December 22

Events, births and deaths that occurred on December 22.

[edit] Events

• 1881 - Harry Wright signs to manage the Providence Grays for the 1882 season.
• 1899 - The fledging American League owners meet to map a strategy against the established National League. They agree to place a team in Chicago with Charles Comiskey as the owner-manager of the franchise.
• 1915 - Organized Baseball and the Federal League sign a peace treaty at Cincinnati, ending their two-year war. The FL agrees to go out of existence, but the Major Leagues pay an enormous price: $600,000 for distribution to FL owners; amalgamation of two FL franchises, one each into National League and American League; recognition of FL players' eligibility, and agreement to bid for them in a Fed-controlled auction. The owners of the Baltimore Terrapins, hoping to get the Cardinals, balk, but conferees, eager for settlement, defer their claims - a decision they will repent at leisure when the Baltimore owners take their grievance all the way to the Supreme Court.
• 1921 - Socks Seybold, the holder of the American League season home run record before Babe Ruth, dies at 51 years of age when his car plunges over an embankment.
• 1953 - Jack Dunn III officially turns over the name "Orioles" to the major league franchise. His family had successfully operated the International League Orioles franchise for years in Baltimore, Maryland.
• 1959 - The upstart Continental League awards its last franchise to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.
• 1962 - Harris County voters approve a bond issue to complete the financing of an all-weather stadium to house the Houston Colt .45's.
• 1980:
  • The Boston Red Sox mail Fred Lynn and Carlton Fisk their new contracts two days after the Basic Agreement's December 20 deadline. Boston's blunder make their All-Stars eligible for free agency.
  • The St. Louis Cardinals release outfielder Bobby Bonds. Despite his 326 home runs and 456 stolen bases in 13 seasons, Bonds hit just .203 with St. Louis in 1980. He will make one more stop, his sixth in the last four years, with the Chicago Cubs in 1981.
• 1982 - Versatile Lee Mazzilli is traded for the third time this year. The New York Yankees send him to the Pittsburgh Pirates for four minor leaguers, including pitcher Tim Burke.
• 1983:
  • Free agent reliever Kent Tekulve re-signs with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1983 he had 18 saves and a 1.64 ERA for Pittsburgh.
  • Pete Rose wins a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and is awarded a $36,083 tax refund for 1978.
• 1987 - The New York Yankees send pitcher Steve Trout and outfielder Henry Cotto to the Seattle Mariners for pitchers Lee Guetterman, Clay Parker and minor leaguer Wade Taylor.
• 1994:
  • The San Francisco Giants trade P John Burkett to the Texas Rangers in exchange for SS Rich Aurilia and minor leaguer Desi Wilson.
  • The Cincinnati Reds sign free agent P Jack Morris.
• 1995 - Anheuser-Busch agrees to sell the St. Louis Cardinals for $150 million to an investment group that agrees to keep the team in St. Louis.
• 1997:
  • The Kansas City Royals sign free agent 1B Hal Morris.
  • The New York Mets trade OF Carl Everett to the Houston Astros for P John Hudek.
• 1999:
  • The Atlanta Braves obtain 2B Quilvio Veras, 1B Wally Joyner, and OF Reggie Sanders from the San Diego Padres in exchange for 1B Ryan Klesko, 2B Bret Boone, and P Jason Shiell.
  • P Kip Wells, drafted in the first round by the Chicago White Sox, finally signs for $1.495 million plus an invite to the White Sox spring camp.
  • The Montreal Expos obtain P Hideki Irabu from the New York Yankees in exchange for P Jake Westbrook and two players to be named, Ps Christian Parker and Ted Lilly. Both Westbrook and Lilly will become All-Stars while Irabu will win 2 games in two seasons in Montreal before being released for disciplinary reasons.
  • The Boston Red Sox sign free agent P Jeff Fassero to a contract and the Baltimore Orioles sign P Buddy Groom for two years.
  • In an interview in Sports Illustrated magazine, Atlanta Braves P John Rocker offends virtually every race and ethnic group in a hateful outburst. Community leaders, media, management, coaches and teammates alike call for action to be taken against the lefthander who had 38 saves for Atlanta this past season.
• 2000 - The Seattle Mariners sign 2B Bret Boone to a $3.25 million, one-year deal. The former San Diego Padres second baseman played in only 127 games season due to a bruised right knee which ended his season in late August, but will be re-born in Seattle.
• 2001 - The Texas Rangers sign highly-sought free agent pitcher Chan Ho Park to a five-year, $65 million contract. The Korean right-hander led the Dodgers last year in wins (15), starts (35), innings pitched (234.0), strikeouts (218) and opponents' batting average (.187).
• 2002 - Two free agent pitchers sign contracts, Ugueth Urbina with the Texas Rangers and Tanyon Sturtze with the Toronto Blue Jays.
• 2005:
  • The Houston Astros agree to terms with pitchers Dave Borkowski and Steve Sparks and the Los Angeles Dodgers agree to terms with pitcher Brett Tomko on a two-year contract.
  • The Minnesota Twins agree to terms with OF/DH Rondell White on a one-year contract, while the New York Yankees re-sign OF Bernie Williams to a one-year contract.
  • The San Diego Padres sign 2B Mark Bellhorn for one year while the Seattle Mariners agree to terms with OF Matt Lawton on a one-year contract.
• 2009:
  • The Yankees acquire P Javier Vazquez from the Braves in a five-player deal that sees CF Melky Cabrera and minor leaguers Michael Dunn and Arodys Vizcaino head for Atlanta while P Boone Logan joins Vazquez in the Bronx. Vazquez pitched for the Yankees in 2004.
  • The Blue Jays and Mariners exchange pitchers, with Seattle picking up hard-throwing Brandon League and minor leaguer Johermyn Chavez in return for Brandon Morrow.
  • The Washington Nationals sign P Jason Marquis to a two-year contract.
• 2010:
  • The driver responsible for the death of Angels P Nick Adenhart and two others on April 9, 2009, is sentenced to 51 years in jail. His blood alcohol level was at three times the legal limit when he ran through a red light and rammed his van into the car in which Adenhart and three friends were sitting.
  • The Brewers sign P Sean Green to a one-year contract.
• 2011:
  • The Cardinals sign free agent OF Carlos Beltran to a two-year deal for $26 million. He will play right field, while last season's starter there, Lance Berkman, will slide over to 1B to try to replace Albert Pujols.
  • The Nationals pry young All-Star starting pitcher ­Gio Gonzalez from the Athletics, giving up four prospects in return: Ps Brad Peacock, Tom Milone and A.J. Cole and C Derek Norris. Gonzalez's trade follows that of fellow young starter Trevor Cahill by a few weeks and indicates that the A's are not looking to be competitive for the next couple of seasons, yet they will surprise everyone by winning the AL West title in 2012.
  • The White Sox sign starter John Danks to a 5-year contract extension for $65 million, while in other signings, P Jason Marquis goes to Minnesota, utility player Mark DeRosa heads to Washington, P Manuel Corpas goes to the Cubs and C Rob Johnson to the Mets.
• 2012:
  • Raul Ibanez returns to Seattle for a third stint with the team, signing a one-year contract.
  • The Diamondbacks sign OF Cody Ross for three years at $26 million.
  • Former utility player Ryan Freel is found dead in his Jacksonville, FL home, victim of an apparent suicide at 36.

