March 27
From BR Bullpen
| Stats of players who were born this day | |
| Stats of players who died on this day | |
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Events, births and deaths that occurred on March 27.
[edit] Events
- 1879 - Miller Huggins is born in Cincinnati, Ohio. A second baseman adept at getting on base, Huggins will led the National League in walks four times, score 100 or more runs three times, and regularly collect 30 or more stolen bases and an on base percentage near .400. He will start as a player-manager with the Cardinals before heading to the Yankees in 1918. Huggins will led the Yankees to six American League pennants and three World Series titles, and his "Murderers' Row" club, which won 110 games before sweeping the 1927 WS, has been considered one of the greatest teams history. Huggins will be selected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1964.
- 1886 - The Cincinnati Red Stockings announce that the American Association pennant they won in 1882 will be flown at home games this season "for luck."
- 1889 - The final game of the All-American All-Stars tour is played in Dublin, Ireland. The group sails for America the next day after playing 28 games overseas.
- 1890 - The application of an all-black club made up of former Cuban Giants players is rejected by the Inter-State League.
- 1897 - Cleveland Spiders president Frank DeHaas Robison proposes that National League clubs chip in to pay the 1896 salary of New York Giants stellar pitcher Amos Rusie, who refused to play due to a contract dispute. Robison and other NL officials want to avoid Rusie's lawsuit, in which he seeks free agency. Although New York president Andrew Freedman vehemently opposes the NL plan, the $3,000 payment is made and Rusie rejoins the Giants.
- 1902 - The nickname Cubs is coined by the Chicago Daily News, when an unbylined column notes that, manager Frank Selee will devote his strongest efforts on the team work of the new Cubs this year. In time, the Cubs will replace the Colts as the nickname for the Chicago National League club.
- 1917 - The Boston Red Sox beat the Brooklyn Robins, 11 - 2, in Hot Springs, Arkansas. For tomorrow's exhibition game in Memphis, Tennessee, players on both teams will sport numbers on their sleeves, the idea of Robins' owner Charles Ebbets. His reasoning is that fans in non-major league cities would be unfamiliar with the players.
- 1935 - With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and the bases loaded at Asahi Field, California, Russell Hinaga singles the winning run to give the San Jose Asahi a 3 - 2 victory over the visiting Tokyo Giants. A Japanese-American semi-pro team, the Asahi took their name from the Japanese word for "morning sun". The visitors will avenge their loss to San Jose the following season.
- 1938 - White Sox shortstop Luke Appling, sliding into second base in an exhibition game against the Cubs, fractures his right leg in two places and will miss almost half the season. He will return on July 8.
- 1941 - The New York Yankees sell pitcher Steve Sundra to the Washington Senators. Sundra, who posted a 11-1 record in 1939, slipped in 1940 to 4 - 6.
- 1948 - Former slugger Hank Greenberg, who tormented the Cleveland Indians for most of his career as a member of the Detroit Tigers, is hired as the Indians farm club director by Bill Veeck.
- 1961 - In a spring training game, Cardinals pitcher Larry Jackson suffers a broken jaw when hit by a fragment of Dodgers Duke Snider's broken bat. Jackson will be sidelined four weeks.
- 1973:
- Veteran pitcher Jim Perry of the Minnesota Twins becomes the first player in MLB to approve of being traded under the new "ten and five" rule. The Twins send Perry to the Detroit Tigers for a player and cash consideration. Perry, a 24-game winner in 1970, will win 14 games for the Tigers in 1973.
- The Atlanta Braves release former 30-game winner Denny McLain, ending his career at the age of 28. In 1972, the Braves had acquired McLain from the Oakland Athletics in a straight-up swap for first baseman Orlando Cepeda. McLain won the American League Cy Young Award in 1968 and 1969.
- 1978 - Oakland Athletics owner Charley Finley cancels the deal that would have sent the team to Denver, Colorado, under the sponsorship of magnate Marvin Davis. Objecting to some of the details, Finley decides to call off negotiations.
- 1982 - The Korea Baseball Organization opens its first regular season. Man-soo Lee hits the first home run in league annals but his Samsung Lions lose to the MBC Dragons in the 10th inning on a Jong-do Lee grand slam.
- 1984:
- The Houston Astros release J.R. Richard, ending his major league career. The hard-throwing Richard had been the Astros' top pitcher before suffering a stroke during the 1980 season.
- The Philadelphia Phillies trade outfielders Gary Matthews Sr. and Bob Dernier and pitcher Porfi Altamirano to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for pitcher Bill Campbell and catcher Mike Diaz. Matthews was named the NLCS Most Valuable Player last season, while Campbell led the National League with 82 pitching appearances. Dernier will win a Gold Glove for Chicago and help them reach the playoffs. His 45 stolen bases will be the most by a Cubs player since 1907.
- 1986 - MLB Rules Committee votes to change the designated hitter rule for the World Series, allowing a DH to be used in all games played in the American League club's home park. Since 1976, the DH had been used in all games in alternating years.
- 1987 - The New York Mets make one of the best trades in franchise history when acquire pitcher David Cone from the Kansas City Royals for catcher Ed Hearn and two pitching prospects. Cone will blossom as one of the National League better starters, posting a 20-3 record for the Mets in 1988.
- 1989 - Sports Illustrated publishes a story about Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose's gambling activities. Rose will eventually agree to a lifetime ban from MLB as part of an agreement with Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti.
- 1992:
- The San Diego Padres acquire third baseman Gary Sheffield and a minor leaguer from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for pitcher Ricky Bones, shortstop Jose Valentin and outfielder Matt Mieske. Sheffield will lead the National League in batting average in 1992 while making a strong run at the Triple Crown.
