February 2
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 2.
[edit] Events
- 1923 - Red Schoendienst is born in Germantown, Illinois. Playing mostly as a second baseman, Schoendienst will bat .289 during a 19-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants and Milwaukee Braves. He will win election to the Hall of Fame in 1989.
- 1930 - The New York Yankees waive shortstop Leo Durocher, who batted only .246 in 1929. The future Hall of Fame manager will eventually sign with the Cincinnati Reds.
- 1936 - The Baseball Writers Association of America announces the results of the first Hall of Fame vote. Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson and Honus Wagner comprise the inaugural class of Hall of Fame members. Several other stars like Cy Young fail to make the grade, but will enter the Hall in later elections.
- 1987 - Longtime Kansas City Royals pitcher Dennis Leonard announces his retirement. A three-time 20-game winner, Leonard had struggled in his comeback from knee problems, winning just eight of 21 decisions in 1986.
- 1989 - Former All-Star first baseman Bill White is elected president of the National League. White succeeds Chub Feeney, becoming the first African-American to be named president of either league and the highest ranking black executive in the four major sports.
- 2005:
- SkyDome is renamed to Rogers Centre several days after Rogers Communications completed its purchase of the Toronto Blue Jays' stadium. Fans react to the naming with derision.
- The trade that sent Sammy Sosa to the Baltimore Orioles from the Chicago Cubs is finalized after commissioner Bud Selig approves the deal and the slugger passes his physical. Chicago receives second baseman Jerry Hairston, Jr. and two minor leaguers, then signs Jeromy Burnitz as a free agent to replace Sosa in right field.
- 2006 - Ramón Hernandez hit for the cycle and drove in five runs, leading the Caracas Lions of Venezuela to a 17-1 rout of Mexico's Mazatlan Reindeer in the Caribbean World Series opener. Alex Cabrera also hit a home run with four RBI, and starter Jeremi Gonzalez struck out seven in seven innings. In the other Series opener, Anderson Hernandez hit a tiebreaking single in the 11th inning to help the Dominican Republic's Licey Tigers beat the Carolina Giants of Puerto Rico 5 - 4. Miguel Tejada drove in two runs in the third inning, giving the Dominicans a 2 - 0 lead. According to Caribbean Series historians, Ramón Hernandez's feat was the first in Caribbean Series play dating back to 1949.
- 2008:
- DH Miguel Tejada homers twice to become the all-time Caribbean Series leader with 13 home runs, breaking a tie with Tony Armas Sr.. Tejada's jacks help his Aguilas Cibaeñas to a 13-6 victory over the Yaquis de Obregón. He goes 3 for 4 with four runs in the game.
- In the other day one game of the 2008 Caribbean Series, the Tigres del Licey beat the Tigres de Aragua in a matchup of Tigers, 6-4. 2B Ronnie Belliard drives in four, including a 2-run homer against Jose Santiago, to lead the victory charge while José Capellán gives up one run in five innings for the win.
