This Day In Baseball January 11

Baseball history on January 11 includes Major League baseball players born that day of the year, Major League baseball players who died on that date, baseball players who made their Major League debut on that date, and Major League baseball players who appeared in their final game that date.

January 11 – The first of a series of baseball games played on ice is played in Chicago. This will become a regular event in the Chicago area.

1881 – The first of a series of Tuesday games on ice is played in Chicago, Illinois, using professional and amateur players. These games will be a regular winter feature.

Charles murphy

The National Commission approves owner Charles Murphy’s payment of a $10,000 bonus to his Chicago Cubs players for their 1908 World Series triumph.

Horace Fogel

With the Philadelphia Phillies franchise in disarray following the expulsion of President Horace Fogel, William H. Locke and his cousin William F. Baker buy the club.

Bill Devery and Frank Farrell sell the New York Yankees to Jacob Ruppert and Tillinghast L’Hommedieu

Jacobs

Jacob Ruppert and Tillinghast L’Hommedieu Huston buy the New York Yankees from Frank Farrell and Bill Devery for $460,000. Ruppert, who owns a brewery, is thinking of renaming the team the “Knickerbockers” to promote his product, but is dissuaded by newspaper men.

1926 – The Pacific Coast League shifts two franchises, moving the Vernon Tigers to San Francisco, where they become the Mission Reds, and the Salt Lake Bees from Utah to Hollywood, where they become the Hollywood Stars.

Bill Terry rejects a contract offer from the New York Giants

Bill Terry rejects a contract offer from the New York Giants

1948 – A DC6 plane carrying the Santiago Baseball Club crashes in Rio Verde de Yamasa, Monte Plata while returning from playing a doubleheader in Barahona. All 32 occupants are killed, including Dominican baseball legend Pedro Báez, the team’s manager, in what is considered the biggest tragedy in the country’s sports history.

The Story Quarry site is selected as the site for the new Milwaukee County Stadium

The Story Quarry site is selected as the site for the new Milwaukee County Stadium

Before an exhibition game in San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Francisco Giants outfielder Willie Mays and teammate pitcher Ruben Gómez get into a brawl. It starts when Gómez slips into the batting cage ahead of Mays, and batting practice pitcher Milt Ralat then refuses to throw. The sulking Gómez sits down on the plate, and Mays then steps to the side and directs the pitcher to throw to him there. Ralat then throws an insulting slow pitch which Mays barehands and fires back. Mays and Ralat exchange words and when Mays walks towards the mound, Gómez, brandishing a bat, attempts to interfere. Mays drops him with a right. The two later apologize to each other.

Before an exhibition game in San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Francisco Giants outfielder Willie Mays and teammate pitcher Ruben Gómez get into a brawl. It starts when Gómez slips into the batting cage ahead of Mays, and batting practice pitcher Milt Ralat then refuses to throw. The sulking Gómez sits down on the plate, and Mays then steps to the side and directs the pitcher to throw to him there. Ralat then throws an insulting slow pitch which Mays barehands and fires back. Mays and Ralat exchange words and when Mays walks towards the mound, Gómez, brandishing a bat, attempts to interfere. Mays drops him with a right. The two later apologize to each other.

1958 – US Representatives Kenneth Keating and Patrick Hillings drop their plan to bring baseball under the nation’s antitrust laws.

The Phillies send fan-favorite Richie Ashburn to the Cubs in exchange for infielders Alvin Dark and Jim Woods

The Phillies send fan-favorite Richie Ashburn to the Cubs in exchange for infielders Alvin Dark and Jim Woods

Wally pip

 Wally Pipp, the predecessor of Lou Gehrig at first base for the New York Yankees, dies in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Ewing Kauffman becomes the owner of the new American League franchise in Kansas City to be eventually known as the Royals. The pharmaceutical magnate, encouraged by his wife Muriel, becomes an instrumental force in bringing a quality major league baseball experience to the Heart of America, after Charlie Finley’s stormy departure to Oakland with the unpopular A’s team.

alex johnson fallen angel

In a trade of outfielders, the St. Louis Cardinals send Alex Johnson to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Dick Simpson.

