This Day In Baseball January 29

January

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 January 29 in baseball history.

 

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Notable Events and Chronology for January 29

Joe HornungĀ is released because of unruly tongue

No banning theĀ bunt

No banning theĀ bunt

Boston Red Sox sell former American League home run king Ken Williams

Boston Red Sox sell former American League home run king Ken Williams

1943Ā – TheĀ New York YankeesĀ trade second basemanĀ Jerry PriddyĀ and minor league pitcherĀ Milo CandiniĀ to theĀ Washington SenatorsĀ for pitcherĀ Bill ZuberĀ and cash considerations. Zuber, classified 4-F in the draft, will not have a winning season in New York, while Candini will go 11-7 this year.

1948Ā –Ā CommissionerĀ Happy ChandlerĀ fines theĀ Yankees,Ā CubsĀ andĀ PhilliesĀ $500 each for signing high school players.

1949Ā – TheĀ Pittsburgh PiratesĀ buyĀ All-StarĀ pitcherĀ Murry DicksonĀ from theĀ St. Louis CardinalsĀ for $125,000.

MLBĀ signs a six-yearĀ All-Star GameĀ pact for TV and Radio rights calling for $6 million

MLBĀ signs a six-yearĀ All-Star GameĀ pact for TV and Radio rights calling for $6 million

BaseballĀ considers a plan creating a player pool to be used in the event of an air disaster

BaseballĀ considers a plan creating a player pool to be used in the event of an air disaster

Stan MusialĀ of theĀ St. Louis CardinalsĀ signs a one-year contract worth $100,000

Stan MusialĀ of theĀ St. Louis CardinalsĀ signs a one-year contract worth $100,000

TheĀ Cleveland IndiansĀ buy first basemanĀ Mickey VernonĀ from theĀ Boston Red SoxĀ for theĀ waiverĀ price.

he family feud continues inĀ ChicagoĀ as a court rules in favor ofĀ Dorothy Rigney, sister ofĀ Charles Comiskey, Jr., allowing her to sell her mother’s shares of theĀ White SoxĀ toĀ Bill Veeck

Billy HamiltonĀ andĀ Max CareyĀ are selected to theĀ Hall of FameĀ by theĀ Veterans Committee.

Billy HamiltonĀ andĀ Max CareyĀ are selected to theĀ Hall of FameĀ by theĀ Veterans Committee.

1962Ā – ManagerĀ Harry CraftĀ and General Manager Paul Richards begin the first winter publicity caravan in team history, starting in Victoria. The team has had one every year since then, touring cities throughout Texas and Louisiana. Among the other travelers are infieldersĀ Norm Larker,Ā Bob Aspromonte,Ā Don BuddinĀ andĀ Joey AmalfitanoĀ and broadcaster Gene Elston. This year’s tour also makes a stop in Monterrey, Mexico.

1963Ā –Ā James M. Johnston,Ā James H. Lemon, andĀ George M. BunkerĀ purchase 80 percent of theĀ Washington Senators, buying out five of the original owners, including club presidentĀ Pete Quesada. Johnston is elected chairman of the board.

1964Ā –Ā Pitcher-writerĀ Jim BrosnanĀ is given permission by theĀ Chicago White SoxĀ to make his own deal with another team. His in-season writing has been censured by White Sox ownerĀ Ed Short.

Branch Rickey and Lloyd Waner are elected to the Hall of Fame

Branch Rickey and Lloyd Waner are elected to the Hall of Fame

PitcherĀ Miguel Fuentes, at age 20, is shot and killed during a bar fight inĀ Loiza Aldea,Ā Puerto Rico

PitcherĀ Miguel Fuentes, at age 20, is shot and killed during a bar fight inĀ Loiza Aldea,Ā Puerto Rico

Pirates and Cardinals make 4 player deal the trade is key to 1971 Championship

Pirates and Cardinals make 4 player deal the trade is key to 1971 Championship

In accepting theĀ Tris SpeakerĀ Award fromĀ HoustonĀ sportswriters,Ā Roberto ClementeĀ gives a speech which, apart from being called by many of those in attendance “the best talk any baseball player ever made,” is the source of Clemente’s most famous ā€“ if oft misquoted ā€“ assertion: “If you have an opportunity to accomplish something that will make things better for someone coming behind you, and you don’t do that, you are wasting your time on this earth.”

MLB approves sales of Chicago White SoxĀ and Seattle Mariners

MLB approves sales of Chicago White SoxĀ and Seattle Mariners

New York Yankees name Graig Nettles team captain

New York Yankees name Graig Nettles team captain

PitcherĀ Wayne Garland, the major leagues’ first millionaireĀ free agent, isĀ waivedĀ by theĀ Cleveland IndiansĀ with five seasons remaining on his 10-year contract. Garland posted a 3-7 record with a 5.79Ā ERAĀ inĀ 1981.

