February 21
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 | |
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| Baseball Library Chronology | |
| Today in Baseball History | |
Events, births and deaths that occurred on February 21.
Events[edit]
- 1886 - Close to 8,000 fans jam the little ballpark in Havana to see the home team beat Almendares, 9 - 5, to win the Cuban Championship.
- 1891 - The National Board of Control, which manages the National Agreement between the two major leagues, with Allen W. Thurman still acting as chairman although he was replaced as President of the American Association three days earlier, declares all AA players fair game for contract raiding.
- 1903 - Tom Yawkey is born in Detroit, Michigan. Born under the name Thomas Austin, Yawkey will own and operate the Boston Red Sox for 44 years. He will gain Hall of Fame election in 1980, although his name will later be tarnished due to his resistance against integration.
- 1931 - The Brooklyn Robins arrive in Cuba to start a series of five inter-squad games.
- 1950 - Caguas' Dan Bankhead blanks the favored Almendares Blues in the first game of the Caribbean Series. It will be a disappointing 3-3 series for Almendares, who won the inaugural edition of the series in 1949.
- 1951 - The South Carolina House of Representatives introduces a resolution urging that Shoeless Joe Jackson, who was banished from baseball because of his part in the Black Sox Scandal of 1919, be reinstated.
- 1957 - Brooklyn Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley trades minor league franchises with Phil Wrigley of the Chicago Cubs. Brooklyn gives up its Fort Worth club in the Texas League in return for the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League. In a year's time, Brooklyn will be without a team and Los Angeles will be a major league city.
- 1968 - Major League Baseball owners and the Players Association sign the first "Basic Agreement" in the game's history. The agreement will serve as a working contract between players and owners, dictating the working relationship between the two sides along with financial rules and parameters.
- 1969 - Hall of Famer Ted Williams makes a return to baseball by signing a five-year contract to manage the Washington Senators. Williams will lead the Senators to their best record ever, a mark of 86-76, and be named American League Manager of the Year.
- 1974 - New York Mets pitcher Tom Seaver becomes the highest-paid player in major league history signing a one-year contract worth $172,500. In 1973, Seaver won 19 games while leading the National League in ERA.
- 1985:
- New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner gives manager Yogi Berra the dreaded vote of confidence. Steinbrenner says that Berra will remain Yankee skipper for the entire season, regardless of how badly the team might struggle. Berra will last only 16 games before being fired.
- Tim Raines is awarded a $1.2 million salary for 1985 by arbitrator Thomas Roberts. This is the largest award to date through the salary arbitration process. The 25-year-old Raines hit .309 for the Montreal Expos last season and led all major league players with 75 stolen bases.
- 1986 - Rollie Fingers passes up an opportunity to return to the majors. Fingers is invited to spring training by the Cincinnati Reds, who ask him to shave off his trademark handlebar mustache to comply with team rules. Fingers refuses to do so and decides to retire.
- 1989 - Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose meets with Commissioner Peter Ueberroth and Commissioner-elect Bart Giamatti to discuss his gambling habits.
- 2000 - The Cincinnati Reds announce the team has dropped its ban on earrings but denies that the acquisition of Ken Griffey, Jr. is the reason. Players have worn them in the clubhouse, but weren't allowed on the field with them.
- 2004 - Alexander Ramos of Pinar del Rio becomes the first player in the Cuban National League to play 1,000 consecutive games.
- 2006 - Gene Elston is selected by the Hall of Fame to receive the Ford C. Frick Award. During his 47 years in the broadcast booth, the former Houston Astros announcer brought a no-nonsense approach to reporting the happenings on the diamond.
- 2008 - Ryan Howard equals a new record for a first-time eligible player by winning a salary of $10 million through arbitration. Alfonso Soriano had previously won $10 million in arbitration as well.
- 2010 - The Yankees sign veteran Korean P Chan Ho Park to a one-year contract. Park pitched against the Yanks for the Phillies in last year's World Series.
- 2011:
- 36-year-old Justine Siegal makes a bit of history at the Cleveland Indians spring training complex in Goodyear, AZ. The former assistant coach at Springfield College and first base coach with the Brockton Rox is believed to be the first woman to throw batting practice to a group of major league hitters.
