February 16
From BR Bullpen
| Stats of players who were born this day | |
| Stats of players who died on this day | |
| Standings on this day | |
| Permanent link to Today's Entry | |
| Sources | |
| Baseball Library Chronology | |
| Today in Baseball History | |
Events, births and deaths that occurred on February 16.
[edit] Events
- 1887 - The Chicago White Stockings announce the sale of King Kelly to the Boston Beaneaters for $10,000, more than twice the amount ever paid for a player before. With the contract and bonus, Kelly is dubbed a "$15,000 Beauty."
- 1889 - Warrants are issued in Sacramento, CA for the arrests of Joe Quest, Billy Alvord and Harry Dooms for allegedly jumping their California League contracts. Alvord turns himself in and is released, but the Sacramento club is still seeking the other two players.
- 1896 - New York City Parks Commissioner McMillan announces a plan to cut a street through the Polo Grounds leading to the Speedway, a new privately constructed horse track. The street is never built.
- 1900 - Washington sells eight players, including home run king Buck Freeman and P Bill Dinneen going to Boston, then disbands. Baltimore players are to be transferred to the Brooklyn Bridegrooms and syndicate baseball will be ended.
- 1915 - Home Run Baker, 28, announces retirement following a contract dispute with Connie Mack. He will sit out the 1915 season. Mack will also have salary problems with Chief Bender, Eddie Plank and Jack Coombs, and rather than compete with the Federal League, he releases the stars.
- 1916 - Energetic recruiting by Ban Johnson produces a pair of Chicago contractors to take over the Cleveland franchise from Charles W. Somers, a lavish spender at the American League's creation but now in financial difficulties. J.C. Dunn and P.S. McCarthy pay $500,000 - $60,000 less than the asking price. E.S. Barnard will stay on as vice president; Lee Fohl, as manager.
- 1924 - Boston Braves third baseman Tony Boeckel becomes the first major leaguer to be killed in an automobile accident when he dies from injuries received as an passenger yesterday in San Diego. Yankee outfielder Bob Meusel, also a passenger of the car driven by Los Angeles theater man Bob Albright, escaped without any serious injuries.
- 1930 - Judge Landis rules that the Cards cannot farm out C Gus Mancuso to the Rochester Red Wings. Forced to keep him, the commissioner's edict pays off when Cardinals regular C Jimmie Wilson is injured and Mancuso bats .366 in 76 games.
- 1934 - Eppa Rixey of the Cincinnati Reds announces his retirement after 21 seasons and a career 266-251 mark. The next day, Urban "Red" Faber retires, leaving a 20-year career mark of 254-212, all with the Chicago White Sox.
- 1950 - Former Giants Mel Ott and Bill Terry are the top vote-getters, but fail to be elected into the Hall of Fame.
- 1952 - Hall of Famer Honus Wagner, 77, retires after 40 years as a ML player and coach. He receives a pension from the Pittsburgh Pirates, with whom he spent most of those years.
- 1953 - The Braves send 1B Earl Torgeson to the Phils for P Russ Meyer. They then send Meyer to Brooklyn for Rocky Bridges and Jim Pendleton, and complete the day's activities by sending Bridges to the Cincinnati Reds for slugger Joe Adcock.
- 1956 - ML owners announce that the players' pension fund will receive 60 percent of World Series and All-Star Game radio and TV revenues.
- 1956 - The courts award Dr. Samuel Shenkman $5,000 in his suit against Dodger C Roy Campanella for surgery on Campy's injured hand on October 20, 1954. Campanella says the doctor never informed him that the charge would be $9,500, a price the catcher considered excessive.
- 1961 - Charlie Finley purchases the outstanding 48 percent of the Athletics stock to become their sole owner.
- 1967 - Former New York Yankees pitcher Red Ruffing, author of 273 major league wins, is elected to the Hall of Fame.
- 1980 - Milwaukee Brewers coach Harvey Kuenn has his right leg amputated below the knee after four operations to remove a blood clot.
- 1982 - Bake McBride becomes the 3rd starter from the 1980 Phillies' World Championship squad to be traded or sold since Bill Giles bought the club last October. The Cleveland Indians get him in exchange for pitcher Sid Monge.
- 1989 - Orel Hershiser becomes the first player in ML history to sign a contract that calls for a $3 million salary by inking a 3-year, $7.9 million contract with the Dodgers that will pay him $3,166,667 in 1991.
- 1989 - Orel Hershiser becomes baseball's first three-million dollar man when he signs a three-year $7.9 million contract with the Dodgers. The 'Bulldog' will earn $3,166,167 in 1991.
- 1996 - General Mills announces a special edition Wheaties cereal box honoring Negro League superstars Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson and Cool Papa Bell.
- 2001 - The Yankees premier reliever, Mariano Rivera (7-4, 2.85, 36 saves), signs a four-year, approximately $40 million contract with the Bronx Bombers. The 31-year old Panama native surpassed Dennis Eckersley's major league record with 16 saves in post-season games.
- 2002 - The sale of the Florida Marlins to a group headed by Jeffrey Loria becomes official.
