December 16

Events, births and deaths that occurred on December 16.

[edit] Events

• 1889 - The Players League is formally organized with Colonel E.A. McAlpin of New York as president. The league will not allow player transfers without the player's consent, excess profits will be split between the capitalists and the players, and prize money will be awarded to the teams in the order of their finish.
• 1905 - The Cubs trade OF Jack McCarthy and Billy Maloney, 3B Doc Casey, and P Buttons Briggs to Brooklyn for Jimmy Sheckard, who will take over LF for the National League champions of the next three years.
• 1922 - The Eastern Colored League (chartered as the "Mutual Association of Eastern Colored Baseball Clubs") is formally organized. The league will complete five seasons before folding in midsummer of 1928.
• 1926 - Judge Landis is given a new 7-year term as commissioner with a raise to $65,000.
• 1938 - The Bees trade catcher Ray Mueller to the Pirates for Al Todd and Johnny Dickshot.
• 1940 - The White Sox ship P Jack Knott to the A's for INF Dario Lodigiani.
• 1953 - In a ten-player trade, the Yankees send 1B Vic Power, infielders Jim Finigan and Don Bollweg, OF Bill Renna, C Jim Robertson, and P John Gray to the A's. Philadelphia packs veteran 1B Eddie Robinson, Loren Babe, P Harry Byrd, and outfielders Tom Hamilton and Carmen Mauro to New York. Byrd, who won 26 games in two years for the A's, will never match his wins in New York. The stylish Power, the American Association batting leader in 1953, will win seven Gold Gloves and make the All-Star team four times.
• 1957 - The Redlegs land their 5th pitcher of the month when they acquire Harvey Haddix from the Phillies for OF Wally Post. A week ago they swapped pitchers with the Pirates, picking up veteran Bob Purkey for Don Gross.
• 1974 - Arbitrator Peter Seitz rules in favors of Cy Young Award winner Jim Hunter in a dispute with A's owner Charlie Finley making "Catfish" a very attractive unrestricted free agent.
• 1976:
  • Court proceedings in Charlie Finley's $10 million damage suit against Commissioner Bowie Kuhn begin in Chicago. At issue is Kuhn's voiding of Finley's attempted player sales last June. The proceedings will take 15 days, and the decision will take three months.
  • The Reds swap popular 1B Tony Perez and P Will McEnaney to the Expos for pitchers Woodie Fryman and Dale Murray.
• 1982 - Tom Seaver's trade back to the New York from the Reds is completed when "Tom Terrific" comes to contract terms with the Mets. Cincinnati obtains pitcher Charlie Puleo and two minor leaguers (Lloyd McClendon and Jason Felice) in exchange for the "Franchise". Seaver will surprise the Reds by winning 47 more games before hanging it up in 1986.
• 1983 - George Steinbrenner fires Billy Martin as manager of the Yankees for the third time, replacing him with Yogi Berra and giving Martin a front-office job.
• 1991 - The Marlins sign their first player ever - 16-year-old Clemente Nunez.
• 1992:
  • Dusty Baker, 44, is selected to replace Roger Craig in the dugout as manager of the Giants. During his ten-year tenure, the former hitting coach will compile a 840-715 (.540) record and will be named the National League Manager of the Year three times.
  • The Marlins sign free agent C Benito Santiago to a 2-year contract. Santiago, who went 272 games with the Padres without a passed ball, will have 11 this year trying to catch Charlie Hough.
• 1996:
  • The Tigers trade 2B Mark Lewis to the Giants for 1B Jesse Ibarra.
  • The Rangers sign free agent P John Wetteland to a 4-year contract worth $23 million. Wetteland had 43 saves for the Yankees this year.
• 1998 - The Athletics sign free agent C Mike Macfarlane.
• 1999:
  • The Brewers sign free agent IF Jose Hernandez to a 3-year contract.
  • The Cardinals sign free agent C Mike Matheny to a contract.
  • The Indians sign free agent P Chuck Finley to a 3-year contract.
• 2001:
  • Giant southpaw Shawn Estes (9-8, 4.02) is traded to the Mets for outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo (.267, 10, 56) and utility man Desi Relaford (.302, 8, 36). The Mets also sign free agent P Pedro Astacio, suffering from a torn labrum, to a one-year contract worth $5 million.
  • The Red Sox acquire P Dustin Hermanson from the Cardinals in exchange for three minor leaguers - OF Rick Asadoorian, and 1B Luis Alfonso Garcia and Dustin Brisson.
