November 7

Events, births and deaths that occurred on November 7.

[edit] Events

• 1889 - The Brotherhood and its backers meet to begin preliminary work on the organization of a Players League. The players believe "that the game can be played more fairly and its business conducted more intelligently under a plan which excludes everything arbitrary and un-American."
• 1922 - The Philadelphia Phillies fire manager Kaiser Wilhelm. Veteran shortstop Art Fletcher succeeds him.
• 1927 - Coach Bill McKechnie replaces Bob O'Farrell as St. Louis Cardinals manager, and Burt Shotton moves up from Syracuse of the International League to manage the Philadelphia Phillies.
• 1928 - The Boston Braves trade National League batting champion Rogers Hornsby to the Chicago Cubs for $200,000 and players Freddie Maguire (IF), Percy Jones (P), Lou Legett (C), Socks Seibold and P Bruce Cunningham. The hard-hitting Hornsby, who posted a .387 batting average with 21 home runs for the Braves, will enjoy another spectacular season in 1929 for his new club. He will compile a .380 average with 39 home runs and 149 RBI. Braves owner-president Emil Fuchs also decides to be his own manager. Under Fuchs, the Braves will finish 56-98, good for last place. He will be the last manager with no professional playing experience until Ted Turner's one game on May 11, 1977.
• 1938 - Fred Haney is signed as manager of the St. Louis Browns.
• 1951 - Representative Emanuel Celler's committee issues financial data from 1945-1949 that differs with Walter O'Malley's numbers. According to Celler, the Brooklyn Dodgers made a profit of 2.364 million dollars in the five-year period. The Dodgers' "loss" of $129,318 in 1950 included a $167,000 loss due to the promotion of the Brooklyn Dodgers professional football team. In his continuing investigation into antitrust violations, Celler says that evidence in his committee suggests altering the reserve clause in that it does limit players.
• 1957 - Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jack Sanford, who posted a 19-8 record with 188 strikeouts and a 3.08 ERA, is named National League Rookie of the Year. Sanford beats out his teammate, first baseman Ed Bouchee.
• 1963 - New York Yankees catcher Elston Howard becomes the first black player to win the American League MVP Award. Howard beats out Al Kaline of the Detroit Tigers by 248 votes to 148 in the balloting.
• 1964 - The National League approves the move of the Milwaukee Braves to Atlanta but orders them to stay in Milwaukee for the 1965 season, in spite of poor attendance over the last two years. The Braves will eventually move to Atlanta in 1966.
• 1967 - St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Orlando Cepeda becomes only the second National League player to unanimously win the MVP Award. Cepeda batted .325 with 25 home runs and 111 RBI in leading the Cardinals to the pennant. New York Giants pitcher Carl Hubbell swept the National League MVP voting in 1936.
• 1972 - Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Bench, who posted a .270 average with 40 home runs and 125 RBI, wins the National League MVP Award for the second time in three years.
• 1973:
  • New Jersey becomes the first state which allows girls to play on Little League baseball teams.
  • The Chicago Cubs trade second baseman Glenn Beckert and a minor leaguer to the San Diego Padres for outfielder Jerry Morales.
• 1978 - In a controversial selection, Boston Red Sox outfielder Jim Rice is named American League Most Valuable Player over New York Yankees pitcher Ron Guidry. Rice led the AL in home runs (46), RBI (139), hits (213), triples and slugging percentage (.600), and became the first AL player to accumulate 400 total bases in a season since Joe DiMaggio in 1937, while Guidry posted a 25-3 record with 248 strikeouts and a 1.74 ERA for the pennant-winning Yankees.
