This Day In Baseball January 6

It may be cold outside but baseball happens 365 days a year! January Events include trades, births, ballpark announcements, hires, fires and surprises. On January 1 Cool Papa Bell hits 3 homeruns in Cuban Baseball. Future Hall of Famers Tim Keefe and Hank Greenberg were born. January 15 – 1934 – New York Yankees slugger Babe Ruth signs a one-year contract worth $35,000. While the contract is considered a lucrative one for the times, it represents a pay cut of $17,000 for “The Babe”. January, 24, 1939 – Eddie Collins, Willie Keeler and George Sisler are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Sisler set a major league season-record (later broken by Ichiro Suzuki) with 257 hits in 1920 and batted .420 in 1922 on his way to a .340 career batting average. Collins batted an even .333 for his career and stole 744 bases as a member of four World Series Champions. Keeler, who “hit ’em where they ain’t”, batted .341 and collected 2,932 hits.

Find your favorite!

You Wish You Where Here Events for January 6

1885 – Millionaire Henry Lucas purchases the Cleveland Blues and plans to fill the vacancy in the National League with his own St. Louis Maroons.

1914 – The National Commission grants some demands of the Players’ union: players are to be notified in writing of their transfer or release and to receive a copy of their contract; players with 10 years in the Major Leagues are eligible to become free agents; clubs will pay traveling expenses to spring training and furnish all uniforms, and outfield fences in major league ballparks should be painted green to provide a better hitting background for batters.

To help the players pick up the ball as it leaves the pitcher’s hand, baseball decrees all big league parks must have a center field wall which is green and blank. The safety measure will become known as the batter’s eye.

National Commission rules that outfield fences to be painted green

1916 – King Cole, the pitcher who gave up Babe Ruth’s first hit in 1914, dies in Bay City, MI at age 29. Cole was a stellar pitcher while playing for the Chicago Cubs, helping his team to the 1910 World Series.

With Bill Carrigan reaffirming his decision to leave the Boston Red Sox, shortstop Jack Barry is named the team's new manager.

With Bill Carrigan reaffirming his decision to leave the Boston Red Sox, shortstop Jack Barry is named the team’s new manager.

1920 – Future Hall of Fame pitcher Early Wynn is born in Hartford, AL. Wynn will make his major league debut in 1939 and will go on to win 300 games during a career with the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox.

early wynn

Hall of Famer Early Wynn is born

Future All-Star pitcher Ralph Branca is born in Mount Vernon, NY. Although Branca will win 21 games in 1947, he will become best known for giving up Bobby Thomson's pennant-winning home run in 1951.

Future All-Star pitcher Ralph Branca is born in Mount Vernon, NY. Although Branca will win 21 games in 1947, he will become best known for giving up Bobby Thomson’s pennant-winning home run in 1951.

future major league star Ralph Branca is born

1936 - New York Giants President Charles Stoneham dies of Bright's disease. He was the last surviving member of the trio that purchased the team in 1919.

1936 – New York Giants President Charles Stoneham dies of Bright’s disease. He was the last surviving member of the trio that purchased the team in 1919.

Charles Stoneham, owner of the New York Giants, dies of Bright’s Disease

1937 – The New York Giants buy shortstop Tommy Thevenow from Cincinnati Reds.

bob feller

Cleveland Indians piPitching star Bob Feller becomes the first major leaguer to formally enlist in the military for World War II.

1942 – Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller reports to Norfolk, Virginia for duty in the United States Navy. Feller, who led the American League in victories in three previous seasons, will miss this season, as well as the 1943 and 1944 seasons before returning for nine games in 1945. Despite missing the time due to the World War II effort, Feller will lead the league in winss in 1946, 1947 and 1951, amassing 266 victories during an 18-year major league career.

1946 – The Boston Red Sox announce that they have signed a working agreement with the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans are managed by Johnny Peacock, a former Boston catcher.

1950 – Charlie Grimm resigns as vice president of the Chicago Cubs to sign a three-year contract to manage the Dallas franchise in the Texas League for a record salary of $90,000. Grimm comments, “these hands were never intended to carry a brief case.”

A Federal Court bars former Little League Commissioner Carl Stotz from forming a rival group. Stotz initiated the suit because he felt the league had grown too big, and that increasing team rosters to 15 players was preventing less able players from getting any real playing time.

The Boston Red Sox sell their Louisville farm club, the Louisville Colonels, to a Cuban cartel led by Havana businessman Edward F. Wheeler.

