December 12

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 12.

[edit] Events

1887 - A baseball reporters association is organized. It pledges to work to standardize scoring practices, especially in the gray area of stolen bases.
1900 - The National League considers going back to 12 teams to counter American League moves into some cities. They invite Ban Johnson to come to the NL meeting, but change their mind about compromise and leave the AL head outside the meeting room. The NL awards the AL's Minnesota and Kansas City territories to the new Western League, even before the AL officially abandons them. The NL agrees to hear the players in a public meeting, but rejects all their demands.
1902 - Harry Pulliam is elected president of the National League.
1903 - Continuing efforts to build a winner in New York, John McGraw acquires 34-year-old SS Bill Dahlen from Brooklyn in exchange for pitcher Jack Cronin and iron-fingered SS Charlie Babb. McGraw says this is the trade that makes the Giants into winners. In 1904, Dahlen will top the National League with 80 RBI. When he retires in 1911, he will have fielded more chances than any other SS.
1903 - During the post-season City Series in Chicago, the Cubs veteran Jack Taylor is chided for losing three games to the White Stockings and Cubs president John Hart is convinced that gambling was involved. Taylor is traded to the St. Louis Cardinals with rookie C Larry McLean for pitcher Mike O'Neill and a righthander who was 9 - 13 in his first season, Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown.
1906 - The American League gives Ban Johnson a raise to $15,000 for the remaining four years of his contract.
1908 - The Cardinals are busy. First they get C Admiral Schlei from the Reds for pitchers Ed Karger and Art Fromme. Then they pack off Schlei, along with P Bugs Raymond and OF Red Murray, to the Giants for veteran catcher Roger Bresnahan. Bresnahan, a future Hall of Famer, will be the player/manager of the Cardinals for the next four years. Raymond lost 25 games in 1908, but a record 11 of them were by shutouts.
1911 - A rift between the leagues develops over widespread charges of ticket speculation during the World Series, and accusations that officials of the Giants and A's were involved. The American League passes a resolution refusing to participate in another World Series until it has control of ticket sales in its own parks. The National Commission investigates the charge that speculators were given large blocks of tickets, but takes no action and releases no findings. The following spring, the Commission finds that much scalping occurred, but there is no evidence either team was involved, and peace is declared.
1913 - While John McGraw is on his world tour, Giants president Harry Hempstead makes a swap with the Reds. The Reds send OF Bob Bescher to the Giants for young catcher Grover Hartley and Buck Herzog, who replaces Tinker as manager and shortstop.
1913 - The Cubs fire Johnny Evers as manager, but expect him to continue as a player. He declines.
1913 - The Pirates clean house in an 8-player swap with the Cardinals. Going to St. Louis is Dots Miller, a 1909 World Series hero, 14-game winner Hank Robinson, 3B Cozy Dolan, infielder Art Butler, and OF Chief Wilson, king of the triple. The Pirates receive pitcher Bob Harmon, 3B Mike Mowry, and 1B Ed Konetchy, whom the Bucs had been after for years.
1913 - The Reds trade outfielder Bob Bescher to the Giants for Buck Herzog. Herzog will play shortstop and will manage the team replacing Joe Tinker.
1922 - Jake Ruppert agrees to buy out his partner Colonel Huston and gains full control of the Yankees.
1924 - The Senators pick up 35-year-old Stanley Coveleski from Cleveland in exchange for Byron Speece and Carr Smith. Coveleski, a future Hall of Famer, will go 20 - 5 and lead the American League in ERA.
1927 - The National League reports more than five million attendance for the league in 1927, a new high. Veteran umpire Hank O'Day is named "player and umpire scout" for the league.
1928 - The Pirates buy lefthander Larry French from Portland (PCL).
1930 - The Rules Committee of baseball issues a greatly revised code, reducing the number of rules by combining many. Not only is the sacrifice rule abolished but also the rule awarding home runs when the ball bounces into the stands. "Bounce homers" will not be doubles. This had already been in effect in the American League but not the National League.
1930 - Among the many changes to the rule book, the rules committee decides a ball which bounces into stands will no longer be a home run, but will become a ground rule double.
1932 - In a 3-team deal, the Giants send Freddie Lindstrom to the Pirates and OF Chick Fullis to the Phils, getting P Glenn Spencer and OF George Davis in return. The Bucs ship OF Gus Dugas to Philley. Lindstrom's departure was expected after he made known his disappointment in not being named John McGraw's successor.
1933 - Connie Mack is still selling. First he sells Lefty Grove, the A's top winner in each of the past five seasons, along with Max Bishop, and George Walberg to the Boston Red Sox for $125,000 and two players, pitcher Bob Kline and infielder Rabbit Wartsler. Then George Earnshaw and recently acquired backstop Johnny Pasek go to the White Sox for $20,000 and catcher Charlie Berry. Berry once led the NFL in scoring and will become a ML umpire in the 1940's.
