This Day In Baseball January 24

January

On January 24 on this day in baseball history, there were over 50 notable events and 52 Birthdays and 33 Deaths all on January 24 on this Day In Baseball history. 

 

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Members of the so-called “Reduction Committee” discuss contracting as many as four franchises

Officials from the National League hold a secret meeting in Cleveland, supposedly to discuss dropping the Baltimore, Cleveland, Louisville and Washington, DC franchises from the league roster. Indeed, the four teams will be contracted before the start of the season.

The A.J. Reach Company is granted a patent for protective headgear known as the “Reach Pneumatic Head Protector.” It won’t gain acceptance, though a few players, notably Roger Bresnahan, will occasionally wear it.

Ban johnson

Detroit Tigers President Frank Navin blames the length of the games on the coaches’ boxes

1915 – In a retreat in the face of competition from the Federal League, the Orioles of the International League move to Richmond, VA. With the demise of the FL, the Orioles will return to Baltimore in 1916.

The Brooklyn Robins obtain shortstop Sam Crane from the Cincinnati Reds. Crane will play in three games and later be convicted of murder. He will be visited in prison by Connie Mack, who works for his parole and gives him a job.

The Brooklyn Robins obtain shortstop Sam Crane from the Cincinnati Reds. Crane will play in three games and later be convicted of murder. He will be visited in prison by Connie Mack, who works for his parole and gives him a job.

Ruth and DiMaggio meet for the first time

Ruth and DiMaggio meet for the first time

Baseball writers select Eddie Collins, Willie Keeler and George Sisler to the Hall of Fame

Baseball writers select Eddie Collins, Willie Keeler and George Sisler to the Hall of Fame

1950 – Jackie Robinson signs a contract for $35,000, reportedly making him the highest-paid player in Brooklyn Dodgers team history.

1955 – In an effort to speed up the game, Major League Baseball announces a new rule which requires a pitcher to deliver the ball within 20 seconds after taking a pitching position.

whitey herzog

Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Athletics agree on a six-player trade.

1961 – The Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Athletics agree on a six-player trade. The Orioles acquire outfielders Whitey Herzog and Russ Snyder from the Athletics in exchange for infielder Wayne Causey, pitcher Jim Archer, and outfielders Bob Boyd and Al Pilarcik.

The A’s trade Whitey Herzog and Russ Snyder to the Orioles for Wayne Causey, Jim Archer, Bob Boyd, and Al Pilarcik. The deal will not improve either club, when both teams finish in the second division next season.

Southern Association announces that it is suspending operations

1962 -The Southern Association announces that it is suspending operations. Plagued by dwindling attendance, the league lost franchises in Memphis and New Orleans during the past two seasons. Its refusal to accept integration is also a cause of its demise.

The Southern Association, established in 1901, suspends operation due to decreasing yearly attendance. With the exception of 27 year-old outfielder Nat Peeples, who became the only black player in the league’s history when he appeared in two games with the 1954 Atlanta Crackers, the circuit remained racially segregated until the end of its existence.

1965 – Comedian Bill Dana is named the first official mascot of the Houston Astros by Judge Hofheinz. The comic, whose signature routine is portraying a dimwitted astronaut, comments about the new ballpark “if they would build a cemetery, you’d never have to leave the place.”

1968 – Ross Powell is born in Grand Rapids, MI. The lefhander appears in 27 games in relief during 1994 and 1995 but does not record a win, loss or save during that time. 

warren Spahn

Warren Spahn is elected to the Hall of Fame

1973 – Left-handed pitcher Warren Spahn is elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA. Spahn, in his first year of eligibility, is named on 316 out of a possible 380 ballots. Spahn won a total of 363 games during a 21-year major league career.

Nelson Doubleday and Fred Wilpon buy the New York Mets from the DeRoulet family for $21 million

Nelson Doubleday and Fred Wilpon head a group of investors who purchase the New York Mets from the DeRoulet family for a reported $21.1 million, the highest price paid for a major league franchise up to that time. Doubleday, whose publishing company supplies 80 percent of the purchase price, and is also a relative of Abner Doubleday, will serve as chairman of the board, while Wilpon, a former teammate of Sandy Koufax's at Brooklyn's Lafayette High School, will serve as team president and chief operating officer.

Nelson Doubleday and Fred Wilpon head a group of investors who purchase the New York Mets from the DeRoulet family for a reported $21.1 million, the highest price paid for a major league franchise up to that time. Doubleday, whose publishing company supplies 80 percent of the purchase price, and is also a relative of Abner Doubleday, will serve as chairman of the board, while Wilpon, a former teammate of Sandy Koufax’s at Brooklyn’s Lafayette High School, will serve as team president and chief operating officer.

2000 – New York Yankees prospect D’Angelo Jimenez suffers a broken neck when a car he is driving in the Dominican Republic collides with a bus. Jimenez is not paralyzed but will miss this season. He figured to be the Yankees’ reserve infielder, taking over the role that Luis Sojo, now with the Pittsburgh Pirates, filled last season.

2001 – In what is believed to be an historical first, 68 major league umpires participate in a pre-season session to practice calling strikes as defined by the rule book. With the help of minor league players wearing tapes nine inches above their belts, the men in blue get a good look at pitches, normally called balls, which now will considered a strike as the correct interpretation of the zone will be enforced this upcoming season.

