March 24
From BR Bullpen
| Stats of players who were born this day | |
| Stats of players who died on this day | |
| Standings on this day | |
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| Today in Baseball History | |
Events, births and deaths that occurred on March 24.
[edit] Events
- 1889 - The minor league season opens with the California League in San Francisco and Stockton. This year's new rules include the first legal substitution rule and the reduction of balls for a walk from five to 4. The substitution rule, which allows a team to designate one man to be put into the game at the captain's discretion at the end of any inning, would soon be modified.
- 1911 - Matthew Stanley Robison, president of the St. Louis Cardinals, dies unexpectedly. He leaves the club and the bulk of his estate to his niece, Mrs. Helene Hathaway Britton, who becomes the first female owner of a major league club.
- 1933 - Babe Ruth, another victim of the Great Depression, takes a pay cut of $23,000 from his previous salary of $75,000.
- 1936 - Pitcher Paul Dean follows his brother Dizzy into the fold and signs with the St. Louis Cardinals for $10,000.
- 1947 - In a meeting at the Sarasota Terrace Hotel, in Florida, former Brooklyn Dodgers manager Leo Durocher admits to Commissioner Happy Chandler that he sometimes bets on card games with team's pitcher Kirby Higbe.
- 1952 - During spring training, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Slaybaugh was hit in the left eye with a line drive pitch and subsequently lost the eye. The young pitcher returned to the mound in 1953 and again in 1954 before he retired from professional baseball.
- 1953 - Larry Raines, on leave from military service, plays his first game for the Hankyu Braves. He will stay for the 1954 season, return in 1962, and will end his Japanese baseball career with a .302 batting average.
- 1956 - The Cleveland Indians sign veteran outfielder/first baseman Sam Mele, just released by the Boston Red Sox.
- 1959 - In Havana, Cuba, the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers play an exhibition game. For a pre-game photo, Reds outfielder Pete Whisenant swaps his glove for a Fidel Castro rebel's machine gun.
- 1960 - Commissioner Ford Frick says he will not allow the Continental League to pool players in the Western Carolinas League as it would violate existing major-minor league agreements.
- 1961:
- The New York State Senate approves $55 million in funding for a new stadium to be built at Flushing Meadows Park in Queens, NY. The park will be called Shea Stadium. After playing their first two seasons in the Polo Grounds, the Mets will move to Shea in 1964.
- In Mesa, Arizona, left fielder Orlando Cepeda gives the Cubs two runs with an error, then hits a three-run home run as the Giants defeat the Cubs, 13 - 12.
- 1962 - Third baseman Andy Carey, who was traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Philadelphia Phillies on December 15, refuses to report to his new team and is send to the Los Angeles Dodgers for two minor leaguers.
- 1967 - In a trade of infielders, the Houston Astros sen Sandy Alomar to the New York Mets in exchange for Derrell Griffith.
- 1970 - Commissioner Kuhn orders a halt to the use of X-5 balls.
- 1972 - The Cincinnati Reds send pitcher Tony Cloninger to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for second baseman Julian Javier.
- 1973 - The Cleveland Indians trade former All-Star catcher Ray Fosse to the Oakland Athletics for outfielder George Hendrick and catcher Dave Duncan. Fosse was once considered an untouchable before a serious injury suffered during a 1970 All-Star Game collision with Pete Rose.
- 1982 - Pitcher Fernando Valenzuela ends his holdout and reports to the Dodgers spring training camp in Vero Beach, Florida. In 1981, Valenzuela captured the Cy Young and National League Rookie of the Year awards after winning 19 games with a 2.48 ERA and 199 strikeouts. After winning just $42,500 in his rookie season, Valenzuela had asked for a raise to $1 million in 1982. The Dodgers unilaterally renewed his contract for a reported $350,000 instead.
- 1983 - The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee agrees to stage a six-team exhibition baseball tournament as part of the 1984 Olympics to be held in Los Angeles, California.
- 1984 - The Detroit Tigers acquire relief pitcher Willie Hernandez and first baseman Dave Bergman from the Philadelphia Phillies for catcher John Wockenfuss and outfielder Glenn Wilson. Hernandez will win the American League MVP and Cy Young awards after saving 32 games with an 1.92 ERA and 140.1 innings in 80 pitching appearances. His brilliant pitching during the off season will help Detroit to the World Championship.
- 1996 - At Tampa's Legends Field, Yankees infielder Tony Fernandez fractures his right elbow in a game against the Astros, and is placed on the 60-day disabled list.
- 2001 - Durable pitcher Tim Belcher announces his retirement. In a 14-season majors career, Belcher posted a 146-140 record with 1,519 strikeouts and a 4.24 ERA in 2,442.2 innings for the Dodgers, Reds, White Sox, Tigers, Mariners, Royals and Angels.
- 2006:
- The Kansas City Royals will start the season without pitcher Zack Greinke, and it remains uncertain when he will return. Greinke left spring training February 26 for unspecified personal reasons to return to his home in Orlando, Florida.
