December 11

From BR Bullpen


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Stats of players who were born this day
Stats of players who died on this day
Standings on this day
Permanent link to Today's Entry
Sources
Baseball Library Chronology
Today in Baseball History

Events, births and deaths that occurred on December 11.

[edit] Events

1884 - The AA votes to keep its ban on overhand pitching and to continue to allow fouls caught on one bounce to count as outs. It does abolish the tradition of team captains flipping for the honor of batting first. Now the home team will automatically bat first.
1900 - A rumor that the PPA leaders have gone to Philadelphia to meet with Ban Johnson causes National League owners to "have something closely resembling a fit," says the New York Times. Players later admit the meeting took place.
1906 - Harry Pulliam is reelected president of the National League at a salary of $10,000.
1906 - In a good trade for Boston (NL), they acquire lefty Patsy Flaherty, 2B Claude Ritchey, and OF Ginger Beaumont from the Pirates for good-fielding 2B Ed Abbaticchio. Abbaticchio will lead the NL in fielding in 1908, but Ritchey will lead in '07, and the other pair will be mainstays.
1912 - The Reds trade outfielders Mike Mitchell and Pete Knisely, infielders Red Corriden and Art Phelan, and P Bert Humphries to the Cubs for C Harry Chapman, P Grover Lowdermilk, and SS Joe Tinker, who will manage the Reds for one year.
1917 - The Phils sell star pitcher Grover Alexander, twice a 30-game winner, and his personal catcher "Reindeer" Bill Killefer to the Cubs for righthander "Iron" Mike Prendergast, C Pickles Dillhoefer, and $55,000. Phils owner William Baker later admits he made the trade because, "I needed the money." The 5th-place Cubs expect the addition of Alexander to greatly strengthen their staff, but Alex will be drafted in the Army.
1923 - Considered a troublemaker, the Yankees sell Carl Mays (5 - 2) to the Reds for $7500. The submariner will win 20 for the Reds next season.
1924 - Eddie Collins signs as player-manager of the White Sox.
1926 - Cleveland coach Jack McAllister is named to replace Tris Speaker as Indians manager.
1927 - The Browns sell George Sisler to Washington for $25,000.
1928 - Brooklyn sends P Jesse Petty to Pittsburgh for SS Glenn Wright. Wright will injure his arm in a handball accident and will play just 24 games in 1929, but in 1930 he'll post career highs in hitting and home runs.
1928 - At the National League meeting, President John Heydler proposes the designated hitter for pitchers to improve and speed up the game. He contends fans are tired of seeing weak-hitting pitchers come to bat. Heydler refers to his idea as "the tenth regular."
1929 - The Cards send Grover Alexander, 42, back to the Phillies with C Harry McCurdy for OF Homer Peel and P Bob McGraw.
1929 - The Browns trade C Wally Schang back to the Athletics for 3B Sammy Hale.
1930 - The BBWAA votes to continue the custom of selecting an MVP for each league. Beginning in 1931 the annual vote of the BBWAA will designate a player for this honor in each league. Previous MVP winners will be able to repeat under the new rules, something that was prohibited by the American League in the 1920s.
1931 - Despite two wins in the World Series, spitball veteran Burleigh Grimes is traded by the Cards to the Cubs for the fallen Hack Wilson. Wilson will be offered just $7,500 reflecting the owner's new austerity drive. Grimes will have three losing seasons in Chicago before calling it quits.
1934 - The National League votes to permit night baseball, authorizing a maximum of seven games by any team installing lights. The American League does not grant permission for night games until 1937.
1934 - The 1935 All-Star Game is assigned to Cleveland. Frank Frisch and Mickey Cochrane, rival managers in the St. Louis - Detroit World Series, will manage their league's teams.
1935 - The Yankees trade the hot-tempered Johnny Allen to Cleveland for pitchers Monte Pearson and Steve Sundra, a minor leaguer.
1938 - The Giants get slugger Zeke Bonura from Washington for $20,000 and two minor league players.
