February 12
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 12.
Events[edit]
- 1878 - Frederick W. Thayer patents the catcher's mask. He is the captain of Harvard University Baseball Club.
- 1880 - The Boston Red Caps cut the price of season tickets from $14 to $12 after the team failed to win its third straight National League pennant last season.
- 1885 - The Western League is officially formed, with Indianapolis, Kansas City, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Toledo and Omaha as the original clubs. It will last until June 23rd.
- 1903 - Charles (Chick) Hafey is born in Berkeley, California. Hafey will make his major league debut in 1924 with the St. Louis Cardinals. During a 13-year career with the Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds, Hafey will hit .317, including a National League batting crown with .349 in 1931, and will be part of two World Series championships in 1926 and 1931. Hafey will enter the Hall of Fame in 1971.
- 1912 - In a change of outfielders, the Boston Braves send Mike Donlin to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Vin Campbell. After one season with Pittsburgh, Donlin will be waived to the Phillies but will refuse to report and elect to retire.
- 1920:
- Frank "Home Run" Baker's wife, Ottalee, dies at 31, leaving two small children. Baker will miss the entire season to stay home and take care of the family, returning in 1921 to hit .294.
- Dissatisfaction with the National Commission system comes to a head. The National League votes 6-2 for a one-man commission while the American League votes 6-2 for the status quo. Chairman Garry Herrmann resigns, stating his belief that no club owner should serve on the governing board. When the two leagues cannot agree on a chairman, it is left to the league presidents to decide disputes.
- In a defeat for American League president Ban Johnson, pitcher Carl Mays is reinstated, and the Yankees' third-place finish is recognized. Furthermore, a two-man committee is appointed to review all fines over $100 and suspensions of more than ten days.
- 1924 - The National League announces it will join the American League in awarding a thousand dollars to the player selected by the Baseball Writers Association of America as the Most Valuable Player.
- 1930 - After leading his Philadelphia Athletics to the 1929 World Championship, Connie Mack becomes the first sports figure to receive the prestigious Edward W. Bok Prize for service to the city of Philadelphia.
- 1932 - George Weiss is named head of the Yankees' new minor league system. Weiss will eventually become the general manager of the Yankees, and along with manager Casey Stengel, will oversee an unprecedented five consecutive World Championships from 1949 to 1953. Weiss will eventually gain election to the Hall of Fame in 1971.
- 1940 - The Brooklyn Dodgers purchase outfielder Joe Vosmik from the Boston Red Sox.
- 1942 - Minor league outfielder Gordon Houston becomes the first player in Organized Baseball to die during active duty in World War II, being killed in a flight training accident. Houston had played with Texarkana in 1940.
- 1944 - Bob Coleman is named as manager of the Boston Braves. Previously, Coleman was managing in the minors for twenty-three years.
- 1955 - In Caracas, Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays hit crucial home runs to lead the Santurce Crabbers of Puerto Rico to a 4 - 2 victory over Venezuela's entry, Magallanes, in the Caribbean World Series championship. Mays' homer comes in the 11th inning.
- 1980 - Oakland Athletics owner Charlie Finley's plan to sell his team to oil mogul Marv Davis is thwarted when the American League offers to buy out the Oakland Coliseum lease. Davis had hoped to move the franchise to Denver.
- 1981 - A contract violation by the Boston Red Sox makes All-Star catcher Carlton Fisk a free agent. In 1980, he batted .289 with 18 home runs and 62 RBI. Fisk will eventually sign a multi-year contract with the Chicago White Sox, for whom he will play during the balance of his career.
- 1988 - The San Diego Padres trade reliever Rich Gossage to the Chicago Cubs for infielder Keith Moreland in a deal that also includes a pair of minor league players.
- 1994 - Third baseman Ray Dandridge dies in Palm Bay, Florida, at the age of 80. The former Negro Leagues star batted .322 for his career and gained election to the Hall of Fame in 1987.
