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 November 24 in baseball history.
- On November 24, 1911, future Hall of Famer Joe Medwick is born in Carteret, New Jersey. Medwick will make his major league debut in 1932 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
- On November 24, 1953, At a gathering of stunned reporters in his office on Montague Street, Walter O’Malley the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers name little-known Walter Alston as their manager after Pee Wee Reese the popular shortstop turns down the job. Alston, who had served as the skipper of the Dodgers’ top affiliate in Montreal, signs a one year deal replacing Chuck Dressen. Alston, will manage the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers over the next 23 seasons, winning 2,040 games and four World Championships. Alson will be Inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Manager in 1983.
- On November 24, 1964 — The BBWAA selects St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Ken Boyer, who hit .295 with 24 home runs and 119 RBI, is selected as the National League Most Valuable Player. Boyer outdistances Johnny Callison and Bill White for the honor.
- On November 24, 1971 –Catcher-infielder Earl Williams, who hit 33 home runs and 87 RBI for the Atlanta Braves, wins the National League Rookie of the Year honors. The 23 year old Williams gets 18 of 24 votes, with the others going to Willie Montañez of the Philadelphia Phillies.
- On November 24, 1976, the California Angels sign free agent second baseman Bobby Grich. The slick-fielding Grich is the first of three free agents that owner Gene Autry will sign during the off-season. Don Baylor and Joe Rudi will eventually join Grich in California.
- On November 24, 1976 — Joe Morgan outpoints Cincinnati Reds teammate George Foster to win his second straight National League MVP Award. Morgan hit .320 with 27 home runs, 111 RBI, 113 runs, 60 stolen bases, and led the NL in slugging percentage (.576) and OPS (1.020). Foster finished with 29 home runs and led the league in RBI (121).
- On November 24, 1982, Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles wins the American League’s Rookie of the Year Award. Ripken hit .264 with 28 home runs and 93 RBI’s while splitting his time between shortstop and third base for the Orioles. His consecutive games played streak is in its infancy at 118 games.
- On November 24, 2009 – Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals is the unanimous choice as winner of the National League MVP Award. It is the third time Pujols wins this honor, having done so previously in 2005 and 2008.
- Born on this day . . .The keystone combo of Billy Rogell and Charlie Gehringer was a key factor in the Tigers’ 1934 and 1935 pennants. Switch-hitter Rogell had four RBI in Game Four of the 1934 WS as the Tigers won 10-4. He led AL shortstops in fielding for three years, 1935-37, and in assists for two, 1934-35. He injured his shoulder playing handball after the 1938 season; in 1939, his arm went dead. After the season, he was swapped to the Cubs for Dick Bartell, a trade accurately characterized as “one worn-out shortstop for another.”
- Born on this day in 1939, . . . Jim Northrup declined offers to play quarterback for the Chicago Bears and New York Titans to sign with the Tigers. A classic streak hitter and one of Detroit’s best in the clutch during the 1960s, he played right and center in a talented but crowded outfield that included Al Kaline, Willie Horton, and Mickey Stanley. In their 1968 World Championship season, he led the Tigers with 153 hits and 90 RBI, and broke up three no-hitters in April and May. He hit four grand slams that year. Two came in consecutive at-bats on June 24, and he added another on June 29 for three in one week, a ML record. He hit yet another off the Cardinals’ Larry Jaster in Game Six of the World Series. His two-run triple was the crucial blow in Game Seven. On August 28, 1969 against Oakland, he became the first Tiger since Ty Cobb to go six-for-six, finishing the game with a 13th-inning home run over the Tiger Stadium roof. In 1973, he had a second eight-RBI game, against Texas, and hit a career-high .307. Dealt twice in 1974, he retired a year later.
Notable Events and Chronology for November 24
