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March 8
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 | |
| Sources | |
| Baseball Library Chronology | |
| Today in Baseball History | |
Events, births and deaths that occurred on March 8.
[edit] Events
- 1900 - In New York, the National League meets, voting to shrink to eight teams. They pay the Baltimore owners $30,000 for their franchise, with Charles Ebbets and Ned Hanlon reserving the right to sell the players. Cleveland, Louisville, and Washington receive $10,000 each, with Louisville owner Barney Dreyfuss sending most of his players to his Pittsburgh Pirates team. The circuit will remain the same until the Boston Braves move to Milwaukee, WI in 1953.
- 1913 - The Federal League is organized as a six-team outlaw circuit and elects John T. Powers president. It will play 120 games at a level equivalent to the lower minor leagues, but will enhance its status considerably in 1914 to challenge the major leagues.
- 1923 - Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis allows former New York Giants pitcher Rube Benton to return to the National League. Benton had admitted prior knowledge of the 1919 World Series fix, but remained active, winning 22 games for St. Paul (American Association). NL President John Heydler disagrees with Landis, calling Benton undesirable, but does not stop the Cincinnati Reds from signing him. Benton, at age 35, will be 14-10 for the second-place Reds.
- 1930 - Babe Ruth signs a two-year contract with the New York Yankees for $160,000. At $80,000 per year, he becomes the highest-paid player of all time.
- 1938 - Lou Gehrig rejects the latest contract offer from the New York Yankees to a one-year deal worth $39,000. Four days later, Gehrig will agree to the same Yankees offer and end his spring training holdout.
- 1941 - Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Hugh Mulcahy becomes the first major league player to be drafted into the Armed Forces. The newest member of the 101st Artillery at Cape Cod's Camp Edwards lost 22 games last season and 20 in 1938 to lead the National League in defeats both years.
- 1947 - In the new Stadium del Cerro at Havana, Cuba, the Brooklyn Dodgers beat the New York Yankees, 1 - 0.
- 1953 - OF Jim Rice is born in Anderson, SC. He will gain fame as a slugger with the Boston Red Sox, starting with an outstanding rookie campaign in 1975, when he will finish second to teammate Fred Lynn for the Rookie of the Year Award. He will be the American League MVP in 1978 and retire in 1989 with 382 homers and 1451 RBI, having played his entire career with the Sox. Rice will be elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in 2009, in his last year of eligibility.
- 1956 - Pirates second-year man Roberto Clemente hits Pittsburgh's inaugural dinger of spring training in an in-house affair, coached by two key figures in Clemente's career: "Roberto Clemente slammed three hits today," reports the Associated Press, "including the first homer by a Pittsburgh Pirate, as the 'Sukeforths' defeated the 'Murtaughs' 9 - 3 in an intra-squad game."
- 1966 - The Hall of Fame Special Veterans Committee waives one of its election rules and selects manager Casey Stengel as the newest member of the Hall. Stengel managed the New York Mets for much of the 1965 season before falling and breaking his hip. The injury ended the elderly Stengel's career. Given his age, the Veterans Committee decides to make him immediately eligible for Cooperstown.
- 1985 - Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dave Stieb signs an unusual 11-year contract. The deal carries an estimated value of $25 million, based on deferred payments and incentives.
- 1999 - Hall of Fame centerfielder Joe DiMaggio dies of a lung cancer at age 84. Born in Martinez, California, DiMaggio arrived in the major leagues at the age of 21. He batted .323 in his first season and helped the New York Yankees to the 1936 World Championship. His rookie performance served as an indicator of future success, both for him and the Yankees. During his 13-year career, DiMaggio participated in 10 World Series, with his team winning the Championship nine times. In 1941, DiMaggio achieved his most famous milestone when he compiled a major league record 56-game hitting streak.