- Minor league umpires plan to strike when the season starts next month and filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board.
- The Arizona Diamondbacks released reliever Felix Heredia, and the Boston Red Sox claimed first baseman Hee-Seop Choi off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
[edit] Births
- 1849 - Sam Jackson, infielder (d. 1930)
- 1854 - Pat Sullivan, manager (d. 1896)
- 1863 - Jim McCauley, catcher (d. 1930)
- 1865 - Billy Klusman, infielder (d. 1907)
- 1869 - Al Lawson, pitcher (d. 1954)
- 1872 - Kip Selbach, outfielder (d. 1956)
- 1874 - Roy Thomas, outfielder (d. 1959)
- 1882 - Joe Bernard, pitcher (d. 1960)
- 1887 - Fatty Arbuckle, minor league owner (d. 1933)
- 1891 - Bob McClure (Negro Leagues), Negro League pitcher (d. 1931)
- 1891 - Ernie Shore, pitcher (d. 1980)
- 1892 - Fred Trautman, pitcher (d. 1964)
- 1893 - George Sisler, infielder, manager; Hall of Famer (d. 1973)
- 1906 - Pat Veltman, catcher (d. 1980)
- 1907 - Gus Dugas, outfielder (d. 1997)
- 1912 - Bill Lobe, coach (d. 1969)
- 1912 - Jud McLaughlin, pitcher (d. 1964)
- 1912 - Earl Bolyard, minor league outfielder (d. 1988)
- 1917 - Dave Bartosch, outfielder
- 1925 - Dick Kryhoski, infielder (d. 2007)
- 1931 - Joe Lewis, minor league pitcher and manager (d. 1996)
- 1937 - Dick Egan, pitcher
- 1937 - Bob Tillman, catcher (d. 2000)
- 1942 - Jesus Alou, outfielder
- 1947 - Mark Marquess, college coach; minor league infielder
- 1956 - Garry Templeton, infielder; All-Star
- 1958 - Bruce Hurst, pitcher; All-Star
- 1960 - Dwight Taylor, designated hitter
- 1961 - Al Chambers, designated hitter
- 1962 - Ron Robinson, pitcher
- 1964 - Keven Bottenfield, minor league catcher/infielder
- 1969 - Jose Cabrera, pitcher
- 1969 - Todd Claus, minor league infielder and manager
- 1969 - Gary Tatterson, minor league pitcher
- 1970 - Wilson Alvarez, pitcher; All-Star
- 1972 - Steve Karsay, pitcher
- 1974 - Jamie Arnold, pitcher
- 1974 - Jim Rushford, outfielder
- 1976 - Joe Davenport, pitcher
- 1976 - Scott Wiggins, pitcher
- 1979 - Norris Hopper, outfielder
- 1980 - Maikel Benner, Hoofdklasse catcher
- 1981 - Dirk Hayhurst, pitcher
- 1982 - Corey Hart, outfielder; All-Star
- 1982 - Dustin McGowan, pitcher
- 1982 - Heath Phillips, pitcher
- 1982 - Robinson Tejeda, pitcher
- 1983 - Chad Gaudin, pitcher
- 1983 - Devon Lowery, pitcher
- 1984 - José Julio Ruíz, Cuban league infielder
- 1985 - Chris Lubanski, minor league outfielder
[edit] Deaths
- 1888 - Bill Collver, outfielder (b. 1867)
- 1894 - Mike Jones, pitcher (b. 1865)
- 1901 - Mike Trost, catcher (b. 1866)
- 1914 - Jim Brennan, catcher (b. 1863)
- 1918 - Jack Farrell, infielder (b. 1892)
- 1919 - John Bates, pitcher (b. 1868)
- 1921 - Larry McLean, catcher (b. 1881)
- 1936 - Charlie Parsons, pitcher (b. 1863)
- 1938 - Al Burris, pitcher (b. 1874)
- 1938 - Joe Dolan, infielder (b. 1873)
- 1944 - Bob Glenalvin, infielder (b. 1867)
- 1948 - Jimmy Bannon, outfielder (b. 1871)
- 1950 - Bert Lewis, pitcher (b. 1895)
- 1966 - George O'Brien, catcher (b. 1889)
- 1968 - Ovid Nicholson, outfielder (b. 1888)
- 1971 - Verlon Walker, coach (b. 1929)
- 1972 - Dick Coffman, pitcher (b. 1906)
- 1983 - George Darrow, pitcher (b. 1903)
- 1986 - Hank Grampp, pitcher (b. 1903)
- 1996 - Ray Pepper, outfielder (b. 1905)
- 1996 - Jerry Robertson, pitcher (b. 1943)
- 1999 - Birdie Tebbetts, catcher, manager; All-Star (b. 1912)
- 2002 - Mace Brown, pitcher; All-Star (b. 1909)
