This Day In Baseball March 17

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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 March 17

Notable Events and Chronology for This Day In Baseball March 17

The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players is founded

The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players is founded

1884 – The Union Association admits the Boston Reds club organized by George Wright, bringing the number of teams to eight. The UA also decides to stick with the seven-ball walk rule, and the schedule is expanded to 112 games, with the percentage system adopted for determining the champion team. The regular season opens with three games. Baltimore Monumentals pitcher Bill Sweeney throws a five-hit, 7 – 3 victory over the Washington Nationals. It is the first of what will be a season-high 40 victories for Sweeney, 12 more than his closest rival, Hugh Daily.

1886 – The Sporting News, the weekly that will become “The Baseball Paper of the World,” publishes its first issue.

After yesterday’s vicious attack on the groundskeeper’s wife by his troubled outfielder, Tigers owner Frank Navin makes an all-out effort to trade Ty Cobb. Indian skipper Nap Lajoie turns down a straight swap for former league batting champ Elmer Flick, calling the ‘Georgia Peach’ a problem player, and Connie Mack of the A’s, given his already strong outfield, shows only a passing interest.

Plumbers at work on the drain pipes at Washington's Griffith Stadium start a fire that burns down the grandstand. Since the water has been shut off, firemen can do nothing. Stands will be rebuilt to play the home opener on schedule.

Plumbers at work on the drain pipes at Washington’s Griffith Stadium start a fire that burns down the grandstand. Since the water has been shut off, firemen can do nothing. Stands will be rebuilt to play the home opener on schedule.

Babe Ruth Launches 570 foot Homerun

Babe Ruth Launches 570 foot Homerun

The Boston Red Sox, minus holdouts Carl Mays and Babe Ruth, sail from New York aboard the USS Arapahoe

The Boston Red Sox, minus holdouts Carl Mays and Babe Ruth, sail from New York aboard the USS Arapahoe

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Gene Paulette, ordered to appear before Commissioner Landis regarding alleged gambling, decides to retire from Organized Baseball instead. He signs with a Massillon, Ohio semipro team.

The New York Yankees, training in Shreveport, Louisiana, journey to Lake Charles to play a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, based in Orange, Texas. The game is proclaimed “Ruth-Hornsby Day,” but Hornsby hits only a single while Ruth lofts a home run over the short right field fence. The Yankees win, 14 – 5.

In a battle of Irish managers on St. Patrick's Day, Bob O'Farrell beats John McGraw

In a battle of Irish managers on St. Patrick’s Day, Bob O’Farrell beats John McGraw

1936 – Much-heralded rookie Joe DiMaggio makes his debut with the New York Yankees, collecting four hits including a triple. The day is marred when the St. Louis Cardinals win, 8 – 7.

1940 – An inter-league exhibition All-Star Game is played in Florida for the benefit of Finland, which has been attacked by the Soviet Union. Over $20,000 is raised, but the Finlanders give up their battle within a few days of the benefit.

Jackie Robinson makes his debut for the Montreal Royals of the International League

Jackie Robinson makes his debut for the Montreal Royals of the International League

Jackie Robinson finds himself a seat on Montreal’s bench as he joins the Royals for the first time in an exhibition game against their major league affiliate, the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Jackie Robinson finds himself a seat on Montreal’s bench as he joins the Royals for the first time in an exhibition game against their major league affiliate, the Brooklyn Dodgers.

The Braves’ spring training game against the Yankees in Bradenton will prove to be the team’s last full one representing the city of Boston. During the sixth inning of tomorrow’s exhibition contest, the club learns the National League has approved its shift next month to Milwaukee, unlike the Junior Circuit’s decision two days ago that denied Bill Veeck permission to move his Browns to Baltimore due to the short amount of time left before Opening Day.

Bill Veeck says that he will accept an offer of $2.475 million for his 80 percent of the St. Louis Browns stock

Bill Veeck says that he will accept an offer of $2.475 million for his 80 percent of the St. Louis Browns stock

Milwaukee County Stadium will be available to the Boston Braves at a very reasonable rental rate.

Sandy Koufax and Roy Campanella 1955

Campy teaching Sandy a thing or two during Spring Training 1955.

Jackie Robinson becomes the first black broadcaster

Jackie Robinson becomes the first black broadcaster

sandy koufax don drysdale

Pitchers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale play hardball when negotiating with the Los Angeles Dodgers

St. Louis Cardinals trade former National League MVP Orlando Cepeda to the Atlanta Braves for catcher/first baseman Joe Torre

St. Louis Cardinals trade former National League MVP Orlando Cepeda to the Atlanta Braves for catcher/first baseman Joe Torre

In Caracas, Venezuela, the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates play the first of a three-game series.

All clubs will comply within forty-eight hours to Commissioner Kuhn’s orders to open spring training camps as soon as possible, abruptly ending the 17-day work stoppage. The lockout, initiated by the owners over their concerns about free agency and the free-entry draft, will not impact the start of the regular season.