- 1999:
- With two outs and a 7 - 6 deficit in the bottom of the 9th, Paul Gorman of the Gold Coast Cougars cracks a two-run homer off Sydney Storm closer Graham Cassel (a future Baseball Australia Hall of Famer) for a dramatic ending to Game 1 of the 1998-1999 Australian Baseball League finals. Gold Coast will win a slugfest tomorrow to wrap it up.
- The San Diego Padres sign 37-year-old country music singer Garth Brooks and invite him to spring training camp as a non-roster player.
- 2002 - One day after the acquisition of the Montreal Expos by Major League Baseball as a result of the sale of the Florida Marlins to former Expos owner Jeffrey Loria, a number of personnel changes are announced: the Expos name Frank Robinson as manager, Tony Tavares as president of the club and Omar Minaya as the major leagues' first Hispanic general manager; south of the border, former Expos manager Jeff Torborg will manage the Marlins with former Expos' interim general manager Larry Beinfest as the GM and David Samson taking over the duties of team president.
- 2003 - Federal judge James Holderman gives the Chicago Cubs and the owners of rooftop bleachers which provide fans a view of Wrigley Field a year to settle their dispute. The team believes the seating provided above the field on the rooftops directly competes with the club for ticket sales and the surrounding neighbors, in turn, have not been sympathetic to team's expansion plans.
- 2006 - The Chicago Cubs and pitcher Carlos Zambrano agree to terms on a one-year contract; first baseman Shea Hillenbrand and pitcher Pete Walker sign with the Toronto Blue Jays on one-year contracts, and the Washington Nationals sell the contract of infielder Jamey Carroll to the Colorado Rockies.
- 2010:
- The Giants sign P Tim Lincecum, the National League Cy Young Award winner in both 2008 and 2009, to a two-year contract worth $23 million, thus avoiding a record-setting salary arbitration hearing.
- The first salary arbitration case of the season is heard, and Corey Hart comes out ahead, being awarded a salary of $4.8 million for this season, beating the Brewers' offer worth $650,000 less.
- 2012 - James McOwen slides home to score the game-winning run on a wild pitch by Andrew Russell in the bottom of the 13th inning, giving the Perth Heat a 7 - 6 win over the Melbourne Aces and a second consecutive Australian Baseball League championship. P Virgil Vasquez is named the series MVP.
- 2014 - All-time great SS Derek Jeter announces that the 2014 season, his 20th, will be his last one. Injuries have taken a toll of late, limiting him to 17 games in 2013. The team captain will retire as the New York Yankees' all-time leader in games played and hits.
- 2016:
- On the second day of Pool A of the 2017 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers, held in Sydney, Australia, New Zealand eliminates the Philippines with a 17 - 7 mercy rule win. It's harder than it looks however, as the Philippines have leads of 4 - 3 and 7 - 4 before New Zealand explodes for six runs in the 6th and doesn't stop scoring after that. Boss Moanaroa leads the Kiwi offense by going 4 for 5 with two doubles and a three-run homer, while 18-year-old high school student Jimmy Boyce picks up the win in relief. In the other game, Australia rides its superior pitching to a 4 - 1 win over South Africa, as four pitchers combine to allow six hits while striking out 11. Australia jumps on former Olympian Carl Michaels for an early 3 - 0 lead as its first four batters of the game get base hits.
- Pitcher Jenrry Mejia becomes the first player to be permanently banned from baseball for a third failed drug test. In the midst of serving a 162-game suspension for a second offense dating back to the previous July, Mejia again tests positive for a banned steroid, prompting the unprecedented punishment under Major League Baseball's joint drug treatment and prevention program. He will still be eligible to apply for reinstatement after two years - if he trespasses no more.
- 2020 - Major League Baseball officially announces the new rules that will be introduced in the upcoming season. They include a minimum of three batters faced by relief pitchers; the addition of a 26th player to the roster, which also includes a limit of 13 pitchers; and a limit on expanded rosters after September 1st of 28 players and 14 pitchers. There will also be restrictions on the use of position players on the mound, and on the use of the injured list.
- 2021 - Major League Baseball officially reveals the new structure of the minor leagues, with Minor League Baseball being replaced by the Professional Development League, entirely controlled by MLB and consisting of four classifications, all given generic names for the time being. The structure also includes two complex-based leagues in Florida and Arizona, replacing the former Gulf Coast League and Arizona League, and four "partner leagues", three of them former independent leagues and the other the Appalachian League, now a summer collegiate league.