- Bryce Harper, the first overall pick in the 2010 amateur draft, creates a stir on his first day at the Washington Nationals camp in Viera, FL. He hits nothing but hard line drives in his first batting practice session, then is mobbed by autograph-seekers as he tries to leave the field. Harper has yet to make his minor league debut, but observers are already wondering how quickly he will make it to the big leagues.
- Seven new members of the College Baseball Hall of Fame are announced, including four former Golden Spikes Award winners (Oddibe McDowell, Tim Wallach, Terry Francona and Dave Magadan). Also inducted are 1950s All-American Dick Groat and longtime coaches Prez Jones and Bill Wilhelm.
- 2012 - The Cubs and Red Sox finally agree on compensation for the Cubs' hiring of Boston GM Theo Epstein to be their team President while Epstein was still under contract earlier this off-season. The Cubs agree to send pitcher Chris Carpenter to the BoSox, and the two teams will also exchange players to be named later to complete the deal.
- 2013 - A former Florida Marlins top prospect at third base in the 1990s, Josh Booty is back in baseball after winning a reality television show produced by the MLB Network called "The Next Knuckler". Booty's knuckleball wins him an invitation to spring training with the Diamondbacks. He is now 38 years old and was a star quarterback in college football after washing out of the major leagues. He will fail to earn a contract, however.
- 2016 - The Dodgers continue to be aggressive in signing defectors from Cuba, inking P Yaisel Sierra to a six-year contract worth $30 million. The signing follows that of major leaguers Yasiel Puig, Alex Guerrero, Erisbel Arruebarrena and Hector Olivera, all to multi-million dollar contracts, and three other pitchers inked in recent months: Yadier Alvarez, Yusniel Diaz and Omar Estevez.
- 2017 - C Matt Wieters inks a two-year contract worth $21 million with the Nationals; he is set to replace Wilson Ramos who left through free agency a few months earlier.
Births[edit]
- 1850 - Zachary Taylor, infielder (d. 1917)
- 1867 - Jouett Meekin, pitcher (d. 1944)
- 1870 - Bill Duzen, pitcher (d. 1944)
- 1875 - Luther Taylor, pitcher (d. 1958)
- 1876 - John Titus, outfielder (d. 1943)
- 1879 - Ed Smith, pitcher (d. 1956)
- 1880 - Joe Hughes, outfielder (d. 1951)
- 1880 - Lucky Wright, pitcher (d. 1941)
- 1881 - Sam Fletcher, pitcher (d. ????)
- 1881 - Ed Rodebaugh, minor league pitcher (d. 1972)
- 1886 - Alex Remneas, pitcher (d. 1975)
- 1890 - George Beck, pitcher (d. 1973)
- 1893 - Norman Plitt, pitcher (d. 1954)
- 1893 - Marsh Williams, pitcher (d. 1935)
- 1895 - Matías Ríos, infielder (d. 1924)
- 1896 - Turkey Gross, infielder (d. 1936)
- 1896 - Dick McCabe, pitcher (d. 1950)
- 1901 - Red Money, college coach (d. 1977)
- 1903 - Salvador Poree, pitcher (d. 1979)
- 1903 - Tom Yawkey, owner; Hall of Famer (d. 1976)
- 1904 - Komajiro Tamura, NPB owner; Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame (d. 1961)
- 1907 - Snipe Hansen, pitcher (d. 1978)
- 1908 - Kisaku Kato, NPB infielder and manager (d. 1981)
- 1911 - Charlie Puckett, Baseball Australia Hall of Fame (d. 2002)
- 1911 - George Wolfman, college coach (d. 1983)
