October 31
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 October 31.
[edit] Events
- 1900 - Ban Johnson writes a letter to National League president Nicholas Young seeking peace, based on parity as a major league for the American League.
- 1931 - The St. Louis Cardinals release the last legal spitballer, pitcher Burleigh Grimes.
- 1953 - After touring Japan with the New York Giants, commissioner Ford Frick compares the level of Japanese play to that of Class-A minor league baseball.
- 1957 - Yogi Berra of the New York Yankees says the team returned fine money to players involved in the Copacabana night club fight.
- 1960 - The San Francisco Giants acquire veteran shortstop Alvin Dark from the Milwaukee Braves and then sign Dark to a two-year contract as team manager. The Giants send infielder Andre Rodgers to the Braves as compensation for Dark.
- 1961 - A federal judge rules that Birmingham, Alabama laws against integrated playing fields are illegal, eliminating the last barrier against integration in the Southern Association. The circuit will choose to disband rather than abide the ruling and will be replaced in 1964 by the integrated Southern League.
- 1967 - San Francisco Giants pitcher Mike McCormick, the National League leader with 22 victories, is honored with the 1967 National League Cy Young Award. It is the first year in which pitchers are honored in both leagues.
- 1972 - Cleveland Indians pitcher Gaylord Perry wins the American League Cy Young Award by a 64-58 margin over Wilbur Wood of the Chicago White Sox. Perry won 24 games for the fifth-place Indians.
- 1973:
- Tom Seaver of the New York Mets wins the National League Cy Young Award, the first time the honor has gone to a pitcher with fewer than 20 victories. Seaver finished 19-10 and led the league in ERA (2.08) and strikeouts (251).
- The Philadelphia Phillies send third baseman Don Money and two others to the Milwaukee Brewers for four pitchers, including Jim Lonborg and Ken Brett. More importantly, the deal opens up third base for a young infielder named Mike Schmidt, who will embark on a Hall of Fame career.
- The Houston Astros trade pitcher Jerry Reuss to the Pittsburgh Pirates for catcher Milt May. Reuss will finally put it all together in Pittsburgh and win 58 games in four seasons.
- 1977 - In a trade of pitchers, Cincinnati sends Woodie Fryman and Bill Caudill to the Cubs for Bill Bonham.
- 1979 - Mike Flanagan, who posted a 23-9 record for the Baltimore Orioles, is named the winner of the American League Cy Young Award by a comfortable margin over Tommy John of the Yankees.
- 1995 - Retired second baseman Ryne Sandberg announces that he will return to the major leagues in 1996. The 10-time All-Star signs a one-year contract to play for the Chicago Cubs.
- 2000 - According to rankings of the Elias Sports Bureau, Randy Johnson is named the top player for the 2000 season.
- 2001 - For the first time since the Philadelphia Athletics's Mule Haas hit a game-tying two-run home run in Game Five of the 1929 World Series, a team comes from behind to tie a Fall Classic game in the 9th inning and goes on to win in extra innings. A two-out, two-run home run by Tino Martinez in the bottom of the 9th ties the game, and Derek Jeter hits a home run in the bottom of the 10th, giving the Yankees a 3 - 2 victory over Arizona to knot the World Series at two games apiece. Both homers come off Byung-Hyun Kim, who relieves Curt Schilling in the 8th inning. Mariano Rivera gets the win in relief for the Yankees. Following the 2010 season, a panel of experts at the MLB Network will vote this game the 12th greatest game of the past fifty years.
- 2005:
- Silver Slugger Award winners are announced in each league. In the American League Jason Varitek (C), Mark Teixeira (1B), Alfonso Soriano (2B), Alex Rodriguez (3B), Miguel Tejada (SS), Manny Ramirez (OF), Gary Sheffield (OF), Vladimir Guerrero (OF) and David Ortiz (DH) are the winners. In the National League Michael Barrett (C), Derrek Lee (1B), Jeff Kent (2B), Morgan Ensberg (3B), Felipe López (SS), Miguel Cabrera (OF), Andruw Jones (OF), Carlos Lee (OF) and Jason Marquis (P) are selected.
- Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein resigns, a stunning move that surprises the baseball world one year after he helped build Boston's first world champion since 1918. No replacement is named for Epstein, who reportedly told friends he might take a year off from baseball. He will return as general manager a few months later.