- 2022 - The owners table a 130-page document containing their latest proposals in an effort to resolve the ongoing lockout that they decreed back in December, but it gets a cool reception from the Players Association. The two sides are still wide apart on a number of issues, threatening both the start of spring training, which would normally have taken place in the coming days, and the tentative date of March 31 for Opening Day.
- 2024 - On the eve of spring training, the Giants reportedly sign one of the biggest remaining names on the free agent market, inking OF Jorge Soler to a three-year deal worth $42 million.
Births[edit]
- 1862 - Harry Weber, catcher (d. 1926)
- 1864 - Jim Fogarty, outfielder, manager (d. 1891)
- 1877 - Joe Jerger, minor league pitcher (d. 1961)
- 1878 - Pants Rowland, manager; umpire (d. 1969)
- 1879 - Harry Arndt, infielder (d. 1921)
- 1885 - Bill Mack, pitcher (d. 1971)
- 1888 - Ray Miller, infielder (d. 1927)
- 1889 - H.C. Byrd, college coach (d. 1970)
- 1889 - George Cochran, infielder (d. 1960)
- 1889 - Ned Crompton, outfielder (d. 1950)
- 1889 - Art Thomason, outfielder (d. 1944)
- 1892 - Alex Albritton, pitcher (d. 1940)
- 1892 - Tom Rogers, pitcher (d. 1936)
- 1893 - Earl Sheely, infielder (d. 1952)
- 1895 - Sweetbreads Bailey, pitcher (d. 1939)
- 1899 - Stack Martin, utility player (d. 1978)
- 1901 - Virgil Cheeves, pitcher (d. 1979)
- 1902 - Kiddo Davis, outfielder (d. 1983)
- 1903 - Chick Hafey, outfielder; All-Star, Hall of Famer (d. 1973)
- 1903 - Andy Harrington, pinch hitter (d. 1979)
- 1912 - Linc Blakely, outfielder (d. 1976)
- 1912 - Tom Parker, pitcher/outfielder; manager (d. 1964)
- 1917 - Dom DiMaggio, outfielder; All-Star (d. 2009)
- 1918 - Monk Dubiel, pitcher (d. 1969)
- 1920 - Charlie Shipman, minor league pitcher (d. 2014)
- 1920 - Marvin Williams, infielder; All-Star (d. 2000)
- 1921 - Don Bollweg, infielder (d. 1996)
- 1922 - Mike Clark, pitcher (d. 1996)
- 1922 - Gene Kelly, umpire (d. 2003)
- 1922 - Woody Main, pitcher (d. 1992)
- 1926 - Joe Garagiola, catcher (d. 2016)
- 1926 - Sam Webb, college coach (d. 2018)
- 1927 - Rita Meyer, AAGPBL infielder (d. 1992)
- 1930 - Ramiro Caballero, minor league infielder and manager (d. 2008)
- 1930 - Bill Dumpson, pitcher (d. 2014)
- 1932 - Bob Simpson, minor league pitcher (d. 2014)
- 1933 - Pete Spasoff, minor league pitcher (d. 2018)
- 1934 - Eunice Taylor, AAGPBL catcher (d. 2009)
- 1935 - Yasumitsu Toyoda, NPB infielder; Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame (d. 2016)
- 1937 - Stan Johnson, outfielder (d. 2012)
- 1939 - Jim Lawrence, catcher
- 1939 - Jerry Walker, pitcher; All-Star (d. 2024)
- 1941 - Mike Joyce, pitcher
- 1942 - Steve Bailey, pitcher
- 1942 - Pat Dobson, pitcher; All-Star (d. 2006)
- 1943 - George Brill, scout (d. 2016)
- 1943 - Paul Edmondson, pitcher (d. 1970)
- 1944 - Mike Martin, minor league outfelder and college coach (d. 2024)
- 1945 - Don Wilson, pitcher; All-Star (d. 1975)
- 1947 - Jim Durham, announcer (d. 2012)
- 1948 - Susumu Aikawa, NPB infielder (d. 2010)
