January 1
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 January 1.
Events[edit]
- 1857 - Future Hall of Fame pitcher Tim Keefe is born in Cambridge, MA. In a 14-season major league career, Keefe will post a 342-225 record with 2,562 strikeouts and a 2.62 ERA.
- 1911 - Hank Greenberg is born in New York, NY. After a splendid career as a player and executive, Greenberg will gain Hall of Fame honors in 1956.
- 1923 - Hall of Fame outfielder Willie Keeler dies in Brooklyn, NY, at the age of 50. In 19 major league seasons, Keller hit .341, amassed 2,932 hits, and won consecutive batting titles in 1897 and 1898.
- 1927 - The press is informed that outfielder Zack Wheat, after 18 consecutive seasons with the Brooklyn Robins teams, has been released. Wheat, who led the National League in hitting in 1918 with a .335 batting average, will hit .324 in 88 games for the Philadelphia Athletics in his final major league season in 1927, completing a distinguished Hall of Fame career with a lifetime mark of .318.
- 1929 - Cool Papa Bell, playing for Cienfuegos, becomes the first slugger to connect for three home runs in a single game during Cuban professional play. A Negro Leaguer and future Hall of Fame member, Bell accomplishes his feat at Aida Park during the 15 - 11 slugfest victory over Habana. All three are inside-the-park efforts. Oscar Levis, Cliff Bell and Martin Dihigo surrender the homers.
- 1943 - Negro League star Josh Gibson suffers a nervous breakdown and is admitted to St. Francis hospital for rest and treatment. He will be released in time to go to Hot Springs, AR, to get in shape for the baseball season.
- 1961 - Briggs Stadium, home of the Detroit Tigers, is officially renamed "Tiger Stadium".
- 1970 - Chub Feeney begins his 16-year presidency of the National League taking over for Warren Giles, who held the position for 18 years.
- 1974 - Lee MacPhail takes over as American League president, succeeding Joe Cronin, who retires. MacPhail will serve in this role until 1984. He will join his father, Larry MacPhail, as a member of the Hall of Fame in 1998.
- 2009:
- Major League Baseball launches MLB Network, a cable and satellite television channel based out of Secaucus, NJ. The channel debuts in nearly 50 million cable and satellite homes - the largest debut in cable television history, exceeding any other cable television launch by approximately 20 million homes.
- The friendly confines of Wrigley Field see a different type of action as the ballpark is fitted with an outdoor hockey rink to welcome an afternoon NHL game between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings. The event is a huge success with 40,818 in attendance and a huge television audience in place to watch the Wings beat the Hawks, 6-4. Other ballparks are lining up to host future editions of what will become an annual New Year's Day event.
- 2010 - Boston's historic Fenway Park is host to a National Hockey League game for the first time, as the Boston Bruins defeat the Philadelphia Flyers, 2 - 1 in overtime in the league's annual New Year's Day outdoor game.
- 2012 - The Blue Jays repatriate Jason Frasor, the team's all-time leader in games pitched with 455, from the White Sox in return for minor leaguers Myles Jaye and Daniel Webb. Frasor had been sent to Chicago at the 2011 trading deadline after spending eight seasons as a member of the Jays' bullpen.
- 2013:
- The Indians sign P Brett Myers and announce they plan to use him as a starter after a season spent in the bullpen with the Astros and White Sox in 2012.
- World Series hero Sergio Romo is detained by authorities in Las Vegas, NV after failing to produce appropriate identification to clear security at the city's airport. The incident degenerates, forcing police to intervene and issue Romo a citation for violating airport rules. He will issue a public apology two days later.
- 2014 - Legendary broadcaster Vin Scully, 86, serves as Grand Marshal of the annual Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA.
- 2015:
- The Braves and Yankees announce a trade in spite of the holiday, with Ps David Carpenter and Chasen Shreve headed to the Bronx in return for P Manny Banuelos.
- It's the Nation's Capital's turn to host the annual National Hockey League Winter Classic, with Nationals Park transformed into an outdoor hockey rink for the occasion. The Washington Capitals defeat the Chicago Blackhawks, 3-2, thanks to a goal with under 13 seconds left to play. The game draws a crowd of 42,832.
- 2018 - The annual NHL Winter Classic is held at Citi Field in Queens, NY as the New York Rangers defeat the Buffalo Sabres, 3-2, in overtime. 41,821 fans brave freezing temperatures to witness the game in person, as yellow taxi cabs and billboards are scattered in empty spaces around the rink to give the venue a true New York City feel.
- 2020 - Don Larsen, who threw the only perfect game in World Series history in Game 5 in 1956, dies at age 90.
- 2024 - It is the turn of T-Mobile Park in Seattle, WA to host the outdoor NHL Winter Classic. The Seattle Kraken defeat the Vegas Golden Knights, 3-0, in a battle of the league's two youngest teams, with Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord wearing a mask adorned with baseball cards representing iconic players from the Seattle Mariners for the occasion.