- 2007 - Danny Rios of the Doosan Bears wins the Korea Baseball Organization MVP award. He is the 4th straight pitcher to win the award and just the second foreigner to win it, following Tyrone Woods in 1998. Rios led the KBO in wins (22) and ERA (2.07).
- 2008 - The SK Wyverns win their second straight Korean Series, topping the Doosan Bears, 4 games to 1, in the 2008 Korean Series. Kwang-hyun Kim tosses 6 1/3 shutout innings in the finale and Series MVP Jung Choi drives in one of two Wyverns runs.
- 2009 - The New York Yankees take the lead in the World Series by winning Game 3, 8 - 5 over the Philadelphia Phillies in a game in which 6 home runs are hit - three by each team. Andy Pettitte is the winner over Cole Hamels.
- 2010:
- In the finals of the 2010 Intercontinental Cup, Cuba beats the Dutch national team, 4 - 1, behind a gem by Miguel A. González (2 H, 0 R in 8 IP) before a late Dutch rally loads the bases in the 9th against the Cuban bullpen. It marks the first Cuban Gold in a major event since the 2007 Pan American Games, a record drought of five tourneys. Cuba second baseman Héctor Olivera Jr. is named MVP. The Netherlands win their second Silver Medal in an Intercontinental Cup. Meanwhile, the Italian national team tops host Taiwan, 4 - 3, in the Bronze Medal game. It is Italy's first medal ever in an event other than the European Championship and the first time two European nations have won medals in a global baseball competition.
- In Game Four of the World Series, the Giants beat the Rangers, 4 - 0. San Francisco has the first starting all-rookie battery in a World Series game since Yogi Berra and Spec Shea in 1947 and both youngsters do well - Buster Posey homers while Madison Bumgarner tosses eight shutout innings of three-hit ball. The Giants become the first team since the 1966 Orioles to throw two shutouts in a Series.
- 2011:
- The Samsung Lions win the 2011 Korean Series behind rookie manager Jung-il Ryu. They top the SK Wyverns, 1 - 0, in Game 5 to take the Series. Woo-chan Cha tosses 7 shutout innings and Seung-hwan Oh gets the final four outs to earn his 3rd save and get the Korean Series MVP. It is Oh's second Korean Series MVP, the fourth player to win the award multiple times. Bong-kyu Kang hits a solo homer off Brian Gordon in the 4th inning for the only score.
- Only three days after leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a World Series title, manager Tony LaRussa announces his retirement after 33 seasons as a major league skipper. He is second on the all-time list in games managed, behind Connie Mack, and third in wins behind Mack and John McGraw.
- The Cleveland Indians acquire P Derek Lowe from Atlanta in return for minor league P Chris Jones and cash. Lowe led the major leagues with 17 losses last year.
[edit] Births
- 1856 - Kick Kelly, catcher (d. 1926)
- 1862 - Hardie Henderson, pitcher (d. 1903)
- 1864 - Dan Bickham, pitcher (d. 1951)
- 1874 - Harry Smith, catcher, manager (d. 1933)
- 1876 - Ed Fisher, pitcher (d. 1951)
- 1882 - Bert Daniels, outfielder (d. 1958)
- 1886 - Alex Malloy, pitcher (d. 1961)
- 1888 - Ed Burns, catcher (d. 1942)
- 1893 - Bill Herring, pitcher (d. 1962)
- 1894 - Ken Crawford, infielder (d. 1976)
- 1894 - Ray O'Brien, outfielder (d. 1942)
- 1896 - Leo Dickerman, pitcher (d. 1982)
- 1897 - Tony Rego, catcher (d. 1978)
- 1897 - Kettle Wirts, catcher (d. 1968)