- 2001 - In a press release, the Baltimore Orioles announce Albert Belle, "has been found to be totally disabled and unable to perform as a Major League baseball player," due to a degenerative right hip. The Orioles will place the 34-year-old outfielder on the 60-day disabled list thus beginning the process which conforms to the procedure set forth by MLB in the case of a totally disabling and permanent injury to a player.
- 2006:
- Five games are played today in the inaugural World Baseball Classic. In the day's biggest upset, Adam Stern drives in four runs, has an inside-the-park home run and makes a clutch game-saving catch as Canada shocks the U.S., 8 - 6, leaving the Americans on the brink of elimination. The beating begins early as Canada powers over pitchers Dontrelle Willis and Al Leiter, taking an 8 - 0 lead at Chase Field.
- In other games played today, Mexico beats South Africa, 10 - 4; Cuba defeats Panama, 8 - 6 in 11 innings in the first tournament they have played against Major League stars; Puerto Rico earns an 8 - 3 win over the Netherlands; and Venezuela rebounds from a loss in its opener with a 6 - 0 victory over Italy as pitchers Freddy Garcia, Carlos Silva, Rafael Betancourt and Francisco Rodriguez combine in the two-hit, 12-strikeout shutout.
- 2008:
- In the 2008 Final Olympic Qualification Tournament, Taiwan tops Mexico, 6 - 1, as Mexico falls to 0-2 and is on the brink of elimination from contention. Chen-Min Peng collects three hits to lead the hit parade off Pablo Ortega and company, while Chien-Fu Yang and two hard-throwing amateur relievers shut down a Mexican offense which includes a couple of former major leaguers.
- In other games today, South Korea routs Australia, 16 - 2. Seung-yeop Lee scores 3 and drives in 4 and three other South Koreans tack on 3 RBI apiece in the unexpected rout. Canada easily turns back South Africa as expected, with a 10 - 0, 7-inning win; and the German national team beats Spain, 1 - 0, to assure that they will get at least one win out of the event.
- 2009:
- In the 2009 World Baseball Classic, South Korea eliminates China with a 14 - 0 rout. Suk-min Yoon, Tae-hyon Chong and Chang-yong Lim combine on a two-hitter while walking none. Ki-hyuk Park and Bum-ho Lee each drive home 3 runs, while 11 different South Koreans cross home with runs.
- Cuba starts its tournament on the right foot by hitting a record six home runs in an 8 - 1 win over South Africa in Mexico City. Frederich Cepeda hits two of the dingers, while starting pitcher Norge Vera turns in a dominating performance on the mound against the weak-hitting South Africans.
- In other games, the Dominican Republic rebounds from their first-game defeat to rout Panama, 9 - 0, making the Panamanians the third country eliminated; Australia romps past Mexico, 17 - 7, as the hosts fade in Foro Sol Stadium after a five-run 1st inning against Craig Anderson; and in another high-scoring slugfest, Team USA beats Venezuela, 15 - 6.
- 2011:
- Major League Baseball names Dodgers Assistant General Manager Kim Ng, the highest-ranking woman in the major leagues, as senior Vice-President of baseball operations. She will report to former Dodgers manager Joe Torre, who was named Executive Vice-President last month.
- The Milwaukee Brewers announce that their prize off-season acquisition, P Zack Greinke, will likely miss the beginning of the year with a broken rib suffered in a pick-up basketball game this winter. Initial x-rays were negative, but another test this week revealed a hairline fracture.
- Twins 1B Justin Morneau returns to action for the first time in 8 months, having been sidelined by a concussion since July 7th of last year. He goes 1 for 2 with a three-run double in a spring training contest against the Pirates.
- 2012 - At this stage of spring training, injuries are the big story. News from the infirmary today includes Cardinals P Chris Carpenter, out with a stiff neck, Nationals OF prospect Bryce Harper, who has a tight calf muscle, and Yankees P David Robertson, who sprained his foot falling down some stairs while moving boxes at home.