[edit] Births

• 1852 - Bill Boyd, infielder, manager (d. 1912)
• 1860 - Pop Tate, catcher (d. 1932)
• 1862 - Connie Mack, catcher, manager; Hall of Famer (d. 1956)
• 1864 - Charlie Cady, pitcher (d. 1909)
• 1866 - Buster Burrell, catcher (d. 1962)
• 1879 - Owen Shannon, catcher (d. 1918)
• 1885 - Tex Erwin, catcher (d. 1953)
• 1886 - Hughie Miller, infielder (d. 1945)
• 1893 - Jesse Winters, pitcher (d. 1986)
• 1894 - Harvey McClellan, infielder (d. 1925)
• 1897 - Harvey Freeman, pitcher (d. 1970)
• 1908 - Ed Fallenstein, pitcher (d. 1971)
• 1910 - Stan Klopp, pitcher (d. 1980)
• 1918 - Bill Kennedy, pitcher (d. 1995)
• 1918 - Julian Morgan, minor league pitcher and manager (d. 1988)
• 1919 - Alex Monchak, infielder
• 1921 - Max Peterson, minor league pitcher (d. 2010)
• 1922 - Johnny Bero, infielder (d. 1985)
• 1923 - Bob Hall, pitcher (d. 1983)
• 1923 - Wally Jakowczyk, minor league player (d. 2012)
• 1928 - John Hrasch, minor league infielder (d. 1952)
• 1937 - Tony Curry, outfielder (d. 2006)
• 1937 - Charlie James, outfielder
• 1938 - Matty Alou, outfielder; All-Star (d. 2011)
• 1939 - Al Ferrara, outfielder
• 1940 - Ellie Hendricks, catcher
• 1942 - Jack Jenkins, pitcher (d. 2002)
• 1944 - Steve Carlton, pitcher; All-Star, Hall of Famer
• 1946 - Hiroyuki Yamazaki, NPB infielder
• 1947 - Charley Taylor, minor league pitcher and coach
• 1948 - Steve Garvey, infielder; All-Star
• 1950 - Tom Makowski, pitcher
• 1950 - Tommy Sandt, infielder
• 1951 - Samio Murakoshi, NPB umpire
• 1951 - Fernando Sánchez, Cuban league outfielder
• 1953 - Tom Underwood, pitcher (d. 2010)
• 1954 - Sheldon Burnside, pitcher
• 1954 - Ken Landreaux, outfielder; All-Star
• 1955 - Lonnie Smith, outfielder; All-Star
• 1956 - Gary Cooper, outfielder
• 1956 - Dave Schmidt, catcher
• 1958 - Glenn Wilson, outfielder; All-Star
• 1958 - George Wright, outfielder
• 1958 - Curtis Reed, minor league outfielder
• 1959 - Orlando Isales, outfielder
• 1959 - Steve Scafa, minor league infielder
• 1961 - Andy Allanson, catcher
• 1964 - Mike Jackson, pitcher
• 1967 - Tommy Raffo, college coach
• 1968 - David Nied, pitcher
• 1969 - Andrew Scott, Australian national team infielder
• 1970 - Geoff Loomis, college coach
• 1971 - Jon Ratliff, pitcher
• 1972 - Craig Allen, minor league pitcher
• 1974 - Trevor Enders, pitcher
• 1975 - Ben Utting, minor league infielder
• 1976 - Jason Lane, outfielder
• 1976 - Wes Obermueller, pitcher
• 1978 - Chris Jakubauskas, pitcher
• 1980 - Reid Gorecki, outfielder
• 1983 - Greg Smith, pitcher
• 1983 - Blake Davis, infielder
• 1984 - Yuya Hasegawa, NPB outfielder
• 1984 - Levi Maxwell, minor league pitcher
• 1985 - Daniel Stange, pitcher
• 1986 - Martin Drong, Extraliga infielder
• 1987 - Zach Britton, pitcher
• 1987 - Chad Jenkins, pitcher
• 1989 - Thomas De Wolf, minor league outfielder
• 1989 - Moko Moanaroa, minor league outfielder
• 1989 - Nicky Vlyminckx, First Division pitcher-infielder
• 1993 - Gavin Cecchini, minor league infielder