- 1913 - Jess Brooks, infielder (d. 1992)
- 1914 - Milt Gray, catcher (d. 1969)
- 1915 - Mark Scott, broadcaster (d. 1960)
- 1919 - Bill Cash, catcher; All-Star (d. 2011)
- 1924 - Lloyd Hittle, pitcher (d. 2012)
- 1925 - Jack Ramsay, college coach (d. 2014)
- 1927 - George Yanen, minor league pitcher (d. 2017)
- 1934 - Joe Belak, US national team player (d. 2018)
- 1935 - Remberto Concepción, minor league pitcher (d. 2018)
- 1936 - Ted Savage, outfielder (d. 2023)
- 1940 - Doug Gallagher, pitcher (d. 2017)
- 1940 - Lanny Harris, umpire (d. 1991)
- 1942 - Fred Newman, pitcher (d. 1987)
- 1943 - Jack Billingham, pitcher; All-Star
- 1943 - Joe Foy, infielder (d. 1989)
- 1944 - Atsushi Nagaike, NPB outfielder
- 1945 - Sergio Lacayo, Nicaraguan national team pitcher
- 1945 - Kosuke Maeda, NPB pitcher
- 1945 - Tom Shopay, outfielder
- 1947 - Terry Ley, pitcher
- 1947 - Charlie Walters, pitcher
- 1948 - Bill Slayback, pitcher (d. 2015)
- 1953 - Rick Lysander, pitcher
- 1956 - Kiyoshi Sato, college coach
- 1958 - Alan Trammell, infielder, manager; All-Star
- 1959 - Francisco Cruz, Nicaraguan national team pitcher
- 1961 - Joel Skinner, catcher, manager
- 1962 - Emilio Carrasquel, scout
- 1963 - Jim Olander, outfielder
- 1965 - Oscar Azocar, outfielder (d. 2010)
- 1969 - John Moore, Australian national team catcher-outfielder
- 1970 - Ben Blake, minor league pitcher and college coach
- 1970 - Javier Delahoya, minor league pitcher
- 1971 - Jeff Schmidt, pitcher
- 1974 - Steve Montgomery, minor league pitcher
- 1975 - Brandon Berger, outfielder
- 1975 - Jen-Cheng Lo, CPBL pitcher
- 1976 - Oscar Abreu, minor league pitcher
- 1977 - Kuo-Cheng Chiu, CPBL pitcher
- 1977 - Chad Hutchinson, pitcher
- 1978 - Jon Cahill, minor league infielder and manager
- 1978 - Rene Reyes, outfielder
- 1979 - Yosnel Garcia, minor league catcher
- 1980 - Hyun-gon Lee, KBO infielder
- 1980 - Henry Yap, Great Britain national team infielder
- 1980 - Ian Young, Great Britain national team infielder
- 1981 - Dominick Ambrosini, minor league outfielder
- 1981 - Jason Cierlik, minor league pitcher (d. 2009)
- 1981 - Adam Greenberg, outfielder
- 1981 - Tsuyoshi Wada, pitcher
- 1981 - Kuo-Chin Wang, CPBL pitcher
- 1982 - Edwin Bellorin, catcher
- 1983 - Franklin Gutierrez, outfielder/designated hitter
- 1983 - Kenny Holmberg, minor league infielder
- 1983 - Jen-Wei Hu, CPBL infielder
- 1983 - Chris Nowak, minor league infielder
- 1983 - Steve Sakosits, college coach
- 1984 - Víctor Almengor Jr., Panamanian national team catcher
- 1984 - Jae-chung Lim, KBO pitcher
- 1985 - Matthew Brown, minor league player
- 1986 - Bob Buskett, Chinese national team coach
- 1986 - Santiago Gutiérrez, minor league pitcher
- 1986 - Orlando Yntema, minor league pitcher
- 1987 - Mike Gedman, minor league pitcher
- 1987 - Felipe Ishihara, Brazilian national team player
- 1988 - Chih-Hsien Chiang, minor league infielder
- 1988 - Tyler Lyons, pitcher
- 1988 - Max Sapp, minor league catcher
- 1989 - Lasantha Sanjeewa Manna Uthum Mudiyanselage, Sri Lankan national team infielder
- 1990 - Hao Chen, Chinese national team outfielder
- 1990 - Brad Goldberg, pitcher
- 1990 - Jack Marder, minor league utility man
