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The following are the events that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball.

January

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15 16 17 18 19 20 21

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29 30 31

February

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15 16 17 18 19 20 21

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29

March

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  8   9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

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29 30 31

April

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  8   9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30

May

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  8   9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

June

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  8   9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

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29 30

July

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  8   9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

August

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  8   9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

September

  1   2   3   4   5   6   7

  8   9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30

October

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  8   9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

November

  1   2   3   4   5   6   7

  8   9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30

December

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  8   9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

Sources

1800s[]

1900s-1940s[]

1950[]

  • 1950 - The Pittsburgh Pirates sign high school pitcher Paul Pettit for a record $100,000 after buying his contract from film producer Fred Stephani, who had signed him to an exclusive contract as an athlete/actor. Under MLB "high-school rule", scouts are barred from doing so prior to graduation. Unfortunately, with an eventual 1-2 career mark, Pettit will prove not to be worth the trouble.
  • 1956:
    • Former major leaguer Buck Weaver dies at the age of 65. One of the eight members of the Black Sox to be banned for life, Weaver batted .324 in the 1919 World Series. Although Weaver maintained that he did not participate in the fix, Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis banished him for failing to report those players who had met with gamblers.
    • The Cincinnati Reds send pitcher Jackie Collum to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for pitcher Brooks Lawrence and a prospect. Lawrence, who finished the year at 5–1 after spending time in the minors, will open the 1956 season with 13 straight victories.
  • 1959:
    • Former major league star Joe Cronin succeeds Will Harridge as president of the American League. A Hall of Fame shortstop who played for the Pirates, Senators and Red Sox, Cronin batted .301 over a 20-year playing career. He signs a seven-year pact and will remain in office until his retirement in 1973.
    • Caribbean countries agree to use native players in Winter Baseball, no matter how many years they have played in the United States.

1960s[]

  • 1961 - Houston voters approve a bond to finance the construction of a luxury domed stadium, clearing the final hurdle standing between the city and Major League Baseball.
  • 1969:
    • The National Association approves the use of the Designated Hitter for the International, Eastern, Texas and New York-Pennsylvania leagues. The rules vary slightly for each league. The Texas League will be the first to use the DH, in April.
    • The American and National leagues agree to try an experimental rule change in spring training using a designated pinch hitter, but they don't agree on the implementation. The AL tells the teams to use the DPH when they are the home team; the NL gives the home manager the choice of which rules to use, but the visiting manager has to agree. The NL had three rules: Rule A allows for a pinch-hitter to bat for the pitcher twice in a game with the pitcher remaining in the game. The pitcher could be used to bat for himself at anytime. An example is a pinch-hitter batting for the pitcher the first time and fourth time; the pitcher could bat the second at bat; another pinch-hitter could bat the third time. A pinch-hitter could play defensively, if he took the field the next half-inning after batting. The pitcher would bat in the replaced player's spot. Rule B is the DH rule that will eventually be the standard in the AL, except the player could not go in defensively later. Rule C allows for a pinch-runner only twice in a game for the pitcher or pinch-hitter in Rule A or DPH in Rule B. The PR can enter defensively at any time, even though he appeared twice as a runner. The Mets, Giants, and Cardinals say that they will not use the rules, and the Astros and Reds follow suit.

1970s-1990s[]

  • 1971 - The Special Veterans Committee selects seven men for enshrinement in the Hall of Fame: former players Jake Beckley, Joe Kelley, Harry Hooper, Rube Marquard, Chick Hafey, and Dave Bancroft, as well as executive George Weiss.
  • 1996 - Ken Griffey, Jr. becomes the highest-paid major league player by signing a four-year, $34 million contract.

2000s[]

  • 2001 - A story in The Wall Street Journal quotes players Monte Irvin, Sal Yvars and Al Gettel, three former members of the 1951 New York Giants, as admitting that they stole catchers' signs at the Polo Grounds to help the club overtake the 13 1/2-game lead of the Brooklyn Dodgers and win the National League pennant. Except for Yvars, all the participants will deny using the system during the three-game playoff with the Dodgers. According to WSJ report, Bobby Thomson, whose three-run, ninth-inning home run in Game Three of the National League playoffs won the pennant for the Giants, did not, however, steal a sign before hitting his historic home run. (*)
  • 2003 - In an effort to secure funding for a major re-design oft he 12-year old 'new' Comiskey Park, the Chicago White Sox announces the ballpark will now be known as U.S. Cellular Field. The 23-year deal with the wireless service provider, which will pay the White Sox $68 million, changes the name used for home by the Southsiders since 1910.
  • 2005 - The Seattle Mariners sign relief pitcher Jeff Nelson to a minor league contract, his third stint with the club. The reliever previously pitched with the Mariners from 1992-1995 and again from 2001-2003. He is Seattle's all-time record holder for most games pitched with 383 and has a 23-20 record with the Mariners.

Births[]

Deaths[]

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