November 29

Events, births and deaths that occurred on November 29.

[edit] Events

• 1910 - The Havana Reds beat the Detroit Tigers, 3 - 0, behind Chiche Gonzalez's 5-hitter. Ty Cobb goes 0 for 3 and is caught stealing by Bruce Petway. The story is later blown out of proportion to claim Cobb was caught 3 times, when in fact this is the only recorded steal attempt he had in five games in Cuba that winter.
• 1916 - In Kansas City, MO, Walter Johnson and Grover Cleveland Alexander face each other for the first time. The exhibition game between the two stars features Zach Wheat, Casey Stengel, Max Carey, Hal Chase and others. The "Johnsons" prevail over the "Alexanders", 3 - 2.
• 1926 - Tris Speaker resigns as Indians manager. Stories of a thrown game and betting on games by Ty Cobb and Speaker gain momentum when Judge Landis holds a secret hearing with the two stars and former P-OF Joe Wood. The story and testimony will not be released until December 21st. Former Tiger P Dutch Leonard wrote to Harry Heilmann that he had turned over letters written to him by Wood and Cobb to American League president Ban Johnson, implicating the two in betting on a Tiger-Cleveland game played in Detroit, MI, on September 25, 1919. He charged that Cobb and Speaker conspired to let Detroit win to help them gain 3rd-place money. At a secret meeting of AL directors, it was decided to let Cobb and Speaker resign with no publicity. But, as rumors spread, Judge Landis takes charge of the matter and holds the hearings, at which Leonard refuses to appear. Cobb and Wood admit to the letters, but say it was a horse racing bet, and contend Leonard is angry for having been released to the Pacific Coast League by Cobb. Speaker, not named in the letters, denies everything. Public sympathy is with the stars, but the matter will remain unresolved until January of next year.
• 1932 - The New York Giants release pitchers Waite Hoyt and Clarence Mitchell.
• 1936 - Judge Landis declares Lee Handley and Johnny Peacock of the Cincinnati Reds free agents. They had been covered up on minor league teams by the Reds.
• 1939 - Judge Landis fines Brooklyn, Detroit, and the St. Louis farm club, Columbus, for manipulating player contracts. He frees seven farmhands.
• 1957 - Mayor Robert Wagner forms a 4-member committee to find a replacement for the Dodgers and Giants in New York City.
• 1962:
  • After 61 years, the American Association (AAA) folds, with some of the franchises being absorbed by the International League and the Pacific Coast League. The PCL adds the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, Denver, CO and Oklahoma City, OK clubs and drops the Vancouver, BC club. The International League adds the Indianapolis, IN and Little Rock, AR clubs. As a result, both leagues became ten-club leagues. The American Association will re-form after expansion in 1969.
  • Major league officials and player representatives agree to return to a single All-Star Game in 1963. The players' pension fund will receive 95 percent of the one game's proceeds (rather than 60 percent of two games).
• 1964 - The Red Sox trade first baseman Dick Stuart to the Phillies for pitcher Dennis Bennett.
• 1965 - The Yankees trade utility player Phil Linz to the Phillies for Ruben Amaro.
• 1966:
  • The Dodgers trade two-time batting champ Tommy Davis and outfielder Derrell Griffith to the Mets for outfielder Jim Hickman and infielder Ron Hunt.
  • A circuit court jury in Chicago, IL awards Jim Brewer $100,000 in damages stemming from his 1960 on-field fight with Billy Martin.
  • The Yankees trade 3B Clete Boyer to the Braves for OF Bill Robinson and 39-year-old P Chi-Chi Olivo.
• 1967:
  • The White Sox reacquire SS Luis Aparicio, with OF Russ Snyder and 1B/OF John Matias, from Baltimore for pitchers Bruce Howard and Roger Nelson and IF Don Buford.
  • The Indians trade OF Chuck Hinton to the Angels for OF Jose Cardenal.
• 1971 - In three blockbuster deals, the Cubs trade P Ken Holtzman to the A's for OF Rick Monday; the Giants trade P Gaylord Perry and SS Frank Duffy to the Indians for P Sam McDowell; and the Reds trade 1B Lee May, 2B Tommy Helms, and OF Jimmy Stewart to the Astros for 2B Joe Morgan, OF Cesar Geronimo, and P Jack Billingham. This last trade, criticized in the Cincinnati press, is one of the best in Reds history, and puts the wheels on the Big Red Machine, as future Hall of Fame member Morgan will win two MVP Awards with the team.
