December 15

Events, births and deaths that occurred on December 15.

[edit] Events

• 1883 - In Louisville a "first-class colored team" is formed. The team, later known as the Falls Cities, becomes one of the nation's best black teams. It will join the National Colored Base Ball League (NCBBL) in 1887, but will apparently disband shortly after the collapse of the NCBBL in the first week of its season.
• 1886 - The American Association meets and ratifies the new rules. It also approves the new clause that allows a club to reserve a player for as long as it wants, not just for next year's contract.
• 1887 - The Texas League is organized at a meeting in Austin, thanks largely to the efforts of John J. McCloskey.
• 1888 - The Tourists, the world-traveling team of major leaguers put together by Al Spalding, play their first game in Australia, drawing a crowd of 5,500 in Sydney.
• 1894 - Veteran manager Jack Chapman expresses his support of a proposed rule change forbidding all but catchers and first basemen from wearing gloves. Citing Cincinnati's Bid McPhee as an example of one of the few remaining outstanding gloveless fielders, Chapman remarks that "as it is now, inferior players with big gloves can get into the game and force good men out."
• 1896 - The first pitching machine, created by Princeton professor Charles E. Hinton, is demonstrated in the university's gymnasium. The mathematics instructor's device resembles a rifle which shoots the ball toward the batter.
• 1899 - The National League rules Brooklyn's purchase of Zeke Wrigley in September is illegal and nullifies the 16 games he played for Brooklyn. But Brooklyn still wins the pennant.
• 1900 - Amos Rusie, out for the past two years with arm problems, is traded to the Reds by the Giants for young Christy Mathewson. Though only 30, Rusie, a future Hall of Fame pitcher, will not have the ability that brought him eight straight 20-game seasons, and he will not add to the 245 wins he collected in nine seasons. Appearing in just three games next season, he will finish with an 0-1 record. Mathewson, 0-3 with the Giants but 20-2 with Norfolk (Virginia League), is much coveted by Cincinnati owner John T. Brush, who is currently negotiating to buy control of the Giants from the unscrupulous Andrew Freedman. Before he takes over, Brush wants Mathewson in place as a Giants starter, rather than the "pitched out" Rusie.
• 1905:
  • After losing a record 29 games this year, veteran righthander Vic Willis is traded by 7th-place Boston to Pittsburgh for three players: Del Howard, infielder Dave Brain, and Vive Lindaman. Willis will rebound with four straight 20-win seasons.
  • Boston continues trading, sending C Pat Moran to the Cubs for C Jack O'Neill and P Big Jeff Pfeffer.
• 1909 - Kid Elberfeld, who helped make the Highlanders a winner, is sold to Washington for $5,000.
• 1920:
  • The Giants hand a release to 2B Larry Doyle so that he can manage the Toronto team.
  • Brooklyn's Rube Marquard is traded to the Reds for Dutch Ruether. Marquard had been fined for scalping World Series tickets in Cleveland.
  • The National League reveals a most telling statistic, pointing out the changes in the game: the use of 27,924 baseballs during the season, an increase of 10,248 over 1919.
  • - The Yankees' Ed Barrow pries future Hall of Fame P Waite Hoyt, C Wally Schang, lefty Harry Harper, and IF Mike McNally from his former Boston team in exchange for 2B Del Pratt, C Muddy Ruel, P Hank Thormahlen, OF Sammy Vick, and cash.
• 1923 - Al Szymanski, 21, who signed with his hometown Milwaukee club in the spring and was farmed out to Shreveport, is traded. Connie Mack secured the rights to his contract while he was at Shreveport; at the end of the season he reported to Milwaukee and hit .398 in 24 games. Scorekeepers change his name to Al Simmons. The A's send IF Heinie Scheer and outfielders Wid Matthews and Frank "Beauty" McGowan to Milwaukee for the Simmons sleeper.
• 1927:
  • The Browns sell home run-hitting Ken Williams to the Red Sox. At 38, Williams is still a .300 hitter, but his home run production will drop to 8.
  • In a joint meeting, the major leagues turn over $5,000 to the Association of Professional Ball Players to aid ill or disabled former players.
• 1928 - The Red Sox trade Buddy Myer back to Washington for P Hod Lisenbee, P Milt Gaston, IF Bobby Reeves, IF Grant Gillis, and OF Elliot Bigelow. Myer will become a top player in the 1930s.