1939 - The Yomiuri Giants beat the Hanshin Tigers, 4 - 2, to clinch the Japanese league pennant. The Giants will win the pennant for the next four years.
1940 - The ML extends Kenesaw Mountain Landis to another 4-year term. They also vote to limit night games to seven per team.
1941 - The Giants acquire Johnny Mize from the Cardinals for three players -- Bill Lohrman, Ken O'Dea, and Johnny McCarthy -- and $50,000. Because of injuries, Mize's home run production had fallen from 43 to 16 in 1941, but he will bounce back to lead the National League in 1947-48.
1941 - The Giants trade hurler Bill Lohrman, catcher James O'Dea, first baseman Johnny McCarthy and $50,000 to the Cardinals to obtain first baseman Johnny Mize.
1942 - Cardinals GM Branch Rickey, possibly motivated by a clause in his contract that gives him 20% of the team's profits, trades slugger John Mize to the Giants for three players and $50,000. Yesterday he sold C/OF Don Padgett to Brooklyn for $30,000. Padgett will enter the Navy without playing a game for the Dodgers, and Brooklyn will try unsuccessfully to get their money back from Rickey.
1945 - The Giants obtain a genuine "phenom," pitcher/outfielder Clint Hartung, from Minneapolis for $20,000 and three players. Much ballyhooed, Hartung hit .358 in 66 games in 1942 for Eau Claire (Northern) while winning three games. He was in the military for the next three years, and will be for the 1946 season. The New York World Telegram's Tom Meany writes, "Hartung's a sucker if he reports to the Giants. All he has to do is sit at home, wait till he's eligible, and he's a cinch to make the Hall of Fame."
1947 - The Reds trade 1B Bert Haas to the Phils for P Tommy Hughes.
1947 - Branch Rickey announces that the Dodgers have signed an agreement with Bud Holman and the city of Vero Beach to rent 104 acres of a former pre-war municipal airport. They will pay $1 a year and take over the maintenance. In 1952 the Dodgers will sign a new 20-year lease for $1 a year, and on March 11, 1953, a new field will be named Holman Stadium.
1950 - At the winter meeting, held in St. Petersburg, FL, ML owners vote 9-7 against renewing Commissioner Happy Chandler's contract for a new term, starting in 1951. The Cardinals' Fred Saigh led the opposition to Chandler, who had jeopardized the reserve clause and ordered investigations of the alleged gambling activities of several owners.
1951 - Joe DiMaggio officially retires as a member of the New York Yankees with 361 home runs and an average of .325 after 13 seasons. His 56-game, consecutive-game hitting streak in 1941 will stand as one of the all-time best diamond achievements.
1951 - Joe DiMaggio officially retires from baseball. The Yankee Clipper ends his thirteen year career with a life time .325 BA and 361 home runs.
1952 - Fred Haney is named as the Pirate manager for the upcoming season.
1952 - Pittsburgh names Fred Haney as its manager for 1953 replacing Billy Meyer, the Bucs manager since 1947.
1954 - With the Athletics poised to move to Kansas City, the Phillies purchase Connie Mack Stadium.
1956 - A players organization is established with Bob Feller as president.
1956 - The Major Leagues vote at a joint meeting to reduce player limits to 28 by Opening Day.
1956 - A major league player association is formed. Bob Feller, a star pitcher with the Indians, is named as the organization's first president.
1957 - The Phillies purchase veteran OF Dave Philley from Detroit.
1957 - U.S. Congressman Emanuel Celler and Senator Kenneth Keating, both of New York, hint that there might be antitrust action against ML baseball if it televises games as planned, because it jeopardizes the minor leagues.
1959 - The A's Arnold Johnson gives the New York Yankees an early Christmas present when he gift wraps Roger Maris in pinstripes. The Yankees acquire the slugger in a 7-player deal that sends P Don Larsen, RF Hank Bauer, 1B Marv Throneberry, and LF Norm Siebern to the Athletics.