• 1979 - Chicago Cubs closer Bruce Sutter, who had a 6-6 record with a 2.23 ERA and saved 37 of his team's 80 victories, wins the National League Cy Young Award by a 72-66 margin over Houston Astros starter Joe Niekro.
• 1983 - In Game 7 of the 1983 Japan Series, Yomiuri Giants pitcher Takashi Nishimoto carries a 2 - 0 lead into the 7th against the Seibu Lions and Osamu Higashio. The 1981 Japan Series MVP fades though, having already tossed two complete games and one relief appearance in the Series. In the 7th, Terry Whitfield of Seibu cracks a bases-loaded double to win it, 3 - 2.
• 1988:
  • Art Howe, who played for the Houston Astros from 1976 through 1983, is named Houston manager.
  • The Seattle Mariners hire Jim Lefebvre as their manager.
• 1989 - Gregg Olson of the Baltimore Orioles becomes the first relief pitcher to win the American League Rookie of the Year Award. Olson receives 26 of 28 first-place votes. Tom Gordon and Ken Griffey, Jr. are runner-ups.
• 1990 - Cleveland Indians catcher Sandy Alomar, Jr. wins the American League Rookie of the Year Award, joining Carlton Fisk and Mark McGwire as the only players to be elected unanimously.
• 1995 - MLB signs a $1.7 billion, five-year deal with FOX, NBC, ESPN and Liberty Media.
• 1997:
  • The Tampa Bay Devil Rays hire Larry Rothschild, former Florida Marlins' pitching coach, as their first-ever manager.
  • The New York Yankees trade pitcher Kenny Rogers to the Oakland Athletics for a player to be named later and cash considerations. Oakland will send third baseman Scott Brosius to the Yankees on November 18th to complete the trade.
• 2000:
  • Receiving 25 of 32 first-place votes, Atlanta Braves shortstop Rafael Furcal is selected by the Baseball Writers Association of America as the National League Rookie of the Year Award winner. Furcal, the only player listed on all 32 ballots, easily outdistances Cardinals pitcher Rick Ankiel and Mets outfielder Jay Payton.
  • Sandy Alderson, executive vice president of baseball operations in the Commissioner's office, announces that baseball will try to bring back the high strike next season.
• 2003 - Luis Garcia hits a 9th-inning tie-breaking home run, as Mexico upsets the United States team in the quarterfinals of the Olympic baseball qualifying tournament, 2 - 1. The loss means the US squad will be unable to defend its gold medal the next summer in Athens.
• 2004 - After refusing a $60 million, four-year contract extension from the Boston Red Sox the previous winter, Nomar Garciaparra signs a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs, the team he was traded to in 2004, for $8 million. The All-Star shortstop, who is coming off an injury-plagued season, can increase the value of the contract up to $11 million with bonus incentives based on performance and playing time.
• 2005:
  • Oakland Athletics reliever Huston Street and Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard are rewarded for their efforts by being named the American League and National League rookies of the year, respectively. Street became Oakland's closer when incumbent Octavio Dotel went down in May with an elbow injury that required surgery. Street saved 23 games in 27 chances to go along with a 5-1 record and a 1.72 ERA. Only Mariano Rivera's 1.38 ERA for the Yankees was better among AL relievers. Street had 72 strikeouts in 78 1/3 innings pitched, and opposing hitters batted only .194 against him. Howard became the Phillies' everyday first baseman in early July when slugger Jim Thome was sidelined for the season with an elbow injury. Howard, who led all major league rookies with 22 home runs, also posted a .288 average and 63 RBI in 312 at bats. He had 11 homers and 27 RBI in September and October as the Phillies battled the Houston Astros for the NL wild card until getting eliminated on the last day of the season.