• 2002:
  • After being invited to the Dominican Republic by President Hipolito Mejia, Japanese home run king Sadaharu Oh meets one his favorite players, island resident Sammy Sosa. The Dominican outfielder, who is one homer shy of the coveted 500, will have to hit several hundred more to reach the mark of 868 set by the 62-year-old during his 22 seasons playing for the Yomiuri Giants.
  • After declining the $4.6 million two-year December 7 contract offer by the Yankees, which he only had 15 minutes to consider, Mike Stanton (7-1, 3.00, 6 saves) still decides to stay in town by agreeing to a $9 million, three-year, no-trade contract with the cross-town rival Mets. The All-Star reliever wasn't offered salary arbitration by the Bronx Bombers after he failed to respond to their ultimatum.
  • The Orioles sign free agent SS Deivi Cruz to a contract, the Padres sign IF Mark Loretta, and the Cardinals sign C Joe Girardi.
  • The Twins release 1B David Ortiz. The unheralded player will soon be picked up by the Red Sox, for whom he will develop as one of the most accomplished sluggers in the game.
• 2003 - Miguel Tejada agrees to a six-year $72 million contract with the Orioles making it the largest deal in the history of the franchise. The shortstop batted .287 with 27 home runs while driving in 106 runs last season for the western division champions Oakland A's.
• 2008:
  • The Philadelphia Phillies, fresh off their World Series title, sign Raúl Ibáñez for $31.5 million over 3 years. The veteran slugger had 43 doubles and 110 RBI in 2007 and will replace Pat Burrell in left field.
  • The Baltimore Orioles sign César Izturis to fill their gap at shortstop. Izturis was third in the National League in fielding percentage at short.
• 2009:
  • The Orioles sign two free agents, reliever Mike Gonzalez formerly of the Braves, and 3B Garrett Atkins, who was with the Rockies.
  • The Angels sign DH Hideki Matsui, the MVP of the 2009 World Series, to a one-year deal.
  • The Dodgers sign utility player Jamey Carroll to a two-year contract.
• 2010:
  • In a Mexican Pacific League game, OF Jeff Salazar of the Yaquis de Obregon is on second base after a steal when P Alejandro Martinez of the Aguilas de Mexicali hits him in the leg on a pick-off attempt. While, the ball rolls in to the outfield, Salazar and 2B Oswaldo Morejon begin a heated conversation that turns into a fight, which ends with Morejon delivering a knock-out punch to Salazar. With Salazar lying unconscious behind the bag, the benches clear, resulting in the ejection of both players, and six suspensions being handed out.
  • P Bobby Jenks changes the color of his socks, agreeing to a two-year deal with the Red Sox after spending his entire career with the White Sox.
  • The Athletics trade for OF Josh Willingham with the Nationals, giving up youngsters Henry Rodriguez and Corey Brown in return. The patient power-hitting Willingham, like newly-signed DH Hideki Matsui, is a throwback to the "Moneyball" type of player whom A's general manager Billy Beane favored in the 2000s.
  • In other deals, P Jesse Crain signs with the White Sox, P Matt Guerrier heads to the Dodgers, while the Red Sox add Ps Matt Albers, Andrew Miller, Lenny DiNardo and Rich Hill.
• 2011:
  • Sentencing is announced in the trial of Barry Bonds. The major leagues' all-time leading home run hitter is handed a two-year probation with a term of house arrest after being found guilty of obstruction of justice on April 13th. He is also fined $4000 and ordered to perform 250 hours of community service.
  • The Rockies sign OF Michael Cuddyer, an All-Star with the Twins last season, to a three-year deal worth $31 million.
  • The Padres trade OF Aaron Cunningham to Cleveland for P Cory Burns. The Tribe also sign OF Felix Pie to a minor league deal.
• 2012:
  • The Mets trade Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey to Toronto, provided the Jays can reach a contract extension with Dickey, something they will do on December 17th, when the two sides agree to a two-year deal worth $25 million, making the deal official. Cs Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas accompany Dickey to Toronto, while Cs Travis d'Arnaud and John Buck and Ps Noah Syndergaard and Wuilmer Becerra head to the Big Apple.
  • OF Andruw Jones, who played for the Yankees last season, signs with Japan's Rakuten Golden Eagles.