• 1975 - Two Orioles standouts, with a combined total of 24 Gold Glove Awards, are each honored for the last time. Brooks Robinson and Paul Blair are the two making swan songs on The Sporting News fielding team, while outfielders Garry Maddox and Fred Lynn both win the award for the first time.
• 1976 - The Yankees sign free agent Reggie Jackson to five-year, $3.5 million dollar contract. During "Mr. October"'s tenure, the Bronx Bombers will win four division titles, three pennants and two World Series.
• 1979 - Commissioner Bowie Kuhn lets Billy Martin off with a warning, following the October 23rd barroom altercation with a marshmallow salesman.
• 1990 - A consortium of Canadian investors led by Montreal Expos president Claude Brochu agrees to buy the club from Charles Bronfman for a reported $85 million, assuring that the team will remain in Montréal, QC.
• 1992 - Marge Schott is quoted in today's New York Times as saying, that Adolph Hitler was initially good for Germany, that her references to "niggers" were in jest, and that she couldn't understand why the word "Jap" was offensive. The major leagues will appoint a four-man committee to investigate Schott and will eventually suspend her for her insensitive and inappropriate remarks.
• 1994 - The Marlins trade OF Carl Everett to the Mets in exchange for 2B Quilvio Veras.
• 1995 - The Dodgers trade 2B Miguel Cairo and 3B Willis Otanez to the Mariners in exchange for 3B Mike Blowers.
• 1995 - Charley Smith, the player traded to the Yankees from the Cardinals for Roger Maris in 1967, dies at age 57.
• 2000 - The Phillies sign free agent P Rheal Cormier to a 3-year contract worth $2.9 million.
• 2002 - The Reds and Padres reach an agreement to trade Ken Griffey, Jr. for Phil Nevin, but Nevin, with a no-trade clause in his contract, nixes the deal. He says he will only agree to a trade to a West Coast team that trains in Arizona. Griffey tore a tendon in his knee during the first week of last season, setting up another season limited by leg injuries. He also pulled a hamstring and strained hip muscles, limiting him to 70 games, a .264 average, eight homers and 23 RBIs. In a week, the White Sox will turn down an offer of Griffey for Magglio Ordonez.
• 2008 - The 2008-2009 Cuban season opens on a bad note for last year's champs. Santiago de Cuba loses, 11 - 3, to Pinar del Rio. Last year's MVP, Alexei Bell, is injured in his first plate appearance when a Yunieski Maya pitch hits him in the face. Luis Giraldo Casanova wins his managerial debut.
• 2010:
  • The Dodgers sign IF Juan Uribe to a three-year, $21 million contract. Uribe was a hero of the San Francisco Giants' recent conquest of the World Championship, and hit the home run that clinched the win over the Phillies in the NLCS.
  • The Rangers sign C Yorvit Torrealba to a 2-year deal.
• 2011:
  • The Samsung Lions win the 2011 Asia Series, the first non-Japanese team to win an Asia Series. After falling 9 - 0 in their first meeting this Series to the Softbank Hawks, they win 5 - 3 when it counts. Won-sam Jang gets his second win of the Series to take MVP honors, while Sho Iwasaki loses on one days' rest.
  • The Red Sox hire Bobby Valentine to be their new manager. He was most recently an analyst for ESPN, but has also managed the Texas Rangers and New York Mets for long stretches, in addition to spending seven years as a skipper for the Chiba Lotte Marines, leading them to one Japan Series title.
  • The Royals sign former Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton to a one-year contract. He was limited to 14 games last year because of elbow problems and is expected to become the set-up man for Joakim Soria, but will take over as closer when Soria goes down with an injury in spring training.
• 2012:
  • The Pirates outbid the Yankees to sign C Russell Martin to a two-year contract for $17 million, leaving the Yanks with a huge hole behind the plate.
  • The Nationals obtain CF Denard Span from the Twins for minor league P Alex Meyer. The move means that Rookie of the Year Bryce Harper will move to a corner spot, and that the Nats will not attempt to re-sign free agent 1B Adam LaRoche.