  • With a resounding thud, a five-ton wrecking ball smashes into Busch Stadium to make room for a new ballpark to house the St. Louis Cardinals. Hundreds of observers line nearby streets or dotted rooftops to watch the beginning of the demolition to the 39-year-old facility.
  • Cleveland Indians general manager Mark Shapiro is selected Major League Baseball Executive of the Year by The Sporting News.
  • Washington Nationals general manager Jim Bowden and former Baltimore Orioles boss Jim Beattie will interview with the Boston Red Sox to replace departed GM Theo Epstein.
• 2007 - The 2007 Baseball World Cup begins in Taiwan. The Thai national team makes its Baseball World Cup debut, thanks to the Chinese national team avoiding the tournament due to political tension with Taiwan. Thailand loses its opener, 16 - 0, to the Dutch national team as Kenny Berkenbosch and Berry van Driel combine on a two-hitter. The other major game of the day involves a near-loss for the nine-time defending champion Cuban national team. Cuba trails Australia, 2 - 1, with two outs in the bottom of the 9th when veteran LF Frederich Cepeda slugs a two-strike pitch from Brad Thomas for a homer. DH Osmani Urrutia homers against Rich Thompson in the 10th for a Cuban win.
• 2009 - Six Yomiuri Giants team up on a shutout over the Nippon Ham Fighters in Game 6 of the 2009 Japan Series to take the club's 21st Japan Series title. Nippon Ham strands 13 in the 2 - 0 loss. Shinnosuke Abe doubles in the winner and is named Series MVP.
• 2010:
  • Behind rookie skipper Norifumi Nishimura, the Chiba Lotte Marines win the 2010 Japan Series, their second Japan Series title ever. They beat the Chunichi Dragons, 8 - 7, in a 12-inning Game 7, after a 2 - 2, 15-inning tie in Game 6. Toshiaki Imae goes 4 for 5 and scores the winning run, taking Series MVP honors for the second time in his career.
  • Cheng-Min Peng, first baseman for the Brother Elephants, is named CPBL MVP for 2010. He won his fifth batting title (.357) and also led in OBP, while placing second in slugging.
• 2011:
  • Suk-min Yoon is named KBO MVP for 2011. He won the pitching Triple Crown after going 17-5 with a 2.45 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 172 1/3 innings; he easily led in ERA (no one else under 3) and strikeouts (no one else over 150), while edging Sun-woo Kim for the most wins. Yoon gets 62 of 91 votes. Second place with 19 votes goes to closer Seung-hwan Oh, who had tied the KBO and Asian records with 47 saves but had asked voters to back his teammate Hyung-woo Choi. Choi, the home run, RBI and slugging leader, only gets 8 votes, while defending MVP Dae-ho Lee gets two. The KBO Rookie of the Year goes to speedy Samsung Lions outfielder Young-seop Bae.
  • The Minnesota Twins fire General Manager Bill Smith and replace him on an interim basis with his predecessor, Terry Ryan, who had stepped down in ­2007, complaining of burnout.
  • The Giants bolster their anemic offense by acquiring OF Melky Cabrera from Kansas City for Ps Jonathan Sanchez and Ryan Verdugo.
• 2012:
  • The Rockies name their former shortstop, Walt Weiss, as their new manager. Weiss had been coaching high school baseball in the Denver, CO area.