According the New York Daily News, the daughter of Jackie Robinson thinks Major League Baseball should not retire Roberto Clemente’s number 21.

Barry Bonds pulls out of the U.S. team for the World Baseball Classic, opting to skip the March tournament to focus on the next baseball season.

Former Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Shigetoshi Hasegawa retires from baseball.

Major league players preparing for the World Baseball Classic may report to spring training as early as February 1st.

More than 1,000 items of Joe DiMaggio memorabilia, including his 1947 American League MVP Award plaque and a signed photo of Marilyn Monroe, will be auctioned in May.

Pitcher Casey Fossum avoids arbitration with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays when he agrees to a $4.55 million, two-year contract that includes a club option for 2008.

The Chicago Cubs and starting pitcher Wade Miller agree to a one-year contract that will pay $1 million in salary and up to another $1 million in bonuses based on the number of starts he makes.

Also announcing 2011 inductees is Mexico’s Salón de la Fama. Chosen are 200-game winner Mercedes Esquer, 1988 American League ERA leader Teddy Higuera, three-time Mexican League batting champion Jimmie Collins and executive Arturo León Lerma.

In other moves, the Nationals agree to terms with reliever Todd Coffey, and the A’s sign 3B Adam LaRoche and acquire P Ethan Hollingsworth from Colorado for P Clayton Mortensen.

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame announces its 2011 class: former Toronto Blue Jays closer Tom Henke, 19th Century outfielder George Wood (who scored 100 runs three times) and Baseball America founder Allan Simpson.

The Tigers trade P Armando Galarraga, who lost a perfect game due to umpire Mike Joyce’s blown call on June 2nd, to the Diamondbacks in exchange for minor league Ps Ryan Robowski and Kevin Eichhorn. The D-Backs also sign P Micah Owings, who started his career with the team, and announce they plan to use him both as a long reliever and as a pinch-hitter if he makes the team out of spring training.

In other signings today, the Giants agree to a two-year contract with star P Tim Lincecum for $40.5 million, avoiding a potential record payout via arbitration, and the Blue Jays add yet another veteran reliever, signing former Reds closer Francisco Cordero for one year.

More than 20 bids are received for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are being sold as a result of owner Frank McCourt’s costly divorce settlement with his wife Jamie. It’s a far cry from when McCourt was the sole bidder for the team in 2004 and underpaid through a highly-leveraged transaction: this time, the new owners will have a chance to auction the team’s broadcast rights for a huge payout. Prominent among the bidders are Mark Walter, CEO of a financial firm, who is allied with former NBA great Magic Johnson; multi-millionaire Steve Cohen, allied with former deputy Commissioner Steve Greenberg; real estate developer Rick Caruso, allied with former Dodgers manager Joe Torre; talk show host Larry King; Peter O’Malley, the team’s former owner; Allen Casden, another real estate tycoon, whose plan is to move the team to a downtown location while redeveloping the land around Dodger Stadium for housing; NBA owner Mark Cuban; and NHL owner Ron Burkle, a close friend of former President Bill Clinton.

Rocked by the loss of DH Victor Martinez to an off-season injury last week, the Tigers react by signing the most prominent free agent remaining on the market, 1B Prince Fielder. It takes a nine-year, $214 million contract to land the big slugger. The move is doubly surprising because Detroit was not rumored to be among the teams bidding for Prince, and because they already have one the game’s premium first basemen, Miguel Cabrera, signed to a long-term deal.

In the Mexican Pacific League finals, Obregon takes a two games to none lead with a 4 – 2 win over Mexicali. Rolando Valdez is the winner and Luis Ayala picks up his 5th save of the postseason.

Lara shuts out Magallanes, 3 – 0, in Game 2 of the Venezuelan League finals, behind P Maximo Nelson. Lara scores all three of its runs in the 5th, with Luis Valbuena opening hostilities with a solo homer off Gustavo Chacin. The series is tied at one win apiece.

The brothers Upton will play together with the Braves next season after Arizona trades Justin to Atlanta as part of a seven-player deal, allowing him to join his older brother B.J., whom the Braves signed as a free agent earlier this off-season. Accompanying Justin is 3B Chris Johnson, while Ps Randall Delgado and Zeke Spruill, utility player Martin Prado and IFs Nick Ahmed and Brandon Drury head to the desert in return.

The Mets sign free agent pitcher Shaun Marcum, while Marcum’s teammate with the Brewers last year, OF Nyjer Morgan, heads to Japan, signing with the Yokohama BayStars of the Central League.

2014 – The Naranjeros de Hermosillo stage a major comeback in Game 3 of the Mexican Pacific League finals. Down 5 – 0 in the 8th against the Mayos de Navojoa, they score 6 runs that frame, with a Daryle Ward grand slam being the key blow. Fernando Salas gets the win and Misael Valenzuela takes the loss.

2018 – Four players are elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA: 3B Chipper Jones and 1B Jim Thome both make it on their first attempt, while P Trevor Hoffman and OF Vladimir Guerrero, who had both missed induction by a handful of votes in 2017, make it over the 75% threshold this time.

2019 – The Dodgers sign OF A.J. Pollock for four years at $55 million. Most observers thought they were looking to sign another free agent, Bryce Harper, after trading OFs Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig earlier this off-season, but this signing likely means that they will cease pursuing Harper.

Major League Baseball Birthdays on January 24 

Major League Baseball Deaths On January 24