2002
» The Marlins send recently acquired P Mike Hampton to the Braves. In return, they obtain the young arms of Tim Spooneybarger and Ryan Baker. Spooneybarger had a 2.63 ERA in 51 games as a 22-year–old rookie (he also pitched in four games in 2001). Baker, 24, had a 3.72 ERA in class A.
2000
» The Mariners sign Japanese star OF Ichiro Suzuki to a 3-year contract.
1999
» Texas Rangers C Ivan Rodriguez is named the American League Most Valuable Player. Rodriguez was runnerup for team MVP to Rafael Palmeiro.
1998
» In a good swap for Pittsburgh, the Indians trade OF Brian Giles to the Pirates for P Ricardo Rincon.
1997
» The expansion draft for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks is held in Phoenix, Arizona. Florida pitcher Tony Saunders is taken with the 1st pick by the Devil Rays, while the Diamondbacks select pitcher Brian Anderson from Cleveland. Following the draft, the Diamondbacks acquire 3B Travis Fryman from the Tigers in exchange for infielders Joe Randa and Gabe Alvarez and P Matt Drews. They also obtain OF Devon White from the Marlins in exchange for P Jesus Martinez. In a rash of moves, the Devil Rays get 1B Fred McGriff from the Braves in exchange for a player to be named, C John Flaherty from the Padres in exchange for P Brian Boehringer and IF Andy Sheets, SS Kevin Stocker from the Phillies in exchange for Bobby Abreu, and sign free agent P Roberto Hernandez to a 4-year contract.
In one of their best swaps ever, the Red Sox obtain Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez from the Expos in exchange for P Carl Pavano and a player to be named.
The Rockies acquire 2B Mike Lansing from the Expos in exchange for pitchers Jake Westbrook and John Nicholson and OF Mike Hamlin.
The Marlins trade P Robb Nen to the Giants in exchange for pitchers Joe Fontenot, Mike Villano, and Mick Pageler.
The Yankees obtain 3B Scott Brosius from the Athletics to complete the Kenny Rogers deal.
The Mariners sign free agent 2B Joey Cora.
1994
» The Indians trade pitchers Dave Mlicki, Jerry Dipoto, Paul Byrd, and a player to be named to the Mets in exchange for OF Jeromy Burnitz and P Joe Roa.
1987
» Cubs OF Andre Dawson becomes the first player from a last-place club ever to win an MVP Award, taking National League honors for his .287-49-137 season.
1986
» Roger Clemens becomes the first starting pitcher to win the American League MVP Award since Vida Blue in 1971, receiving 19 of a possible 28 first-place votes to defeat runner-up Don Mattingly.
1985
» Willie McGee wins the National League MVP Award, capping a season in which he led the league in batting average (.353) and hits (216) and also stole 56 bases for St. Louis.
Dwight Gooden (NL) and Bret Saberhagen (American League) win the Cy Young Award in their respective leagues.
1981
» Phillies 3B Mike Schmidt wins his 2nd consecutive National League MVP Award, joining Ernie Banks and Joe Morgan as the only NL players to win the award back-to-back. Schmidt hit .316 with 31 home runs and 91 RBI in the abbreviated season and also led the league in runs and walks.
Dick Williams, fired by the Expos on September 7th, is named manager of the Padres. It is the 5th club Williams has managed since taking over the Red Sox in 1967.
1980
» Despite having missed 45 games with injuries, George Brett is named American League MVP. The 27-year-old third sacker's .390 average was the highest in the ML since Ted Williams' .406 in 1941. He added 24 home runs and 118 RBI to lead Kansas City to its first AL pennant.
The Yankees trade catcher Brad Gulden and cash to Seattle for infielder Larry Milbourne and a player to be named. That player will turn out to be Gulden, who Seattle will ship back to the Yanks on May 18, 1981.
1976
» The Yankees sign free agent pitcher Don Gullett for $2 million. The oft-injured Gullett will go 14–4 in 1977, but spend most of the next three seasons on the injured list.
1974
» In a three-way deal, San Diego trades slugger Nate Colbert to Detroit for Ed Brinkman, Bob Strampe and Dick Sharon. Brinkman is then packaged with Danny Breeden and shipped to St. Louis, and the Cards send pitchers Allan Foster, Rich Folkers, and Sonny Siebert to the Pads. None of the new Padres have a prayer, while the ailing Colbert, who set a record in 1972 by driving in 22.75% of his team's runs, will prove that his 1974 average of .207 was no fluke. He and Brinkman will play for three teams in 1975.