Ted Abernathy

Chicago Cubs acquire veteran reliever Ted Abernathy from the Cincinnati Reds

John Hiller

Detroit Tigers reliever John Hiller suffers chest pains that doctors will later diagnose as a heart attack

The owners vote in the DH for a 3 year experiment

The owners vote in the DH for a 3 year experiment

Attorney Louis Nippert assumes control of the Cincinnati Reds when he purchases 51% of the stock from the Gamble and Williams families. Nippert was part of the group that bought the Reds in 1966.

Rick Monday

The Chicago Cubs trade outfielder Rick Monday to the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of a five-man deal that brings Bill Buckner and Ivan DeJesus to Chicago

Ellis Burks is one of the few good players to be drafted and also signed in the January free agent draft. Burks is picked in the first round by the Red Sox as the Yankees pick and sign a Canseco, Ozzie, with their fourth pick.

Ellis Burks is one of the few good players to be drafted and also signed in the January free agent draft. Burks is picked in the first round by the Red Sox as the Yankees pick and sign a Canseco, Ozzie, with their fourth pick.

The New York Yankees name Billy Martin their manager for the third time in eight years. Martin takes over for Clyde King, who is bumped up to the Yankees' front office. Martin will lead the team to a record of 91-71 this season.

The New York Yankees name Billy Martin their manager for the third time in eight years. Martin takes over for Clyde King, who is bumped up to the Yankees’ front office. Martin will lead the team to a record of 91-71 this season.

1993 – The Rev. Jesse Jackson tells baseball owners that unless a plan to hire more minorities for front-office jobs is in place by April 5th, he will call for selective boycotts.

1997 – Free agent pitcher Steve Avery is signed by the Boston Red Sox.

1999 – The Milwaukee Brewers sign free agent outfielder Rich Becker to a contract.

Bob Lemon dies at the age of 79

Bob Lemon dies at the age of 79

The BBWAA elects former Red Sox and White Sox catcher Carlton Fisk and the 'Big Red Machine's first baseman Tony Perez to the Hall of Fame

The BBWAA elects former Red Sox and White Sox catcher Carlton Fisk and the ‘Big Red Machine’s first baseman Tony Perez to the Hall of Fame

2001 – David Cone agrees to a one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox. The former Cy Young Award winner could make between $4 million and $5 million with Boston, compared to a $500,000 guaranteed-offer made by the Yankees, if he makes the roster and pitches regularly during the season. He will win just 9 games in 25 starts.

After a one-year experiment, the Baltimore Orioles plan to return Camden Yards to its original dimensions by moving in the fences. The team, which hit only 58 homers at home – 44 less than in the previous season, said the fences are returning to their initial distances because the new configuration “adversely affected the viewing angle of the batter’s eye.”

Two free agent pitchers sign one-year contracts, Todd Jones with the Colorado Rockies and Shigetoshi Hasegawa with the Seattle Mariners.

2005 – The Arizona Diamondbacks trade five-time Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson to the New York Yankees in a three-team deal that includes the Los Angeles Dodgers. Shawn Green, Javier Vazquez and Dioner Navarro also move in the transaction. Arizona receives Vazquez, Navarro and Brad Halsey from the Yankees, and later sends Navarro and three minor league prospects to Los Angeles for Green.

The Diamondbacks trade recently acquired catcher Dioner Navarro and hurlers William Juarez, Danny Muegge, and Beltran Perez to the Dodgers for 32 year-old outfielder Shawn Green (.266, 28, 86). In an effort to rebound from last season’s 51-111 record, Arizona has also signed free-agent third baseman Troy Glaus and starting pitcher Russ Ortiz during the offseason.

2006: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays agree to a $1.4 million, two-year contract with Japanese relief pitcher Shinji Mori, who was posted earlier in the year. He will never pitch in the major leagues, however.

