December 20
From BR Bullpen
| Stats of players who were born this day | |
| Stats of players who died on this day | |
| Standings on this day | |
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| Today in Baseball History | |
Events, births and deaths that occurred on December 20.
[edit] Events
- 1885 - The St. Louis Maroons announce that Jerry Denny, Dude Esterbrook, Paul Hines, and George Myers are to play for them in 1886. Denny and Myers do so, but Esterbrook stays with the Giants and Hines goes to the newly formed Washington Nationals.
- 1889 - Papers are served on Charles Buffinton and Billy Hallman for allegedly breaking their contracts with Philadelphia (National League). This will be the first of many battles between the PL and NL.
- 1889 - Toledo is admitted to the AA.
- 1903 - In an unpopular trade in Boston, the Pilgrims send Long Tom Hughes to the Highlanders for lefty Jesse Tannehill. Hughes, 20 - 7 for the champs, had jumped to the American League from the National League Chicago team in 1902. Hughes will come up short in New York and be shipped to Washington in July, while Tannehill will win 20 for the Hubmen.
- 1903 - After a two-year absence from the majors, pitcher Kid Nichols signs as player/ manager of the Cardinals. He will win 21 himself, but the team will finish 4th.
- 1904 - The last-place Phillies send minor-league 1B Del Howard to Pittsburgh for Moose McCormick, Otto Kruger and 1B Kitty Bransfield.
- 1921 - The Yankees raid Boston again, and come away with P Bullet Joe Bush, SS Everett Scott, and P Sad Sam Jones in exchange for SS Roger Peckinpaugh (who goes on to Washington), pitchers Jack Quinn, Rip Collins, and Bill Piercy, and $50,000.
- 1921 - At the ML meetings, the American League votes to return to the best-of-7 World Series; the National League votes to keep the 5-of-9. Judge Landis casts the deciding vote, and the 4-of-7 format is reinstated.
- 1926 - The World Champion Cardinals trade Rogers Hornsby to the Giants for Frankie Frish and Jimmy Ring. The trade gets complicated when the 'Rajah' refuses to sell his 1,167 shares of the team stock back to the Redbirds at the asking price.
- 1926 - In probably the biggest player-for-player trade to date, Rogers Hornsby is traded from the Cardinals to the New York Giants for Frankie Frisch and P Jimmy Ring. Hornsby, after 12 years in St. Louis, will play for three teams in the next three years. Hornsby and owner Sam Breadon had had an increasingly stormy relationship, and feelings between Frankie Frisch and John McGraw were equally as bad. Thirty years later, Hornsby will call the trade "the biggest disappointment in my life."
- 1929 - Bill Carrigan has had enough of managing the Red Sox. He quits, and Heinie Wagner signs on for a year.
- 1938 - The White Sox sell veteran C Luke Sewell to Brooklyn.
- 1940 - For a reported $42,000, A's manager Connie Mack buys a controlling interest in the club from the Shibe family.
- 1940 - Connie Mack acquires controlling interest in the Athletics from the Shibe family at the price of $42,000 for 141 shares.
- 1946 - With the trade for Al Lopez, the Indians send young catcher Sherm Lollar and 2B Ray Mack to the Yankees for minor league P Gene Bearden, P Al Gettel, and OF Hal Peck. Peck never played for New York after they acquired him in June. Lollar will play just 33 games in two years, while Mack is swapped after one game. Bearden, as a rookie knuckleballer in 1948, will win 20 games and the lead the American League in ERA.
- 1960 - Charlie Finley buys the 52 percent of the A's in the late Arnold Johnson's estate.
- 1966 - The Yankees acquire SS Dick Howser from Cleveland for minor leaguer Gil Downs and cash.
- 1973 - Siding with the A's, American League president Joe Cronin rules the Yankees cannot sign manager Dick Williams. The Yankees had announced a deal with the Oakland's skipper two days earlier.
- 1978 - Willard Mullin, 76, the nation's top sports cartoonist and creator of the "Brooklyn Bum," dies at Corpus Christi, TX.
- 1978 - Don Blasingame is named manager of the Hanshin Tigers, the first American not of Japanese descent to lead a Japanese team.
- 1978 - Don Blasingame becomes the first American not of Japanese descent to be named as a manager of Japanese team. The former major league second baseman will pilot the Hanshin Tigers.
- 1980 - Unless contracts are tendered to certain veterans by a today's deadline, the Basic Agreement requires they be allowed to become free agents. The Red Sox will miss the deadline permitting All-Stars Fred Lynn and Carlton Fisk to be eligible for free agency.
