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March 14
From BR Bullpen
| Stats of players who were born this day | |
| Stats of players who died on this day | |
| Standings on this day | |
| Permanent link to Today's Entry | |
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| Baseball Library Chronology | |
| Today in Baseball History | |
Events, births and deaths that occurred on March 14.
[edit] Events
- 1883 - In a Northwestern League meeting, Peoria moves to ban black players in order to prevent Toledo from playing star catcher Moses Fleetwood Walker. After an "exciting discussion" the motion is withdrawn and Walker is allowed to play.
- 1894 - A U.S. Immigration Inspector in Buffalo, NY asks the Treasury Department if baseball is a "recognized profession" in order to determine if Buffalo has violated the alien contract labor law by signing two Canadian players. Before the inspector gets a reply, Buffalo decides to play only American residents.
- 1932 - The Cincinnati Reds acquire catcher Ernie Lombardi, outfielder Babe Herman, and infielder Wally Gilbert from the Brooklyn Dodgers for catcher Clyde Sukeforth and infielders Tony Cuccinello and Joe Stripp. Herman will bat .324 in one season in Cincinnati following the trade (he will later return to the club for two seasons), but Lombardi makes the trade a steal. Lombardi will bat .311 in 10 seasons in Cincinnati, winning a batting title and MVP Award in 1938.
- 1953 - St. Louis mayor Joseph Darst vows to fight losing the hometown Browns to Baltimore.
- 1954 - Hank Aaron makes his first spring training start for the Milwaukee Braves in an exhibition game against the Boston Red Sox. Aaron, taking advantage of an injury suffered by starting outfielder Bobby Thomson, raps out three hits, including a home run. The noise of the contact is so loud that Ted Williams runs out of the Boston clubhouse to see who can make that sound with a bat. Aaron will eventually start for the Braves on Opening Day and will go on to hit a respectable .280 with 13 home runs and 58 RBI in his rookie season.
- 1956 - 50-year-old pitching star Satchel Paige signs a contract to play for the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro National League. Paige also agrees to manage the team this season.
- 1960 - Kirby Puckett is born in Chicago, Illinois. Puckett will make his major league debut in 1984, when he hits .296 for the Minnesota Twins. Over a 12-year career, Puckett will bat .318 with 207 home runs and 1,085 RBI, helping the Twins to two World Championships. He will win election to the Hall of Fame in 2001.
- 1961 - The National League expansion franchise in New York names future Hall of Famer George Weiss as team president. Weiss retired as general manager of the Yankees in 1960.
- 1966 - Roberto Clemente's three-run, 450-foot home run powers the Pirates to their fourth straight exhibition victory. Clemente's blast follows 8th-inning singles by Manny Mota and Gene Alley and, judging from its epic dimensions, the early indications are that manager Harry Walker's call for increased power and run production from his already-raking right fielder has not fallen on deaf ears. And just in case these indications are somehow too subtle or ambiguous, Clemente will amplify them by about 50 feet on March 24th.
- 1969:
- Exactly nine days after his splashy spring debut on March 5th, indicative of a full recovery from last season's right shoulder injury, Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Roberto Clemente injures the other shoulder. "Clemente, who played last season with a bruised right shoulder," writes Charley Feeney in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, "injured his left shoulder when he attempted a diving catch of a foul fly in Friday's game against the Red Sox in Bradenton." After waiting 10 days for the shoulder to improve with no results, Clemente will return to Puerto Rico to consult his private trainer/chiropractor, Arturo Garcia.
- Former major leaguer Heinie Zimmerman dies in New York, NY at the age of 82. The one-time Triple Crown winner was banned from baseball in 1919 for his alleged involvement in fixing games. Later research will show that he had not in fact led the National League in RBI in 1912, and the Triple Crown banner will also be stripped away from him.
- 1991 - The California Angels obtain DH Dave Parker from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for OF Dante Bichette. Parker will be released by the Angels before the end of the season, and will finish his 19-year major league career with the Toronto Blue Jays, while Bichette will turn into one of the decade's most feared hitters while playing for the expansion Colorado Rockies.
- 1993 - The Cincinnati Reds announce that Schottzie 02, the St. Bernard dog owned by Reds president Marge Schott, is being banned from the field at Riverfront Stadium for the season.
