February 18
From BR Bullpen
| Stats of players who were born this day | |
| Stats of players who died on this day | |
| Standings on this day | |
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| Today in Baseball History | |
Events, births and deaths that occurred on February 18.
[edit] Events
- 1884 - P/IF Terry Larkin, released from prison after serving several months for beating his wife and shooting a policeman, is rearrested for threatening to shoot his father. Larkin will eventually be freed to conclude his ML career in 1884, playing for the Washington Nationals (AA) and the Richmond Virginians.
- 1909 - National League president Harry Pulliam, in ill health, is granted a leave of absence. The league secretary, John Heydler, assumes his duties. The NL abolishes Ladies Days, and sets a 25-player limit from May 15 to August 20.
- 1909 - The Boston Red Sox trade Cy Young, who won 21 games at age 41 last season, to the Cleveland Naps for righty pitchers Charlie Chech and Jack Ryan plus $12,500. Young pitched for Cleveland in the 1890s.
- 1916 - Major league baseball initiates an option plan to protect minor league players.
- 1922 - Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis resigns his federal judgeship, claiming the two jobs (judge and commissioner) took up too much time.
- 1922 - The Cincinnati Reds trade P Rube Marquard (17 - 14) and SS Larry Kopf to Boston for P Jack Scott (15 - 13).
- 1943 - New York lumberman William D. Cox buys the Philadelphia Phillies.
- 1944 - Fifteen-year-old Joe Nuxhall signs a contract with the Cincinnati Reds just one day after playing in a high school basketball game.
- 1954 - The Washington Senators get Roy Sievers from the Baltimore Orioles for Gil Coan.
- 1958 - Cleveland sends veteran C Jim Hegan and P Hank Aguirre to Detroit for C-OF Jay Porter and P Hal Woodeshick. Aguirre will pitch 10 years for Detroit.
- 1960 - Walter O'Malley, owner of the Dodgers, completes the purchase of the Chavez Ravine area in Los Angeles by paying $494,000 for property valued at $92,000.
- 1967 - During a special softball exhibition game, pitcher Eddie Feigner strikes six consecutive major leaguers. The victims include Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Brooks Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, Roberto Clemente and Maury Wills.
- 1974 - The Houston Astros trade Pat Darcy to the Cincinnati Reds for Denis Menke. Playing in Houston for the second time, Menke will hang it up after hitting .103 in 30 games.
- 1993 - The Boston Red Sox sign free agent P Jeff Russell.
- 1998 - Chicago Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray dies four days after collapsing at a Valentine's Day supper. Caray, age 84, was known, among other things, for leading the fans in a rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the 7th - inning stretch at Wrigley Field. He previously broadcast the games of the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox in a career that spanned half a century.
- 1998 - The New York Yankees sign OF Bernie Williams to a $8.5 million, 1-year contract, avoiding salary arbitration.
- 1999 - The Yankees end the trade rumors by acquiring Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for pitchers David Wells and Graeme Lloyd and IF Homer Bush.
- 1999 - The U.S. Postal Service issues a Jackie Robinson stamp as part of their "Celebrate the Century" program. Robinson was selected to represent the 40's, the 2nd ball player chosen. Babe Ruth, last May, represented the 1920s.
- 2005 - After five months of captivity in a Venezuelan jungle surrounded by explosives to keep her from escaping, Ugueth Urbina's mother, Maura Villarreal, is rescued during a daring eight-hour police raid. The kidnappers had demanded $6 million ransom from the Tigers' relief pitcher for his mom's freedom.
[edit] Births
- 1856 - Frank Whitney, outfielder (d. 1943)
- 1860 - Frank Fennelly, infielder (d. 1920)
- 1864 - John Shaffer, pitcher (d. 1926)
- 1864 - Larry Twitchell, outfielder (d. 1930)
- 1865 - George Winkelman, pitcher/outfielder (d. 1960)
- 1871 - Charlie Knepper, pitcher (d. 1946)
- 1875 - Walter Thornton, outfielder (d. 1960)
- 1878 - Curt Bernard, outfielder (d. 1955)
- 1879 - Louis Leroy, pitcher (d. 1944)
- 1880 - Dad Hale, pitcher (d. 1946)
- 188? - Henry Wetzel, scout (d. ????)
