1988
» Chris Sabo, who hit .271 with 11 home runs and 46 stolen bases as the Reds 3B, wins the NL Rookie of the Year award. Chicago's Mark Grace is runner-up.
1982
» At a meeting in Chicago, the ML owners vote not to renew Commissioner Bowie Kuhn's contract, which will expire next August. The AL owners voted in favor of Kuhn 11-3, the NL 7-5. But his 18 votes left him 2 shy of the three-fourths majority required for reelection. Kuhn will remain on the job until a successor is found.
Thirty-eight-year-old Doug Rader, who spent the last 3 seasons as manager of the Padres' Triple-A farm club, will pilot the Texas Rangers. The former infielder becomes the club's 12th manager in its 12-year life.
1979
» Edward Bennett Williams buys the Orioles from Jerold Hoffberger for a reported $12.3 million.
In separate deals, the Yankees acquire OF Ruppert Jones from the Mariners and C Rick Cerone from the Blue Jays, giving up 7 players, including 1B Chris Chambliss, SS Damaso Garcia, OF Juan Beniquez, and P Jim Beattie.
1978
» Guidry is the unanimous choice for the AL Cy Young Award. The southpaw led the league in wins, percentage, shutouts (9), and ERA (1.74).
1968
» Denny McLain is the unanimous AL winner of the Cy Young Award.
1966
» Sandy Koufax becomes the first 3-time winner of the Cy Young Award. He is a unanimous winner for the 2nd-straight year. This is the last year that only one award is given for pitchers in both of the MLs.
1960
» Balitmore SS Ron Hansen is voted AL Rookie of the Year, getting 22 of 24 votes. The other 2 votes go to teammates Chuck Estrada and Jim Gentile.
1957
The Nishitetsu Lions sweep the Yomiuri Giants in the Japanese WS.
1951
The NL votes Brooklyn C Roy Campanella the league's MVP for what will be the first of 3 such awards.
1949
» Gillette buys the WS television rights for $1.37 million, the money to be dedicated to the players pension fund.
1946
» The right foot of Cleveland owner Bill Veeck is amputated, a result of a war injury in the South Pacific 2 years before. Veeck has had a tremendous impact on promotion in a half season of ownership. A minor but typical change is the regular posting of NL scores on the Cleveland scoreboard, a departure from the long-standing practice of both leagues.
1944
» Total attendance in the 2 leagues is 8.9 million. No team draws over a million, as Detroit leads with 923,000.
1943
» League statistics show the White Sox Luke Appling leading the AL hitters with .328, the lowest since Cobb hit .324 to lead in 1908. Conversely, of course, the pitchers' marks were topped by Spud Chandler's 1.64 ERA, the best since 1919. Spud also has the best percentage at .833, on a 20-4 won-lost mark. The White Sox aging OF Wally Moses stole 56 bases after stealing only 3 two years before. The veteran Mel Ott hits only .234 for his Giants, but he still has 18 homers--all in the Polo Grounds.
1942
» Larry MacPhail enters the army. The Dodgers look to St. Louis for leadership. After 2 decades in St. Louis, Branch Rickey splits with owner Sam Breadon. He will sign to become GM at Brooklyn.
1938
» NL batting champ Ernie Lombardi is named MVP by the BBWAA. Chicago P Bill Lee is runner-up.
1934
» The Giants obtain Dick Bartell from the Phillies for 4 players and cash.
1918
» Former OF Alex Burr is killed in France on his 25th birthday.
1916
» Harry H. Frazee, New York theater owner and producer, buys the Red Sox for $675,000.
1914
» Connie Mack begins cleaning house, asks waivers on Jack Coombs, Eddie Plank, and Chief Bender. Colby Jack goes to Brooklyn (NL). Plank and Bender escape Mack's maneuvering by jumping to the Federal League. Although all have some life left in their soupbones, they are near their careers' end, and departure is more sentimental than serious. Mack's excuse: retrenchment. Despite the pennant, Philadelphia fans did not support the A's and the club lost $50,000.
1906
» P John McCloskey, 3-2 with the Phils, has better luck off the field. An investment in the Cripple Creek, CO, mine pays off with a rich gold strike.
1894
Former Providence P Charles Sweeney is convicted of manslaughter in San Francisco.
1892
Averages for the first 154-game season show that Dan Brouthers of Brooklyn was the top hitter at .335, and Cy Young the top pitcher with 36 wins and 11 losses.