February 18

Events, births and deaths that occurred on February 18.

[edit] Events

• 1884 - P/IF Terry Larkin, released from prison after serving several months for beating his wife and shooting a policeman, is rearrested for threatening to shoot his father. Larkin will eventually be freed to conclude his major league career this year, playing for the Washington Nationals and the Richmond Virginians in the American Association.
• 1891 - American Association owners dismiss league President Allen W. Thurman and replace him with Louis Kramer of Cincinnati. The owners also denounce the National Agreement, launching a new war with the rival National League. The owners are unhappy with Thurman's decision in the Lou Bierbauer case. In his capacity as Chairman of the National Board of Control which decides disputes under the National Agreement, he ruled that the AA's Philadelphia Athletics no longer had reserve rights over Bierbauer, who jumped from the Athletics to the Players League in 1890, and then refused to return to his old team after the Players League folded.
• 1909:
  • National League president Harry Pulliam, in ill health, is granted a leave of absence. The league secretary, John Heydler, assumes his duties. The NL abolishes Ladies Days, and sets a 25-player limit from May 15th to August 20th.
  • The Boston Red Sox trade Cy Young, who won 21 games at age 41 last season, to the Cleveland Naps for righty pitchers Charlie Chech and Jack Ryan plus $12,500. Young pitched for Cleveland in the 1890s when it fielded a team in the National League.
• 1916 - Major League Baseball initiates an option plan to protect minor league players.
• 1922:
  • Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis resigns his federal judgeship, claiming the two jobs (judge and Commissioner) take up too much time.
  • The Cincinnati Reds trade P Rube Marquard (17-14) and SS Larry Kopf to Boston for P Jack Scott (15-13).
• 1943 - New York lumberman William D. Cox buys the Philadelphia Phillies.
• 1944 - Fifteen-year-old Joe Nuxhall signs a contract with the Cincinnati Reds just one day after playing in a high school basketball game.
• 1954 - The Washington Senators get Roy Sievers from the Baltimore Orioles for Gil Coan.
• 1958 - Cleveland sends veteran C Jim Hegan and P Hank Aguirre to Detroit for C-OF Jay Porter and P Hal Woodeshick. Aguirre will pitch 10 years for Detroit.
• 1960 - Walter O'Malley, owner of the Dodgers, completes the purchase of the Chavez Ravine area in Los Angeles by paying $494,000 for property valued at $92,000.
• 1967 - During a special softball exhibition game, pitcher Eddie Feigner strikes out six consecutive major leaguers. The victims are Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Brooks Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, Roberto Clemente and Maury Wills.
• 1974 - The Houston Astros trade Pat Darcy to the Cincinnati Reds for Denis Menke. Playing in Houston for the second time, Menke will hang it up after hitting .103 in 30 games.
• 1993 - The Boston Red Sox sign free agent P Jeff Russell.
• 1998:
  • Chicago Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray dies four days after collapsing at a Valentine's Day supper. Caray, age 84, was known, among other things, for leading the fans in a rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the 7th-inning stretch at Wrigley Field. He previously broadcast the games of the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox in a career that spanned half a century.
  • The New York Yankees sign OF Bernie Williams to a $8.5 million, one-year contract, avoiding salary arbitration.
• 1999:
  • The Yankees put an end to trade rumors by acquiring Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for pitchers David Wells and Graeme Lloyd and IF Homer Bush.
  • The U.S. Postal Service issues a Jackie Robinson stamp as part of their "Celebrate the Century" program. Robinson was selected to represent the 1940s, the second ballplayer chosen. Babe Ruth, last May, represented the 1920s.
• 2005 - After five months of captivity in a Venezuelan jungle surrounded by explosives to keep her from escaping, Ugueth Urbina's mother, Maura Villarreal, is rescued during a daring eight-hour police raid. The kidnappers had demanded a $6 million ransom from the Tigers relief pitcher for his mom's freedom.
• 2010:
  • The Cleveland Indians shake up their front office: they announce that GM Mark Shapiro will become team President at the end of the season, when his assistant Chris Antonetti becomes General Manager. Current President Paul Dolan, the son of owner Larry Dolan, will become Chairman and CEO in his father's place. Antonetti, like newly-appointed Toronto Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos, began his career as an intern with the Montreal Expos. He joined the former franchise in 1997, before moving to the Indians in 1999, where he has held a number of front office positions.
  • The Dodgers offer former Cy Young Award winner Eric Gagné a minor league contract. One of LA's most popular players in the 2000s, Gagné saw his career hit the skids following elbow and back surgeries in 2005 and 2006, then was named in the Mitchell Report in 2007. Last season, he pitched for the Québec Capitales of the independent Can-Am Association, but he will fail in his attempt to return to the big leagues.
• 2011:
  • OF Jim Edmonds announces his retirement for the second time, two weeks after signing a minor league contract with the Cardinals, because of an achilles tendon injury he sustained while trotting out a home run on September 21st in what turned out to be the last at-bat of his career. He had first retired after the 2008 season, then came back last year to play with Milwaukee and Cincinnati when he hit .276 with 11 home runs and 23 RBI.
  • SS Garrett Wittels of Florida International University goes hitless in a game against Southeastern Louisiana University, ending his hitting streak at 56 games, two shy of the NCAA Division I record of 58 games set by Robin Ventura of Oklahoma State University in 1987. Wittels' streak began on February 10, 2010 and lasted all of last season before ending in this year's season opener.
  • The Orioles clear a spot on their roster for free agent DH Vladimir Guerrero, whose contract is finalized today, by placing P Alfredo Simon on the restricted list. Simon is still in custody in the Dominican Republic following a shooting death on New Year's Eve, but the O's are now cautiously optimistic that he may be released within 10 days as a result of developments in the investigation into the shooting that could clear him as a suspect.
• 2012 - The Yankees sign lefty P Clay Rapada to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