- 2013:
- At the 2013 World Baseball Classic, the Dutch national team beats Cuba for the third straight game, having done so twice at the 2011 Baseball World Cup en route to the world title. Diegomar Markwell, Leon Boyd and Loek van Mil allow 12 hits but are backed by 5 double plays in the 6 - 2 win; Jonathan Schoop hits a three-run homer off Yadier Pedroso for half the offense and Curt Smith also goes deep for the winners.
- Japan survives a scare to open the second round of the Classic, scoring twice in the 8th, once in the 9th and once in the 10th for a 4 - 3 victory over Taiwan. Sho Nakata hits a sacrifice fly off Yi-Hao Lin to score Nobuhiro Matsuda. The Tokyo Dome capacity crowd can't breathe a sigh of relief yet, as Toshiya Sugiuchi gives up two hits in the bottom of the 10th with one out before Yung-Chi Chen hits into a game-ending twin killing. Chien-Ming Wang tosses six shutout innings for the losers, while Hirokazu Ibata and Atsunori Inaba each have three hits for the victors.
- Three first round games are also played in Pools C and D, over in North America. Italy continues to surprise, downing Canada, 14 - 4, in a game shortened by the mercy rule, while Mexico bounces back from its opening loss to Italy to defeat Team USA, 5 - 2, as R.A. Dickey allows four runs in as many innings. Meanwhile, Puerto Rico opens its ledger with a 3 - 0 shutout of Spain, making its World Baseball Classic debut.
[edit] Births
- 1857 - Bill Annis, outfielder (d. 1923)
- 1869 - Jim Hughey, pitcher (d. 1945)
- 1875 - Bob Brush, infielder (d. 1944)
- 1879 - Josh Clarke, outfielder (d. 1962)
- 1882 - Harry Lord, infielder, manager (d. 1948)
- 1888 - Frank Wickware, Negro League pitcher (d. 1967)
- 1891 - Ollie O'Mara, infielder (d. 1989)
- 1893 - Ray Francis, pitcher (d. 1934)
- 1895 - Jack Bentley, pitcher (d. 1969)
- 1896 - Lefty Clarke, pitcher (d. 1975)
- 1897 - Pat Flaherty II, minor league pitcher (d. 1970)
- 1898 - Phil Bedgood, pitcher (d. 1927)
- 1900 - Ralph Conger, college coach (d. 1941)
- 1902 - Bobby Goff, minor league player and manager (d. 1981)
- 1909 - Pete Fox, outfielder; All-Star (d. 1966)
- 1909 - Harold Kaese, writer (d. 1975)
- 1912 - Ray Mueller, catcher; All-Star (d. 1994)
- 1917 - Bill Salkeld, catcher (d. 1967)
- 1922 - Carl Furillo, outfielder; All-Star (d. 1989)
- 1922 - Al Gionfriddo, outfielder (d. 2003)
- 1924 - Toby Atwell, catcher; All-Star (d. 2003)
- 1926 - Dick Teed, pinch hitter
- 1930 - Bob Grim, pitcher; All-Star (d. 1996)
- 1934 - Marv Breeding, infielder (d. 2006)
- 1934 - Willard Hunter, pitcher
- 1935 - Willie Hooker, minor league pitcher
- 1937 - Jim Small, outfielder
- 1938 - Enrique Kerlegand, writer; Salon de la Fama
- 1939 - Jim Bouton, pitcher; All-Star
- 1940 - Jacques Doucet, announcer
- 1942 - Dick Allen, infielder; All-Star
- 1942 - George Gerberman, pitcher
- 1948 - Kwang-hwan Lee, KBO manager
- 1948 - Joe Staton, infielder
- 1949 - Juan Jimenez, pitcher (d. 2008)
