March 16

Events, births and deaths that occurred on March 16.

[edit] Events

• 1895 - John T. Brush, owner of the Cincinnati Reds and the Indianapolis Hoosiers, transfers six Reds players to his other team. This sort of exchange becomes increasingly common in the 1890s as owners of more than one team shuttle their players between their teams throughout each season in an attempt to stock their most profitable team of the moment. This strategy causes much distrust among fans, who feel that their loyalties are being trampled.
• 1900 - At an American League meeting in Chicago, Ban Johnson announces that an A.L. team will be placed in the Windy City to ensure the stability of the league. Other franchises are in Kansas City, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland, and Buffalo. In an agreement with Chicago National League officials, the A.L. club will be situated on the south side of the city and will be permitted to use the nickname Chicago White Stockings, formerly used by the N.L. team. However, the White Stockings will not be able to use the word Chicago in their official name. The new franchise, known as the White Sox, will be the 1901 A.L. champion in the junior circuit's inaugural season as a major league.
• 1906 - Lloyd Waner is born in Harrah, Oklahoma. Although Waner weighs only 150 pounds in his prime, he can hit for average, steal bases, field and throw as a center fielder, and beat opponents in countless ways. He does not draw many walks or hit for much power, however. He will make his major league debut in 1927, batting .355 while garnering 223 hits, the latter figure establishing a National League rookie record that will stand until the 21st century. Waner will hit over .300 in 10 of his first 12 seasons, compiling a career mark of .316 with 2,459 hits, striking out just 173 times in an 18-season major league career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies and Brooklyn Dodgers. Waner will be elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1967 during one of their "open-door" periods.
• 1907 - In a trade of legendary outfielders, the Detroit Tigers send Ty Cobb to the Cleveland Naps in exchange for Elmer Flick. But Cleveland's manager, Nap Lajoie, rejects the trade of future Hall of Famerd. Flick will bat .302 this year, while Cobb will lead the American League with a .350 mark.
• 1908 - Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Honus Wagner, at age 34, announces his retirement. An annual rite of spring, it will not keep him from playing in 151 games, more than in any of the past 10 years, and leading the National League in batting average (for the sixth time), hits, total bases, doubles, triples, slugging, runs batted in, and stolen bases. He will miss the Triple Crown by hitting two fewer home runs than Tim Jordan's 12.
• 1932 - In St. Petersburg training camp, Babe Ruth signs a one-year contract for $75,000 and a percentage of the exhibition gate. Legend has it the Bambino signed a blank contract with the amount filled in later by New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert.
• 1937 - In an exhibition match, the Mexico City Agriculture team blanks the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1st inning before caving in and losing, 34 - 5. Ace Parker and Indian Bob Johnson pole home runs for the Athletics.
• 1953 - American League owners turn down a bid made by Bill Veeck to move the St. Louis Browns to Baltimore, MD. Spearheaded by Washington Senators owner Clark Griffith, the vote is 6-2 against. Some observers speculate that the rejection is meant to force Veeck into selling his majority interest in the franchise. The next day, Veeck announces his willingness to sell the Browns for just under $2.5 million. The vote only delays the move by a year, however.
• 1954 - The Baltimore Orioles purchase first baseman Eddie Waitkus from the Philadelphia Phillies.
• 1956 - Two Triples and one Triple Play, courtesy of Roberto Clemente and Eddie O'Brien respectively. These, along with the first home runs of the spring for Frank Thomas and Jack Shepard, are the highlights of Pittsburgh's exhibition win over Detroit, a somewhat slovenly 10 - 5 affair. For sheer novelty, O'Brien's spectacularly unsuccessful 6th-inning sacrifice attempt is hard to top. Les Biederman of the Pittsburgh Press reports: "O'Brien tried to bunt but popped the ball to pitcher Bill Black, who threw to first and the relay went to second base in time for the first triple play of the exhibition season." Going from the ridiculous to the sublime, there's Clemente, who, in Fort Myers as in Forbes Field, has quickly established himself as the fan favorite. By far the most incendiary of today's highlights are Clemente's two two-run triples. "Clemente brought down the house when he twice tripled with two aboard," writes Biederman, "and the 1,289 fans gave him the glad hand."
• 1960 - The Boston Red Sox send catcher Sammy White and outfielder Jim Marshall to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for catcher Russ Nixon. The trade is later canceled when White retires.
• 1961 - The state of New York approves a bond issue for the construction of a 55,000-seat stadium on the site of the 1939-40 World Fair in Queens' Flushing Meadows area. Shea Stadium will be inaugurated three years later.
• 1967 - In one of the highest-scoring spring training games ever, the Boston Red Sox tally 10 earned runs in the 9th inning to upend the New York Mets, 23 - 18. Boston outhits the Mets 23 to 17 and Jim Lonborg is the eventual winner over Jack Hamilton.
• 1969 - A plane crash in Maracaibo, Venezuela kills 155 passengers including highly touted prospect Nestor (Latigo) Chavez, en route to the San Francisco Giants spring training camp. The 21-year-old pitcher, who posted a 1-0 mark in his rookie season with the Giants, was 12-5 with Double-A Waterbury in the Eastern League in 1967, including seven shutouts.
• 1972:
  • Hall of Fame third baseman Pie Traynor dies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the age of 72. Traynor batted .320 over a 17-year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, with a career-high .366 in 1930.
  • Oakland Athletics holdout Vida Blue announces that he has rejected the team's latest contract offer and will retire to work for a company that makes toilet fixtures. The "retirement" won't last long, as Blue will eventually come to terms with Oakland and begin his season in May. A 24-game winner in 1971, Blue will have a 6-10 record in 1972 but redeem himself by saving Game 1 of the World Series.