• 1930 - Chief Bender is signed by the New York Giants as a pitching coach. He coached baseball at the Naval Academy this year.
• 1932:
  • The Red Sox swap P Ed Durham and infielder Hal Rhyne to the White Sox for outfielders Fats Fothergill, Bob Seeds, and infielders Urban Hodapp and Greg Mulleavy.
  • The Phils send Ray Benge and $15,000 to the Dodgers for Cy Moore, Mickey Finn, and Jack Warner. Finn will have a great spring and Brooklyn's Max Carey will admit in April that Burt Shotton outguessed him on the deal.
  • A joint meeting of American League and National League owners approves the concept of "chain store" baseball, developed as the St. Louis Cardinals farm system, despite strenuous objections by Judge Landis.
• 1933 - The major leagues agree on a uniform ball to be livelier than the National League ball of recent seasons, to match the American League balls. Owners also agree to ban Sunday doubleheaders until after June 15th.
• 1938 - The Red Sox send Pinky Higgins and P Archie McKain to the Tigers for pitchers Elden Auker and Jake Wade, and OF Chet Morgan. The Sox also ship OF Ben Chapman to the Indians in exchange for P Denny Galehouse and SS Tom Irwin.
• 1948 - The Dodgers trade the much-heralded, but injury-prone Pete Reiser to the Braves for outfielder Myron McCormick. The marvelously talented but reckless Reiser crashed into too many outfield walls and, according to Red Smith, was carried off on a stretcher 11 times.
• 1955 - The Cards sign C Walker Cooper who started his career with St. Louis in 1940.
• 1959 - The Reds send 2B Johnny Temple to the Indians for 2B Billy Martin, P Cal McLish, and 1B Gordy Coleman.
• 1960:
  • The Reds acquire pitchers Joey Jay and Juan Pizarro from the Braves for SS Roy McMillan and a player to be named later. Cincy then trades Pizarro and P Cal McLish to the White Sox for 3B Gene Freese. The two pitchers will win 24 games between them for the Sox in 1961, while Freese will have one good year in Cincy.
  • The biggest trade in history? The Phils lose more than 1 1/2 inches when they acquire P Frank Sullivan from the Red Sox for 6'9" Gene Conley. In the next two years, Conley will win 26 games for the Sox, the third Boston team he will play for: Conley started with the Boston Braves in their last year before moving to Milwaukee, and played several seasons with the Celtics as Bill Russell's backup.
• 1961:
  • The Mets continue spending, sending Lee Walls and $100,000 to the Dodgers for Charlie Neal. Neal, the 5th ex-Dodger on the roster, was downed by the measles in the spring and a knee spur later on.
  • Charles Comiskey, Jr., sells his 46 percent interest in the White Sox to a group of 11 investors.
  • The Braves send veteran minor league 3B Ed Charles, C Joe Azcue and OF Manny Jimenez to the Athletics for Bob Shaw and Lou Klimchock. With Eddie Mathews at 3B, Charles was expendable. He will hit .288 with 17 home runs in 1962, his rookie year.
  • The Reds reacquire P Johnny Klippstein, along with OF Marty Keough, from the Senators. Washington gets C Bob Schmidt and P Dave Stenhouse.
• 1962 - The San Francisco Giants trade pitchers Stu Miller and Mike McCormick, along with C Johnny Orsino, to Baltimore for pitchers Jack Fisher and Billy Hoeft, and C Jim Coker.
• 1964:
  • Tigers owner John Fetzer announces a 2-year television pact between Major League Baseball and ABC-TV. The network pays $12.2 million to telecast games on 25 Saturdays, Independence Day, and Labor Day.
  • The Cards purchase OF Tito Francona from the Indians.
• 1965 - Detroit trades P Phil Regan to the Dodgers for IF Dick Tracewski. Regan will lead the National League in saves in 1966 while winning 14 of 15 decisions.
• 1967:
  • The Mets trade OF Tommy Davis, P Jack Fisher, P Billy Wynne, and C Dick Booker to the White Sox for OF Tommie Agee and IF Al Weis.
  • Pittsburgh acquires P Jim Bunning from the Phillies for pitchers Woody Fryman, Bill Laxton, and Harold Clem, and IF Don Money.
  • The Red Sox trade C Mike Ryan and cash to the Phillies for P Dick Ellsworth and C/1B Gene Oliver.