[edit] Births
- 1856 - Harry Spence, manager (d. 1908)
- 1860 - Ed Halbriter, pitcher (d. 1936)
- 1862 - Bert Dorr, pitcher (d. 1914)
- 1863 - Ed Keas, pitcher (d. 1940)
- 1872 - Dale Gear, outfielder (d. 1951)
- 1874 - Charlie Frisbee, outfielder (d. 1954)
- 1878 - Emil Haberer, catcher (d. 1951)
- 1878 - Hub Hart, catcher (d. 1960)
- 1881 - Orval Overall, pitcher (d. 1947)
- 1883 - Bill Abstein, infielder (d. 1940)
- 1884 - Ray Demmitt, outfielder (d. 1956)
- 1884 - Walt Kuhn, catcher (d. 1935)
- 1886 - Herb Juul, pitcher (d. 1928)
- 1887 - Mutz Ens, infielder (d. 1950)
- 1889 - Ernie Wolf, pitcher (d. 1964)
- 1893 - Cy Warmoth, pitcher (d. 1957)
- 1895 - George Halas, outfielder (d. 1983)
- 1895 - George Lees, catcher (d. 1980)
- 1896 - Tsutomu Takeda, Japanese Hall of Fame (d. 1990)
- 1900 - Willie Kamm, infielder (d. 1988)
- 1900 - Frank Mack, pitcher (d. 1971)
- 1901 - Otto Miller, infielder (d. 1959)
- 1907 - Jerry Byrne, pitcher (d. 1955)
- 1908 - Bobby Coombs, pitcher (d. 1991)
- 1908 - Wes Ferrell, pitcher; All-Star (d. 1976)
- 1920 - Zeb Eaton, pitcher (d. 1989)
- 1922 - Sheldon Jones, pitcher (d. 1991)
- 1923 - Red Schoendienst, infielder, manager; All-Star, Hall of Famer
- 1925 - Joe Szekely, outfielder (d. 1995)
- 1927 - Doris Sams, AAGPBL outfielder and pitcher
- 1927 - Fred Waters, pitcher (d. 1989)
- 1931 - Ted Tappe, outfielder (d. 2004)
- 1933 - Jack Reed, outfielder
- 1937 - Don Buford, infielder; All-Star
- 1938 - Max Alvis, infielder; All-Star
- 1942 - Larry Rojas, minor league infielder
- 1948 - Dell Chambers, minor league infielder (d. 1968)
- 1950 - Dale Murray, pitcher
- 1951 - Leo Foster, infielder
- 1952 - Warren Brusstar, pitcher
- 1954 - Puchy Delgado, outfielder
- 1954 - Rob Dressler, pitcher
- 1954 - John Tudor, pitcher
- 1956 - Manny Sarmiento, pitcher
- 1957 - Craig Chamberlain, pitcher
- 1958 - Pat Tabler, infielder; All-Star
- 1960 - Buddy Biancalana, infielder
- 1961 - Steve Smith, college coach
- 1962 - Pat Clements, pitcher
- 1962 - Paul Kilgus, pitcher
- 1968 - Scott Erickson, pitcher
- 1969 - Bill Abare, minor league infielder
- 1971 - Kiyoshi Toyoda, NPB pitcher
- 1972 - Jared Fernandez, pitcher
- 1972 - Melvin Mora, infielder; All-Star
- 1974 - Billy Percibal, minor league pitcher
- 1975 - Mark DeRosa, infielder
- 1977 - Adam Everett, infielder
- 1979 - Tino Sanchez, minor league catcher
- 1980 - Luis Miguel Navas, Cuban leagues infielder
- 1983 - Ronny Cedeno, infielder
- 1983 - Jason Vargas, pitcher
- 1984 - Ryan Doherty, minor league pitcher
- 1984 - Chin-Lung Hu, infielder
- 1986 - Joanniel Montero, minor league player
- 1988 - Travis Snider, outfielder
[edit] Deaths
- 1918 - Jack Crooks, infielder, manager (b. 1865)
- 1929 - Thorny Hawkes, infielder (b. 1852)
- 1929 - Mike Walsh, manager (b. 1850)
- 1941 - Ambrose McGann, infielder (b. 1868)
- 1950 - John Butler, catcher (b. 1879)
- 1951 - Bill Sowders, pitcher (b. 1864)
- 1953 - Mike Dejan, outfielder (b. 1915)
- 1961 - Red Holt, infielder (b. 1894)
- 1963 - Emil Planeta, pitcher (b. 1909)
- 1969 - Ray Schmandt, infielder (b. 1896)
- 1972 - Dick Burrus, infielder (b. 1898)
- 1978 - Archie Wise, pitcher (b. 1912)
- 1980 - Chauncey DeVault, minor league executive (b. ????)
- 1980 - Jack Rothrock, outfielder (b. 1905)
- 1981 - Al Van Camp, outfielder (b. 1903)
- 1993 - Merlyn Anthony, umpire (b. 1924)
- 1993 - Len Levy, coach (b. 1913)
- 1997 - Art Merewether, pinch hitter (b. 1902)
- 2002 - Andy Hansen, pitcher (b. 1924)
- 2008 - Ed Vargo, umpire (b. 1938)