- 1950 - Luigi Ugolotti, Serie A1 outfielder
- 1953 - Jim Rice, outfielder; All-Star , Hall of Famer
- 1953 - Don Werner, catcher
- 1954 - Win Remmerswaal, pitcher
- 1955 - Philip Nastu, pitcher
- 1957 - John Butcher, pitcher
- 1957 - Bob Stoddard, pitcher
- 1958 - Nick Capra, outfielder
- 1960 - Kevin Hagen, pitcher
- 1961 - Mark Salas, catcher
- 1964 - Lance McCullers, pitcher
- 1965 - Jerry Meyers, college coach
- 1966 - Mickey Pina, minor league outfielder
- 1967 - Lance Barksdale, umpire
- 1967 - Joel Johnston, pitcher
- 1968 - Jim Dougherty, pitcher
- 1968 - Saul Jimenez, minor league pitcher
- 1969 - Vladimir Pérez, minor league pitcher
- 1973 - Jimmy Gonzalez, minor league catcher
- 1973 - Daniel Lazo, Cuban league outfielder
- 1973 - Mark Lukasiewicz, pitcher
- 1973 - Justin Thompson, pitcher; All-Star
- 1974 - Stefan Fechtig, Bundesliga pitcher-infielder
- 1974 - Mike Moriarty, infielder
- 1975 - Jesus Pena, pitcher
- 1976 - Juan Encarnacion, outfielder
- 1976 - Ryan Freel, outfielder (d. 2012)
- 1976 - Pavlo Syvyrynchuk, Ukrainian national team outfielder
- 1976 - Hines Ward, drafted outfielder
- 1978 - Derek Mann, minor league infielder
- 1981 - Stephen Palos, Greek national team catcher
- 1982 - Craig Stansberry, infielder
- 1983 - Chris Lambert, pitcher
- 1983 - Mark Worrell, pitcher
- 1984 - Yoshihisa Hirano, NPB pitcher
- 1984 - Jimmy Mayer, minor league infielder
- 1987 - Daniel Gutierrez, minor league pitcher
- 1987 - Chih-Hsiang Lin, Taiwan national team infielder
- 1987 - Kun-Sheng Lin, Taiwan national team catcher
- 1991 - Rebecca Crosby, Women's Baseball World Cup pitcher
- 1994 - Nikita Atadzhanov, Russian national team infielder
[edit] Deaths
- 1924 - Myron Allen, outfielder (b. 1854)
- 1926 - Howard Armstrong, pitcher (b. 1889)
- 1939 - Scott Stratton, pitcher (b. 1869)
- 1971 - Tripp Sigman, outfielder (b. 1899)
- 1974 - Frank Pratt, pinch hitter (b. 1897)
- 1977 - Sid Benton, pitcher (b. 1895)
- 1978 - Red Smith, catcher (b. 1904)
- 1979 - Natilla Jiménez, minor league pitcher (b. 1918?1920?)
- 1981 - Gowell Claset, pitcher (b. 1907)
- 1983 - Abel Francisco Cano, writer; Salon de la Fama (b. 1917)
- 1984 - Bruce Cunningham, pitcher (b. 1905)
- 1985 - Al Todd, catcher (b. 1902)
- 1989 - Dale Coogan, infielder (b. 1930)
- 1991 - Gread McKinnis, Negro League pitcher (b. 1913)
- 1992 - Sherman Edwards, pitcher (b. 1909)
- 1996 - Bill Nicholson, outfielder; All-Star (b. 1914)
- 1999 - Joe DiMaggio, outfielder; All-Star, Hall of Famer (b. 1914)
- 1999 - Bill Wrigley, owner (b. 1933)
- 2002 - Ted Sepkowski, infielder (b. 1923)
- 2003 - Mickey McGowan, pitcher (b. 1921)
- 2007 - Marty Martinez, infielder; manager (b. 1941)
- 2007 - John Vukovich, infielder; manager (b. 1947)
- 2008 - Ossie Alvarez, outfielder (b. 1933)
- 2009 - Ed Wolfe, pitcher (b. 1929)
- 2011 - Albert Turner, minor league pitcher (b. 1929)
- 2012 - Boyd Veal, minor league pitcher (b. 1930)
