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 8.
- Born: This Day In Baseball March 8, 1953 in Anderson, SC, As a successor to Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski in left field for the Boston Red Sox, Jim Rice emerged as the AL’s most feared slugger in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
- Born: This Day In Baseball March 8, 1909 in Evansville, INFox rose from the sandlots of Evansville, Indiana. A spark plug at the top of the Tiger lineup in the mid-1930s, Ervin “Pete” Fox was a daring baserunner and a career .298 hitter in 13 seasons.
- Born: March 8, 1939 in Newark, NJ Pitcher, author, philosopher, and pundit, Jim Bouton bore little resemblance to the vast majority of players who performed in the major leagues before he joined the New York Yankees in 1962. One of the new breed of ballplayers that began entering the game during the 1960s, Bouton was not as hardened or rough around the edges as most of the players who preceded him. An intellectual at heart, Bouton preferred to discuss politics or journalism, rather than spend much of his free time hunting or chasing women. Bouton’s cerebral nature endeared him to the New York media, with whom he shared an amicable relationship during his seven years in the big city. However, it also alienated him somewhat from many of his teammates, who resented the inordinate amount of time he devoted to conversing with the members of the press corps. Nevertheless, Bouton’s teammates rarely expressed their dissatisfaction with him early in his career, when the righthander was one of the American League’s finest pitchers
- Born: Sunday, March 08, 1942 in Wampum, PA, Dick Allen, “Allen was scary at the plate. When he came up there, he had your attention. I want to forget a couple of line drives he hit off me, but I can’t because they almost killed me.” — Mickey Lolich on Dick Allen.
- On March 8, 2011 — Major League Baseball names Dodgers Assistant General Manager Kim Ng, the highest-ranking woman in the major leagues, as senior Vice-President of baseball operations. She will report to former Dodgers manager Joe Torre, who was named Executive Vice-President last month.
- On March 8, 1999, former New York Yankees great Joe DiMaggio dies after a much-publicized battle with lung cancer. The baseball legend and American icon was 84. Born in Martinez, California, DiMaggio arrived in the major leagues at the age of 21. He batted .323 in his first season and helped the Yankees to the 1936 World Championship. DiMaggio’s rookie performance served as an indicator of future success, both for him and the Yankees. During his 13-year career, the “Yankee Clipper” participated in 10 World Series, with the Yankees winning the World Championship nine times. In 1941, DiMaggio won the MVP Award when he compiled a major league record 56-game hitting streak. After his playing days, DiMaggio gained added fame by serving as a national spokesman for “Mr. Coffee.”
- On March 8 , 1969 — After Donn Clendenon “retires” and refuses to report to spring training, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn rules that Montreal can keep both Rusty Staub and Clendenon, insisting that Houston will have to settle for further compensation rather than voiding the trade.
- On March 8, 1966, the Veterans Committee waives one of its election rules and selects manager Casey Stengel as the newest member of the Hall of Fame. Stengel had managed the New York Mets for much of the 1965 season before falling and breaking his hip. The injury ended the elderly Stengel’s career. Given his age, the Veterans Committee decides to make him immediately eligible for the Hall of Fame.
- On March 8, 1930 — Babe Ruth signs a two-year contract with the New York Yankees for $160,000. At $80,000 per year, he becomes the highest-paid player of all time. The team’s general manager Ed Barrow predicts at the time that, “No one will ever be paid more.”
Notable Events and Chronology for This Day In Baseball March 8