- 1900 - Cal Hubbard Hall of Famer (d. 1977)
- 1901 - Roy Flaskamper, infielder (d. 1978)
- 1904 - Allyn Stout, pitcher (d. 1974)
- 1907 - Ray Treadaway, infielder (d. 1935)
- 1913 - Warren Huston, infielder (d. 1999)
- 1916 - Ken Keltner, infielder; All-Star (d. 1991)
- 1924 - Dee Fondy, infielder (d. 1999)
- 1934 - Carl Boles, outfielder
- 1934 - Roger Sawyer, minor league pitcher
- 1937 - Dave Tyriver, pitcher (d. 1988)
- 1938 - Jim Donohue, pitcher
- 1939 - Ed Stroud, outfielder
- 1941 - Ed Spiezio, infielder
- 1942 - Dave McNally, pitcher; All-Star (d. 2002)
- 1943 - John Hoffman, catcher (d. 2001)
- 1943 - Fred Klages, pitcher
- 1943 - Bill Voss, outfielder
- 1948 - Mickey Rivers, outfielder; All-Star
- 1951 - Dave Freisleben, pitcher
- 1951 - Lew Lerner, minor league pitcher
- 1951 - Dave Trembley, manager
- 1958 - Ray Soff, pitcher
- 1958 - Paul Zuvella, infielder
- 1960 - Mike Gallego, infielder
- 1963 - Fred McGriff, infielder; All-Star
- 1963 - Matt Nokes, catcher; All-Star
- 1963 - Mike Smith, pitcher
- 1964 - Steve Rosenberg, pitcher
- 1966 - Brian Keyser, pitcher
- 1968 - Eddie Taubensee, catcher
- 1969 - Oreste Marrero, infielder
- 1969 - Damon Mashore, outfielder
- 1970 - Steve Trachsel, pitcher; All-Star
- 1972 - Chris Clemons, pitcher
- 1973 - Tim Byrdak, pitcher
- 1973 - David Dellucci, outfielder
- 1974 - Steve Cox, infielder
- 1975 - Tim Harrell, minor league pitcher
- 1978 - Chris Cooper, minor league player
- 1979 - Brandon Cashman, minor league player
- 1980 - Jeff Albert, minor league outfielder
- 1980 - Marcos Mendoza, minor league pitcher
- 1981 - Mike Napoli, catcher
- 1981 - Jared Wells, pitcher
- 1982 - Alex Hinshaw, pitcher
- 1983 - Luis Mendoza, pitcher
- 1983 - Dennis van Hoof, First Division pitcher
- 1984 - Anthony Varvaro, pitcher
- 1985 - Javy Guerra, pitcher
- 1985 - Andy Parrino, infielder
- 1986 - Yung-Hsin Cheng, Taiwan womens' national team outfielder
- 1986 - Pei-Hsuan Chou, Taiwan womens' national team outfielder
- 1987 - Yamaico Navarro, infielder
- 1988 - Tyson Gillies, minor league outfielder
- 1989 - Ruben Fente, Division Honor pitcher
- 1989 - Scott McGough, minor league pitcher
- 1990 - Po-Cheng Chi, minor league pitcher
- 1990 - Lumarie Lourido, Puerto Rican womens' national team pitcher
- 1991 - Cédric De Smedt, First Division pitcher
[edit] Deaths
- 1901 - John Cahill, outfielder (b. 1865)
- 1916 - Nick Young, manager (b. 1840)
- 1918 - Charlie Hilsey, pitcher (b. 1864)
- 1922 - Dick Padden, infielder (b. 1870)
- 1933 - Charlie Loudenslager, infielder (b. 1881)
- 1936 - Deacon McGuire, catcher, manager (b. 1863)
- 1937 - Ed Walsh, pitcher (b. 1905)
- 1949 - Jack Lundbom, pitcher (b. 1877)
- 1956 - John Leighton, outfielder (b. 1861)
- 1966 - Elmer Johnson, catcher (b. 1884)
- 1968 - Ralph Glaze, pitcher (b. 1882)
- 1968 - Hub Perdue, pitcher (b. 1882)
- 1970 - Johnny Lucas, outfielder (b. 1903)
- 1974 - Buddy Myer, infielder; All-Star (b. 1904)
- 1976 - King Lear, pitcher (b. 1891)
- 1981 - Fred Archer, pitcher (b. 1910)
- 1982 - Sheriff Blake, pitcher (b. 1899)
- 1983 - George Halas, outfielder (b. 1895)
- 1991 - Dixie Parsons, catcher (b. 1916)
- 1997 - Sammy Hairston, catcher (b. 1920)
- 1998 - Bob Thurman, outfielder (b. 1917)
- 2000 - Andujar Cedeno, infielder (b. 1969)
- 2004 - Joe Mills, minor league infielder and manager (b. 1919)
- 2006 - Rocky Nelson, infielder (b. 1924)
- 2010 - Artie Wilson, infielder (b. 1920)