- A lawsuit is filed against Mets pitcher David Cone by three women charges him with exposing himself to them while in the bullpen at Shea Stadium.
- 1993 - The Chicago Cubs put second baseman Ryne Sandberg (broken hand) and shortstop Shawon Dunston (lower back rehab) on the disabled list. The two will miss Opening Day for the first time in nine years together.
- 1994 - The Baltimore Orioles trade first baseman David Segui to the New York Mets in exchange for pitcher Tom Wegmann and shortstop Kevin Baez.
- 1995 - The National Labor Relations Board files for an injunction to restore previous work rules to the game.
- 2000 - The Toronto Blue Jays sign former American League Rookie of the Year Marty Cordova to a contract.
- 2002:
- Jose Canseco is given his release by the Montreal Expos after being told he would not be an everyday player. Canseco, who needs 38 home runs to reach 500, batted .258 and hit 16 homers for the Chicago White Sox last season while appearing in 76 games.
- The Chicago Cubs send reliever Julian Tavarez and three minor league prospects to the Florida Marlins for reliever Antonio Alfonseca and starter Matt Clement. One of the prospects, Dontrelle Willis, is rated among the Cubs' top 20 prospects. Alfonseca, nicknamed "El Pulpo" (octopus) because he was born with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, will replace the injured Tom Gordon.
- 2006 - Two days after minor league umpires said they intend to strike, management's lawyer denied that unfair labor practices have been committed.
[edit] Births
- 1852 - Ed Cushman, pitcher (d. 1915)
- 1856 - Jim Tyng, pitcher (d. 1931)
- 1869 - Toby Lyons, pitcher (d. 1920)
- 1869 - Bill Wynne, pitcher (d. 1951)
- 1870 - Fred Siefke, infielder (d. 1893)
- 1875 - George Magoon, infielder (d. 1943)
- 1878 - Miller Huggins, infielder, manager; Hall of Famer (d. 1929)
- 1882 - Bill Collins, outfielder (d. 1961)
- 1891 - William Rumler, catcher (d. 1966)
- 1895 - Bill Burwell, pitcher, manager (d. 1973)
- 1897 - Joe Lucey, pitcher (d. 1980)
- 1897 - Effa Manley, Negro League owner (d. 1981)
- 1899 - Ed Hock, outfielder (d. 1963)
- 1899 - Marty Walker, pitcher (d. 1978)
- 1900 - Hal Weafer, umpire
- 1903 - Double Joe Dwyer, pinch hitter (d. 1992)
- 1905 - Johnny Gill, outfielder (d. 1984)
- 1906 - Fred Tauby, outfielder (d. 1955)
- 1910 - Vince Sherlock, infielder (d. 1997)
- 1910 - Steve Sundra, pitcher (d. 1952)
- 1911 - Walter Stephenson, catcher (d. 1993)
- 1915 - Newt Kimball, pitcher (d. 2001)
- 1922 - Josephine Kabick, AAGPBL pitcher (d. 1978)
- 1924 - Walt Linden, catcher
- 1927 - Dick Rozek, pitcher (d. 2001)
- 1929 - Milt Smith, infielder (d. 1997)
- 1931 - Bobby Prescott, outfielder
- 1932 - Wes Covington, outfielder
- 1933 - Don Lassetter, outfielder
- 1946 - Mike Jackson, pitcher
- 1946 - Bill Sudakis, infielder
- 1950 - Vic Harris, infielder
- 1950 - Lynn McGlothen, pitcher; All-Star (d. 1984)
- 1951 - Dick Ruthven, pitcher; All-Star
- 1953 - Gary Alexander, catcher
- 1956 - Dave Hostetler, infielder
- 1957 - Dave Van Gorder, catcher
- 1963 - Mike Dalton, pitcher
- 1963 - Drew Hall, pitcher
- 1967 - Jaime Navarro, pitcher
- 1967 - Candy Sierra, pitcher
- 1968 - Tom Quinlan, infielder
- 1969 - Todd Raleigh, minor league catcher; college coach
- 1970 - Derek Aucoin, pitcher
- 1972 - Creighton Gubanich, catcher
- 1972 - Adam Melhuse, catcher
- 1977 - Nate Rolison, infielder
- 1978 - Dee Brown, outfielder
- 1979 - Mike Cuddyer, infielder
- 1981 - Brian Slocum, pitcher
- 1983 - Josh Hill, minor league pitcher
[edit] Deaths
- 1902 - Tom Morrison, infielder (b. 1869)
- 1906 - Toad Ramsey, pitcher (b. 1864)
- 1917 - Willie Jensen, pitcher (b. 1889)
- 1926 - Kick Kelly, catcher (b. 1856)
- 1927 - Joe Start, infielder, manager (b. 1842)
- 1947 - Pete Lister, infielder (b. 1881)
- 1949 - Frank Gleich, outfielder (b. 1894)
- 1950 - Fred Frank, outfielder (b. 1874)
- 1955 - Frank Roth, catcher (b. 1878)
- 1962 - Bill Chambers, pitcher (b. 1889)
- 1963 - Fritz Knothe, infielder (b. 1903)
- 1975 - Oscar Fuhr, pitcher (b. 1893)
- 1978 - Dutch Zwilling, outfielder (b. 1888)
- 1984 - Baby Ortiz, pitcher (b. 1919)
- 1995 - Chet Nichols, pitcher (b. 1931)
- 1997 - Fred Chapman, infielder (b. 1916)
- 2004 - Bob Cremins, pitcher (b. 1906)
- 2008 - Billy Consolo, infielder (b. 1934)