[edit] Births

• 1861 - Shadow Pyle, pitcher (d. 1908)
• 1864 - Bill Sowders, pitcher (d. 1951)
• 1869 - Bert Abbey, pitcher (d. 1962)
• 1873 - Jake Weimer, pitcher (d. 1928)
• 1876 - Walt McCredie, outfielder (d. 1934)
• 1878 - Tom Hughes, pitcher (d. 1956)
• 1884 - Hutch Campbell, infielder (d. 1946)
• 1885 - Scotty Alcock, infielder (d. 1973)
• 1885 - Jack Wanner, infielder (d. 1919)
• 1889 - Carl Weilman, pitcher (d. 1924)
• 1893 - Carter Elliott, infielder (d. 1959)
• 1893 - Charlie Snell, catcher (d. 1988)
• 1895 - Jack Enright, pitcher (d. 1975)
• 1896 - Joe DeBerry, pitcher (d. 1944)
• 1898 - Red Shea, pitcher (d. 1981)
• 1901 - Buddy Crump, outfielder (d. 1976)
• 1905 - Harlan Pyle, pitcher (d. 1993)
• 1908 - Harry Griswold, minor league catcher and manager (d. 1973)
• 1908 - Pat Simmons, pitcher (d. 1968)
• 1909 - Gus Brittain, catcher (d. 1974)
• 1910 - Ed Leip, infielder (d. 1983)
• 1913 - Harry Boyles, pitcher (d. 2005)
• 1914 - Joe Orengo, infielder (d. 1988)
• 1922 - Lynn Lovenguth, pitcher (d. 2000)
• 1924 - Irv Noren, outfielder; All-Star
• 1925 - Minnie Minoso, outfielder; All-Star
• 1927 - Gene Saragnese, minor league pitcher (d. 2008)
• 1928 - Bill Currie, pitcher
• 1931 - Paul Pettit, pitcher
• 1937 - George Thomas, outfielder
• 1939 - Jim Derrington, pitcher
• 1939 - Dick McAuliffe, infielder; All-Star
• 1941 - Bill Freehan, catcher; All-Star
• 1941 - Roberto Rodriguez, pitcher (d. 2012)
• 1943 - Dan McGinn, pitcher
• 1944 - Tsuyoshi Oshita, NPB infielder
• 1946 - Jerry Stitt, college coach
• 1950 - Mike Easler, outfielder; All-Star
• 1950 - Otto Velez, outfielder
• 1951 - Gary Wheelock, pitcher
• 1956 - Rick Anderson, pitcher
• 1956 - Joe Price, pitcher
• 1957 - Dennis Burtt, pitcher
• 1959 - Brian Holton, pitcher
• 1960 - Howard Johnson, infielder; All-Star
• 1962 - Logan White, minor league pitcher
• 1966 - Enrique Cortés, Division Honor infielder
• 1966 - Tim Stargell, minor league infielder
• 1966 - Shuji Yoshida, NPB pitcher
• 1967 - Bob Hamelin, designated hitter
• 1968 - Allen Battle, outfielder
• 1968 - Pedro Martinez, pitcher
• 1969 - Mariano Rivera, pitcher; All-Star
• 1970 - Steve Rodriguez, infielder
• 1971 - Gabriel Orozco, minor league pitcher
• 1976 - Takashi Ogasawara, NPB pitcher
• 1977 - Jason Alfaro, infielder
• 1979 - Francis Beltran, pitcher
• 1979 - Vince Harrison, minor league infielder
• 1980 - Brian Wolfe, pitcher
• 1980 - Ryan Mulhern, minor league player
• 1981 - Saxon Omandac, Philippines national team outfielder
• 1981 - Guillermo Quiroz, catcher
• 1982 - Mike Butia, minor league player
• 1983 - Craig Gentry, outfielder
• 1985 - Alex Castillo, minor league player
• 1985 - Jittiphong Chong-on, Thai national team infielder
• 1988 - Brett Hambright, drafted catcher
• 1988 - Russell Wilson, minor league infielder
• 1989 - Nicolas Migeot, First Division pitcher
• 1992 - Kevin Matthews, minor league pitcher

[edit] Deaths

• 1901 - Jim Sullivan, pitcher (b. 1867)
• 1916 - Bob Unglaub, infielder, manager (b. 1881)
• 1923 - Frank Pears, pitcher (b. 1866)
• 1929 - Jimmy Whelan, pinch hitter (b. 1890)
• 1933 - John Humphries, catcher (b. 1861)
• 1936 - Jack (RL) Jones, infielder (b. 1859)
• 1941 - Ed Hahn, outfielder (b. 1875)
• 1942 - Bob Bescher, outfielder (b. 1884)
• 1952 - Arlie Latham, infielder, manager (b. 1860)
• 1954 - Al Lawson, pitcher (b. 1869)
• 1962 - Red Kress, infielder (b. 1907)
• 1963 - Arch Reilly, infielder (b. 1891)
• 1972 - Bernie Neis, outfielder (b. 1895)
• 1973 - Tom Hamilton, infielder (b. 1925)
• 1974 - Al Moore, outfielder (b. 1902)
• 1978 - Kelly Searcy, minor league and Negro League pitcher (b. 1931)
• 1978 - Al Williamson, pitcher (b. 1900)
• 1980 - Bill Dunlap, outfielder (b. 1909)
• 1982 - Al Cicotte, pitcher (b. 1929)
• 1982 - Mays Copeland, pitcher (b. 1913)
• 1988 - Earl Bolyard, minor league outfielder (b. 1912)
• 1992 - Tuck Stainback, outfielder (b. 1911)
• 1994 - Charley Smith, infielder (b. 1937)
• 1998 - Jim Turner, pitcher; All-Star (b. 1903)
• 1999 - Tom Herrin, pitcher (b. 1929)
• 2001 - Marcelino Lopez, pitcher (b. 1943)
• 2001 - Norihiro Mizutani, NPB pitcher (b. 1950)
• 2003 - Jim Carlin, outfielder (b. 1918)
• 2003 - Jim Duffy, umpire (b. 1920)
• 2004 - Harry Danning, catcher; All-Star (b. 1911)
• 2005 - Vic Power, infielder; All-Star (b. 1927)
• 2006 - Pete Mikkelsen, pitcher (b. 1939)
• 2010 - Segal Drummond, minor league infielder (b. 1931)