The Boston Red Sox sell their Louisville farm club, the Louisville Colonels, to a Cuban cartel led by Havana businessman Edward F. Wheeler.

willie mays

Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants signs largest contract in Giants History

1958 – Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants signs a contract worth $65,000. It’s the largest deal ever signed by a member of the Giants.

Charlie Finley inks a deal with the city of Louisville to move the Kansas City A’s

Charlie Finley inks a deal with the city of Louisville to move the Kansas City A’s

Charlie Finley signs a two-year pact to move the Athletics from Kansas City to Louisville, pending American League approval. He is later denied and the Athletics will stay put in Kansas City until after the 1967 season.

The Chicago White Sox introduce powder-blue road uniforms, starting a fashion trend that will last into the early 1980s.

A’s owner Charlie Finley stuns Kansas City when he announces that he has signed a two-year deal to move the team to Louisville to play at the city’s Fairgrounds Stadium, having the state of Kentucky’s promise to spend a half-a-million dollars on enlarging the 20,628-seat facility by another 10,000 seats. The American League owners will veto the franchise shift, planned for this upcoming season, and the team stays put in the City of Fountains until after the 1967 campaign when permitted to move to Oakland.

The Astros deal outfielder Johnny Weekly and cash to the Mets for pitcher Gary Kroll. The righthander would see just ten games with Houston.

1967 – Former major league manager Johnny Keane dies in Chicago, IL from a heart attack at the age of 55. Keane guided the St. Louis Cardinals to the 1964 World Series, but left to become the manager of the New York Yankees, whom the Cardinals had beaten in the World Series. After an unsuccessful stint with the Yankees, Keane became a scout with the California Angels.

Former major league manager Johnny Keane dies from a heart attack at the age of 55

1969 – Umpires Al Salerno and Bill Valentine file a grievance against the American League and its president, Joe Cronin, over their dismissal last year. The grievance is filed by the new umpires union with the National Labor Relations Board.

The Astros obtain Art Howe from the Pittsburgh Pirates to complete a deal the previous month for infielder Tommy Helms. The versatile Howe is instrumental in Houston’s first division title and later manages the team for five seasons. 

1977 – California Angels reserve shortstop Mike Miley is killed in an auto crash in Baton Rouge, LA, at age 23. Miley had been a star football player for the LSU Tigers and was chosen twice in the first round of the June free agent draft.

The city council, by a vote of 6-2, approves changing the name of San Diego Stadium to San Diego – Jack Murphy Stadium. The Padres ballpark’s new moniker is in honor of the late sports editor of the San Diego Union, who is credited getting the facility built in the late 1960s and with bringing major league baseball and football to the Southern California city.

Padres land golden goose

Padres land golden goose

1988 – Free agent slugger Jack Clark signs with the New York Yankees, while Paul Molitor re-signs with the Milwaukee Brewers.

1992 – The Yankees sign free agent outfielder Danny Tartabull to a five-year contract.

1994 – Free agent signings include pitchers Jay Howell by the Texas Rangers, Jeff Brantley by the Cincinnati Reds, and shortstop Walt Weiss by the Colorado Rockies.

Former Atlanta Braves knuckleballer Phil Niekro is elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America, becoming the 227th member of the Hall. He receives 80.34% of the vote, as former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Don Sutton falls nine votes short of election. Niekro is only the 87th player to be elected by the BBWAA.

Los Angeles Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley announces plans to sell the team, which has been controlled by his family since 1950. The club is expected to command a record price.

Nolan Ryan is the first passenger to board the Nolan Ryan Express, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737. Ryan autographs both sides of the aircraft’s nose on two specially designed decals each featuring a baseball with airplane wings and a Southwest colored tail. In July, Ryan will again board the NLE to fly to the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Cooperstown, New York.

Surgery makes the news as the New York Mets prize rookie outfielder Jay Payton undergoes arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder. Also, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Paul Quantrill has surgery to repair a fractured right thigh and a metal rod is inserted in his leg. He was injured in a snowmobile accident at his home in Port Hope, ON.

Houston signs veteran pitcher and former Cy Young winner Dwight “Doc” Gooden to a free agent contract. He pitches in the debut of Enron Field but gets into only one game during the regular season before he is sent to Tampa Bay. 

Gene Budig resigns as American League president and is appointed a senior adviser to Commissioner Bud Selig. The American and National Leagues will be disbanded as legal entities later this month, with their functions consolidated in the commissioner’s office.

Major League Baseball officials order Atlanta Braves reliever John Rocker is to undergo psychological testing following derogatory remarks he made in an interview with Sports Illustrated magazine. Commissioner Bud Selig says he will listen to what the doctors say before deciding what punishment – if any – will be handed down to the pitcher.

