March 26
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 26.
[edit] Events
- 1919 - With major league spring training again delayed in an attempt to cut down expenses, the Cardinals open training in St. Louis at Washington University's Francis Field.
- 1920 - At spring training, Washington Senators pitcher Walter Johnson is out of control in his first intersquad game, hitting three batters and walking two. One of the batters he hits is Bucky Harris, who takes a pitch that glances off the side of his head. Johnson gives up seven runs in three innings pitched.
- 1936 - Hank Greenberg signs with the Detroit Tigers to a $20,000 contract, and Red Ruffing accepts $12,000 from the New York Yankees.
- 1937 - On the advice of Ty Cobb, Yankees outfielder Joe DiMaggio reduces the weight of his bat from 40 ounces to 36 ounces.
- 1940 - Slugger Chuck Klein, who was released by the Pittsburgh Pirates, signs for his third stint with the Philadelphia Phillies.
- 1947 - Cleveland Indians manager Lou Boudreau orders Jackie Price off the train at San Diego after Price lets loose two five-foot long snakes on the train from Los Angeles. A coach full of women returning from the American Bowling Congress are extremely upset by the prank. After Indians owner Bill Veeck says "either the snakes go or Price goes," the 35-year-old infielder's days are numbered.
- 1951 - In an exhibition game at University of Southern California, Mickey Mantle propels a home run estimated at 654 to 660 feet. The shot clears Bovard Field and then goes the width of a practice football field before landing. Mantle has two homers, a bases loaded triple, and drives in seven runs as the Yankees flunk the Trojans, 15 - 1.
- 1952 - The St. Louis Cardinals purchase infielder Gene Mauch from the New York Yankees.
- 1960 - An Baltimore Orioles-Cincinnati Reds series scheduled for Havana, Cuba, is moved to Miami, Florida, by Baltimore chief Lee MacPhail. The Reds, with a minor league club in Cuba, want the trip, but the Orioles fear increased political unrest in the area.
- 1969 - An indemnity of $540,000 is paid to the Pacific Coast League for the MLB invasion of San Diego and Seattle.
- 1973 - George Sisler dies in Richmond Heights, Missouri, at the age of 80. Sisler batted .340 with 2,812 hits over a 15-year major league career. In 1920, he set a ML record by collecting 257 hits. Sisler gained election to the Hall of Fame in 1939.
- 1974 - The Boston Red Sox release two future Hall of Famers when designated hitter Orlando Cepeda and shortstop Luis Aparicio are both given their unconditional releases. Aparicio, who elects to retire, finishes his career with 2,677 hits and 506 stolen bases and will enter the HoF in 1984. Cepeda will eventually with the Kansas City Royals, where he will complete his major league career in 1974. He will win election to the HoF in 1999.
- 1976 - The American League approves the sale of the Toronto Blue Jays to the Labbatt Brewing Company. The transaction is estimated at $7 million.
- 1977:
- Infielder Rico Petrocelli is released by the Boston Red Sox after a 13-season career for his only major league club. Petrocelli retires with 210 home runs and two All-Star appearances.
- The Oakland Athletics trade All-Star outfielder Claudell Washington to the Texas Rangers for two prospects and cash consideration.
- 1979 - The San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants announce that the 1980 exhibition series between the two teams will be played in Tokyo, Japan. Nevertheless, Giants owner Bob Lurie leaves the decision up to his players, who reject the agreement.
- 1987 - The Philadelphia Phillies trade outfielder Gary Redus to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for pitcher Joe Cowley.
- 1991 - Pinch-hitter Dan Lehrman of Ball State University ties an NCAA record by hitting two home runs in the same inning in a 13 - 8 victory over Indiana-Purdue.
- 1995 - The MLB season opens, reduced to 144 games.
- 1996 - Voters in San Francisco vote 2-to-1 in favor of a privately-funded stadium to replace Candlestick Park, the windy 36-year-old home of the Giants. The passage of the measure, the first step towards building the 42,000 seat bayside park, exempts the Giants from the waterside height restrictions. Plans call for the park to be ready for Opening Day, 2000.
- 1997 - The Florida Marlins acquire outfielder Cliff Floyd from the Montreal Expos in exchange for pitcher Dustin Hermanson and outfielder Joe Orsulak.
- 1998 - Free agent second baseman Mark Lemke signs a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox.
- 2000 - In just 17.6 seconds, the Kingdome is demolished into a mound of rubble over 65 feet high thanks to 21.6 miles of detonation cord and 5,800 holes filled with gelatin dynamite.
