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 This Day In Baseball February 6.
This Day In Baseball February 6 highlights:
- On This Day In Baseball February 6 2014 — Hall of Fame slugger Ralph Kiner dies at age 91; in addition to his on-field exploits, Kiner was a New York Mets broadcaster from the team’s inaugural season in 1962, although he had slowed his pace considerably following health issues in recent years.
- This Day In Baseball February 6, 1921 — The New York American League franchise announces the purchase of a ten-acre plot of land for $675,000, from the estate of William Waldorf Astor, will be used as the future site of Yankee Stadium. The club’s new ballpark, located on the west side of the Bronx, will sit directly across the Harlem River from the Polo Grounds, the team’s current home for the past ten years as tenants to the Giants.
- This Day In Baseball February 6 1935 – Demanding a yearly salary of $25,000, future Hall of Fame pitcher Dizzy Dean becomes a holdout. The St. Louis Cardinals’ right-handed ace will sign for $18,500 the following day.
- This Day In Baseball February 6, 1958, New York sportswriter and broadcaster Ford Frick is named the public relations director of the National League. In nine months, Frick will become president of the National League, and will later become commissioner, succeeding Happy Chandler. Frick had previously played an instrumental role in promoting the birth of the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
- This Day In Baseball February 6, 1958, Ted Williams signs a one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox. Reports on the worth of the contract estimate from $135,000 to $150,000. Either way, Williams becomes the highest paid player in the history of the franchise.
- On February 6, 1998, the New York Yankees acquire All-Star second baseman Chuck Knoblauch from the Minnesota Twins for pitcher Eric Milton, shortstop Christian Guzman, two other minor leaguers, and $3 million in cash. Knoblauch will bat .265 with 17 home runs in 1998 and help the Yankees to the World Championship.
- Died: This Day In Baseball February 6, 2007 in Winter Garden, FL, Years before Mark Fidrych became famous for talking to the baseball, Lew Burdette used the same antics to psych himself up on the mound. Often accused of throwing a spitball, Burdette never bothered to refute that charge, and used the paranoia to his advantage. In the 1957 World Series, he shut out the New York Yankees twice in four days to give the Milwaukee Braves their only World Championship.
Notable Events and Chronology for This Day In Baseball February 6
