2002
» The Cubs obtain C Paul Bako from the Braves.

2001
» The Rangers sign free agent P Todd Van Poppel to a 3-year contract.

1999
» Arbitrator Alan Symonette rejects the owners' attempt to dismiss the umpires grievance dismissed, giving the 22 booted umps a chance to get their jobs back. Symonette will hear the grievance beginning December 13.

1997
» The Blue Jays sign free agent P Randy Myers to a 3-year contract.

1980
» Mike Schmidt is a unanimous choice as National League MVP. The slugging 3B hit .286 with career highs of 48 home runs and 121 RBI.

Outfielder Ron LeFlore, who hit .257 with 97 stolen bases for the Expos last season, signs as a free agent with the Chicago White Sox.

1979
» 3B John Castino, who batted .285 for the Twins, and SS Alfredo Griffin, who hit .287 for the Blue Jays, tie for the AL Rookie of the Year award, each receiving seven of the 28 votes. The two rookies share one other distinction: both of them hit their first ML homers inside-the-park. The deadlock precipitates a change in the voting system, effective in 1980.

1975
» Fred Lynn becomes the first rookie to win MVP honors, taking the American League award. Lynn batted .331 with 21 home runs, 105 RBI, and league-leading figures in runs (103), doubles (47), and slugging (.566).

1974
» Catfish Hunter meets with Charlie Finley in the American Arbitration Association office in New York City for a hearing to determine the validity of Hunter's breach-of-contract claim. Hunter contends that Finley failed to pay $50,000, half of Hunter's salary, to a life insurance fund. The case will go to arbitration.

1965
» Dodger 2B Jim Lefebvre is voted National League Rookie of the Year.

1963
» Cincinnati 2B Pete Rose is a landslide winner of National League Rookie of the Year honors, taking 17 of 20 votes.

1962
» The Yankees say good-bye to Moose Skowron, trading him to the Dodgers for P Stan Williams. Williams wins nine for the Yanks, but Moose is little help to the Dodgers.

1961
» The Professional Baseball Rules Committee votes 8-1 against legalizing the spitball. Only National League supervisor of umpires Cal Hubbard votes in favor.

1960
» Twins is the appropriate new name chosen for the club transplanted from Washington to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul.

1958
» The American League MVP is Boston slugger Jackie Jensen, winning over New York's Bob Turley and Cleveland's Rocky Colavito.

1957
» Yoshio (Kaiser) Tanaka, an American citizen of Japanese descent, is named manager of the Hanshin Tigers. He is the first American to manage a Japanese ML team.

1950
» The Gillette Safety Razor Co. signs a 6-year deal, worth an estimated $6 million, with ML baseball for the TV-radio rights for the World Series.

1949
» The Japanese Central League is joined by the Pacific League.

1935
» The National League takes over the bankrupt, last-place Boston Braves franchise after several failed attempts to buy the club. The league takes over only temporarily, until matters can be straightened out.

1912
» John T. Brush dies while en route to California by train for his health. His son-in-law, Harry Hempstead, will succeed him as president of the Giants.

1909
» The Phils are sold for $350,000 to a group headed by sportswriter Horace Fogel. Because of his dual roles, Fogel will become the only executive barred from a league meeting.

1891
» A series for the championship of the Pacific Coast begins between the champions of the California League (San Jose) and the Pacific Northwest League pennant winners (Portland). San Jose wins the opener, 8–6. The series will last until January 10 with San Jose winning 10 games to 9. All the games are in played in San Jose.