[edit] Births

• 1851 - Chris Von der Ahe, manager (d. 1913)
• 1857 - The Only Nolan, pitcher (d. 1913)
• 1868 - Julie Freeman, pitcher (d. 1921)
• 1872 - Billy Ging, pitcher (d. 1950)
• 1872 - Monte McFarland, pitcher (d. 1913)
• 1873 - Frank Eustace, infielder (d. 1932)
• 1886 - Ed Mensor, outfielder (d. 1970)
• 1889 - Tommy Thompson, pitcher (d. 1963)
• 1891 - Tracy Baker, infielder (d. 1975)
• 1893 - Roy Corgan, minor league infielder and manager (d. 1945)
• 1898 - Mike Pasquella, infielder (d. 1965)
• 1906 - Alan Strange, infielder (d. 1994)
• 1910 - Bill Brubaker, infielder (d. 1978)
• 1911 - Herb Crompton, catcher (d. 1963)
• 1916 - Henry Martinez, minor league infielder (d. 1945)
• 1918 - Ichizo Murase, NPB infielder (d. WWII)
• 1919 - Tommy Neill, outfielder (d. 1980)
• 1927 - Hiroshi Yamauchi, owner
• 1932 - Dick Stuart, infielder; All-Star (d. 2002)
• 1933 - Bob Hale, infielder (d. 2012)
• 1935 - Jay Hankins, outfielder
• 1938 - Jake Gibbs, catcher
• 1938 - Jim Kaat, pitcher; All-Star
• 1941 - Clarence Jones, outfielder
• 1944 - Joe Niekro, pitcher; All-Star (d. 2006)
• 1945 - Dave Bennett, pitcher
• 1947 - Don Newhauser, pitcher
• 1948 - Buck Martinez, catcher, manager
• 1948 - Tom Walker, pitcher
• 1950 - Willie Norwood, outfielder
• 1951 - Kazumasa Kono, NPB infielder
• 1951 - John Tamargo, catcher
• 1955 - Guy Sularz, infielder
• 1957 - Randy Taylor, scout
• 1958 - Reggie Patterson, pitcher
• 1958 - Matt Tyner, college coach
• 1959 - Rich Rodas, pitcher
• 1961 - Orlando Mercado, catcher
• 1965 - Kevin Bearse, pitcher
• 1966 - Brian Drahman, pitcher
• 1966 - William Suero, infielder (d. 1995)
• 1966 - Andy Tomberlin, outfielder
• 1967 - Dave Wainhouse, pitcher
• 1968 - Russ Springer, pitcher
• 1969 - Dave Fleming, pitcher
• 1970 - Stuart Spires, minor league pitcher
• 1971 - Todd Ritchie, pitcher
• 1972 - Sean Nolan, minor league infielder
• 1972 - Travis Smith, pitcher
• 1973 - Sean DePaula, pitcher
• 1974 - Kris Benson, pitcher
• 1974 - Glendon Rusch, pitcher
• 1976 - Brian Oliver, minor league infielder
• 1976 - Les Walrond, pitcher
• 1978 - Juan Salas, pitcher
• 1979 - Juan Brito, catcher
• 1979 - Willie Collazo, pitcher
• 1981 - Dave Krynzel, outfielder
• 1982 - Brian Horwitz, outfielder
• 1983 - Esmerling Vasquez, pitcher
• 1983 - Alinson Velasquez, Venezuelan womens' national team infielder
• 1983 - Tomoya Yagi, NPB pitcher
• 1984 - Keisaku Itokazu, NPB pitcher
• 1986 - Min-chul Keum, KBO pitcher
• 1986 - Drew Thompson, minor league infielder
• 1989 - Sonny Gray, minor league pitcher
• 1990 - Jorge Minyety, minor league infielder

[edit] Deaths

• 1888 - Rit Harrison, catcher/infielder (b. 1849)
• 1901 - Tub Welch, catcher (b. 1866)
• 1904 - Fred Carroll, catcher (b. 1864)
• 1918 - Mike Tiernan, outfielder (b. 1867)
• 1922 - Sam Thompson, outfielder; Hall of Famer (b. 1860)
• 1925 - Sam Kimber, pitcher (b. 1852)
• 1927 - Ed Clark, pitcher (b. 1863)
• 1930 - Warren Fitzgerald, pitcher (b. 1868)
• 1930 - John Hanna, catcher (b. 1863)
• 1943 - Bill Wolff, pitcher (b. 1876)
• 1946 - Tom Daly, catcher (b. 1891)
• 1947 - Cy Wright, infielder (b. 1893)
• 1948 - Jake Smith, pitcher (b. 1887)
• 1954 - Art Bues, infielder (b. 1888)
• 1954 - Charlie Frisbee, outfielder (b. 1874)
• 1966 - Rube Bressler, outfielder (b. 1894)
• 1969 - Chick Galloway, infielder (b. 1896)
• 1970 - Johnny Hudson, infielder (b. 1912)
• 1970 - Paul McCullough, pitcher (b. 1898)
• 1977 - Arthur Murphy, minor league infielder (b. 1898)
• 1982 - Jim Bivin, pitcher (b. 1909)
• 1989 - Tommy Tatum, outfielder (b. 1919)
• 1993 - Tex Shirley, pitcher (b. 1918)
• 1996 - Eddie Lukon, outfielder (b. 1920)
• 2006 - Buddy Kerr, infielder; All-Star (b. 1922)
• 2006 - Johnny Sain, pitcher; All-Star (b. 1917)
• 2009 - Bob Dillinger, infielder; All-Star (b. 1918)
• 2009 - John Scolinos, minor league infielder and college coach (b. 1918)
• 2010 - George Estock, pitcher (b. 1924)
• 2010 - Robert Quirk, minor league pitcher (b. 1928)
• 2012 - Henk Keulemans, Hoofdklasse infielder and manager (b. ????)