The Devil Rays make their first agreement with a Japanese player when 31 year-old right-handed relief pitcher Shinji Mori signs a $1.4 million, two-year contract to play in Tampa Bay. The former Seibu Lion reliever was 44-44 with 50 saves and a 3.39 ERA, playing in 431 games during his tenure in Japan’s Pacific League.

The Reds hire Walt Jocketty as a special adviser to the team’s chief executive Bob Castellini. The former Cardinals GM, who spent 13 seasons in the St. Louis front office, left after the Redbirds slumped to a third-place finish (78-84), one year removed from a World Championship.

News leaks out that an investment group headed by former US Olympic Committee chief Harvey Schiller is interested in buying the Astros from Drayton McLane, Jr. McLane has given them a 30-day window to exclusively negotiate a deal but no offer materializes. 

21-year-old Cuban lefthanded pitching star Aroldis Chapman signs a 6-year, $30.25 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds after weeks of auditioning for a number of interested teams. Chapman defected in July, before taking part in the 2009 World Port Tournament and established residency in Andorra, making him a free agent. The package offered by the Reds is comparable to that given by the Washington Nationals to Stephen Strasburg, the top pick in the 2009 amateur draft.

After years of rumors and speculation which have stalled his candidacy for the Hall of Fame, retired slugger Mark McGwire comes clean in an interview, confirming that he was a user of steroids and human growth hormone starting in 1990, including during his record-setting 1998 season. He had refused to broach the subject when called before a Congressional committee hearing in March, 2005, but decides to speak to the media a few months after accepting a position as hitting coach with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Greg Maddux, who started his major league career with the Cubs in 1986, is returning to the team as an assistant to general manager Jim Hendry

Greg Maddux, who started his major league career with the Cubs in 1986, is returning to the team as an assistant to general manager Jim Hendry

Ryne Sandberg Autographed Chicago Cubs Baseball 8x10 Photo

Ryne Sandberg, with aspirations of being the Cubs manager someday, agrees to be the skipper of the team’s Triple-A Iowa farm club, replacing Bobby Dickerson

Trevor Hoffman announces his retirement after 18 seasons

Trevor Hoffman announces his retirement after 18 seasons

The Yankees sign OF Preston Mattingly, the son of franchise great Don Mattingly, to a minor league contract. Ironically, Preston was under employ of the Dodgers, the team his father is now managing.

Wearing a Cubs jersey and a backward blue baseball cap, Clark, the Cubs’ new mascot makes his debut at Chicago’s Advocate Illinois Masonic’s Pediatric Developmental Center. Clark the Cub, named after the street located behind Wrigley Field’s home plate, is being touted as the great-grandson of franchise’s first mascot, Joa, a live bear used as a good luck charm in 1916, nine years after the franchise officially adopted Cubs as the team’s name.

Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz issues his ruling on Alex Rodriguez's appeal of his 211-game suspension for PED use, originally issued on August 5th, reducing it to 162 games, or the entire 2014 season and postseason, costing him $25 million in salary

Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz issues his ruling on Alex Rodriguez’s appeal of his 211-game suspension for PED use, originally issued on August 5th, reducing it to 162 games, or the entire 2014 season and postseason, costing him $25 million in salary

Monte Irvin

Hall of Famer Monte Irvin dies at his home in Houston, TX at the age of 96

The Cardinals sign Seung-Hwan Oh, the greatest relief pitcher in the history of the Korea Baseball Organization,

The Cardinals sign Seung-Hwan Oh, the greatest relief pitcher in the history of the Korea Baseball Organization,

The Yankees add another infielder, signing free agent IF D.J. LeMahieu for two years and $24 million.

The Yankees add another infielder, signing free agent IF D.J. LeMahieu for two years and $24 million.

Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom reaches a one-year deal with the Met

Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom reaches a one-year deal with the Met

Mookie Betts signs for a record $20Million in arbitration

Mookie Betts signs for a record $20Million in arbitration

Todays Major League Birthdays On January 11 

Major League Baseball Deaths On January 11