1933 - The A's swap Lefty Grove, Rube Wallberg and Max Bishop to the Red Sox for Bob Kline, Rabbit Warstler and $125,000.
1933 - At the major leagues' annual meeting, the owners vote Judge Landis another 7-year contract as commissioner. Will Harridge gets a new 5-year pact as American League president.
1938 - The Tigers buy PCL pitching sensation Fred Hutchinson from Seattle for cash and four players.
1940 - Washington sends Gee Walker to the Red Sox for Doc Cramer. Walker is then packed off to Cleveland with P Jim Bagby, OF and C Gene Desautels for C Frank Pytlak, Odell Hale and P Joe Dobson. At the end of the War, on December 12, 1945, Bagby will return to the Red Sox. Boston also buys Pete Fox from Detroit.
1941 - The Dodgers obtain Arky Vaughn from the Pirates for Luke Hamlin, Jimmy Wasdell and Babe Phelps.
1941 - The Pirates send All-Star SS Arky Vaughan to Brooklyn for P Luke Hamlin, C Babe Phelps, OF Johnny Wasdell, and 2B Pete Coscarart.
1944 - The Tigers swap infielder Joe Orengo to the Red Sox for Skeeter Webb, son-in-law of Detroit manager Steve O'Neill. O'Neill denies any knowledge of trade talks, saying "I read about it in the morning paper."
1945 - Five years to the day after shipping Jim Bagby off to Cleveland, the Red Sox reacquire the vet, in exchange for P Vic Johnson and cash. Boston also sells SS Skeeter Newsome to the Phils.
1949 - By a 7-1 vote, the American League rejects a proposal to bring back the legal spitball. The rules committee also alters the strike zone to the space between the armpits and the top of the knees. The new rule eliminates the batter's shoulders being within the strike zone.
1950 - The owners vote to drop the bonus and high school rule which was designed to prevent the wealthier clubs from buying up all of the available talent. The rule required all 'bonus' players had to stay on the major league roster one season in the minors.
1952 - Peter J. McGovern becomes president of the Little League, succeeding Charles Durban, who resigns because of ill health. The Little League began in 1939 with eight teams in two leagues and has grown to over 1,800 leagues in 44 states and several foreign countries.
1952 - Peter J. McGovern becomes the president of the Little League replacing Charles Durban who resigned due to ill health. The league which started in 1939 with two leagues has now grown to 1,800 leagues in 48 states and international sites.
1963 - Minnesota LF Harmon Killebrew undergoes knee surgery.
1965 - Roy Hofheinz fires manager Lum Harris (65-97). Grady Hatton takes over the Astros.
1966 - Voting 4 to 3, the U.S. Supreme Court refuses to review Wisconsin's suit to block the Braves move to Atlanta.
1966 - By a 4 - 3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court refuses to review Wisconsin's suit to prevent the Braves' move to Atlanta, thereby retaining baseball's "umbrella" under antitrust laws.
1968 - The Kansas City Royals complete their first trade, sending P Hoyt Wilhelm to the Angels for two outfielder/catchers, Ed Kirkpatrick and Dennis Paepke.
1969 - The Mets pick up veteran P Ray Sadecki and OF Dave Marshall from the Giants for OF Jim Gosger and IF Bob Heise.
1969 - Cleveland trades pitchers Luis Tiant and Stan Williams to the Twins for 3B Graig Nettles, OF Ted Uhlaender, and pitchers Dean Chance and Bob Miller. Tiant led the American League in ERA (1.60 and shutouts while going 21 - 9; next year he'll reverse that to 9 - 20.
1975 - The Tigers trade pitcher Mickey Lolich and outfielder Billy Baldwin to the Mets in exchange for outfielder Rusty Staub and pitcher Bill Laxton.
1975 - The Mets trade OF Rusty Staub and P Bill Laxton to the Tigers for P Mickey Lolich and OF Billy Baldwin. Lolich leaves Detroit after 13 years and 207 wins and remains the Tiger career leader in games started, strikeouts, and shutouts.
1975 - After being a White Sox for two days, Dick Ruthven goes to Atlanta, along with Ken Henderson and Ozzie Osborn. Chicago receives Ralph Garr and Larvell Blanks. Blanks is then dealt to Cleveland for 2B Jack Brohamer. The Sox then trade P Rich Hinton and C Jeff Sovern to the Reds for P Clay Carroll, and finish the day by shipping Lee Richard to the Cards for Buddy Bradford and P Greg Terlecky.
1979 - The Giants sign reentry free agents 2B Rennie Stennett, C Milt May, and OF Jim Wohlford to contracts worth a total of $4.825 million.