- 1989 - Six months after obtaining him from the Phillies, the Mets trade 2B-OF Juan Samuel to the Dodgers for 1B Mike Marshall and P Alejandro Pena.
- 1990 - The Chicago White Sox sign veteran knuckler Charlie Hough, a free agent. Hough spent every year of the 70's with the Dodgers and every year of the 1980s with Texas.
- 1993 - The Indians trade SS Felix Fermin and 1B Reggie Jefferson to the Mariners in exchange for SS Omar Vizquel.
- 1993 - The Athletics trade SS Kurt Abbott to the Marlins in exchange for OF Kerwin Moore.
- 1993 - The Yankees sign free agent OF Luis Polonia.
- 1995 - The Astros trade P Dave Veres and minor league C Raul Chavez to the Expos in exchange for 3B Sean Berry.
- 1995 - The Orioles sign free agent IF-OF B.J. Surhoff to a 3-year contract.
- 1996 - The Blue Jays send 1B John Olerud and his $5 million contract to the Mets for pitcher Robert Person. The move leaves 1B open for Joe Carter.
- 2000 - After trading their all-star shortstop to the Mets last season, the Orioles get him back agreeing to a two-year deal with free agent Mike Bordick. The move will send Melvin Mora, the player obtained from the Mets to replace Bordick, to the outfield where he is a stronger defensive player.
- 2001 - The Braves sign free agent P Albie Lopez to a 1-year contract.
- 2001 - The Dodgers sign free agent P Hideo Nomo to a 2-year contract. It is Nomo's second tour of duty with the Dodgers, whom he first played for in 1995.
- 2001 - The Jean Yawkey Trust announces all the partners have unanimously voted to sell 100 percent of the Red Sox, a family owned business since 1933, to a group of investors led by Florida Marlins owner John Henry who also has a one percent share of the Yankees and is the managing partner-in-waiting of the Boston Red Sox. The price tag, rumored to be $600+ million, doubles the amount ever spent to buy a team.
- 2001 - Last season's American League strikeout leader with 220, free agent Hideo Nomo (13-10, 4.50), inks a $13.75 million, two-year deal with the Dodgers. The former Red Sox right-hander was the National League rookie of the year when he broke into the majors with Los Angeles in 1995.
- 2001 - The limited partners of the Red Sox vote unanimously to sell the team to a group led by Florida Marlins owner John Henry and former Padres owner Tom Werner. The $660 million price, plus an assumption of $40 in debt, would double the record price for a baseball team.
- 2002 - The Braves trade P Kevin Millwood to the Phillies for C Johnny Estrada. Meanwhile, according to Braves GM John Schuerholz, "The economics stink. The economics stink, and if this isn't a clear enough signal to the doubters and naysayers, to be forced to trade an 18 - game winner to your arch enemy ... The economics stink."
- 2002 - The White Sox sign free agent C Sandy Alomar to a contract.
- 2002 - After rejecting salary arbitration from the Red Sox, Cliff Floyd (.288, 28, 79), agrees to a $26 million, four-year contract deal the Mets. The 30-year old outfielder played with the Marlins, Expos and Red Sox last season.
- 2002 - Hoping to fill the void after trading Eric Karros to the Cubs, the Dodgers reached an agreement with 39-year old veteran first baseman Fred McGriff (.273, 30, 103) on a one-year deal. The 'Crime Dog', who has also played for the Blue Jays, Padres, Braves, Devil Rays as well as the Cubs, is fourth among active players behind Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Rafael Palmeiro with 478 career homers.
- 2002 - The Japan's most heralded player, 28-year-old outfield slugger Hideki Matsui (.334, 50, 107), reaches a preliminary agreement with the Yankees on a $21 million, three-year contract. 'Godzilla' the three-time Most Valuable Player of Japan's Central League, rejected the Yomiuri Giant's $33 million, four-year offer opting to play for Bronx Bombers.
- 2005 - The World Champions White Sox finalize the trade with Diamondbacks which brings starter Javier Vazquez and $4 million dollars to the Windy City. Veteran right-hander Orlando Hernandez, reliever Luis Vizcaino and minor league outfield prospect Chris Young go to Arizona to complete the deal.