- 1948 - Frank Estrada, catcher; Salón de la Fama (d. 2019)
- 1949 - Ray Corbin, pitcher
- 1949 - Enzo Hernandez, infielder (d. 2013)
- 1949 - Len Randle, infielder
- 1951 - Don Stanhouse, pitcher; All-Star
- 1952 - Cam Bonifay, general manager
- 1952 - Kinya Toki, NPB pitcher
- 1953 - Dave Revering, infielder
- 1955 - Juan Bonilla, infielder
- 1955 - Greg Johnston, outfielder
- 1955 - Gene Krug, pinch hitter
- 1955 - Chet Lemon, outfielder; All-Star
- 1955 - Steve Mura, pitcher
- 1955 - Stan Saleski, scout (d. 2014)
- 1956 - Brian Denman, pitcher
- 1957 - Steve Brown, pitcher
- 1957 - Augie Ruiz, minor league pitcher
- 1958 - Jim Beswick, outfielder
- 1958 - César Monge, Nicaraguan national team pitcher
- 1958 - Ken Smith, infielder
- 1962 - Tim Meeks, minor league pitcher
- 1964 - Joe Bitker, pitcher
- 1964 - Cameron Drew, outfielder
- 1965 - Ruben Amaro, outfielder
- 1965 - Stan Fansler, pitcher
- 1965 - Dennis Springer, pitcher
- 1966 - Jeff Pico, pitcher
- 1968 - Francisco Aristu, Spanish national team catcher
- 1971 - Ryan Lefebvre, minor league outfielder
- 1971 - Shane Tonkin, CPBL pitcher
- 1972 - Clayton Byrne, minor league outfielder
- 1974 - Carlos Balcázar, minor league catcher
- 1974 - Freddy Flores, minor league player
- 1975 - Yu-Lung Pang, TML outfielder (d. 2012)
- 1975 - Chad Ricketts, minor league pitcher
- 1977 - Gary Knotts, pitcher
- 1977 - Dong-hoon Yoo, KBO pitcher
- 1978 - Tim Redding, pitcher
- 1979 - Matt Mauck, minor league infielder and catcher
- 1980 - Adam Stern, outfielder
- 1981 - Marcelo Okuyama, Brazilian national team infielder
- 1981 - Chris Snyder, catcher
- 1982 - James Cooper, college coach
- 1982 - Onil Joseph, minor league outfielder and manager
- 1982 - Alberto Magallón, Division de Honor pitcher
- 1982 - Shinsuke Saito, NPB pitcher
- 1982 - Terence White, South African national team catcher
- 1983 - Trevor Mortensen, minor league player
- 1983 - Russ Petrick, minor league pitcher
- 1983 - Dean White, minor league infielder
- 1984 - Dan Nelson, minor league infielder
- 1985 - Ysmael Carmona, minor league pitcher
- 1985 - Cole De Vries, pitcher
- 1986 - Brandon Allen, infielder
- 1986 - Todd Frazier, infielder; All-Star
- 1986 - Víctor Marapacuto, Venezuelan national team infielder
- 1987 - David Cooper, infielder
- 1987 - Argenis Diaz, infielder
- 1988 - En-Sih Huang, CPBL infielder
- 1988 - Inayat Khan, Pakistani national team pitcher
- 1988 - Josh Phegley, catcher
- 1989 - Regan Hoet, New Zealand national team utility man
- 1991 - Reymond Fuentes, outfielder
- 1992 - Pär Axelsson, Elitserien infielder
- 1992 - Jordan Patterson, outfielder
- 1992 - Jerry Vasto, pitcher
- 1993 - Ja-wook Koo, KBO infielder
- 1995 - Parker Dunshee, pitcher
- 1995 - Muhammad Taimoor Javed, Pakistani national team pitcher
- 1995 - Ian Stiffler, minor league pitcher
- 1996 - Ik-hun An, KBO outfielder
- 1996 - Andrija Tomić, Bundesliga catcher
- 1997 - Jhonny Bethencourt, minor league infielder
- 1997 - Tae-seong Choe, South Korean national team infielder