[edit] Births

• 1856 - Pete Hotaling, outfielder (d. 1928)
• 1876 - Fred Crolius, outfielder (d. 1960)
• 1876 - Sammy Strang, infielder (d. 1932)
• 1879 - Jack Barnett, outfielder (d. 1923)
• 1884 - Charlie Girard, pitcher (d. 1936)
• 1886 - Bill Otey, pitcher (d. 1931)
• 1891 - Fred Tyler, catcher (d. 1945)
• 1892 - Scrappy Moore, infielder (d. 1964)
• 1897 - Fred Wigington, pitcher (d. 1980)
• 1898 - Dee Cousineau, catcher (d. 1951)
• 1898 - Frank Shellenback, pitcher (d. 1969)
• 1900 - Tony Kaufmann, pitcher (d. 1982)
• 1901 - Hugh McMullen, catcher (d. 1986)
• 1904 - Joe Berry, pitcher (d. 1958)
• 1904 - Saburo Yokozawa, NPB infielder, manager and umpire; Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame (d. 1995)
• 1908 - Emil Mailho, outfielder (d. 2007)
• 1917 - Jim Pruett, catcher (d. 2003)
• 1928 - Doug Hansen, pinch runner (d. 1999)
• 1931 - Neil Chrisley, outfielder
• 1934 - Jim Bailey, pitcher
• 1936 - Duane Richards, pitcher
• 1941 - Adolfo Phillips, outfielder
• 1948 - Terry Bongiovanni, minor league pitcher
• 1949 - Jim Jachym, minor league pitcher
• 1951 - Mike Flanagan, pitcher; All-Star (d. 2011)
• 1952 - Tommy Bianco, infielder
• 1956 - Rick Sofield, outfielder
• 1957 - Tom Gorman, pitcher
• 1958 - Rondin Johnson, infielder
• 1958 - Ted Wilborn, outfielder
• 1959 - Paul Noce, infielder
• 1962 - John Skurla, minor league outfielder
• 1963 - Chris Jelic, outfielder
• 1964 - Billy Ripken, infielder
• 1965 - Randy Hennis, pitcher
• 1965 - Chris Jones, outfielder
• 1966 - Brian Johnson, minor league catcher
• 1969 - Jason Wood, infielder
• 1971 - Jeff Granger, pitcher
• 1972 - Charles Gipson, outfielder
• 1974 - Christian Reyes, minor league infielder
• 1976 - Matt Kinney, pitcher
• 1977 - Chien-Wie Chen, CPBL infielder
• 1980 - Josh Hall, pitcher
• 1982 - Chris Britton, pitcher
• 1982 - Ivan Ochoa, infielder
• 1983 - Kevin Dixon, minor league player
• 1983 - Tom Wilhelmsen, pitcher
• 1984 - Bart Gabriëls, Hoofdklasse infielder
• 1984 - Mario Santiago, minor league and KBO pitcher
• 1985 - Brian Friday, minor league infielder
• 1985 - Seth Loman, minor league outfielder
• 1986 - Bryan Anderson, catcher
• 1986 - David Berres, minor league outfielder
• 1986 - Alcides Escobar, infielder
• 1986 - Jose Pena, minor league outfielder
• 1987 - Hector Santiago, pitcher
• 1987 - Steven van Groningen, Hoofdklasse pitcher
• 1989 - Tyler Chatwood, pitcher
• 1991 - Bradi Wall, Canadanian women's national team infielder
• 1992 - Chris Garia, minor league outfielder

[edit] Deaths

• 1899 - Fred Waterman, infielder (b. 1845)
• 1902 - Frank Buttery, outfielder (b. 1851)
• 1915 - John Hofford, pitcher (b. 1863)
• 1920 - Dick Bayless, outfielder (b. 1883)
• 1924 - Pat Dealy, catcher (b. 1861)
• 1926 - George Sleeman, Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame (b. 1841)
• 1937 - Frank Boyd, catcher (b. 1868)
• 1937 - Charlie Reilly, infielder (b. 1867)
• 1940 - Billy Hamilton, outfielder; Hall of Famer (b. 1866)
• 1941 - Bill Garfield, pitcher (b. 1867)
• 1949 - Jack Himes, outfielder (b. 1878)
• 1959 - Lee Dashner, pitcher (b. 1887)
• 1970 - Jim Winford, pitcher (b. 1909)
• 1971 - Ferdie Schupp, pitcher (b. 1891)
• 1984 - Debs Garms, outfielder (b. 1907)
• 1986 - Jake Caulfield, infielder (b. 1917)
• 1987 - Chusuke Kizuka, NPB infielder (b. 1924)
• 1988 - Joe Hatten, pitcher (b. 1916)
• 1988 - Bob Kahle, pinch hitter (b. 1915)
• 1990 - Wally Flager, infielder (b. 1921)
• 1996 - Lawrence Bucynski, minor league catcher and manager (b. 1921)
• 1998 - Johnny Gorsica, pitcher (b. 1915)
• 2000 - John Perkovich, pitcher (b. 1924)
• 2004 - Ted Abernathy, pitcher (b. 1933)
• 2004 - Bobby Mattick, infielder, manager (b. 1915)
• 2006 - Cecil Travis, infielder; All-Star (b. 1913)