[edit] Births

• 1851 - Frederick Boardman, outfielder (d. 1941)
• 1856 - Frank Whitney, outfielder (d. 1943)
• 1860 - Frank Fennelly, infielder (d. 1920)
• 1864 - John Shaffer, pitcher (d. 1926)
• 1864 - Larry Twitchell, outfielder (d. 1930)
• 1865 - George Winkelman, pitcher/outfielder (d. 1960)
• 1871 - Charlie Knepper, pitcher (d. 1946)
• 1875 - Walter Thornton, outfielder (d. 1960)
• 1878 - Curt Bernard, outfielder (d. 1955)
• 1878 - Cuppy Groeschow, minor league player and manager (d. 1952)
• 1879 - Louis Leroy, pitcher (d. 1944)
• 1880 - Dad Hale, pitcher (d. 1946)
• 188? - Henry Wetzel, scout (d. ????)
• 1883 - Ray Ryan, minor league catcher and manager (d. 1958)
• 1887 - Curt Coleman, infielder (d. 1980)
• 1889 - George Mogridge, pitcher (d. 1962)
• 1891 - Sherry Smith, pitcher (d. 1949)
• 1891 - Zip Zabel, pitcher (d. 1970)
• 1892 - John Gallagher, infielder (d. 1952)
• 1895 - Antonio Delfin, minor league pitcher; Salon de la Fama (d. 1945)
• 1895 - Jake Kline, college coach (d. 1989)
• 1897 - Huck Betts, pitcher (d. 1987)
• 1910 - John Holland, general manager (d. 1979)
• 1915 - Lew Flick, outfielder (d. 1990)
• 1915 - Joe Gordon, infielder, manager; All-Star; Hall of Famer (d. 1978)
• 1918 - José Casanova, winter league manager (d. 1999)
• 1922 - Joe Brovia, pinch hitter (d. 1994)
• 1922 - Joe Tipton, catcher (d. 1994)
• 1922 - Connie Wisniewski, AAGPBL pitcher and outfielder (d. 1995)
• 1925 - Joe Lutz, infielder
• 1927 - Luis Arroyo, pitcher; All-Star
• 1927 - Herm Wehmeier, pitcher (d. 1973)
• 1929 - Lou Gorman, general manager (d. 2011)
• 1929 - Cal Neeman, catcher
• 1930 - Frank House, catcher (d. 2005)
• 1937 - Cananea Reyes, minor league player and manager; Salon de la Fama (d. 1991)
• 1938 - Manny Mota, outfielder; All-Star
• 1939 - Jesse Hickman, pitcher
• 1939 - Dal Maxvill, infielder
• 1939 - Bob Miller, pitcher (d. 1993)
• 1941 - Leo Marentette, pitcher
• 1944 - Syd O'Brien, infielder
• 1948 - Gary Sanserino, minor league infielder
• 1949 - John Mayberry, infielder; All-Star
• 1949 - Jerry Morales, outfielder; All-Star
• 1950 - Bruce Kison, pitcher
• 1952 - Marc Hill, catcher
• 1953 - Wayne Cato, minor league catcher and manager
• 1958 - Rafael Ramirez, infielder; All-Star
• 1960 - Bob Fallon, pitcher
• 1962 - Rocky Childress, pitcher
• 1963 - La Vel Freeman, designated hitter
• 1963 - Jeff McKnight, infielder
• 1964 - Kevin Tapani, pitcher
• 1965 - Masaki Saito, NPB pitcher
• 1966 - Abimael Rosario, Puerto Rican national team infielder
• 1967 - Matt Turner, pitcher
• 1967 - John Valentin, infielder
• 1968 - Kyle Abbott, pitcher
• 1970 - Paul Gibbs, minor league pitcher
• 1970 - Tyler Green, pitcher; All-Star
• 1970 - Liall Mauritz, South African national team pitcher
• 1971 - Rickard Reimer, Elitserien infielder
• 1973 - Shawn Estes, pitcher; All-Star
• 1973 - Bill King, minor league pitcher
• 1974 - Jamey Carroll, infielder
• 1975 - Chad Moeller, catcher
• 1980 - Walter Young, infielder
• 1981 - Alexis Rios, outfielder; All-Star
• 1981 - Alex Serrano, pitcher
• 1982 - Yazneris Ortiz, Puerto Rican womens' national team catcher
• 1982 - Saul Torres, minor league infielder
• 1983 - Fei Feng, Chinese national team outfielder
• 1983 - Yu Bing Jia, Chinese national team infielder
• 1983 - Jose Vargas, minor league pitcher
• 1984 - Brian Bogusevic, outfielder
• 1984 - Oleksandr Mamontov, Ukrainian national team infielder
• 1984 - Riccardo Suardi, Italian Baseball League outfielder
• 1985 - Rafael Galbizo, minor league pitcher
• 1990 - Didi Gregorius, infielder
• 1991 - Jacinda Barclay, Women's Baseball World Cup pitcher
• 1991 - Joly Fermin, minor league player