• 1968 - The Dodgers send C Jim Campanis, son of Dodger executive Al Campanis, to the Royals for two minor leaguers.
• 1969 - The National Labor Relations Board accepts the case of fired umpires Bill Valentine and Al Salerno, thereby issuing a challenge to baseball's antitrust status.
• 1970 - The Reds trade former ace Jim Maloney to the Angels for Greg Garrett. Maloney was just 0-1 this year and will do no better in California.
• 1976 - Pirate free agent Richie Hebner signs with the Phillies.
• 1980 - Dave Winfield (.276, 20, 87) becomes the highest-paid player in the history of sports. The former Padre signs a ten-year free agent deal with Yankees worth a record $16 million.
• 1981 - Free agent Ron Guidry re-signs with the Yankees to a four-year $3.6 million pact.
• 1983 - Commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspends convicted Kansas City Royals Willie Wilson, Willie Aikens, and Jerry Martin, and Dodgers pitcher Steve Howe for one season without pay for their use of illegal drugs. The suspensions will be shortened by an arbitrator and lifted on May 15th. Former Royal Vida Blue, who was released during the season and is currently out of a job, is also suspended.
• 1990:
  • The Mets send veteran lefty Bob Ojeda and minor leaguer Greg Hansell to the Dodgers for OF Hubie Brooks.
  • American League Cy Young Award winner and free agent Bob Welch re-signs with Oakland, while "free look" free agents Jack Clark and Brett Butler sign with the Red Sox and Dodgers, respectively.
• 1992:
  • The Yankees sign free agent 3B Wade Boggs to a 3-year contract.
  • The Rangers sign free agent reliever Tom Henke to a 2-year $8 million contract. Henke, who started his career with Texas, had 34 saves in 37 tries with Toronto.
• 1993 - The White Sox sign free agent DH Julio Franco.
• 1994:
  • The owners approve a salary cap plan by a vote of 25-3, but agree to delay implementing it so that another round of talks with the players can be held as the strike remains unresolved.
  • The Yankees sign free agent SS Tony Fernandez.
• 1995:
  • The Ted Williams Tunnel in Boston is opened as the "Splendid Splinter" leads the way.
  • The Blue Jays sign free agent C Charlie O'Brien to a 2-year contract.
• 1997 - The Marlins trade ace Kevin Brown to the Padres for 1B Derrek Lee and pitchers Rafael Medina and Steve Hoff. In the next two days the Fish will send P Dennis Cook to the Mets for OF Fletcher Bates and P Scott Comer, and trade IF Kurt Abbott to the Athletics in exchange for P Eric Ludwick as the fire sale dismantlement of the World Champion team begins in earnest.
• 2000:
  • The Tigers acquire P Matt Perisho from the Rangers for pitchers Kevin Mobley and Brandon Villafuerte.
  • The Red Sox sign free agent P Hideo Nomo to a contract.
• 2001 - The Mariners acquire 32-year old two-time All-Star third baseman Jeff Cirillo (.312, 17, 83) from the Rockies in exchange for reliever Jose Paniagua and minor leaguers Dennis Stark and Brian Fuentes.
• 2002:
  • The Pirates agree to terms with free agent OF Matt Stairs.
  • The Mets trade slick-fielding SS Rey Ordonez to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for two minor leaguers to be named. The Mets also throw in $4.25 million to help offset Ordonez's $6.25 million salary. Ordonez, who had called the Mets fans "stupid", departs as 3B Edgardo Alfonzo signs a 4-year deal with the Giants, opening up the left side of the Mets infield. Nineteen-year-old Jose Reyes, the Mets' top prospect, is expected to have first shot at the shortstop's job.
  • The Red Sox acquire Jeremy Giambi from the Phillies for P Josh Hancock, 24. For Giambi, it is his third uniform this year.
  • The Padres trade P Brett Tomko to the Cardinals for P Luther Hackman and a player to be named later.
  • A four-way trade is announced at the winter meetings in Nashville. The A's get 1B Erubiel Durazo from the Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks get P Elmer Dessens, who sported the 5th best ERA (3.03) in the National League, from the Reds. The Reds get SS Felipe Lopez from the Blue Jays. The Blue Jays get Jason Arnold from Oakland.
