This day in baseball: Rogers Hornsby traded to Boston
Posted: January 10, 2022 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Boston Braves, Charles Stoneham, history, Jimmy Welsh, Major League Baseball, MLB, New York Giants, Rogers Hornsby, Shanty Hogan, sports Leave a commentRogers Hornsby was traded from the New York Giants to the Boston Braves on January 10, 1928. Giants owner Charles Stoneham had grown weary of Hornsby’s abrasive manner and gambling habits, and opted to trade Hornsby for catching prospect Shanty Hogan and outfielder Jimmy Welsh. During Hornsby’s season in Boston, he led the major leagues in hitting with a .387 batting average plus a .498 on-base-percentage, all while managing the club.
Rogers Hornsby (TIME Magazine cover, 9 July 1928)
This day in baseball: Charles Ebbets becomes president of the Dodgers
Posted: January 4, 2022 Filed under: 19th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Brooklyn Bridegrooms, Brooklyn Dodgers, Charles Byrne, Charles Ebbets, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, National League, sports Leave a commentIn the wake of the death of Charles H. Byrne, team secretary Charles Ebbets became president of the Bridegrooms (Dodgers) on January 4, 1898. The team’s future owner also managed the Brooklyn team for the last 110 games of the season, finishing tenth among the twelve teams of the National League.
Charles Ebbets, c. 1915 (Wikipedia)
This day in baseball: Buddy Lewis awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
Posted: December 28, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Buddy Lewis, Distinguished Flying Cross, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, sports, United States Army Air Forces, Washington Senators, World War II 2 CommentsSenators third baseman Buddy Lewis was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on December 28, 1944 for his service in the China Burma India Theater. During World War II, Lewis flew more than 500 missions for the U.S. Army Air Forces as a transport pilot. Lewis was released by the Army on July 20, 1945 and would return to baseball a week later.
Buddy Lewis, 1939 (Wikipedia)
This day in baseball: Moises Alou signs with the Giants
Posted: December 27, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, 21st Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Felipe Alou, Major League Baseball, MLB, Moises Alou, Montreal Expos, San Francisco Giants, sports 4 CommentsOn December 27, 2004, the San Francisco Giants signed free-agent outfielder Moises Alou to a one-year contract with an option for a second year. The Cubs refused to offer arbitration and let Alou go following the 2004 season, citing numerous fights with umpires. Alou’s signing with San Francisco marked the second time he would be managed by his father, Felipe, who was also his skipper when playing with the Expos from 1992-1996.
Moises Alou, 2005 (Wikipedia)
This day in baseball: Tris Speaker and Ty Cobb cleared by Landis
Posted: December 21, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Dutch Leonard, history, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, Major League Baseball, MLB, sports, Tris Speaker, Ty Cobb 2 CommentsOn December 21, 1926, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis dismissed a claim by Dutch Leonard alleging that Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker bet on a fixed game six years previous. The commissioner declared the matter closed, clearing both Speaker and Cobb of any wrongdoing when Leonard did not show up at a hearing to defend his accusations.
Kenesaw Mountain Landis
This day in baseball: A DH proposal
Posted: December 11, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: American League, Baseball, history, John Heydler, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, Major League Baseball, MLB, National League, sports Leave a commentIn an effort to speed up the game and add more offense, on December 11, 1928, National League president John Heydler proposed instituting a designated batter for the pitcher. The American League oppose the idea, however, and the NL withdrew the proposal before it could get to Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis to break the deadlock.
John Heydler, 1918 (The Sporting News)
This day in baseball: Billy Williams is Rookie of the Year
Posted: November 30, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Baseball Writers Association of America, Billy Williams, Chicago Cubs, Joe Torre, Major League Baseball, Milwaukee Braves, MLB, National League, Rookie of the Year, sports 3 CommentsOn November 30, 1961, Billy Williams of the Chicago Cubs was selected as the National League Rookie of the Year by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The outfielder hit 25 home runs and drove in 86 runs that year, and was selected on 10 of the 16 ballots cast by the writers. The runner-up in the voting, Braves catcher Joe Torre, received five votes from the writers.
Billy Williams in 1969 (Wikipedia)
This day in baseball: Joe Mauer named AL MVP
Posted: November 23, 2021 Filed under: 21st Century, This day in baseball | Tags: American League, Baseball, history, Joe Mauer, Major League Baseball, Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, Minnesota Twins, MLB, MVP, sports 2 CommentsJoe Mauer was named Most Valuable Player for the American League on November 23, 2009. In spite of missing the first month of the season with a back injury, Mauer received 27 of 28 first place votes from the BBWAA to become the fifth Twin in history to earn MVP honors.
Joe Mauer in 2008 (Wikipedia)
This day in baseball: The Alleghenys jump to the National League
Posted: November 18, 2021 Filed under: 19th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: American Association, Baseball, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, National League, Pittsburgh Alleghenys, Pittsburgh Pirates, Players' League, sports Leave a commentThe Pittsburgh Alleghenys left the American Association on November 18, 1886 to join the National League as an expansion team. In 1891, the Pittsburgh team would become known as the Pirates, a name derived from an incident involving the franchise accused of being “piratical” for taking players from rival teams in other leagues.
This day in baseball: Waitkus is Comeback Player of the Year
Posted: November 10, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Bernard Malamud, books, Eddie Waitkus, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, Philadelphia Phillies, sports, The Natural Leave a commentSeventeen months after being shot in the chest with a rifle by an obsessed fan, Eddie Waitkus was named the Comeback Player of the Year by the Associated Press on November 10, 1950. The Phillies’ infielder hit .284 that season and led the team with 102 runs scored, as he continued to be one of the best fielding first basemen in the league.
Waitkus’s story would provide part of the inspiration for Bernard Malamud’s The Natural, published in 1952.
Wikipedia
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