- 1998 - Josh Jung, infielder; All-Star
- 1999 - Peter Dudunakis, Greek national team infielder
- 1999 - Heston Kjerstad, outfielder
- 2000 - Brandon Smith, South African national team player
- 2001 - Victor Scott, outfielder
- 2003 - Milan Prokop, Extraliga infielder
- 2004 - Fernando Perez, minor league pitcher
Deaths[edit]
- 1885 - Nealy Phelps, outfielder (b. 1840)
- 1908 - Doctor Hegeman, umpire (b. 1828)
- 1912 - Tsunetaro Moriyama, Japanese Baseball Hall of Famer (b. 1880)
- 1920 - Mike Goodfellow, outfielder (b. 1866)
- 1934 - Rowdy Elliott, catcher (b. 1890)
- 1939 - George Fair, infielder (b. 1856)
- 1943 - Bart Cantz, catcher (b. 1860)
- 1952 - Charlie Manlove, catcher (b. 1862)
- 1959 - Isaac Nutter, Negro League executive (b. 1878)
- 1959 - Dode Paskert, outfielder (b. 1881)
- 1961 - Lefty Atkinson, pinch hitter (b. 1906)
- 1962 - Dick Wheeler, outfielder (b. 1898)
- 1964 - Ted Pawelek, catcher (b. 1919)
- 1964 - Al Pierotti, pitcher (b. 1895)
- 1967 - Dutch Distel, infielder (b. 1896)
- 1967 - Bob Rhoads, pitcher (b. 1879)
- 1968 - Johnny Siegle, outfielder (b. 1874)
- 1972 - Tony Alomar, minor league infielder (b. 1932)
- 1975 - Dutch Mele, outfielder (b. 1915)
- 1978 - Ernie Jenkins, minor league pitcher and manager (b. 1906)
- 1979 - Ernest Duff, outfielder (b. 1900)
- 1979 - Bill Vargus, pitcher (b. 1899)
- 1980 - Carl Howard, pitcher (b. 1904)
- 1981 - Frank Genovese, minor league outfielder and manager (b. 1914)
- 1982 - Dale Alderson, pitcher (b. 1918)
- 1982 - John Wuffli, minor league infielder and manager (b. 1891)
- 1983 - Bob Saunders, pitcher (b. 1902)
- 1985 - Van Mungo, pitcher; All-Star (b. 1911)
- 1989 - Euel Moore, pitcher (b. 1908)
- 1994 - Ray Dandridge, infielder; All-Star, Hall of Famer (b. 1913)
- 1997 - Francis Healy, catcher (b. 1910)
- 1998 - Zenzo Hasegawa, NPB infielder (b. 1923)
- 2003 - Wally Burnette, pitcher (b. 1929)
- 2003 - Haywood Sullivan, catcher, manager (b. 1930)
- 2003 - Dick Whitman, outfielder (b. 1920)
- 2005 - Carp Wood, college coach (b. 1917)
- 2008 - Ed Rogell, minor league infielder (b. 1909)
- 2009 - Ted Uhlaender, outfielder (b. 1939)
- 2009 - Paul Zaby, minor league outfielder (b. 1916)
- 2010 - Jerry Fahr, pitcher (b. 1924)
- 2011 - Gino Cimoli, outfielder; All-Star (b. 1929)
- 2011 - Elmer Kirchhoff, minor league infielder (d. 1921)
- 2015 - Alison Gordon, writer (b. 1943)
- 2018 - Rudy Regalado, infielder (b. 1930)
- 2018 - Max Ross, minor league catcher (b. 1928)
- 2018 - Teruyuki Takakura, NPB outfielder (b. 1934)
- 2023 - Brian Dubois, pitcher (b. 1967)
- 2023 - Ted Lerner, owner (b. 1925)
We're Social...for Statheads
Every Sports Reference Social Media Account
Site Last Updated:
Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction?
Subscribe to our Free Email Newsletter
Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE
Your All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database
Do you have a sports website? Or write about sports? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Find out more.