2001
» The Mets sign star Japanese P Satoru Komiyama to a 1-year contract. The 36-year-old Komiyama was a 7-time All-Star in Japan.
1999
» The Phillies sign free agent P Mike Jackson to a contract.
1998
» The Mets trade C Todd Hundley and minor league P Arnold Gooch to the Dodgers for C Charles Johnson and OF Roger Cedeno. They then swap Johnson to the Orioles for P Armando Benitez.
The Braves sign free agent OF Otis Nixon. The peripatetic speedster was a starter for Atlanta in 1991–93.
The Orioles sign slugger–grumbler outfielder Albert Belle to a 5–year contract.
The Rangers sign free agent 1B Rafael Palmeiro to a 5–year contract.
1997
» The Diamondbacks obtain 3B Matt Williams from the Indians in exchange for 3B Travis Fryman, P Tom Martin, and $3 million.
1995
» Dodger Hall of Famer Duke Snider is sentenced to two years probation and fined $5,000 for failing to pay taxes on money earned signing autographs at card shows.
1992
» The Astros sign free agent P Doug Drabek to a 4-year contract worth $19.5 million.
The Cubs sign free agent P Juan Guzman to a 4-year contract. Guzman is coming off his best ML season, going 16–11 with the Rangers.
1989
» Free-agent pitcher Mark Langston signs a 5-year contract with the Angels.
1987
» Free-agent OF Brett Butler signs a 2-year contract with the Giants. He hit .295 with 33 SBs for Cleveland in 1987.
1982
» Free-agent slugger Don Baylor signs a reported 5-year, $5 million contract with the Yankees.
1980
» Dodgers pitcher Steve Howe wins the National League Rookie of the Year Award, edging the Expos Bill Gullickson and the Phillies Lonnie Smith. Howe was 7-9 with a 2.65 ERA and 17 saves.
1979
» Padres OF Dave Winfield and Texas 3B Buddy Bell are first-time honorees as TSN announces the 1979 Gold Glove teams.
1971
» The Cubs release Ernie Banks and sign him as a coach. Mr. Cub finishes his playing career with 512 home runs and 1,636 RBI.
1970
» Pitchers Tom Phoebus, Al Severinsen, and Fred Beene, and SS Enzo Hernandez, go from the Orioles to the Padres for pitchers Pat Dobson and Tom Dukes. Dobson will win 20 games for the Orioles in 1971.
The Red Sox trade 2B Mike Andrews and SS Luis Alvarado to the White Sox for veteran SS Luis Aparicio.
1967
» Pacific Northwest Sports, Inc. is awarded one of the two American League expansion franchises. The team will play in Seattle.
1966
» Dodgers SS Maury Wills is traded to the Pirates for SS Gene Michael and 3B Bob Bailey. A deal has been expected since he bolted the Los Angeles trip to Japan.
1965
» The KC Athletics, which waived young Joe Rudi to the Indians in May, got him back, along with backup C Phil Roof. The Indians receive veteran OF Jim Landis and P Jim Rittwage. Rudi hit .254 at Dubuque this past season.
The Giants send Matty Alou, coming off a .231 season, to the Pirates for P Joe Gibbon and infielder Ossie Virgil. Alou will rebound to lead the National League in hitting and have four straight seasons over .331.
1964
» The White Sox trade P Ray Herbert and 1B Jeoff Long to the Phillies for OF Danny Cater and SS Lee Elia.
The Indians obtain OF Chuck Hinton from Washington for 1B Bob Chance and IF/OF Woody Held.
The Houston club officially changes its name from the Colt 45s to the Astros.
1963
» ML owners agree to allow the expansion clubs four protected first-year players who can be optioned to the minors without being subject to a draft.
1962
» A complete overhaul of the classifications is made. The Eastern and South Atlantic Leagues are promoted from Class A to Class AA. Classes B, C and D are abolished with those leagues being promoted to Class A. The Class B leagues were the Carolina and Northwest Leagues; The Class C leagues were the California, Mexican Center, Northern and Pioneer Leagues. The Class D leagues were the Florida State, Georgia-Florida, Midwest, New York-Pennsylvania and Western Carolina Leagues. The Appalachian League moves from Class D to Rookie classification.
1956
» Cincinnati slugger Frank Robinson is unanimously voted the National League Rookie of the Year. White Sox SS Luis Aparicio is voted American League Rookie of the Year with 22 points, beating out Oriole Tito Francona and Indian Rocky Colavito.
In front of an estimated 100,000 at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds, a U.S. Army team beats an Australian all-star team 11–5 in an Olympic exhibition game. Sergeant Vance Sutton hits a grand slam.
1955
» The Tigers bring back P Virgil Trucks in a trade with the White Sox for 3B Bubba Phillips.
1953
» The Red Sox trade for hard-hitting Jackie Jensen, sending Maury McDermott and Tom Umphlett to Washington. Jensen will average 25 home runs a year for his seven seasons in Fenway, lead the American League in RBIs three times, and win the MVP in 1958. A fear of flying will end his career early.
1949
» Attendance in the ML is 20.2 million, down from 20.9 in 1948. The Yankees and the Indians each finish with over 2.2 million, but the Browns fall to 270,000. The Browns will try to cover their light attendance with $200,000 obtained in cash in December sales of Bob Dillinger, Gerry Priddy, and Paul Lehner. The Browns get five players in the transactions.
1942
» At ML meetings in Chicago, the owners decide to restrict travel to a 3-trip schedule, rather than the customary 4. Spring training in 1943 will be limited to locations north of the Potomac or Ohio rivers and east of the Mississippi.
1930
» Shano Collins, a native New Englander, is appointed manager of the perennial last-place Boston Red Sox.
1912
» Braves owner James Gaffney purchases the Allston Golf Club on Commonwealth Avenue with a plan to construct a ball park there. Ground breaking will commence on March 20, 1915.
1898
» Club president Andrew Freedman renews the Giants' lease on the Polo Grounds for the next 10 years.
1896
» Amos Rusie, a season-long holdout, announces he will settle with New York and play next season.
1889
» The California League meets and officially awards the pennant to Oakland on the basis of their final day 5–4 win over San Francisco. The forfeit is thrown out.
1881
» The Buffalo club meeting reveals the Bison's home attendance for 1881 was just over 32,000.