1959 - The Yankees trade Hank Bauer, Marv Throneberry, Don Larsen and Norm Siebern to the Kansas City A's for outfielder Roger Maris and two other players.
1959 - The Orioles elect Lee MacPhail as president of the club.
1962 - The Red Sox send P Tracy Stallard, and infielders Pumpsie Green and Al Moran to the Mets for infielder Felix Mantilla. Tomorrow they will ship Carroll Hardy to Houston for Dick Williams.
1968 - The Angels trade two catchers, Ed Kirkpatrick and Dennis Paepke, to the Kansas City A's for right-handed knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm.
1969 - A Federal Court in New York City rules against the suit of umpires Bill Valentine and Al Salerno because baseball is exempt from antitrust laws.
1970 - The Braves Rico Carty, the leading active ML hitter at .322 lifetime, suffers a fractured knee and ligament damage in a Dominican League game. Carty will miss the entire 1971 season.
1973 - The Cubs come up with a team Ron Santo will agree to be traded to: Southside rivals the White Sox. P Steve Stone and three other players go to the Cubs.
1975 - In a busy day of trading, the Yankees acquire pitchers Dock Ellis and Ken Brett, and second baseman Willie Randolph from the Pirates for hurler Doc Medich. In a separate deal with the Angels, the club trades Bobby Bonds for outfielder Mickey Rivers and pitcher Ed Figueroa.
1975 - The White send Bill Melton and Steve Dunning to California for 1B Jim Spencer and OF Morris Nettles.
1975 - In two separate deals, the Yankees acquire pitchers Dock Ellis and Ken Brett, and 2B Willie Randolph from the Pirates for P Doc Medich; OF Mickey Rivers and P Ed Figueroa from the Angels for OF Bobby Bonds. Randolph will hold down 2B for a decade while Rivers will provide fine CF. Medich will go 8 - 11 before being traded.
1981 - Veteran free-agent infielders Joe Morgan and Mark Belanger sign one-year contracts with the Giants and Dodgers, respectively.
1981 - Seattle trades OF Tom Paciorek to the White Sox for C Jim Essian, IF Todd Cruz, and Rod Allen.
1984 - OF Fred Lynn, a free agent, signs a 4-year contract with the Orioles.
1985 - The Giants send 2B Manny Trillo to the Cubs for SS Dave Owen, and C Alex Trevino to the Dodgers for OF Candy Maldonado; the Phillies trade pitchers John Denny and Jeff Gray to the Reds for OF Gary Redus and P Tom Hume, and the Dodgers trade veteran catcher Steve Yeager to the Mariners for P Ed Vande Berg.
1987 - The A's obtain Jesse Orosco from the Mets and then trades the southpaw reliever along with shortstop Alfredo Griffin and right-hander Jay Howell to the Dodgers for pitchers Matt Young, Bob Welch and Jack Savage. New York gets Savage as well as right-hand hurlers Wally Whitehurst and Kevin Tapini from Oakland to complete the three-team, eight player deal.
1987 - In the first trade ever between the Yankees and Mets that involves a ML player, the Mets send SS Rafael Santana and a minor leaguer to the Bronx for C Phil Lombardi and minor leaguers Darren Reed and Steve Frey.
1987 - In a 3-team trade, the Dodgers acquire relief pitcher Jesse Orosco from the Mets and relief pitcher Jay Howell and SS Alfredo Griffin from the A's, and send pitchers Bob Welch and Matt Young to Oakland and minor leaguer Jack Savage to New York. The Mets receive two A's minor leaguers to complete the deal, pitchers Kevin Tapani and Wally Whitehurst.
1989 - The Royals sign free agent Mark Davis to a 4-year contract. Davis and Bret Saberhagen will make the 1990 Royals the first team ever to have both defending Cy Young Award winners.
1991 - In a blockbuster trade, the Mets obtain two-time Cy Young winner Bret Saberhagen along with SS Bill Pecota from the Royals in exchange for Kevin McReynolds, Gregg Jefferies, and Keith Miller.