[edit] Births
- 1852 - Herm Doscher, infielder (d. 1934)
- 1853 - Jack Manning, outfielder, manager (d. 1929)
- 1856 - Harry Stovey, outfielder, manager (d. 1937)
- 1866 - Joe Gormley, pitcher (d. 1950)
- 1869 - Bill McCauley, infielder (d. 1926)
- 1876 - Jimmy Williams, infielder (d. 1965)
- 1878 - Bob Hall, infielder (d. 1950)
- 1879 - Doc Moskiman, infielder (d. 1953)
- 1879 - Ham Wade, outfielder (d. 1968)
- 1881 - Branch Rickey, catcher, manager; Hall of Famer (d. 1965)
- 1885 - Paddy Baumann, infielder (d. 1969)
- 1885 - Joe Wilhoit, outfielder (d. 1930)
- 1886 - Joe Berger, infielder (d. 1956)
- 1888 - Fred Merkle, infielder (d. 1956)
- 1892 - Deacon Jones, pitcher (d. 1952)
- 1894 - Butch Henline, catcher (d. 1957)
- 1897 - Snooks Dowd, infielder (d. 1962)
- 1899 - George Pipgras, pitcher (d. 1986)
- 1900 - Gabby Hartnett, catcher, manager; All-Star, Hall of Famer (d. 1972)
- 1902 - Carl Yowell, pitcher (d. 1985)
- 1904 - Spud Davis, catcher, manager (d. 1984)
- 1908 - Art McLarney, infielder (d. 1984)
- 1910 - Calvin Chapman, infielder (d. 1983)
- 1912 - Tommy Irwin, infielder
- 1915 - Marv Felderman, catcher (d. 2000)
- 1920 - Julio Gonzalez, pitcher (d. 1991)
- 1923 - Grant Dunlap, outfielder
- 1930 - Troy Herriage, pitcher
- 1931 - Julio Becquer, infielder
- 1936 - Dan Pfister, pitcher
- 1940 - Thad Tillotson, pitcher
- 1943 - John Noriega, pitcher
- 1944 - Don Mason, infielder
- 1945 - Vince Colbert, pitcher
- 1945 - Keith Lampard, outfielder
- 1948 - Jim Norris, outfielder
- 1949 - Cecil Cooper, infielder; All-Star
- 1949 - Oscar Gamble, outfielder
- 1951 - Mike Hart, outfielder
- 1953 - Paul Moskau, pitcher
- 1953 - Ken Bolek, minor league manager
- 1957 - Bill Laskey, pitcher
- 1960 - Jose DeLeon, pitcher
- 1965 - Fernando Ramsey, outfielder
- 1966 - Jeff Mutis, pitcher
- 1971 - Marc Valdes, pitcher
- 1974 - Augie Ojeda, infielder
- 1975 - Joe Kilburg, minor league player
- 1976 - Aubrey Huff, infielder
- 1976 - Jeff Becker, minor league player
- 1979 - David DeJesus, outfielder
- 1980 - Luke Carlin, catcher
- 1982 - David Wright, infielder; All-Star
[edit] Deaths
- 1897 - Willard Brown, infielder (b. 1866)
- 1917 - Will Calihan, pitcher (b. 1869)
- 1918 - Silk O'Loughlin, umpire (b. 1870)
- 1924 - Jimmy Woulfe, outfielder (b. 1859)
- 1934 - Parke Wilson, catcher (b. 1867)
- 1944 - Elmer Zacher, outfielder (b. 1883)
- 1950 - Carroll Yerkes, pitcher (b. 1903)
- 1960 - Skip Dowd, pitcher (b. 1889)
- 1962 - Charlie Luskey, outfielder (b. 1876)
- 1963 - Dinny McNamara, outfielder (b. 1905)
- 1965 - Al Lyons, pitcher (b. 1918)
- 1966 - Doc Farrell, infielder (b. 1901)
- 1971 - Tom Fitzsimmons, infielder (b. 1890)
- 1972 - Gabby Hartnett, catcher, manager; All-Star, Hall of Famer (b. 1900)
- 1980 - Mike Knode, outfielder (b. 1895)
- 1984 - Cuckoo Christensen, outfielder (b. 1899)
- 1984 - Gonzalo Marquez, infielder (b. 1946)
- 1984 - Art McLarney, infielder (b. 1908)
- 1984 - Steve Slayton, pitcher (b. 1902)
- 1986 - Joe DeSa, infielder (b. 1959)
- 1987 - Jake Eisenhart, pitcher (b. 1922)
- 1991 - Hal Finney, catcher (b. 1905)
- 1991 - Don Williams, pitcher (b. 1935)
- 1993 - Felix Mackiewicz, outfielder (b. 1917)
- 1994 - Larry Crawford, pitcher (b. 1914)
- 1994 - Bob Wellman, outfielder (b. 1925)
- 1999 - Dick Bertell, catcher (b. 1935)
- 2003 - Walter DeFreitas, minor league infielder and manager (b.1918)
- 2007 - Tommy Byrne, pitcher; All-Star (b. 1919)
