers Hornsby to become the Senior Circuit’s first MVP.

1924 – The National League announces it will join the American League in awarding a thousand dollars to the player selected by the Baseball Writers Association of America as the Most Valuable Player.

After leading his A’s to a world championship, Connie Mack becomes the first Philadelphian sports figure to receive the prestigious Edward W. Bok Prize. The honor, now known as the Philadelphia Award, recognizes distinguished Philadelphians for their achievements in education, industry, law, politics, science, medicine, philosophy, and the creative arts.

1930 – After leading his Philadelphia Athletics to the 1929 World Championship, Connie Mack becomes the first sports figure to receive the prestigious Edward W. Bok Prize for service to the city of Philadelphia.

George Weiss joins the front office of the New York Yankees

1932 – George Weiss is named head of the Yankees’ new minor league system. Weiss will eventually become the general manager of the Yankees, and along with manager Casey Stengel, will oversee an unprecedented five consecutive World Championships from 1949 to 1953. Weiss will eventually gain election to the Hall of Fame in 1971.

1940 – The Brooklyn Dodgers purchase outfielder Joe Vosmik from the Boston Red Sox.

Gordon Houston

Gordon Houston becomes the first player in Organized Baseball to die during active duty in World War II

Former Texarkana outfielder Gordon Houston is the first professional ballplayer to be killed in WW II. The minor league batting champion, who became a full-time fighter pilot following the attack on Pearl Harbor, dies at the age of 25 when his Republic P-43 Lancer crashes at Washington’s McChord Field, after leading a sortie along the West Coast, looking for Japanese submarines.

1942 – Minor league outfielder Gordon Houston becomes the first player in Organized Baseball to die during active duty in World War II. Houston had played with Texarkana in 1940.

1944 – Bob Coleman is named as manager of the Boston Braves. Previously, Coleman was managing in the minors for twenty-three years.

Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays hit home runs to lead Santurce, Puerto Rico to a 4-2 win in the Caribbean World Series

1955 – In Caracas, Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays hit crucial home runs to lead the Santurce Crabbers of Puerto Rico to a 4 – 2 victory over Venezuela’s entry, Magallanes, in the Caribbean World Series championship. Mays’ homer comes in the 11th inning.

The plan of Marv Davis to buy the A’s from Charlie Finley is thwarted when the American League offers to buy out the Oakland Coliseum lease. The billionaire businessman, who will also make failed bids for the NFL’s Cowboys and Broncos, had hoped to move the franchise from the City by the Bay to Denver.

1980 – Oakland Athletics owner Charlie Finley’s plan to sell his team to oil mogul Marv Davis is thwarted when the American League offers to buy out the Oakland Coliseum lease. Davis had hoped to move the franchise to Denver.

Arbitrator Raymond Goetz officially declares Carlton Fisk a free agent, citing the Boston Red Sox had violated the CBA by not mailing the catcher’s contract by the December 20th deadline as specified in the agreement. Next month, the 33 year-old future Hall of Fame backstop will sign a $3.5 million deal to catch for the White Sox this upcoming season.

1981 – A contract violation by the Boston Red Sox makes All-Star catcher Carlton Fisk a free agent. In 1980, he batted .289 with 18 home runs and 62 RBI. Fisk will eventually sign a multi-year contract with the Chicago White Sox, for whom he will play during the balance of his career.

Carlton Fisk becomes a free agent in paper work violation

Carlton Fisk becomes a free agent in paper work violation

1988 – The San Diego Padres trade reliever Rich Gossage to the Chicago Cubs for infielder Keith Moreland in a deal that also includes a pair of minor league players.

1994 – Third baseman Ray Dandridge dies in Palm Bay, Florida, at the age of 80. The former Negro Leagues star batted .322 for his career and gained election to the Hall of Fame in 1987.

Hall of Fame third baseman Ray Dandridge dies at the age of 80

The San Diego Padres sign 37-year-old country music singer Garth Brooks and invite him to spring training camp as a non-roster player.

With two outs and a 7-6 deficit in the bottom of the 9th, Paul Gorman of the Gold Coast Cougars cracks a two-run homer off Sydney Storm closer Graham Cassel (a future Baseball Australia Hall of Famer) for a dramatic ending to game 1 of the 1998-1999 Australian Baseball League finals. Gold Coast will win a slugfest tomorrow to wrap it up.

With unanimous approval of the sale of the Florida Marlins to Jeffrey Loria, the former owner of the Montreal Expos, and the MLB’s acquisition of the Montreal franchise, many personnel changes are announced. The Expos name Frank Robinson as their manager, Tony Tavares as president, along with Omar Minaya as the general manager, while south of the border, former Expo skipper Jeff Torborg will pilot the Marlins, with Larry Beinfest as the GM, and David Samson taking over the duties of team president.

2002 – One day after the acquisition of the Montreal Expos by Major League Baseball as a result of the sale of the Florida Marlins to former Expos owner Jeffrey Loria, a number of personnel changes are announced: the Expos name Frank Robinson as manager, Tony Tavares as president of the club and Omar Minaya as the major leagues’ first Hispanic general manager; south of the border, former Expos manager Jeff Torborg will manage the Marlins with former Expos’ interim general manager Larry Beinfest as the GM and David Samson taking over the duties of team president.

