December 4

Events, births and deaths that occurred on December 4.

[edit] Events

• 1885 - The National League Metropolitans franchise is sold to millionaire Erastus Wiman. The Metropolitan Exhibition Company receives $25,000 for the transaction.
• 1886 - The St. Louis Maroons trade 1B Alex McKinnon to Pittsburgh for 1B Otto Schomberg and $400.
• 1899 - Buck Ewing, Cincinnati manager for five years, is released.
• 1914 - Walter Johnson accepts a $6,000 bonus from the Federal League's Chicago Whales and signs a three-year contract for $17,500 per year. Clark Griffith threatens to take Johnson to court, claiming he has paid Johnson for the reserve option in his contract. American League President Ban Johnson asserts that Johnson was on the market and is "damaged goods," worth getting rid of. Griffith travels to Coffeyville, KS, to persuade his franchise player that the option clause is legal and binding. Two weeks later Griffith signs Johnson for three years at $12,500 per year and returns the bonus to the Feds.
• 1915 - Former Giant owner Andrew Freedman dies at the age of 55. He owned the team for seven years, firing a Steinbrennian 16 managers during his reign.
• 1927 - Pirates OF Paul Waner noses out Frank Frisch for National League MVP honors with 72 points to 66. Rogers Hornsby, Cubs P Charlie Root, and Giants SS Travis Jackson also score high.
• 1931 - Bump Hadley, Jackie Hayes, and Sam Jones are traded from Washington to the White Sox for Carl Reynolds and John Kerr.
• 1936 - The Dodgers trade Lonny Frey to the Cubs for Woody English and Roy Henshaw. The Boston Bees buy Vince DiMaggio from San Diego (Pacific Coast League). The Dodgers get Cookie Lavagetto and Ralph Birkofer from Pittsburgh in exchange for Ed Brandt.
• 1940:
  • Larry MacPhail continues his dealing and gets his catcher. The Dodgers trade for Mickey Owen, giving Gus Mancuso and $85,000 to the Cardinals.
  • The Cubs swap SS Bobby Mattick and OF Jim Gleeson to the Reds for SS Billy Myers. Myers will split his time between Chicago and the minors next year and quit in 1942 rather than take a pay cut.
• 1943 - After one disappointing season in Washington, the Senators sell veteran slugger Indian Bob Johnson to the Red Sox. Clark Griffith will later call it the worst trade he ever made. Johnson will have two solid years in Fenway before retiring.
• 1946:
  • The Reds trade pitcher Ed Heusser to Brooklyn for veteran Augie Galan.
  • W.G. Bramham retires as head of the minors. George Trautman will replace him.
• 1952 - Detroit trades P Virgil Trucks, who tossed two no-hitters during the year, along with P Hal White and OF Johnny Groth, to the Browns in exchange for 2B Owen Friend, OF Bob Nieman, and OF/C J.W. Porter.
• 1957:
  • The White Sox send fan favorite Minnie Minoso and infielder Fred Hatfield to the Indians for P Early Wynn and OF Al Smith. Wynn, coming off his first losing season, will rebound with the White Sox, topping the American League in wins and innings next season. The trade is the first for the new Indians' general manager, Frank Lane.
  • The major league owners raise the minimum salary to $7,000 and eliminate the bonus rule.
• 1958:
  • The Dodgers trade OF Gino Cimoli to the Cardinals for OF Wally Moon and RHP Phil Paine.
  • The American Association expands to 10 teams by admitting Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth from the Texas League. This effectively denudes the Texas League, leaving it with five teams and a vacancy.
• 1963:
  • Cleveland trades OF Willie Kirkland to the Orioles for OF Al Smith and an estimated $25,000.
  • The Tigers trade pitcher Jim Bunning to the Phillies for catcher Gus Triandos, pitcher Jack Hamilton and outfielder Don Demeter.
• 1964:
  • The Dodgers trade OF Frank Howard, P Phil Ortega, P Pete Richert, and 3B Ken McMullen to the Senators for P Claude Osteen, IF John Kennedy, and cash.
  • Minnesota acquires versatile Cesar Tovar from the Reds for P Gerry Arrigo. Tovar will play eight seasons in Minnesota.
  • The major leagues restore to the commissioner's office all powers rescinded after Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis's death in 1944. Principally, they waive their right to take legal action in the event of disagreements with the commissioner and grant him authority to judge whether actions taken by the owners in concert are, automatically "in the best interests of baseball." Voting for the annual All-Star teams is turned back to the fans.
  • The owners decide to use a free agent draft beginning next month. The inverse order of the previous year's standings will be used to select players every four months. This will eventually be scaled back to a twice yearly and then to an annual event.
• 1965 - Masanori Murakami, 4-1 this year, does not renew his contract with the Giants, signing instead with the Nankai Hawks of Osaka for $40,000.
• 1968:
  • The Dodgers trade P Mike Kekich (2-10) to the Yankees for OF Andy Kosco.
  • The Astros trade 3B Bob Aspromonte, who lost his job to Doug Rader, to the Braves for infielder Marty Martinez. Aspro was the last original Colt .45 on Houston's roster, and when he retires, he will be the last original Brooklyn Dodger. Houston also swaps P Mike Cuellar and infielders Elijah Johnson and Enzo Hernandez to the Orioles for outfielders Curt Blefary and John Mason. Cuellar, 8-11 this past season, will average 20 wins a year for five years in Baltimore. This ranks as one of the best trades in Oriole history, along with the one which brought in Frank Robinson.
• 1969:
  • The Yankees send veteran P Al Downing and C Frank Fernandez to Oakland for 1B Danny Cater and C Ossie Chavarria. They also trade 1B Joe Pepitone to the Astros for 1B Curt Blefary.
  • The Cubs send OF Boots Day to the Cardinals for P Rich Nye.
• 1973 - The Reds trade P Ross Grimsley to the Orioles for OF Merv Rettenmund and IF Junior Kennedy. Grimsley will win 18 next year for the Orioles.
• 1974 - In a dismal trade for Montreal, the Expos trade OF Ken Singleton and P Mike Torrez to the Orioles for P Dave McNally, OF Rich Coggins, and minor league pitcher Bill Kirkpatrick.
• 1975 - Ted Turner enters a tentative purchase agreement to buy the Atlanta Braves.
• 1976 - Aurelio Rodriguez becomes the first American League 3B since 1959 to beat out Brooks Robinson for the Gold Glove Award. Other newcomers on The Sporting News fielding team include 3B Mike Schmidt, OF Dwight Evans, and C Jim Sundberg, who will combine to win 24 awards.
• 1981 - Oakland signs free-agent OF-1B Joe Rudi, who hit just .180 in 49 games for the Red Sox last season, to a 2-year contract.
• 1988 - The Orioles trade veteran 1B Eddie Murray to the Dodgers for pitchers Ken Howell and Brian Holton and infield prospect Juan Bell.
• 1990 - Reliever Dave Righetti signs as a free agent with the Giants. San Francisco now has spent $33 million for free agents Righetti, Willie McGee, and Bud Black since the end of the season.
• 1992:
  • The Astros' new owner, Drayton McLane, Jr., signs free agent P Greg Swindell to a 4-year contract worth $17 million.
  • The Yankees sign free agent SS Spike Owen to a 3-year contract.
• 1997 - The Rockies sign free agent P Darryl Kile to a 3-year contract.
• 2000:
  • Miguel Caldés dies in a car crash in Camagüey Province, only 3 months after helping the Cuban national team win a Silver Medal at the 2000 Olympics. The 30-year-old Caldés once won a home run title in Cuba.
  • The Rockies sign free agent P Denny Neagle to a 5-year contract.