• 1978 - High-priced free agent pitcher Andy Messersmith separates his shoulder in an exhibition game for the New York Yankees. A 20-game winner both for the Angels and Dodgers, Messersmith will never win a game for the Yankees.
• 1984 - The New York Mets sign suspended outfielder Jerry Martin as a free agent.
• 1985 - Denny McLain, winner of the American League Cy Young Award in 1968, is convicted of racketeering, extortion, and cocaine possession in Tampa, Florida. McLain will serve 29 months of a 23-year sentence before an appeals court overturns the decision.
• 1992:
  • Anaheim Angels pitcher Matt Keough is hit in the head by a batted ball during an exhibition game in Scottsdale, Arizona. He is taken to the hospital and undergoes emergency surgery to remove a blood clot. The injury will put an end to his comeback attempt.
  • The Pittsburgh Pirates trade pitcher John Smiley to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for pitcher Denny Neagle and outfielder Midre Cummings.
• 1994 - Eric Show, who won 100 games pitching for the San Diego Padres, dies at age 37 of unknown causes at Rancho L'Abri Drug and Alcohol treatment center near San Diego, California.
• 1999 - National League Rookie of the Year Kerry Wood suffers a ligament tear in his right elbow. It will require surgery that will keep him out of action until 2000.
• 2000:
  • In a three-team deal, the Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers, and Montreal Expos all exchange first basemen. Toronto trades David Segui to Texas, the Rangers then send Lee Stevens to the Expos, and Montreal then swaps Brad Fullmer to the Blue Jays to complete the circle.
  • Florida Marlins starting pitcher A.J. Burnett ruptures a ligament in his right thumb during a fielding practice drill. He won't make his first major league appearance of the year until July 20th.
• 2001 - Slugger Sammy Sosa signs a four-year contract extension with the Chicago Cubs. In the last three seasons the prolific home run hitter has averaged nearly sixty homers per year (179).
• 2006 - In the inaugural World Baseball Classic, Mexico eliminates the United States, 2 - 1, at Angel Stadium in front of 35,284 boisterous fans whose allegiance is split down the middle. Mexico had helped the United States in Round One by beating Canada, thus staving off elimination for the Americans, but showed no such gratitude in Round Two. Jorge Cantú drives in both runs and eight pitchers limit the US team to three hits, none after the 5th inning. With Japan, the United States and Mexico all finishing 1-2 in Round Two, a complicated tiebreaker involving runs allowed divided by the number of innings played against each other is invoked. Japan allowed the fewest runs per inning played and joins South Korea, Cuba and the Dominican Republic in the final round in San Diego. Roger Clemens gives up six hits and strikes out four, allowing two runs in 4 1/3 innings. In the 3rd inning, Mario Valenzuela slices a fly ball directly down the right field line that hits off the foul pole for a home run. But controversial umpire Bob Davidson rules the ball went off the short outfield wall and awards Valenzuela a double, which sets off a lengthy argument from Mexico. On March 12th, Davidson overruled a decision that denied Japan a crucial run in a loss to the United States. Cantú, however, nullifies the call this time with a two-out RBI single for a 1 - 0 Mexico lead. The United States score their only run in the 4th, when Vernon Wells drives in Chipper Jones with a sacrifice fly. In the inning, Valenzuela makes a defensive gem in right field, taking away a home run from Alex Rodriguez. He then scores his second run in the 5th on Cantú's RBI groundout. Those are all the runs Mexico needs.
• 2009:
  • Cuba knocks Mexico out of the 2009 World Baseball Classic with a 7 - 4 win. Frederich Cepeda goes 3 for 4 with a walk, double, run and 4 RBI while Jorge Campillo surrenders 5 runs in four innings of work for the losing club. Six teams remain in the event.
  • Venezuela becomes the first team to clinch a semifinal spot in the Classic as they top Puerto Rico, 2 - 0. Puerto Rico had been the only unbeaten team left in the competition; they strand numerous runners in the game. The contest involves an instant replay controversy. Ramón Hernández homers in the 7th; umpire Mark Wegner initially says the ball is in play and a triple. The umps try to use instant replay but the TV feed does not work. Relying on the opinion of 3B umpire Hitoshi Watarida, they rule it a home run. Replays later show that Watarida was correct.
• 2010 - Former All-Star second baseman Chuck Knoblauch pleads guilty to a charge of domestic violence, stemming from an assault on his common-law wife in their Houston, TX home last September. He is given a $1000 fine and probation time. Retirement has not been easy for Knoblauch; in 2007 he was named in the Mitchell Report for his use of performance-enhancing drugs as a player.
• 2011 - Frederich Cepeda homers for the sixth straight game, tying the Cuban record.
• 2012:
  • The 2012 Mexican League season begins with an exciting contest. The Mexico City Red Devils trail the Quintana Roo Tigers, 2 - 1, entering the 9th. Sandy Nin gets the first two outs for Quintana Roo and is about to shut the door when Mario Valenzuela goes deep. Two innings later, Mexico City's John Rodriguez clubs a two-run homer to wrap up the 4-2 comeback.
  • P Andy Pettitte ends his retirement after one year when he signs a minor league contract with the New York Yankees. The 39-year-old is expected to join the Yankees' starting rotation as soon as he has worked himself back into game shape.
  • The Phillies release P Dontrelle Willis, who was trying to make the team as a reliever.
• 2013:
  • The Dominican Republic defeats Puerto Rico, 2 - 0, to finish on top of its second-round pool, although both teams are headed to the 2013 World Baseball Classic semi-finals. Carlos Santana hits a solo homer and Wandy Rodriguez pitches six shutout innings for the winners.
  • Only eight days after pitching his final game for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic, Yadier Pedroso dies in a car crash on a highway outside Havana. Pedroso had beaten Yu Darvish in the finale of the 2004 World Junior Championship, been named Serie Nacional Rookie of the Year (2004-2005), had won a Silver Medal in the 2008 Olympics and had been the All-Star relief pitcher in both the 2010 Intercontinental Cup and 2011 Baseball World Cup.