- 1991 - Stephen Johnson, minor league pitcher
- 1991 - Paola Rosa, Puerto Rican women's national team infielder
- 1991 - Devon Travis, infielder
- 1992 - Ryan Merritt, pitcher
- 1992 - Ian Miller, outfielder
- 1993 - Jesus Reyes, pitcher
- 1994 - Sam Hilliard, outfielder
- 1994 - Zach Remillard, infielder
- 1995 - John Kalivas, Greek national team outfielder
- 1995 - C.D. Pelham, pitcher
- 1995 - Kodi Whitley, pitcher
- 1996 - Nick Wells, minor league pitcher
- 1998 - Nadir Ljatifi, minor league infielder
- 1999 - Léo Jiminian, French Division I outfielder
- 2000 - Ty Madden, pitcher
- 2000 - Bo Naylor, catcher
- 2001 - Porter Hodge, pitcher
- 2001 - Dalton Rushing, minor league catcher
- 2003 - Harry Ford, minor league catcher
- 2003 - Matej Rudohradský, Slovakian national team catcher
Deaths[edit]
- 1881 - Edwin Russell, pre-MLB outfielder (b. ~1829)
- 1901 - Dennis Driscoll, infielder (b. 1862)
- 1911 - Charles Kennedy, umpire (b. 1871)
- 1914 - Farmer Vaughn, catcher (b. 1864)
- 1918 - Joe Fogarty, outfielder (b. 1864)
- 1927 - Isaac Leroy, umpire (b. 1850)
- 1927 - Ike Rockenfield, infielder (b. 1876)
- 1932 - John Peters, catcher (b. 1893)
- 1934 - Doc Adkins, pitcher (b. 1872)
- 1934 - Jim Roxburgh, catcher (b. 1858)
- 1938 - George Merritt, outfielder (b. 1880)
- 1940 - John Taber, pitcher (b. 1868)
- 1941 - Frank Corridon, pitcher (b. 1880)
- 1944 - Jack Enzenroth, catcher (b. 1885)
- 1945 - Paul Radford, outfielder (b. 1861)
- 1946 - Bill Cunningham, infielder (b. 1888)
- 1948 - Irv Ray, infielder (b. 1864)
- 1953 - Buck Freeman, pitcher (b. 1893)
- 1953 - Andy Lotshaw, minor league outfielder and infielder (b. 1880)
- 1959 - Hunter Hill, infielder (b. 1879)
- 1969 - Eddie Murphy, outfielder (b. 1891)
- 1970 - Tom Carey, infielder (b. 1906)
- 1970 - Joe Shaute, pitcher (b. 1899)
- 1972 - Phil Hensiek, pitcher (b. 1901)
- 1973 - Gilly Campbell, catcher (b. 1908)
- 1975 - Steve Filipowicz, outfielder (b. 1921)
- 1978 - Slicker Parks, pitcher (b. 1895)
- 1981 - Bunny Griffiths, minor league player and manager (b. 1901)
- 1982 - Ray Shearer, outfielder (b. 1929)
- 1985 - Harry Daughtry, minor league infielder and manager (b. 1909)
- 1989 - Chet Ross, outfielder (b. 1917)
- 1998 - John Lennon, minor league player (b. 1937)
- 1999 - George Gill, pitcher (b. 1909)
- 1999 - Vinegar Bend Mizell, pitcher; All-Star (b. 1930)
- 2002 - Bill Faul, pitcher (b. 1940)
- 2003 - Rusty Peters, infielder (b. 1914)
- 2006 - Scott Breeden, coach (b. 1937)
- 2006 - Mark Freeman, pitcher (b. 1930)
- 2007 - Sherman Jones, pitcher (b. 1935)
- 2010 - George Strickland, infielder, manager (b. 1926)
- 2012 - Yasuhiko Kawamura, NPB pitcher (b. 1940)
- 2014 - Hector Maestri, pitcher (b. 1935)
- 2014 - Eddie O'Brien, infielder (b. 1930)
- 2016 - Haruyasu Eto, NPB pitcher (b. 1922)
- 2017 - Doug Gallagher, pitcher (b. 1940)
- 2017 - Len Pyne, college coach (b. 1924)
- 2018 - José Joaquín Tineo, Dominican national team pitcher (b. 1949)
- 2019 - Nick Cafardo, author (b. 1956)
- 2021 - Dick Bliek, Dutch executive (b. 1946)
- 2021 - Charlie Gorin, pitcher (b. 1928)
- 2023 - Albie Pearson, outfielder; All-Star (b. 1934)
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