• 2007 - The Florida Marlins and Detroit Tigers pull of a blockbuster deal. Florida sends 3B Miguel Cabrera (an All-Star in four of his five seasons) and 2-time All-Star P Dontrelle Willis for prospects Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller and Dallas Trahern. The Marlins also get Mike Rabelo, Eulogio De La Cruz and Burke Badenhop in the deal. Maybin and Miller had been Detroit's first-round picks in 2005 and 2006 respectively.
• 2008:
  • Junichi Tazawa becomes the first blue chip Japanese prospect to skip the NPB draft and sign directly with a Major League Baseball team. He inks a 3-year, $3.3 million deal with the Boston Red Sox. A member of Japan's squad in the 2007 Baseball World Cup, he is projected to start 2009 at AA.
  • The San Francisco Giants sign free agent Edgar Renteria to replace Omar Vizquel at shortstop. The deal is for $18.5 million over two years.
  • In other shortstop news, the St. Louis Cardinals acquire Khalil Greene, a star in 2007 who struggled in 2008, from the San Diego Padres for Mark Worrell and a player to be named later.
  • The Atlanta Braves acquire pitchers Javier Vazquez and Boone Logan from the Chicago White Sox in a deal for Tyler Flowers, Jon Gilmore, Brent Lillibridge and Santos Rodriguez.
• 2009:
  • The Red Sox have found their new shortstop, after struggling with Jed Lowrie, Julio Lugo, Nick Green and Alex Gonzalez in 2009. Free agent Marcos Scutaro signs a two-year deal worth $11 million, with an option for a third year. Ironically, Gonzalez signed with the Blue Jays earlier this week, where he will fill Scutaro's shoes.
  • The Seattle Mariners also dip into the free agent pool, signing infielder Chone Figgins to a 4-year, $36 million deal. It's still not certain whether Figgins will play 2B or 3B for his new team, as this hinges on whether Seattle re-signs 3B Adrian Beltre. While the deal is announced today, it will only be finalized on December 8th. However, Figgins will be a huge disappointment and will be released before the end of his contract.
• 2010:
  • The Red Sox acquire All-Star 1B Adrian Gonzalez from San Diego for three prospects, P Casey Kelly, 1B Anthony Rizzo and OF Reymond Fuentes; Kelly and Fuentes are former first round picks in the amateur draft and are considered prize catches for the Friars. The move also means that 1B Kevin Youkilis will move across the diamond to 3B, where he played in the minor leagues, and signals that the Sox have given up hopes of re-signing 3B Adrian Beltre, their best hitter last season. The deal will be official in two days when Gonzalez signs a seven-year deal with Boston, worth $154 million.
  • The Yankees and SS Derek Jeter agree on a three-year deal worth $51 million, with an option for a fourth year.
  • The Cardinals sign free agent 1B Lance Berkman from the Yankees. He will move to LF in St. Louis, as 1B Albert Pujols is very much entrenched at his position.
• 2011:
  • The Miami Marlins sign free agent SS Jose Reyes, the National League batting champion, to a 6-year contract worth $60 million. The Marlins are expected to move Hanley Ramirez to third base as a result.
  • Manny Ramirez applies for reinstatement from the voluntarily retired list. However, he will still be required to resolve his outstanding violation of the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, announced on April 8th, and will need to serve a 100-game suspension if he signs a contract with a major league team.
• 2012 - In the second day of the annual Winter Meetings, the Red Sox sign free agent OF Shane Victorino to a three-year contract and the Nationals sign P Dan Haren for one year, while on the trade front, the Astros send P Wilton Lopez to Colorado for Ps Alex White and Alex Gillingham and the Marlins trade SS Yunel Escobar, acquired in last month's 12-player blockbuster deal with Toronto, to Tampa Bay for minor leaguer Derek Dietrich.

