2001
» Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners is named the AL Most Valuable Player. He becomes the second player in history to win both the Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in the same season.
2000
» The Astros sign free agent IF Jose Vizcaino to a contract.
1998
» The Mets trade C Jorge Fabregas to the Marlins in exchange for P Oscar Henriquez.
1997
» The Braves sign Rockies free agent 1B Andres Galarraga to a 3-year contract.
1995
» The Yankees trade minor league P Mike DeJean and a player to be named to the Rockies for C Joe Girardi. Girardi will solidify the catching for New York, while DeJean will set a ML mark for most appearances without a loss. He'll go 7–0 through 1998, while making 88 appearances, breaking a little-known mark set by Phil Paine. DeJean will be 2–4 in '99.
1990
» Oakland's Rickey Henderson edges Detroit's Cecil Fielder for the American League MVP Award. Henderson hit .325 with 28 home runs and a ML-best 65 stolen bases.
Red Sox ace Roger Clemens is suspended for the first five games of the 1991 season and fined $10,000 for his outburst in game four of the ALCS.
1989
» Brewers centerfielder Robin Yount edges the Rangers Ruben Sierra to win his 2nd American League MVP Award. Yount, who won as a SS in 1982, hit .318 last season with 21 home runs and 103 RBI.
1985
» Don Mattingly easily wins the American League MVP Award with a .324 average, becoming the first player from a non championship team to do so since 1978.
Jim Leyland is named manager of the Pirates for the 1986 season.
1984
» Four days after his 20th birthday, Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden becomes the youngest player ever to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award. Gooden was 17-9 with a 2.60 ERA and a ML-leading 276 strikeouts.
1979
» The Braves sign reliever Al Hrabosky, "the Mad Hungarian," a reentry free agent formerly with the Royals, to a 5-year pact worth $2.2 million.
1975
» The Giants fire manager Wes Westrum, coaxing Bill Rigney out of retirement to replace him.
1974
» Jeff Burroughs, the Texas OF who batted .301 with 25 home runs and a league-leading 118 RBI, wins the American League MVP Award.
1971
» TSN announces Gold Glove fielding teams. Among newcomers are OF Amos Otis in the AL and Bobby Bonds in the NL.
1969
» San Francisco's Willie McCovey edges Tom Seaver as National League MVP.
Joe Schultz is fired as manager of the Pilots.
Cleveland trades OF Jose Cardenal to St. Louis for OF Vada Pinson.
1967
» Mets P Tom Seaver (16-12) is named National League Rookie of the Year.
1962
» Sale of the Cleveland Indians is completed as Bill Daley and Gabe Paul take control.
Mickey Mantle is named the American League Most Valuable Player for the 3rd time.
1958
» The Tigers trade Billy Martin and RHP Al Cicotte to Cleveland for relief P Ray Narleski and Don Mossi and SS Ossie Alvarez.
1957
» Shigeo Nagashima, a star at Rikkyo University, signs with the Yomiuri Giants for a record bonus of $69,000. He will go on to have one of the great careers in Japanese baseball.
The KC Athletics trade infielder Billy Martin, outfielders Gus Zernial and Lou Skizas, pitchers Maury McDermott and Tom Morgan, and C Charlie Thompson to Detroit. In exchange, the Tigers send outfielders Bill Tuttle, Jim Small, pitchers Duane Maas and John Tsitouris, C Frank House, SS Kent Hadley, and a player to come later.
1956
» The Cardinals trade OF Rip Repulski and SS Bobby Morgan to the Phillies for OF Del Ennis.
1952
» The writers name Cubs slugger Hank Sauer as the National League MVP. The Cubs finished in 5th place, despite Sauer's 37 home runs and 121 RBIs.
Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick states that he thinks the PCL will eventually reach ML status.
1950
» Pirate GM Roy Hamey resigns to make way for Branch Rickey.
1934
» The Browns send good hitting Bruce Campbell to Cleveland for over-the-hill Johnny Burnett, P Bob Weiland, and cash. Weiland will go 0-2 with the Browns but resurface in 1937 for the Cards, where he'll do well.
Seventeen-year-old Eiji Sawamura gives up one hit, a home run to Lou Gehrig, as the touring American all-stars win in Japan 1–0. At one point Sawamura strikes out four in a row -- Charlie Gehringer, Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, and Gehrig. The all-stars easily win the other 15 games against high school and post-college players. College players in Japan are prohibited from playing against foreigners.
Catcher Moe Berg shoots movie film showing the roofs of Tokyo. The film will allegedly be used as a guide by U.S. bombers during WWII.
1888
» The Joint Rules Committee reduces the number of balls for a walk from five to 4, establishing the four balls/ three strikes count that remains in effect a century later. It also eliminates an out on a foul tip if the catcher catches it within 10 feet of home plate.
1884
» The National League agrees to allow overhand pitching, but rules that pitchers must keep both feet on the ground throughout their pitching motion in order to reduce the velocity of their pitches. They still must throw the ball at the height requested by the batter. In addition, teams are now required to supply a separate bench for each club at their park to limit inter-team fraternization.