- 1995 - The Players Association announces that it will not settle the strike if replacement players are used in regular season games, and if results are not voided.
- 2003:
- Milwaukee Brewers TV/Radio play-by-play announcer Bob Uecker is chosen for induction into the broadcasters' wing of the Hall of Fame as the recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award. The 68-year-old former back-up catcher, who joined the Milwaukee broadcast crew in 1971, is best known for the humor he has brought to the game through his starring role in the cult movie Major League and the beer commercial in which the phrase Must be in the front row! has become a familiar cry in ballparks around the country.
- Dependent on passing a physical, free agent Kenny Lofton agrees to a one-year pact to play with the Pittsburgh Pirates this season. Lofton will start in center field, moving Brian Giles to left field with LF Reggie Sanders going to right.
- Able to maintain the organization's "long-standing philosophy", which lets Cablevision customers choose whether or not to receive paid programming, the cable giant agrees to a one-year interim deal to offer the YES Network to New York Yankees fans for a fee, ending a bitter and costly year-long feud. The arrangement makes YES a premium channel instead of basic cable channel, which the new network had previously mandated and would have made every subscriber pay for the channel regardless of the viewer's choice.
- 2006:
- Two games are played today in Round Two of the inaugural World Baseball Classic. In Pool One, at Angel Stadium, pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka allows one hit in five shutout innings, and Japan beats Mexico, 6 - 1, to put the United States in danger of being eliminated before its next game. If Japan beats South Korea, the US team could be eliminated from contention before even playing Mexico.
- In Pool Two, Daniel Cabrera pitches four hitless innings with seven strikeouts, and the Dominican Republic one-hits Venezuela to advance to the semifinals with a 2 - 1 victory at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.
- The Washington Nationals can keep their nickname. Major League Baseball settles a lawsuit with a company that says it owns the trademark rights to the name Washington Nationals. It is also announced that designs for a 41,000-seat ballpark for Washington are unveiled by District of Columbia officials, a glass-and-steel structure clad in pale stone chosen to complement the world famous skyline of the nation's capital.
- Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona agrees to a two-year contract extension that runs through the 2008 season.
- 2008 - Though the three spots for Beijing have already been clinched in the 2008 Final Olympic Qualification Tournament, the final day is an exciting one as there are 3 one-run games and one close slugfest. In the most notable close call, tournament champion Canada needs 10 innings to beat Germany, 2 - 1. Soft-throwing André Hughes silences the Canadian bats most of the day. In the 10th, Dirk Fries issues a bases-loaded walk to Emerson Frostad to score Emmanuel Garcia with the winner. Mexico edges Spain, 2 - 1, with Cristhian Presichi scoring both runs as Mexico has a surprisingly tough time with Spanish ace Manny Olivera. Australia beats South Africa, 13 - 10, after South Africa had scored four runs in its first six games combined. Tom Brice scores four times in the win. Finally, South Korea tops Taiwan, 4 - 3, in a matchup of Beijing-bound teams. Youngster Kwang-hyun Kim gets the win while South Korea takes advantage of three defensive lapses by Taiwan's infield in the 2nd inning.
- 2009:
- The second round of the 2009 World Baseball Classic begins. Puerto Rico stuns Team USA with a 11 - 1, 7-inning mercy rule romp. Javier Vázquez allows one run in five innings while his teammates pound Jake Peavy and company. Carlos Beltrán goes 3 for 3 with a walk, steal, homer, 3 runs and 2 RBI to lead a strong offense.
- The Dutch national team allows only 3 hits to Venezuela but they are homers by Miguel Cabrera and José López and a triple by Endy Chávez, leading to 3 runs. Carlos Silva and three relievers hold the Netherlands to one run.
- 2010 - The Dodgers crush an All-Star team from the Chinese Professional Baseball League, 11 - 1, at Kaohsiung Stadium to complete their three-game tour in Taiwan. Josh Towers, Josh Lindblom and Jon Link, who are fighting for spots on the Dodgers' pitching staff, all impress manager Joe Torre.