1992 - The Tigers sign free agent P Bill Krueger to a 2-year contract.
1992 - The Orioles sign free agent 2B Harold Reynolds.
1992 - The Cubs sign free agent OF Candy Maldonado to a 2-year contract.
1992 - The Angels sign free agent OF Chili Davis to a 2-year contract.
1995 - The White Sox sign free agent DH Harold Baines.
1995 - The Yankees sign free agent IF Mariano Duncan to a 2-year contract.
1996 - The Yankees sign free agent P Mike Stanton to a 3-year contract.
1996 - The White Sox sign free agent P Jaime Navarro to a 4-year contract.
1996 - The Phillies sign free agent P Mark Portugal to a 2-year contract.
1997 - The Orioles sign free agent P Doug Drabek and tomorrow sign free agent OF Joe Carter.
1997 - The Twins sign free agent OF Otis Nixon.
1997 - The Braves trade P Chad Fox to the Brewers in exchange for OF Gerald Williams.
1998 - The Reds sign free agent P Steve Avery.
1998 - The Athletics sign the much-traveled free agent IF-OF Tony Phillips.
1999 - The Mets sign free agent 1B-3B Todd Zeile to a 3-year contract.
1999 - The Cubs obtain OF Damon Buford from the Red Sox in exchange for IF Manny Alexander.
2000 - The Mets sign free agent P Kevin Appier to a 4-year contract, and free agent P Steve Trachsel to a 2-year contract.
2000 - The Tigers obtain P Chris Holt, OF Roger Cedeno, and C Mitch Meluskey from the Astros for C Brad Ausmus, and pitchers Doug Brocail and Nelson Cruz. Houston catchers threw out 22% of base stealers in 2000, while Ausmus gunned down 42%.
2000 - Alex Rodriguez signs the richest contract in sports history, a ten-year deal with the Rangers worth $252 million. The quarter billion dollars doubles the previous high of $126 million paid by the NBA's Timberwolves to Kevin Garnett in a six-year agreement signed in October, 1997.
2000 - The Astros and Tigers complete a six-player trade with outfielder Roger Cedeno, catcher Mitch Meluskey and right-hander Chris Holt going to Detroit and catcher Brad Ausmus, relievers Doug Brocail and Nelson Cruz headed for Houston.
2001 - Former USC P Mark Prior wins the Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur baseball player in the US. Prior signed a 5-year contract with the Cubs after being selected in the June draft.
2001 - The Rangers sign free agent P Jay Powell to a 3-year contract.
2001 - The Mariners and Padres complete a 6-player deal that sends P Brett Tomko, SS Ramon Vazquez, and C Tom Lampkin to San Diego. C Ben Davis, IF Alex Arias, and P Wascar Serrano move on to Seattle.
2001 - In a swap of outfielders, the Reds send Dmitri Young to the Tigers in exchange for Juan Encarnacion. Cincinnati also gets P Luis Pineda in the deal.
2001 - The Mets obtain 12-time All-Star Roberto Alomar in an 8-player deal with the Indians. In addition to Alomar, New York also receives P Mike Bacsik and OF-1B Danny Peoples. Cleveland gets OFs Matt Lawton and bluechip prospect Alex Escobar, P Jerrod Riggan, and pitching prospect Billy Traber.
2003 - The Royals sign 18-year veteran Benito Santiago (279, 11, 56 ) to a two-year deal. Kansas City hopes the veteran catcher's, who is a three-time Gold Glove winner, experience will be helpful to the team's young pitching staff.
2003 - Andy Pettitte inks a three-year, $31.5 million deal with his 'hometown' Astros. The thirty-one year old Texan, who compiled a 149-78 won-loss record with a 3.94 ERA during his nine-year stint in pinstripes turned down better offers to stay with the Yankees or go to the rival Red Sox.
2007 - Former Chunichi Dragons star Kosuke Fukudome signs with the Chicago Cubs for $48 million over four years, pending a physical. Fukudome was the Central League MVP in 2006 but was sidelined for much of 2007 with an elbow injury.