• 2004:
  • Coming off an injury-shortened season with the Diamondbacks, Richie Sexson (.233, 9, 23) agrees to a $50 million, four-year deal with the Mariners. The 29-year old free agent first baseman will be reunited with Seattle's new manager Mike Hargrove, his former skipper in Cleveland from 1997 to 2000.
  • After the District of Columbia Council votes to require private financing for at least half of the construction costs of a Nationals' new ballpark, Major League Baseball suspends all sales of the team's merchandise and tickets. The decision may make anything with the National League's newest logo quite a collector's item.
  • After offering a four-year deal worth approximately $53 million, the Mets announce officially the club has come to terms with Pedro Martinez (16-9, 3.90 ERA). The former Red Sox ace, who posted a 117-37 record in seven seasons with Boston, criticizes his former team for not being more aggressive in retaining his services.
• 2007:
  • The 2007 Hoofdklasse awards are given out. Fausto Álvarez, a 47-year-old Cuban slugger for the Amsterdam Pirates, wins MVP honors. He set a new league home run record in the wooden bat era with 12, easily breaking Ivanon Coffie's record. David Bergman of Corendon Kinheim, the league leader in wins, is named Pitcher of the Year.
  • Andy Pettitte, with a career record of 211-113 in the majors through this past season, admits to using Human Growth Hormone in 2002 to recover from an elbow injury. Pettitte had been named in the Mitchell Report released earlier in the week.
  • The St. Louis Cardinals trade long-time center fielder Jim Edmonds to the San Diego Padres for about $1 million and David Freese.
  • The Los Angeles Dodgers sign Hiroki Kuroda for 3 years and between $36 million and $40 million. Kuroda had been the top pitcher in the Central League in 2006 before fading in 2007. He was deemed to be the second-best Japanese free agent seeking to come to the US this winter, after Kosuke Fukudome. Hitoki Iwase, another top free agent, decided to stay in Japan.
• 2009:
  • Commissioner Bud Selig announces that he will chair a 14-person committee to analyze ways to improve baseball's on-field product. The group will look at issues such as the pace of the game, umpiring, instant replay and possible rule changes.
  • The White Sox acquire OF Juan Pierre from the Dodgers for two minor leaguers. Pierre, signed to a five-year contract worth $44 million before the 2007 season, has become the odd man out in the Dodgers' outfield with the development of youngsters Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp and the acquisition of superstar slugger Manny Ramirez in 2008.
• 2010:
  • Hall of Famer Bob Feller, one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, dies at age 92. "Rapid Robert" made his major league debut at 17 and had the best fastball of his generation. He lost a good part of his prime years while serving with great distinction in the US Navy during World War II and spent his entire career with the Cleveland Indians, for whom he posted 6 20-win seasons and pitched 3 no-hitters. He led the Indians to their last World Championship in 1948.
  • P Rich Harden signs a one-year deal with Oakland, returning to the team for which he first pitched in the major leagues.
• 2011 - The Twins sign OF Josh Willingham to a three-year contract and the Cardinals sign reliever J.C. Romero for one year.
• 2012 - The Phillies sign Ps Mike Adams and John Lannan as free agents. In Adams's case, his two-year, $12 million deal bypasses options to become a closer, so he can set up for Jonathan Papelbon.