- 2011 - A's closer Andrew Bailey leaves a game after experiencing discomfort while throwing. The team announces that he is headed to visit Dr. James Andrews in Alabama with what is described as "tightness in the forearm". Bailey already underwent Tommy John surgery after tearing a ligament in his elbow in 2005, and missed the second half of last season with an elbow injury. The A's will get some good news a day later when Dr. Andrews confirms that the injury is indeed only a strained forearm.
- 2012:
- The Royals suddenly find themselves short of catchers when expected starter Salvador Perez suffers a torn knee ligament while warming up Jonathan Sanchez prior to today's Grapefruit League game. He plays one inning, then leaves in pain and will need to undergo surgery. The injury comes three weeks after another backstop, Manny Pina, had to undergo surgery for torn cartilage, leaving the Royals with only two experienced catchers, Brayan Pena and non-roster invitee Max Ramirez, both of whom have been career back-ups.
- The bidding to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers from bankrupt owner Frank McCourt is down to four groups. Surprisingly, all the groups with strong ties to baseball or to the Los Angeles, CA area have been eliminated, leaving hedge-fund billionaire Steve Cohen as the front-runner. He is expected to hire long-time major league manager Tony LaRussa in a senior executive position if his bid, rumored to be worth $1.6 billion, is successful.
- 2013:
- The Dominican Republic edges the USA, 3 - 1, to win the third spot in the 2013 World Baseball Classic finals. With the game tied at one in the 9th, pinch-hitter Erick Aybar singles off Craig Kimbrel to score Nelson Cruz with the winner; Aybar scores an insurance run on a Jose Reyes hit. Fernando Rodney then goes 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 9th for his fourth save of the Classic. The US is still alive, but it must win a make-or-break game tomorrow against Puerto Rico.
- The Baseball Australia Hall of Fame class of 2013 is announced. They are 1980s outfielder Geoffrey Martin (1982 Claxton Shield MVP and 1988 Olympics player), 19th Century infielder and manager Joe Quinn (the only Australian-born major leaguer prior to 1986), 1960s pitcher Donald Rice (a four-time Claxton Shield All-Star), 19th Century player Sydney Smith and 1960s-1970s catcher Garry Thompson (a six-time Claxton Shield champion with South Australia).
[edit] Births
- 1855 - Bill Holbert, catcher, manager (d. 1935)
- 1860 - Billy O'Brien, infielder (d. 1911)
- 1864 - Pit Gilman, outfielder (d. 1950)
- 1865 - Tom Sexton, infielder (d. 1934)
- 1867 - Dad Meek, catcher (d. 1922)
- 1869 - Billy Rhines, pitcher (d. 1922)
- 1871 - Ben Conroy, infielder (d. 1937)
- 1875 - Wilbur Murdoch, outfielder (d. 1941)
- 1878 - Butch Rementer, catcher (d. 1922)
- 1880 - Lou Polchow, pitcher (d. 1912)
- 1884 - Jud Daley, outfielder (d. 1967)
- 1886 - Walt DeVoy, outfielder (d. 1953)
- 1888 - Hub Pernoll, pitcher (d. 1944)
- 1891 - Dave Gregg, pitcher (d. 1965)
- 1894 - Gene Layden, outfielder (d. 1984)
- 1897 - Bruce Hitt, pitcher (d. 1973)
- 1900 - Marty McManus, infielder, manager (d. 1966)
- 1902 - Basilio Rosell, minor league pitcher; Salon de la Fama (d. 1994)
- 1905 - Jack Rothrock, outfielder (d. 1980)
- 1908 - Santos Amaro, minor league outfielder; Salon de la Fama (d. 2001)
- 1914 - Red Marion, outfielder (d. 1975)
- 1916 - Bill Hoskins, Negro League outfielder (d. 1975)