Federal Judge James Holderman gives the Cubs and the owners of rooftop bleachers which provide fans a view of Wrigley Field a year to settle their dispute. The team believes the seating provided above the field via rooftops directly competes with the club for ticket sales revenue, and the surrounding neighbors, in turn, have not been sympathetic to the team’s expansion plans.

2003 – Federal judge James Holderman gives the Chicago Cubs and the owners of rooftop bleachers which provide fans a view of Wrigley Field a year to settle their dispute. The team believes the seating provided above the field on the rooftops directly competes with the club for ticket sales and the surrounding neighbors, in turn, have not been sympathetic to team’s expansion plans.

2006 – The Chicago Cubs and pitcher Carlos Zambrano agree to terms on a one-year contract; first baseman Shea Hillenbrand and pitcher Pete Walker sign with the Toronto Blue Jays on one-year contracts, and the Washington Nationals sell the contract of infielder Jamey Carroll to the Colorado Rockies.

The Major League Baseball Players Association asks the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider its 2-1 decision which would allow the names and urine samples of more than 100 players who tested positive for performance enhancing drugs to be made available to authorities investigating the use of steroids in baseball. The 1993 samples were collected by MLB to gauge the prevalence of steroid use with players and owners agreeing the results would be confidential.

“While Alex deserves credit for publicly confronting the issue, there is no valid excuse for using such substances, and those who use them have shamed the game.” – BUD SELIG, commenting Alex Rodriguez’s admission of using PEDs.Three days after Alex Rodriguez apologizes for using steroids, commissioner Bud Selig chastises the Yankee superstar, and all the other players, who used such substances, for bringing shame to the game. The third baseman’s apology followed a SI.com report that he was one of 104 players who tested positive in tests taken in 2003 to determine the extent of steroid use in the national pastime.

Corey Hart (.260, 12, 48) is awarded a raise from $3.25 million to $4.8 million in the Brewers’ first salary arbitration hearing in a dozen years. In the first case to use the process this year, Milwaukee’s offer of $4.15 million to their 27 year-old right-fielder, an All-Star in 2008, was rejected by a panel of arbitrators.

The first salary arbitration case of the season is heard, and Corey Hart comes out ahead, being awarded a salary of $4.8 million for this season, beating the Brewers’ offer worth $650,000 less.

The Giants sign P Tim Lincecum, the National League Cy Young Award winner in both 2008 and 2009, to a two-year contract worth $23 million, thus avoiding a record-setting salary arbitration hearing.

“Doris From Rego Park” makes its debut on Jonathan Schwartz’s weekend program on WNYC-FM. The song, written and performed by Don Rosler, is a tribute to Doris Bauer, the Mets fan who became a New York institution as a late-night caller to WFAN sports radio before she died in 2003.

2012 – James McOwen slides home to score the game-winning run on a wild pitch by Andrew Russell in the bottom of the 13th inning, giving the Perth Heat a 7 – 6 win over the Melbourne Aces and a second consecutive Australian Baseball League championship. P Virgil Vasquez is named the series MVP.

2014 – All-time great SS Derek Jeter announces that the 2014 season, his 20th, will be his last one. Injuries have taken a toll of late, limiting him to 17 games in 2013. The team captain will retire as the New York Yankees’ all-time leader in games played and hits.

On the second day of Pool A of the 2017 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers, held in Sydney, Australia, New Zealand eliminates the Philippines with a 17 – 7 mercy rule win. It’s harder than it looks however, as the Philippines have leads of 4 – 3 and 7 – 4 before New Zealand explodes for 6 runs in the 6th and doesn’t stop scoring after that. Boss Moanaroa leads the Kiwi offense by going 4 for 5 with two doubles and a three-run homer, while 18-year-old high school student Jimmy Boyce picks up the win in relief. In the other game, Australia rides its superior pitching to a 4 – 1 win over South Africa, as four pitchers combine to allow 6 hits while striking out 11. Australia jumps on former Olympian Carl Michaels for an early 3 – 0 lead as its first four batters of the game get base hits.

Pitcher Jenrry Mejia becomes the first player to be permanently banned from baseball for a third failed drug test. In the midst of serving a 162-game suspension for a second offense dating back to the previous July, Mejia again tests positive for a banned steroid, prompting the unprecedented punishment under Major League Baseball’s joint drug treatment and prevention program. He will still be eligible to apply for reinstatement after two years – if he trespasses no more.

1991 – Astros owner John McMullen announces he has cleared the way for Houston to host the 1992 Republican National Convention at the Astrodome. The GOP has already selected Houston but there are details to resolve. National League President Bill Giles and Players Union chief Donald Fehr both voice their disapproval of the proposed 30-day road trip that the Astros will take in order to free up the Dome for the convention. 

1978 – Tim Redding is born in Rochester, NY. In four seasons as an Astro (2001-2004), Redding built a career record of 21-28 with an ERA of 4.75 before being traded to San Diego. 

1945 – Don Wilson is born in Monroe, LA. He wins 104 games and tosses two no-hitters in eight memorable seasons as an Astro. He was the third baseman on his Little League team in Compton, CA and only began pitching when his cousin got hurt.