- 1887 - Curt Coleman, infielder (d. 1980)
- 1889 - George Mogridge, pitcher (d. 1962)
- 1891 - Sherry Smith, pitcher (d. 1949)
- 1891 - Zip Zabel, pitcher (d. 1970)
- 1892 - John Gallagher, infielder (d. 1952)
- 1895 - Antonio Delfin, minor league pitcher; Salon de la Fama (d. 1945)
- 1897 - Huck Betts, pitcher (d. 1987)
- 1910 - John Holland, general manager (d. 1979)
- 1915 - Lew Flick, outfielder (d. 1990)
- 1915 - Joe Gordon, infielder, manager; All-Star (d. 1978)
- 1918 - José Casanova, winter league manager (d. 1999)
- 1922 - Joe Brovia, pinch hitter (d. 1994)
- 1922 - Joe Tipton, catcher (d. 1994)
- 1922 - Connie Wisniewski, AAGPBL pitcher and outfielder (d. 1995)
- 1925 - Joe Lutz, infielder
- 1927 - Luis Arroyo, pitcher; All-Star
- 1927 - Herm Wehmeier, pitcher (d. 1973)
- 1929 - Cal Neeman, catcher
- 1930 - Frank House, catcher (d. 2005)
- 1937 - Cananea Reyes, minor league player and manager; Salon de la Fama (d. 1991)
- 1938 - Manny Mota, outfielder; All-Star
- 1939 - Jesse Hickman, pitcher
- 1939 - Dal Maxvill, infielder
- 1939 - Bob Miller, pitcher (d. 1993)
- 1941 - Leo Marentette, pitcher
- 1944 - Syd O'Brien, infielder
- 1948 - Gary Sanserino, minor league infielder
- 1949 - John Mayberry, infielder; All-Star
- 1949 - Jerry Morales, outfielder; All-Star
- 1950 - Bruce Kison, pitcher
- 1952 - Marc Hill, catcher
- 1958 - Rafael Ramirez, infielder; All-Star
- 1960 - Bob Fallon, pitcher
- 1962 - Rocky Childress, pitcher
- 1963 - La Vel Freeman, designated hitter
- 1963 - Jeff McKnight, infielder
- 1964 - Kevin Tapani, pitcher
- 1965 - Masaki Saito, NPB pitcher
- 1967 - Matt Turner, pitcher
- 1967 - John Valentin, infielder
- 1968 - Kyle Abbott, pitcher
- 1970 - Paul Gibbs, minor league pitcher
- 1970 - Tyler Green, pitcher; All-Star
- 1973 - Shawn Estes, pitcher; All-Star
- 1974 - Jamey Carroll, infielder
- 1975 - Chad Moeller, catcher
- 1980 - Walter Young, infielder
- 1981 - Alexis Rios, outfielder; All-Star
- 1981 - Alex Serrano, pitcher
- 1983 - Fei Feng, Chinese national team outfielder
- 1983 - Yu Bing Jia, Chinese national team infielder
- 1983 - Jose Vargas, minor league pitcher
- 1984 - Brian Bogusevic, minor league pitcher
- 1990 - Mariekson Gregorius, minor league infielder
- 1991 - Jacinda Barclay, Women's Baseball World Cup pitcher
- 1991 - Joly Fermin, minor league player
[edit] Deaths
- 1905 - Tom Poorman, outfielder (b. 1857)
- 1906 - Charlie Ingraham, catcher (b. 1860)
- 1911 - Buttons Briggs, pitcher (b. 1875)
- 1917 - Charles Fisher, infielder (b. 1852)
- 1925 - Charlie Dougherty, infielder (b. 1862)
- 1935 - Gene DeMontreville, infielder (b. 1874)
- 1941 - Tom Connelly, outfielder (b. 1897)
- 1944 - Hub Pernoll, pitcher (b. 1888)
- 1945 - John Munyan, catcher (b. 1860)
- 1949 - Marty O'Toole, pitcher (b. 1888)
- 1960 - Fred Schemanske, pitcher (b. 1903)
- 1964 - Bill Stewart, umpire (b. 1895)
- 1966 - Marty McManus, infielder, manager (b. 1900)
- 1967 - Ralph Miller, pitcher (b. 1899)
- 1968 - Ben Egan, catcher (b. 1883)
- 1968 - Dewey Griggs, scout (b. 1899)
- 1971 - Chuck Hostetler, outfielder (b. 1903)
- 1977 - George Zackert, pitcher (b. 1884)
- 1978 - Luke Hamlin, pitcher (b. 1904)
- 1980 - George Hesselbacher, pitcher (b. 1895)
- 1980 - Dick Stone, pitcher (b. 1911)
- 1981 - Sadayoshi Fujimoto, NPB manager; Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame (b. 1901)
- 1994 - Bill Clemensen, pitcher (b. 1919)
- 1997 - Austin Knickerbocker, outfielder (b. 1918)
- 1998 - Harry Caray, announcer (b. 1914)
- 2000 - Lefty Hoerst, pitcher (b. 1917)
- 2001 - Eddie Mathews, infielder, manager; All-Star, Hall of Famer (b. 1931)
- 2001 - Butch Wensloff, pitcher (b. 1915)
- 2007 - Danny Reynolds, infielder (b. 1919)