1977 – U.S. Federal Judge Frank McGarr rules in favor of Bowie Kuhn, saying that the baseball commissioner acted within his authority in voiding the 1976 player sales engineered by Oakland Athletics owner Charlie Finley.

reds green uniforms

Cincinnati Reds wear special green uniforms to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day

Ferguson Jenkins is given his unconditional release ending his 19-year career

Ferguson Jenkins is given his unconditional release ending his 19-year career

Carney Lansford is credited with an unusual two-run inside-the-park homer in the A's 5-3 victory

Carney Lansford is credited with an unusual two-run inside-the-park homer in the A’s 5-3 victory

Newly signed Free Agent oft-injured Jack Clark tears calf in spring training

Newly signed Free Agent oft-injured Jack Clark tears calf in spring training

Pitcher Hal Newhouser and umpire Bill McGowan are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.

Pitcher Hal Newhouser and umpire Bill McGowan are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.

1999 – The Toronto Blue Jays fire manager Tim Johnson and replace him with Jim Fregosi. Johnson had been under fire since admitting he had lied when he said he had seen combat duty in the Vietnam War.

2001 – Third baseman Joe Randa agrees to a two-year contract extension with the Kansas City Royals. Randa batted .304 with 106 RBI for the Royals in 155 games last season.

During more than 11 hours of hearings by the Committee on Government Reform concerning major league players’ use of steroids, Mark McGwire refuses to talk about the past and does not deny taking performance enhancing drugs. Other players testifying include Curt Schilling, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, and former big leaguer Jose Canseco, whose recent book, Juiced, prompted the congressional hearing. Palmeiro will be found guilty of steroid usage later this year.

Toronto Blue Jays starter Roy Halladay signs a three-year, $40 million contract extension that will keep him with the club through the 2010 season.

Washington Nationals reliever Luis Ayala, who faced only one batter in his final appearance in the WBC, will have reconstructive surgery on his right elbow and is expected to miss the entire season.

The Dodgers lose to the Astros, 12-10, in their last game at Dodgertown, the team’s spring training home since 1948. Eighty-one year old Carl Erskine, who pitched the first game that occurred at Holman Stadium 55 years ago, plays the national anthem on his harmonica before the contest.

Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington admits that he tested positive for cocaine last summer and apologizes. He submits his resignation, but top management rejects it.

Two troubled outfielders are in trouble again. Seattle’s off-season acquisition, Milton Bradley, is ejected from an exhibition game for protesting a strikeout call from umpire Dan Bellino, while the Nationals’ Elijah Dukes, who has seen his career derailed by legal and behaviorial problems, is released because of poor hitting. He had been expected to be Washington’s starting right fielder this year.

2011 – Injured Philles All-Star 2B Chase Utley is absent from spring training today, visiting a specialist to look at his injured right knee, which has kept him off the playing field since the beginning of camp. As the knee is apparently not healing, surgery is becoming more likely, and no one in the Phillies’ front office dares to set a timetable for Utley’s return to the line-up. He will only play his first game on May 23rd.

2012 – Padres OF Carlos Quentin receives MRI results on his ailing knee and the news is not good, as he faces immediate surgery. While he will miss the start of the season, having surgery now should ensure that he will be healthy for the bulk of the year, once he has worked himself back into playing shape.

2015 – Agent Scott Boras lashes out at the Cubs, convinced that they want to send the hottest prospect in baseball, 3B Kris Bryant, to the minor leagues to start the season. Boras is convinced this is simply a cost-cutting move that makes no sense if the Cubs really want to win. Fans are also clamoring to see Bryant make the team, given he’s leading all players with 6 homers in spring training games so far. However, team President Theo Epstein explains that he is concerned that Bryant needs more work on his defense before he’s ready for the Show.

The Yankees no-hit the Tigers in a Grapefruit League game, 3 – 0. Masahiro Tanaka strikes out 6 in 4 1/3 innings, Chasen Shreve completes the 5th inning, and rookie Jordan Montgomery completes the feat with four perfect innings.

In the sort of weirdness that only happens in spring training, the Rangers play a couple of innings against the Royals with a double play combination composed of Rougned Odor at second base and Rougned Odor at shortstop. It is a first time the two brothers, who share a first name but have different middle names, have played together in a professional game.

Not to be outdone, the Blue Jays field a line-up straight out of the 1990s in their 11 – 3 win over the Canadian junior national team. The team features an infield of Clemens, Biggio, Bichette and Guerrero, with Dwight Smith Jr. in left field and Grudzielanek at DH. They are all sons of major leaguers, except for Grudzielanek, who is Mark’s nephew. Joining them by pitching a perfect 8th inning in 17-year-old Braden Halladay, son of the late Roy Halladay, who qualifies to play for the Canadians by virtue of having been born in Toronto, ON.

Major League Baseball Birthdays on This Day In Baseball March 17

Major League Baseball Deaths On This Day In Baseball March 17

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