2006 – Bob Watson, the general manager of the United States team for the World Baseball Classic, expects to find out by next week whether Alex Rodriguez will play for the Americans at the tournament. Rodriguez is eligible to play for both the US and the Dominican Republic.

The Yankees, according to final figures released by the commissioner’s office, finished the year with a record payroll of $207.2 million, $90 million more than the Red Sox, who spent the second largest amount on playing personnel. The World Champion White Sox, by comparison, spent only $73.2 million, with the lowly Devil Rays writing checks for a mere $26.6 million, not much more than Alex Rodriguez makes as an individual playing third base for the Bronx Bombers.

The commissioner’s office informs the press of a letter which was faxed from the International Baseball Federation informing Major League Baseball of their intent to withdraw the sanctioning of the World Baseball Classic unless Cuba is allowed to participate. In mid-December, the Treasury Department had denied the necessary license for Castro’s countrymen to compete on American soil due to the U.S. law which restricts financial gain of the communist nation in the United States.

2008 – Roger Clemens files a defamation lawsuit against trainer Brian McNamee for statements McNamee made in the Mitchell Report. McNamee had said he injected Clemens with performance-enhancing drugs.

The Baltimore Orioles sign former Yomiuri Giants right-hander Koji Uehara to a two-year, $10 million deal with incentives reaching $16 million. The deal, pending a physical, brings the two-time Olympic hurler to the USA. Uehara struggled in 2008 and had the highest ERA of his 10-year career.

The Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs exchange pitchers, with Jason Marquis going to Chicago in return for Luis Vizcaino.

The New York Yankees finalize their deal with Mark Teixeira for $180 million over 8 years, joining Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Derek Jeter and A.J. Burnett on the payroll-heavy Yanks.

The Cubs acquire right-handed reliever Luis Vizcaino from the Rockies in exchange for starting pitcher Jason Marquis and cash. The deal, which frees up $9 million from Chicago’s payroll in 2009, gives the club more financial flexibility to sign free-agent outfielder Milton Bradley.

Andre Dawson, "The Hawk", is elected to the Hall of Fame 

Andre Dawson, “The Hawk”, is elected to the Hall of Fame 

The Twins sign P Clay Condrey to a one-year contract and release P Bobby Keppel to allow him to sign with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of the Japanese Pacific League.

In his ninth year on the BBWAA’s ballot, Andre Dawson is the only player to receive 75 percent, or more of the writers’ votes (77.9) necessary for election to the Hall of Fame. The former National League Rookie of the Year (1977 – Montreal) and Most Valuable Player (1987 – Chicago), who spent 21 seasons patrolling the outfield for the Expos, Cubs, Red Sox, and Marlins, is one of only three players, that includes Mays and Barry Bonds, to exceed 400 homers and 300 stolen bases during his major league career.

2011 – P Brian Bannister, who played for the Royals last season, signs a one-year deal with an option for 2012 to play for the Yomiuri Giants of the Japanese Central League.

The Padres trade 1B prospect Anthony Rizzo and minor league P Zach Cates to the Cubs for P Andrew Cashner and OF Kyung-Min Na. The move seems to confirm that the Cubs have no interest in signing free agent 1B Prince Fielder.

Two free agents find new homes today: the Angels sign IF Jorge Cantu while the Mets ink SS Ronny Cedeno.

Craig Biggio is elected to the Hall of Fame with 82.7% of BBWAA votes in his third year of eligibility, becoming the first Houston player to be inducted as an Astro. Former Astros hurler Randy Johnson (97.3%) was also elected. Jeff Bagwell misses at 55.7% of the vote. 

2015 – The BBWAA elects four players to the Hall of Fame, one of the largest classes ever. Three dominant pitchers all make it on their first try – Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz – while 2B Craig Biggio makes the grade on his third attempt.

2017 – The Mariners pull off a couple of trades, first acquiring OF Jarrod Dyson from the Royals for P Nathan Karns, then getting P Yovani Gallardo from Baltimore for OF/DH Seth Smith.

Ken Griffey, Jr. is elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA with the highest percentage of votes ever – 99.3%. Joining him in this year’s class is Mike Piazza, who makes it on his fourth attempt. Griffey is the first #1 overall draft pick to make the Hall, while Piazza is the lowest pick (62nd round).

The Royals re-sign LF Alex Gordon to a four-year deal worth $72 million.

2018 – The Blue Jays obtain IF Yangervis Solarte from the Padres for minor leaguers Edward Olivares and Jared Carkuff. In a separate move, the Padres ink Japanese side-arming reliever Kazuhisa Makita to a two-year deal.

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