[edit] Births

• 1859 - Bill Higgins, infielder (d. 1919)
• 1860 - Anton Falch, outfielder (d. 1936)
• 1865 - Jay Budd, outfielder (d. 1923)
• 1867 - Ed Mars, pitcher (d. 1941)
• 1868 - Jesse Burkett, outfielder; Hall of Famer (d. 1953)
• 1870 - Scoops Carey, infielder (d. 1916)
• 1875 - Joe Corbett, pitcher (d. 1945)
• 1876 - John Farrell, infielder (d. 1921)
• 1876 - Henry Krug, infielder/outfielder (d. 1908)
• 1878 - Sam Hope, pitcher (d. 1946)
• 1878 - Frank Mahar, pinch hitter (d. 1961)
• 1883 - Jim Moroney, pitcher (d. 1929)
• 1884 - Biff Schlitzer, pitcher (d. 1948)
• 1885 - Shano Collins, outfielder, manager (d. 1955)
• 1890 - Bob Shawkey, pitcher, manager (d. 1980)
• 1892 - Johnny Meador, pitcher (d. 1970)
• 1893 - Luke Nelson, pitcher (d. 1985)
• 1896 - Allen Conkwright, pitcher (d. 1991)
• 1898 - Doc Bass, pinch hitter (d. 1970)
• 1902 - Chuck Corgan, infielder (d. 1928)
• 1916 - Ray Sanders, infielder (d. 1983)
• 1917 - Carlos Colas, Negro League catcher
• 1918 - William Metzig, infielder (d. 2006)
• 1923 - Dick Strahs, pitcher (d. 1988)
• 1925 - Ted Toles, Negro League pitcher
• 1930 - Harvey Kuenn, infielder, manager; All-Star (d. 1988)
• 1933 - Dick Ricketts, pitcher (d. 1988)
• 1938 - Billy Bryan, catcher
• 1939 - Hiroyuki Nakajima, NPB outfielder
• 1942 - Dick Billings, catcher
• 1944 - Lee Bales, infielder
• 1948 - Ka-Wor Fang, Hong Kong national team manager
• 1952 - Antonio Villaescusa, minor league infielder
• 1953 - Charlie Beamon, designated hitter
• 1954 - Tucker Ashford, infielder
• 1956 - Barbaro Garbey, infielder
• 1957 - Mike Couchee, pitcher
• 1957 - Pat Sheridan, outfielder
• 1957 - Lee Smith, pitcher; All-Star
• 1960 - David Green, outfielder
• 1961 - Alexis Infante, infielder
• 1962 - Stan Jefferson, outfielder
• 1963 - Bernardo Brito, outfielder
• 1967 - Darrell Sherman, outfielder
• 1971 - Ioannis Apostolopoulos, Greek national team infielder
• 1974 - Tadahito Iguchi, infielder
• 1975 - Ed Yarnall, pitcher
• 1977 - Kosuke Noda, NPB pitcher
• 1977 - Juan Pena, minor league pitcher
• 1978 - Kyle Lohse, pitcher
• 1979 - Manny Gonzalez, umpire
• 1980 - Gustavo Chacin, pitcher
• 1980 - Justin Pekarek, minor league pitcher
• 1981 - Jerome Williams, pitcher
• 1982 - Michael Curic, Croatian national team infielder
• 1982 - Matt Fox, pitcher
• 1984 - Jose Campos, minor league pitcher
• 1985 - Carlos Gomez, outfielder
• 1985 - Andrew Brackman, pitcher
• 1986 - Ken Nishimura, NPB pitcher
• 1986 - Jacob Rasner, minor league pitcher
• 1989 - Wady Pinales, minor league pitcher
• 1991 - Chih-Wei Hsu, minor league infielder
• 1992 - Raul Alcantara, minor league pitcher
• 1992 - Joe Musgrove, minor league pitcher
• 1992 - Blake Snell, minor league pitcher
• 1993 - Paul Blackburn, drafted pitcher

[edit] Deaths

• 1902 - Mike Mansell, outfielder (b. 1858)
• 1915 - Oscar Purner, pitcher (b. 1873)
• 1919 - Joe Peitz, outfielder (b. 1869)
• 1926 - Abel Lizotte, infielder (b. 1870)
• 1944 - Roger Bresnahan, catcher, manager; Hall of Famer (b. 1879)
• 1954 - Tony Madigan, pitcher (b. 1868)
• 1957 - Jimmy Jordan, infielder (b. 1908)
• 1957 - Jack Ness, infielder (b. 1884)
• 1958 - Red Murray, outfielder (b. 1884)
• 1962 - Ben Cantwell, pitcher (b. 1902)
• 1962 - Jack Smith, infielder (b. 1893)
• 1966 - Joe Willis, pitcher (b. 1890)
• 1968 - Emil Yde, pitcher (b. 1900)
• 1971 - Walter Ockey, pitcher (b. 1920)
• 1974 - Dick Luebke, pitcher (b. 1935)
• 1977 - Johnny Rizzo, outfielder (b. 1912)
• 1979 - Bert Delmas, infielder (b. 1911)
• 1979 - Pedro Dibut, pitcher (b. 1892)
• 1981 - Stan Hollmig, outfielder (b. 1926)
• 1982 - Duke Sedgwick, pitcher (b. 1898)
• 1989 - Steve Lembo, catcher (b. 1926)
• 1991 - Dan McGee, infielder (b. 1911)
• 1991 - Herb Thomas, outfielder (b. 1902)
• 1994 - Russ Scarritt, outfielder (b. 1903)
• 2000 - Miguel Caldés, Cuban league outfielder (b. 1970)
• 2001 - Eddie Popowski, manager (b. 1913)
• 2010 - Bert Bandy, minor league pitcher (b. 1946)
• 2010 - Ken Lehman, pitcher (b. 1928)