[edit] Births

• 1847 - Bud Fowler, minor league infielder (d. 1913)
• 1854 - Blondie Purcell, outfielder, manager (d. 1912)
• 1859 - Jerry Denny, infielder (d. 1927)
• 1862 - Dan Abbott, pitcher (d. 1930)
• 1864 - Harry Sage, catcher (d. 1947)
• 1865 - Grant Briggs, catcher (d. 1928)
• 1865 - Patsy Donovan, outfielder, manager (d. 1953)
• 1871 - Bill Bernhard, pitcher (d. 1949)
• 1874 - Bill Duggleby, pitcher (d. 1944)
• 1880 - Alpha Brummage, college coach (d. 1963)
• 1881 - Art Kruger, outfielder (d. 1949)
• 1888 - Ralph Works, pitcher (d. 1941)
• 1896 - Arlas Taylor, pitcher (d. 1958)
• 1899 - Vic Keen, pitcher (d. 1976)
• 1902 - Jake Flowers, infielder (d. 1962)
• 1904 - Buddy Myer, infielder; All-Star (d. 1974)
• 1906 - Lloyd Waner, outfielder; All-Star, Hall of Famer (d. 1982)
• 1910 - Bob Poser, pitcher (d. 2002)
• 1912 - Bud Bates, outfielder (d. 1987)
• 1912 - Ed Edelen, pitcher (d. 1982)
• 1913 - Ken O'Dea, catcher; All-Star (d. 1985)
• 1916 - Tom Gorman, pitcher (d. 1986)
• 1918 - Vern Olsen, pitcher (d. 1989)
• 1924 - Tokichiro Ishii, college coach; Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame (d. 1999)
• 1927 - Clint Courtney, catcher (d. 1975)
• 1930 - Al Curtis, minor league pitcher
• 1930 - Hobie Landrith, catcher
• 1932 - Don Blasingame, infielder; All-Star (d. 2005)
• 1938 - Cal Browning, pitcher
• 1938 - Giuseppe Guilizzoni, Serie A1 infielder
• 1943 - Rick Reichardt, outfielder
• 1944 - Rick Renick, infielder
• 1947 - Tom Bradley, pitcher
• 1953 - Jay Franklin, pitcher
• 1953 - Rich Puig, infielder
• 1954 - Dan Duran, outfielder
• 1955 - John Leavitt, scout
• 1956 - Juan Espino, catcher
• 1959 - Charles Hudson, pitcher
• 1962 - Jaime Orozco, minor league pitcher; Salon de la Fama
• 1963 - Fieldin Culbreth, umpire
• 1965 - Jose Mota, infielder
• 1967 - Don Florence, pitcher
• 1970 - Curt Schmidt, pitcher
• 1971 - Bob Mumma, college coach
• 1973 - Ernesto Comoglio, Serie A1 pitcher
• 1973 - Adam Roberts, Great Britain national team infielder
• 1974 - Miguel Erroz, Division Honor infielder
• 1975 - Jorge Diaz, minor league infielder
• 1976 - Abraham Nunez, infielder
• 1978 - Giovanni Pantaleoni, Italian Baseball League infielder
• 1978 - Melvin Pizzaro, minor league pitcher
• 1979 - Hee-Seop Choi, infielder
• 1980 - Esteban Ramírez, Nicaraguan national team outfielder
• 1981 - Curtis Granderson, outfielder; All-Star
• 1982 - Brian Wilson, pitcher; All-Star
• 1983 - James Boone, minor league outfielder
• 1983 - Stephen Drew, infielder
• 1983 - Shih-Hao Huang, CPBL infielder
• 1983 - Brandon League, pitcher; All-Star
• 1983 - Rusty Ryal, infielder
• 1984 - Harvey Garcia, pitcher
• 1984 - Ulysses Roque, minor league pitcher
• 1985 - José Villegas, Nicaraguan national team pitcher
• 1986 - Mickey Storey, pitcher
• 1988 - Luis Machuca, minor league pitcher
• 1991 - Jeff Gelalich, minor league outfielder