1987Ā –Ā Boston Red SoxĀ third basemanĀ Wade BoggsĀ avoids going toĀ salary arbitrationĀ for the third consecutive year by signing a three-year contract worth over $5 million.

Los Angeles Dodgers sign free agent outfielder Kirk Gibson

Los Angeles Dodgers sign free agent outfielder Kirk Gibson

1989Ā – After nine years of use, theĀ game-winning run batted inĀ (GWRBI) is dropped as an officialĀ statistic.Ā New York MetsĀ first basemanĀ Keith HernandezĀ will remain the all-time leader with 129.

1994Ā –Ā Free agentĀ relief pitcherĀ Lee SmithĀ is signed by theĀ Baltimore Orioles.

1996Ā – TheĀ Boston Red SoxĀ trade outfieldersĀ Lee TinsleyĀ andĀ Glenn MurrayĀ and pitcherĀ Ken RyanĀ to theĀ Philadelphia PhilliesĀ in exchange for pitcherĀ Heathcliff SlocumbĀ and two prospects.

FormerĀ Chicago White SoxĀ shortstopĀ Ozzie GuillenĀ signs a minor league contract with theĀ Baltimore Orioles, who invite him toĀ spring trainingĀ as aĀ non-roster invitee. Guillen will make the big team, but will be released onĀ May 1st.

TheĀ Cleveland IndiansĀ signs free agent DH-OFĀ GerĆ³nimo BerroaĀ to a $2.2 million, one-year contract.

1999Ā – Fighting shoulder injuries, five-timeĀ All-StarĀ pitcherĀ Jimmy KeyĀ retires from baseball. The 37-year-old lefthander appeared in theĀ postseasonĀ with all the teams he played for, which included theĀ Blue Jays,Ā OriolesĀ andĀ Yankees.

2000Ā – TheĀ New York MetsĀ announce that singerĀ Garth BrooksĀ will participate inĀ spring trainingĀ with the team. Brooks worked out last spring with theĀ San Diego PadresĀ going 1 for 22 for a .045Ā batting average.

TheĀ Chicago White SoxĀ trade outfielderĀ Chris SingletonĀ to theĀ Baltimore OriolesĀ in exchange for minor league second basemanĀ Willie Harris.

TheĀ Houston AstrosĀ signĀ Lance BerkmanĀ (.331, 34, 126) to a $10.5 million, three-year contract. TheĀ All-StarĀ outfielder hit .331 with 34 home runs and 126 RBI last season, including 94 forĀ extra bases, the most ever by aĀ switch-hitterĀ in Major League history.

2006Ā – TheĀ Oakland AthleticsĀ signĀ Mark EllisĀ to a two-year, $6 million contract, rewarding their second baseman for his strong comeback season last year from a major shoulder injury.

Members of theĀ Florida MarlinsĀ are experiencing a different side of life as they visit troops in the field inĀ Iraq. GMĀ Larry Beinfest, managerĀ Fredi Gonzalez, playersĀ Chris CoghlanĀ andĀ John BakerĀ and four members of the team’s cheerleading squad make up the touring party which travels by Black Hawk helicopters between bases in Iraq andĀ Kuwait, bringing some cheer to soldiers deployed there.

TheĀ Miami New TimesĀ reports that the names of at least seven major leaguers have turned up in an investigation of a recently closed clinic inĀ Coral Gables, FL,Ā Biogenesis Laboratories

2014Ā – Lance Berkman announces his retirement after 15 big league seasons, 11 of those (1999-2010) with the Astros, where he became one of the top hitters in club history.Ā 

Anger over the slow pace ofĀ free agentĀ signings is boiling over. Today,Ā AgentĀ Scott BorasĀ accuses the current system of threatening the sport’s integrity, as many teams have seemingly decided not to attempt being competitive.Ā MarinersĀ GMĀ Jerry DipotoĀ adds that certain team would rather “win theĀ top draft pickĀ [in theĀ amateur draft] than theĀ World Series”. A day earlier,Ā DodgersĀ closerĀ Kenley JansenĀ vented that players should consider going onĀ strikeĀ even though a newĀ collective bargaining agreementĀ was just signed. The reason for this frustration is that a month before the opening ofĀ spring training, 130 free agents remain unsigned, including some of the highest-profile players on the market.

TheĀ Cleveland IndiansĀ announce that they will stop using the image of “Chief Wahoo” on their uniforms starting inĀ 2019. The caricatural IndianĀ mascot, deemed offensive by most Native Americans and by many others, has been used by the team sinceĀ 1947, but has drawn increasing criticism in the last two decades, promptingĀ CommissionerĀ Rob ManfredĀ to formally ask the team to phase it out.

Major League Baseball Birthdays on January 29Ā 

Major League Baseball Deaths On January 29Ā