1979 - Re-entry free agents second baseman Rennie Stennett, catcher Milt May and outfielder Jim Wohlford sign with the Giants. The combined total of the contracts is nearly $5 million.
1980 - The Cardinals make their 3rd major trade, sending the recently acquired Rollie Fingers, C Ted Simmons, and P Pete Vuckovich to the Brewers in exchange for P Lary Sorensen, OF Sixto Lezcano, and minor leaguers OF David Green and P Dave LaPoint. Fingers and Vuckovich will win the American League Cy Young Award for the Brewers in 1981 and 1982, respectively.
1984 - St. Louis sends slugger George Hendrick and a minor leaguer to the Pirates for P John Tudor and Brian Harper. Tudor, at 12 - 11, was the ace of the Bucs' staff, which set a record by having the National League's best ERA, though the team finished last. The 35-year-old Hendrick will play just a half season in the Iron City before going to California.
1985 - The Indians sign free agent Tom Candiotti to a AAA contract. Candiotti (9-13 at Vancouver), who has been throwing a knuckler less than a year, will lead the American League in complete games (17) in 1986.
1985 - The Yankees trade P Joe Cowley and C Ron Hassey to the White Sox for P Britt Burns (18 - 11) and minor leaguers Mike Soper and Glen Braxton. Hassey will come back to New York before the season's start. A degenerative hip condition ends Burns' career before he has a chance to pitch for the Yanks.
1986 - The Yankees trade Mike Easler and minor leaguer Tom Barrett to the Phillies for P Charles Hudson and minor leaguer Jeff Knox, and also re-sign free-agent OF Claudell Washington to fill Easler's DH position.
1986 - The Mets trade versatile rookie Kevin Mitchell, prospects Stan Jefferson and Shawn Abner, and two minor leaguers to the Padres for OF Kevin McReynolds, P Gene Walter, and minor leaguer Adam Ging.
1989 - The Yankees trade minor leaguers Hal Morris and Rodney Imes to the Reds for P Tim Leary and OF Van Snider.
1993 - The Orioles sign free agent 1B Rafael Palmeiro, while the Indians hand free agent Dennis Martinez a two-year contract worth $9 million. With the Expos, Martinez passed up his chance to reach the playoffs with the Braves when he nixed an August 25 trade, exercising his veto rights as a 10-and-5 player. Instead he stayed with Montreal and helped them make their run at the Phillies.
1996 - The Marlins sign free agent OF Moises Alou to a 5-year contract worth $25 million.
1997 - The Cubs obtain OF Henry Rodriguez from the Expos in exchange for P Miguel Batista.
1997 - The Twins obtain OF Alex Ochoa from the Mets for OF Rich Becker. Tomorrow, the Twins sign much-traveled free agent P Mike Morgan.
1998 - In a deal which upsets many other owners, pitcher Kevin Brown (18-7, 2.38) becomes baseball's first 100+ million dollar man as the right-hander signs a seven-year deal with the Dodgers for an average yearly salary of 15 million dollars.
1998 - The Dodgers set the salary bar higher by signing free agent P Kevin Brown to a 7-year, $105 million contract, the largest in the majors.
1998 - After being given his last rites, Joe DiMaggio makes a miraculous recovery defying the doctors dire predictions.
1999 - The Phillies obtain P Chris Brock from the Giants in exchange for C Bobby Estalella.
1999 - The Royals obtain IF Jeff Reboulet from the Orioles for a player to be named. Tomorrow they trade a player to be named later to the Giants for P Jerry Spradlin.
1999 - The Cubs obtain P Ismael Valdes (9 - 14) and 2B Eric Young from the Dodgers for pitchers Terry Adams and Chad Ricketts, and a player to be named. Despite missing 40 games, Young swiped 51 bases in 1999.
2002 - The Elias Sports Bureau announces that Anaheim OF Darin Erstad set the American League record for consecutive errorless chances for an OF this season and didn't know it at the time.
2002 - The Red Sox get 2B Todd Walker from the Rockies in return for two minor leaguers to be named.
2007:
- The Baltimore Orioles deal superstar SS Miguel Tejada to the Houston Astros for Luke Scott, Matt Albers, Troy Patton, Dennis Sarfate and Michael Costanzo.
- The Korea Baseball Organization Gold Gloves for 2007 are announced. Unlike in the US or Japan, the Gold Glove is given to the best overall player at each position, not to the best fielder. Danny Rios becomes the first foreign pitcher to be honored while DH Jun-hyeok Yang ties the record with his 8th Award. SS Jin-man Park wins his 5th. Also honored are Kyung-wan Park (C), Dae-ho Lee (1B), Young-min Ko (2B), Dong-joo Kim (3B), Dae-hyung Lee (OF), Jeong-su Shim (OF) and Jong-wook Lee (OF).