[edit] Deaths

• 1884 - Art Croft, infielder (b. 1855)
• 1896 - Kid Madden, pitcher (b. 1866)
• 1899 - John Healy, pitcher (b. 1866)
• 1910 - Charlie Reipschlager, catcher (b. 1856)
• 1915 - Bill Monroe, Negro League infielder (b. 1876)
• 1927 - Jake Wells, catcher (b. 1863)
• 1932 - Lucas Juárez, minor league pitcher; Salon de la Fama (b. ????)
• 1933 - Jack Wieneke, pitcher (b. 1894)
• 1934 - Adrian Lynch, pitcher (b. 1897)
• 1935 - Ed Fuller, pitcher (b. 1868)
• 1935 - Oscar Streit, pitcher (b. 1873)
• 1939 - Sam Dungan, outfielder (b. 1866)
• 1950 - Nub Kleinke, pitcher (b. 1911)
• 1954 - George Grantham, infielder (b. 1900)
• 1955 - Red Booles, pitcher (b. 1880)
• 1958 - Leon Cadore, pitcher (b. 1891)
• 1959 - Ben Shaw, infielder (b. 1893)
• 1962 - Sumpter Clarke, outfielder (b. 1897)
• 1962 - Harry Feldman, pitcher (b. 1919)
• 1962 - George Orme, outfielder (b. 1891)
• 1963 - Tom Walsh, catcher (b. 1885)
• 1965 - Ed Roetz, infielder (b. 1905)
• 1969 - Nestor Chavez, pitcher (b. 1947)
• 1969 - Andy Rush, pitcher (b. 1889)
• 1971 - Ralph Birkofer, pitcher (b. 1908)
• 1971 - Joe Fautsch, pinch hitter (b. 1887)
• 1972 - Pie Traynor, infielder, manager; All-Star, Hall of Famer (b. 1899)
• 1974 - Joe Kohlman, pitcher (b. 1913)
• 1974 - Felton Snow, Negro League infielder and manager (b. 1905)
• 1978 - Moe Franklin, infielder (b. 1914)
• 1987 - Bob Kline, pitcher (b. 1909)
• 1988 - Jigger Statz, outfielder (b. 1897)
• 1994 - Eric Show, pitcher (b. 1956)
• 2000 - Carlos Velazquez, pitcher (b. 1948)
• 2005 - Dick Radatz, pitcher; All-Star (b. 1937)
• 2007 - Hubert Glenn, Negro League pitcher (b. 1916)
• 2008 - Bob Purkey, pitcher; All-Star (b. 1929)
• 2010 - Billy Hoeft, pitcher; All-Star (b. 1932)
• 2010 - Hachiro Maekawa, NPB pitcher (b. 1912)
• 2011 - Tom Dunbar, outfielder (b. 1959)
• 2013 - Yadier Pedroso, Cuban league pitcher (b. 1986)