[edit] Deaths

• 1905 - Tom Poorman, outfielder (b. 1857)
• 1906 - Charlie Ingraham, catcher (b. 1860)
• 1911 - Buttons Briggs, pitcher (b. 1875)
• 1917 - Charles Fisher, infielder (b. 1852)
• 1925 - Charlie Dougherty, infielder (b. 1862)
• 1935 - Gene DeMontreville, infielder (b. 1874)
• 1941 - Tom Connelly, outfielder (b. 1897)
• 1944 - Hub Pernoll, pitcher (b. 1888)
• 1945 - John Munyan, catcher (b. 1860)
• 1949 - Marty O'Toole, pitcher (b. 1888)
• 1960 - Fred Schemanske, pitcher (b. 1903)
• 1964 - Bill Stewart, umpire (b. 1895)
• 1966 - Marty McManus, infielder, manager (b. 1900)
• 1967 - Ralph Miller, pitcher (b. 1899)
• 1968 - Ben Egan, catcher (b. 1883)
• 1968 - Dewey Griggs, scout (b. 1899)
• 1971 - Chuck Hostetler, outfielder (b. 1903)
• 1977 - George Zackert, pitcher (b. 1884)
• 1978 - Luke Hamlin, pitcher (b. 1904)
• 1980 - George Hesselbacher, pitcher (b. 1895)
• 1980 - Dick Stone, pitcher (b. 1911)
• 1981 - Sadayoshi Fujimoto, NPB manager; Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame (b. 1901)
• 1994 - Bill Clemensen, pitcher (b. 1919)
• 1997 - Austin Knickerbocker, outfielder (b. 1918)
• 1998 - Harry Caray, announcer (b. 1914)
• 2000 - Lefty Hoerst, pitcher (b. 1917)
• 2001 - Eddie Mathews, infielder, manager; All-Star, Hall of Famer (b. 1931)
• 2001 - Butch Wensloff, pitcher (b. 1915)
• 2007 - Danny Reynolds, infielder (b. 1919)
• 2009 - Ben Flowers, pitcher (b. 1927)
• 2010 - Bob Chakales, pitcher (b. 1927)
• 2010 - John Kibler, umpire (b. 1928)
• 2011 - Len Gilmore, pitcher (b. 1917)
• 2011 - Spook Jacobs, infielder (b. 1925)
• 2011 - Buddy Lewis, infielder; All-Star (b. 1916)
• 2011 - Keith Weber, minor league pitcher (b. 1942)