[edit] Deaths

• 1887 - Jud Birchall, outfielder (b. 1855)
• 1909 - Jimmy Sebring, outfielder (b. 1882)
• 1912 - Ed Kennedy, infielder (b. 1861)
• 1914 - Phil Powers, catcher (b. 1854)
• 1916 - Howard Earl, outfielder (b. 1869)
• 1921 - Socks Seybold, outfielder (b. 1870)
• 1922 - Dad Meek, catcher (b. 1867)
• 1928 - Hugh Reid, outfielder (b. 1852)
• 1933 - Nin Alexander, catcher (b. 1858)
• 1933 - Joe Flynn, outfielder (b. 1861)
• 1934 - Kitty Brashear, pitcher (b. 1877)
• 1940 - Patsy McGaffigan, infielder (b. 1888)
• 1940 - Bill Schwartz, catcher (b. 1864)
• 1945 - Bill Crouch, pitcher (b. 1886)
• 1950 - Rip Egan, pitcher (b. 1871)
• 1950 - Cal Vasbinder, pitcher (b. 1880)
• 1955 - Queenie O'Rourke, infielder (b. 1883)
• 1960 - Jack Onslow, catcher, manager (b. 1888)
• 1964 - Lou Fiene, pitcher (b. 1884)
• 1968 - Benny Bengough, catcher (b. 1898)
• 1968 - Ike Powers, pitcher (b. 1906)
• 1974 - Allyn Stout, pitcher (b. 1904)
• 1976 - Brick Eldred, minor league outfielder (b. 1892)
• 1980 - Earl Grace, catcher (b. 1907)
• 1980 - Joe Graves, infielder (b. 1906)
• 1981 - Ed Gallagher, pitcher (b. 1910)
• 1982 - Tony Faeth, pitcher (b. 1893)
• 1982 - John Mercer, infielder (b. 1892)
• 1987 - Bobby Hogue, pitcher (b. 1921)
• 1989 - Archie Campbell, pitcher (b. 1903)
• 1996 - Fred Green, pitcher (b. 1933)
• 1997 - Flea Clifton, infielder (b. 1908)
• 1997 - Jose Oliva, infielder (b. 1971)
• 1997 - Hal Rice, outfielder (b. 1924)
• 2001 - Bob Davis, pitcher (b. 1933)
• 2004 - Doug Ault, infielder (b. 1950)
• 2005 - Clarence Gann, minor league pitcher and manager (b. 1919)
• 2006 - Sam Chapman, outfielder; All-Star (b. 1916)
• 2010 - Gerald Ice, minor league pitcher (b. 1934)
• 2012 - Ryan Freel, outfielder (b. 1976)
• 2012 - Gary Johnson, minor league infielder and manager (b. 1939)