- 1917 - Abel Francisco Cano, writer; Salon de la Fama (d. 1983)
- 1917 - Chuck Schramm, minor league player (d. 2012)
- 1918 - Arnold Carter, pitcher (d. 1989)
- 1921 - Bill Kennedy, pitcher (d. 1983)
- 1928 - Earl Smith, outfielder
- 1932 - Keiji Osawa, NPB outfielder and manager; Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame
- 1942 - Bob Raudman, outfielder
- 1944 - John Miller, infielder
- 1946 - Ron Law, pitcher
- 1947 - Billy Crystal, actor
- 1947 - Mike Strahler, pitcher
- 1948 - José Antonio Huelga, Cuban league pitcher (d. 1974)
- 1950 - Dave McKay, infielder
- 1953 - Tim Ireland, infielder
- 1954 - R.J. Harrison, minor league pitcher and manager
- 1955 - Bret Paris, minor league infielder
- 1956 - Butch Wynegar, catcher; All-Star
- 1957 - Steve Lake, catcher
- 1957 - Ty Waller, infielder
- 1960 - Jerry Willard, catcher
- 1960 - Kirby Puckett, outfielder; All-Star, Hall of Famer (d. 2006)
- 1962 - Oswald Boermans, Belgian national team infielder
- 1963 - Mike Rochford, pitcher
- 1965 - Kevin Brown, pitcher; All-Star
- 1966 - Billy Paul Carver, minor league catcher
- 1969 - Vicente Garibaldo, minor league infielder
- 1969 - Jalal Leach, outfielder
- 1970 - Brent Gates, infielder
- 1973 - Robert Dodd, pitcher
- 1974 - Adam Taylor, minor league catcher
- 1977 - Darren Blakely, minor league outfielder
- 1978 - Matt Kata, infielder
- 1979 - Yuichi Hisamoto, NPB pitcher
- 1979 - Jose Antonio Nunez, pitcher
- 1980 - Omar Moreno Jr., minor league outfielder
- 1981 - Bobby Jenks, pitcher; All-Star
- 1982 - Andrey Kripochin, Russian national team outfielder
- 1983 - Eli Iorg, minor league outfielder
- 1983 - Wardell Starling, minor league pitcher
- 1984 - Randor Bierd, pitcher
- 1985 - Steve Hill, catcher
- 1985 - Paul Nardozzi, minor league pitcher
- 1985 - Jamie Lehman, minor league pitcher
- 1986 - Chris Anderson, minor league pitcher
- 1987 - Alejandro Astorga, minor league pitcher
- 1988 - Josh Stinson, pitcher
- 1988 - Jose Urena, minor league player
- 1988 - Coty Woods, minor league pitcher
- 1989 - Felix Brown, French national team player
- 1989 - Marwin Gonzalez, infielder
[edit] Deaths
- 1910 - Mike Hines, catcher (b. 1862)
- 1922 - Danny Hoffman, outfielder (b. 1880)
- 1928 - Nat Hudson, pitcher (b. 1859)
- 1937 - Rudy Kling, infielder (b. 1870)
- 1952 - Fred Tschudin, minor league catcher and manager (b. 1922)
- 1956 - Lena Styles, catcher (b. 1899)
- 1963 - Charlie Harris, infielder (b. 1877)
- 1966 - Lee Magee, outfielder, manager (b. 1889)
- 1967 - Eddie Hunter, infielder (b. 1905)
- 1968 - Paul Carpenter, pitcher (b. 1894)
- 1969 - Heinie Zimmerman, infielder (b. 1887)
- 1970 - Jim Levey, infielder (b. 1906)
- 1974 - Alex Pompez, Negro League owner; Hall of Fame (b. 1890)
- 1975 - Tracy Baker, infielder (b. 1891)
- 1978 - Kent Greenfield, pitcher (b. 1902)
- 1980 - Al Wickland, outfielder (b. 1888)
- 1981 - Robert Abel, minor league executive (b. 1897)
- 1984 - Johnny Enzmann, pitcher (b. 1890)
- 1986 - Harold Arlin, announcer (b. 1895)
- 1988 - Zeb Terry, infielder (b. 1891)
- 1992 - Glenn Liebhardt, pitcher (b. 1910)
- 1995 - Charlie Letchas, infielder (b. 1915)
- 2003 - Al Gionfriddo, outfielder (b. 1922)
- 2003 - Ron Shoop, catcher (b. 1931)
- 2008 - Leon Revolinsky, minor league pitcher (b. 1912)
- 2008 - Matt Zidich, minor league pitcher, outfielder (b. 1927)
- 2010 - Mark Austry, minor league infielder (b. 1977)
- 2013 - Jack Curran, minor league pitcher (d. 1930)