1970
» Johnny Bench wins the National League MVP Award with 326 points, 108 more than the Cubs Billy Williams. Bench had 45 homers, 148 RBI, and a .293 average for the Reds. His 355 total bases is a record for a catcher, one that will be tied by Mike Piazza in 1997.
1966
» Sandy Koufax announces his retirement, due to increasing pain in his arthritic left elbow.
1965
» Zoilo Versalles is named American League MVP. The Minnesota SS gets 275 votes to 174 for OF teammate Tony Oliva.
Wes Westrum is named the Mets manager for 1966.
1964
» Baltimore 3B Brooks Robinson is voted American League MVP, outpolling Mickey Mantle 269 to 171.
1963
» Detroit sends OF Rocky Colavito, P Bob Anderson, and a reported $50,000 to Kansas City for 2B Jerry Lumpe and pitchers Dave Wickersham and Ed Rakow.
1960
» Charlie Finley, 42-year-old insurance tycoon from Gary, IN, makes a formal bid for the new Los Angeles club.
1959
» OF Bob Allison of Washington is voted the American League Rookie of the Year. Cleveland's Jim Perry is a distant 2nd.
Kansas City announces that Bob Elliott will be its new manager, replacing the often-ill Harry Craft, who was released at the end of the season.
1958
» In a power struggle that has been brewing for some time within the Cleveland Indians organization, minority stockholders, led by Hank Greenberg, sell their stock to the majority stockholder, Chairman William Delay, who controls about 34 percent of the stock. Greenberg had proposed to Daley that he either buy Greenberg's group stock or sell his stock to the group.
Red Schoendienst of the Braves is diagnosed as having tuberculosis. He'll miss the entire 1959 season, compiling just three at bats.
1954
» The Athletics give manager Eddie Joost his unconditional release and hire Lou Boudreau to replace him.
In an enormous two-part trade begun on November 14, the Yankees and Orioles exchange 17 players. Included are 1B Dick Kryhoski, pitchers Bob Turley and Don Larsen, and SS Billy Hunter from Baltimore. To the Orioles go OF Gene Woodling, SS Willie Miranda, pitchers Harry Byrd and Jim McDonald, and catchers Gus Triandos and Hal Smith. The trade will help both teams.
1951
» Former Cub 1B and future TV star of The Rifleman Chuck Connors is the first player to oppose the ML draft. Currently the 1B of the LA Angels (PCL), Connors wants to stay in California, instead of going to whatever team might draft him for the ML. The PCL views his refusal in a positive manner, allowing them to ask higher prices for players than what the ML usually offers.
1949
» NL batting leader (.342) Jackie Robinson is picked
for the NL MVP award.
1947
» The Red Sox acquire All-Star SS Vern Stephens and
pitchers Jack Kramer and Ellis Kinder from the Browns
in exchange for 10 players and $375,000.
1934
» Al Schacht leaves Washington to join Boston as a coach, breaking up the clown act he had performed with Nick Altrock.
1924
» Oakland Oaks (PCL) owner Cal Ewing announces that he has sold the team to Washington Senator star Walter Johnson, represented by George Weiss, who deposited a check for $5,000 towards the purchase. Last month, Ewing announced that the sale price was an enthusiastic $450,000 (the St. Louis Cardinals recent sale was for $275,000). Nothing will come of all the talk, and Johnson will return to the Washington team.
1914
» Roger Bresnahan signs to manage the Cubs.
1899
» Ban Johnson, president of the new American League, contemplates exchanging players of equal ability with the National League and EL with a view to giving the public new attractions.
1887
» The National League adopts a new contract that spells out reserve provisions for the first time. The NL refuses to accept the players' demand that the salary be written out on all contracts, however.
1882
» The case of the Allegheny Club versus Charles Bennett is won by Bennett. Prior to the 1882 season Allegheny signed Bennett to a $100 agreement which stated that he would sign an 1883 contract with Allegheny after the season. Instead, Bennett re-signed with Detroit. This case will later have bearing on the fight over the reserve rule during the Players' League War of 1889-90.