- 2003 - Although banned by major league baseball for a Cooperstown induction, Pete Rose becomes a member of the Ted Williams Hitters Hall of Fame. 'Charlie Hustle' joins 1998 inductee Shoeless Joe Jackson, who is also banned from becoming a member of the Hall of Fame.
[edit] Births
- 1865 - Ben Sanders, pitcher (d. 1930)
- 1866 - Jack Scheible, pitcher (d. 1897)
- 1872 - Frank McPartlin, pitcher (d. 1943)
- 1873 - John Sullivan, catcher (d. 1924)
- 1875 - Dan Coogan, infielder (d. 1942)
- 1880 - Frank Burke, outfielder (d. 1946)
- 1880 - Carl Lundgren, pitcher (d. 1934)
- 1884 - Herbie Moran, outfielder (d. 1954)
- 1889 - Skip Dowd, pitcher (d. 1960)
- 1894 - Tom Harris, minor league player (d. 1966)
- 1895 - Red Cox, pitcher (d. 1984)
- 1897 - Paul Castner, pitcher (d. 1986)
- 1897 - Alex Ferguson, pitcher (d. 1976)
- 1912 - Ray Harrell, pitcher (d. 1984)
- 1918 - Creepy Crespi, infielder (d. 1990)
- 1918 - Johnny Davis, Negro League and minor league outfielder/pitcher (d. 1984)
- 1923 - Ribs Raney, pitcher (d. 2003)
- 1926 - Howie Judson, pitcher
- 1929 - Fred Hahn, pitcher (d. 1984)
- 1931 - Maurice Fisher, pitcher
- 1933 - Dave Mann, minor league player
- 1934 - Don Eaddy, infielder (d. 2008)
- 1936 - Don Landrum, outfielder (d. 2003)
- 1942 - Tim Cullen, infielder
- 1943 - Bobby Darwin, outfielder
- 1944 - Glenn Vaughan, infielder (d. 2004)
- 1947 - Terry Crowley, designated hitter
- 1949 - Bob Didier, catcher
- 1951 - Glenn Abbott, pitcher
- 1951 - Domingo Figueroa, minor league player
- 1952 - Barry Foote, catcher
- 1952 - Jerry Hairston, outfielder
- 1956 - Takayoshi Nakao, NPB catcher
- 1960 - Eric Bullock, outfielder
- 1960 - Bill Pecota, infielder
- 1962 - Dwayne Henry, pitcher
- 1964 - Homar Rojas, minor league catcher and manager
- 1964 - Rico Rossy, infielder
- 1965 - Frank Dimichele, pitcher
- 1966 - Wes Bliven, minor league pitcher
- 1966 - Jin-woo Song, KBO pitcher
- 1969 - Tim Costo, outfielder
- 1971 - Mike Hubbard, catcher
- 1972 - Jerome Bettis, minor league owner
- 1974 - Luis Figueroa, infielder
- 1975 - Angel Pena, catcher
- 1976 - Eric Byrnes, outfielder
- 1977 - Abraham Atencio, Panamanian national team pitcher
- 1981 - Sergio Mitre, pitcher
- 1981 - Rodrigo Miyamoto, Brazilian national team pitcher
- 1981 - Jerry Owens, outfielder
- 1982 - Manny Delcarmen, pitcher
- 1983 - Ardley Jansen, minor league outfielder
- 1983 - Ramon Troncoso, pitcher
[edit] Deaths
- 1902 - Tom O'Meara, catcher (b. 1872)
- 1924 - Tony Boeckel, infielder (b. 1892)
- 1924 - Pop-Boy Smith, pitcher (b. 1892)
- 1938 - Lee Tannehill, infielder (b. 1880)
- 1942 - O.F. Baldwin, pitcher (b. 1881)
- 1948 - Percy Coleman, pitcher (b. 1876)
- 1949 - Tommy Raub, catcher (b. 1870)
- 1957 - Cap Clark, catcher (b. 1906)
- 1959 - Ted Reed, infielder (b. 1890)
- 1960 - Stuffy McInnis, infielder, manager (b. 1890)
- 1961 - Dazzy Vance, pitcher; Hall of Famer (b. 1891)
- 1969 - Mul Holland, pitcher (b. 1903)
- 1970 - Dick Conger, pitcher (b. 1921)
- 1971 - Cedric Durst, outfielder (b. 1896)
- 1974 - Gus Brittain, catcher (b. 1909)
- 1974 - Bill Stellbauer, outfielder (b. 1894)
- 1976 - John Shovlin, infielder (b. 1891)
- 1977 - Ken Nash, infielder (b. 1888)
- 1983 - Everett Fagan, pitcher (b. 1918)
- 1988 - Bill Cox, pitcher (b. 1913)
- 1993 - Bill Zinser, pitcher (b. 1918)
- 1996 - Hank Gornicki, pitcher (b. 1911)
- 2000 - Wayne Blackburn, coach (b. 1914)
- 2000 - Soup Campbell, outfielder (b. 1915)
- 2001 - Bob Buhl, pitcher; All-Star (b. 1928)
- 2004 - Charlie Fox, catcher, manager (b. 1921)