- 2001 - In a trade of pitchers, the Colorado Rockies send Brian Rose to the New York Mets in exchange for Mark Leiter. Rose will make three appearances for the Mets before being waived to the Florida Marlins.
- 2006 - St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Larry Bigbie is expected to be sidelined two to three weeks with a stress fracture of his left foot, and Seattle Mariners starting center fielder Jeremy Reed has a broken bone in his right wrist and could miss six weeks.
[edit] Births
- 1850 - Morrie Critchley, pitcher (d. 1910)
- 1869 - Jack McCarthy, outfielder (deceased)
- 1874 - Gene DeMontreville, infielder (d. 1935)
- 1879 - Charles Moran, infielder (d. 1934)
- 1884 - Rube Geyer, pitcher (d. 1962)
- 1889 - Joe Burns, outfielder (d. 1987)
- 1889 - Brad Hogg, pitcher (d. 1935)
- 1891 - Hardin Barry, pitcher (d. 1969)
- 1893 - Frank Brower, outfielder (d. 1960)
- 1895 - Joe Klugmann, infielder (d. 1951)
- 1901 - Jim Battle, infielder (d. 1965)
- 1909 - Alex Mustaikis, pitcher (d. 1970)
- 1913 - Bill Zuber, pitcher (d. 1982)
- 1914 - Hal Epps, outfielder (d. 2004)
- 1917 - Clayton Lambert, pitcher (d. 1981)
- 1925 - Ben Mondor, minor league executive
- 1936 - Harry Kalas, announcer (d. 2009)
- 1936 - Hiromi Wada, NPB catcher (d. 2009)
- 1939 - Al Neiger, pitcher
- 1942 - Mel Queen, pitcher, manager
- 1949 - Roger Hambright, pitcher
- 1950 - Steve Patchin, minor league catcher
- 1955 - Dan Morogiello, pitcher
- 1958 - Chris Codiroli, pitcher
- 1961 - Mike Warren, pitcher
- 1961 - Mickey Weston, pitcher
- 1962 - Kevin Seitzer, infielder; All-Star
- 1963 - Luis Medina, designated hitter
- 1964 - Mike Loynd, pitcher
- 1967 - Jarvis Brown, outfielder
- 1967 - Shawn Hare, outfielder
- 1968 - Gerald Alexander, pitcher
- 1968 - Shane Reynolds, pitcher; All-Star
- 1968 - Jose Vizcaino, infielder
- 1971 - Frank Lankford, pitcher
- 1971 - Jesus Tavarez, outfielder
- 1972 - Chad Epperson, minor league catcher and manager
- 1972 - Jason Maxwell, infielder
- 1977 - Ryan Jaroncyk, minor league infielder
- 1979 - Jason Dubois, outfielder
- 1981 - Hee-girl Kim, KBO pitcher
- 1981 - Josh Wilson, infielder
- 1982 - Brendan Ryan, infielder
- 1983 - Eric Hacker, pitcher
- 1986 - Ken-Wei Lin, Taiwan national team outfielder
- 1989 - Nick Lobanov, minor league pitcher
[edit] Deaths
- 1922 - Count Gedney, outfielder (b. 1849)
- 1936 - Dan Costello, outfielder (b. 1891)
- 1936 - Ed Hawk, pitcher (b. 1888)
- 1937 - Jerry Nops, pitcher (b. 1875)
- 1938 - Harry Hempstead, executive (b. ????)
- 1942 - Jimmy Burke, infielder, manager (b. 1874)
- 1944 - Neil Stynes, catcher (b. 1868)
- 1947 - Jim Bluejacket, pitcher (b. 1887)
- 1960 - Dan Tipple, pitcher (b. 1890)
- 1967 - Squanto Wilson, catcher (b. 1889)
- 1969 - Juan Ley Fong, minor league executive (b. 1900)
- 1973 - George Sisler, infielder, manager; Hall of Famer (b. 1893)
- 1974 - Art Kores, infielder (b. 1886)
- 1975 - Harley Young, pitcher (b. 1883)
- 1982 - Shigeru Mizuhara, NPB infielder and manager; Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame (b. 1909)
- 1986 - Mel Bosser, pitcher (b. 1914)
- 1990 - Chet Brewer, Negro League pitcher and manager (b. 1907)
- 2002 - Whitey Wietelmann, infielder (b. 1919)
- 2005 - Marius Russo, pitcher; All-Star (b. 1914)