[edit] Births

• 1860 - Abner Powell, outfielder (d. 1953)
• 1863 - Bill Van Dyke, outfielder (d. 1933)
• 1868 - George Hemming, pitcher (d. 1930)
• 1878 - Walt Slagle, pitcher (d. 1974)
• 1882 - Nig Clarke, catcher (d. 1949)
• 1884 - Jim Nealon, infielder (d. 1910)
• 1888 - Mike Prendergast, pitcher (d. 1967)
• 1902 - Frank Watt, pitcher (d. 1956)
• 1906 - Tom Kane, infielder (d. 1973)
• 1906 - Bucky Williams, Negro League infielder (d. 2009)
• 1910 - George Stumpf, outfielder (d. 1993)
• 1918 - Bob Romby, Negro League pitcher (d. 2004)
• 1919 - Ken Trinkle, pitcher (d. 1976)
• 1920 - Carranza Howard, Negro League pitcher (d. 1993)
• 1920 - Eddie Robinson, infielder; All-Star
• 1920 - Seiichi Shima, Japanese Hall of Fame member (d.1945)
• 1923 - Bill Bonness, pitcher (d. 1977)
• 1928 - Clyde McNeal, Negro League and minor league infielder (d. 1996)
• 1928 - Ted Richardson, Negro League and minor league pitcher (d. 1974)
• 1929 - Ray Herbert, pitcher; All-Star
• 1930 - Haywood Sullivan, catcher, manager (d. 2003)
• 1931 - Sammy Esposito, infielder
• 1944 - Stan Bahnsen, pitcher
• 1944 - Jim Leyland, , manager
• 1945 - Gil Blanco, pitcher
• 1946 - Art Howe, infielder, manager
• 1947 - Ken Crosby, pitcher
• 1948 - Doug Rau, pitcher
• 1950 - Chuck Hockenbery, pitcher
• 1950 - Mike Proly, pitcher
• 1951 - Jimmy Sexton, infielder
• 1952 - Bud Bulling, catcher
• 1952 - Dennis Rogers, minor league infielder and manager
• 1954 - Ed Blankmeyer, college coach
• 1956 - Koo-seon Jeong, KBO infielder
• 1957 - Mark Conkin, scout
• 1958 - Lary Aaron, minor league outfielder
• 1966 - Carlos Campechano, minor league umpire
• 1967 - Rene Francisco, scout
• 1967 - Mo Vaughn, infielder; All-Star
• 1967 - Casey Waller, minor league infielder
• 1968 - Amer Abugherir, minor league pitcher
• 1970 - Robert Ellis, pitcher
• 1970 - Rick Helling, pitcher
• 1971 - Hector Ramirez, pitcher
• 1975 - Edgard Clemente, outfielder
• 1976 - Aaron Miles, infielder
• 1976 - Todd Tichenor, umpire
• 1978 - Nick Dempsey, minor league player
• 1978 - Sandor Guido, Nicaraguan national team infielder
• 1978 - Michael Wuertz, pitcher
• 1979 - Kevin Cameron, pitcher
• 1981 - Andy Gonzalez, infielder
• 1981 - Brian Finegan, minor league player
• 1981 - Luis Montanez, outfielder
• 1984 - Cole Garner, outfielder
• 1984 - James Houser, pitcher
• 1985 - Dan Blewett, minor league pitcher
• 1985 - Yan-Nok Chiu, Hong Kong national team outfielder
• 1985 - Jun-heok Huh, KBO pitcher
• 1985 - Rolando Valdez, minor league pitcher
• 1988 - Ryan Pressly, pitcher

[edit] Deaths

• 1892 - John Shetzline, infielder (b. 1852)
• 1915 - Tony Murphy, catcher (b. 1859)
• 1921 - Joe Weber, outfielder (b. 1862)
• 1932 - Bill Bishop, pitcher (b. 1864)
• 1940 - Billy Hamilton, outfielder; Hall of Fame (b. 1866)
• 1944 - Jim Chatterton, infielder/outfielder (b. 1864)
• 1945 - Tom Hess, catcher (b. 1875)
• 1949 - Frank Hershey, pitcher (b. 1877)
• 1953 - Ed Barrow, , manager; Hall of Famer (b. 1868)
• 1958 - Harry Heitmann, pitcher (b. 1896)
• 1961 - Dummy Hoy, outfielder (b. 1862)
• 1964 - Paul Wachtel, pitcher (b. 1888)
• 1965 - Dick Newsome, pitcher (b. 1909)
• 1968 - Jim McLaughlin, infielder (b. 1902)
• 1975 - Buster Chatham, infielder (b. 1901)
• 1979 - Stan Hack, infielder, manager; All-Star (b. 1909)
• 1981 - Tom Glass, pitcher (b. 1898)
• 1981 - Jack Wisner, pitcher (b. 1899)
• 1984 - George Tomer, pinch hitter (b. 1895)
• 1990 - Bill Otis, outfielder (b. 1889)
• 1992 - Dick Mulligan, pitcher (b. 1918)
• 1998 - Johnny Riddle, catcher (b. 1905)
• 1999 - Eddie Kazak, infielder; All-Star (b. 1920)
• 2000 - Bubba Floyd, infielder (b. 1917)
• 2002 - Dick Stuart, infielder; All-Star (b. 1932)
• 2003 - Garvin Hamner, infielder (b. 1924)
• 2010 - Bob Feller, pitcher; All-Star, Hall of Famer (b. 1918)
• 2011 - Andy Carey, infielder (b. 1931)