Births[edit]
- 1844 - Harry Berthrong, outfielder (d. 1928)
- 1851 - David Lenz, catcher (d. 1886)
- 1854 - Peter Morris, infielder (d. 1884)
- 1855 - Tom Mansell, outfielder (d. 1934)
- 1855 - Bill McGunnigle, outfielder, manager (d. 1899)
- 1855 - Bill Sharsig, manager (d. 1902)
- 1855 - Robert Stevens, outfielder (d. 1900)
- 1857 - Tim Keefe, pitcher; Hall of Famer (d. 1933)
- 1858 - Hugh Nicol, outfielder, manager (d. 1921)
- 1865 - Miah Murray, catcher; umpire (d. 1922)
- 1868 - Dave Zearfoss, catcher (d. 1945)
- 1869 - Frank Connaughton, infielder (d. 1942)
- 1869 - Kid Keenan, pitcher (d. 1909)
- 1870 - Bumpus Jones, pitcher (d. 1938)
- 1872 - Malcolm MacDonald, outfielder (d. 1946)
- 1873 - Tom Donovan, outfielder (d. 1933)
- 1874 - Doc Amole, pitcher (d. 1912)
- 1874 - Ned Garvin, pitcher (d. 1908)
- 1876 - Joe Martin, utility player (d. 1964)
- 1876 - Harry Wilson, catcher (d. 1929)
- 1880 - Jake Livingstone, pitcher (d. 1949)
- 1880 - Claude Rothgeb, outfielder (d. 1944)
- 1881 - Rudy Bell, outfielder (d. 1955)
- 1881 - Kiyoshi Oshikawa, NPB executive; Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame (d. 1944)
- 1882 - Andy Bruckmiller, pitcher (d. 1970)
- 1882 - Sydney Eckstone, minor league pitcher and manager (d. 1940)
- 1882 - Howard Murphy, outfielder (d. 1926)
- 1884 - Tom Downey, infielder (d. 1961)
- 1885 - Eddie Hohnhorst, infielder (d. 1916)
- 1887 - Johnny Carr, outfielder (d. 1939)
- 1892 - Charlie Schmutz, pitcher (d. 1962)
- 1894 - Frank Fuller, infielder (d. 1965)
- 1894 - Hack Miller, outfielder (d. 1971)
- 1897 - Monty Swartz, pitcher (d. 1980)
- 1900 - Teddy Kearns, infielder (d. 1949)
- 1900 - Webster McDonald, pitcher, manager (d. 1982)
- 1900 - Garnett Norman, outfielder (d. 1925)
- 1900 - Al Stokes, catcher (d. 1986)
- 1904 - Ethan Allen, outfielder (d. 1993)
- 1905 - Pearley Johnson, infielder (d. 1991)
- 1910 - Charlie Devens, pitcher (d. 2003)
- 1911 - Melvin Coleman, infielder/catcher (d. 1968)
- 1911 - Hank Greenberg, infielder; All-Star, Hall of Famer (d. 1986)
- 1911 - Toshiyasu Ogawa, NPB catcher (d. WWII)
- 1912 - Hiker Moran, pitcher (d. 1998)
- 1913 - Charley House, infielder (d. 2001)
- 1915 - Joe Reichler, writer (d. 1988)
- 1917 - Carl Gunnarson, minor league pitcher (d. 196?)
- 1917 - Vernon Riddick, infielder (d. 1979)
- 1919 - Sherry Robertson, infielder (d. 1970)
- 1920 - Walter James, minor league pitcher (d. 1985)
- 1921 - Royce Lint, pitcher (d. 2006)
- 1921 - Frank Marsh, minor league outfielder (d. 2021)
- 1921 - Hiroyuki Watanabe, NPB outfielder (d. 1990)
- 1923 - Keizo Tsutsui, NPB catcher (d. 1959)
- 1924 - Charlie Bishop, pitcher (d. 1993)
- 1924 - Arleene Noga, AAGPBL infielder (d. 2017)
- 1924 - Earl Torgeson, infielder (d. 1990)
- 1925 - James Cronin, minor league outfielder (d. 2014)
- 1926 - Tsuneo Kobayashi, NPB pitcher
- 1926 - Satoru Sugiyama, NPB outfielder (d. 2009)
- 1927 - Carl Scheib, pitcher (d. 2018)
- 1930 - Charles Balciulis, college coach (d. 2017)
- 1930 - Ernie Cecaci, college coach (d. 2022)
- 1930 - Ernie Novack, minor league pitcher (d. 2014)
- 1931 - Foster Castleman, infielder (d. 2020)
- 1932 - Bill Pass, minor league infielder (d. 2014)
- 1933 - Gene Host, pitcher (d. 1998)
- 1935 - Akiteru Kono, NPB infielder (d. 2014)
- 1936 - Motoyasu Kuroki, NPB outfielder (d. 2014)
- 1937 - Nan-Hui Yeh, Taiwan national team catcher (d. 2019)
- 1938 - Yukio Imaizumi, NPB catcher (d. 2009)
- 1939 - Roy Majtyka, coach
- 1941 - Steve Fields, umpire (d. 2009)
- 1941 - Akira Hotta, NPB outfielder
- 1942 - Satomi Bando, NPB pitcher (d. 1999)
- 1942 - Bill Bethea, infielder
- 1942 - Masayuki Nagayasu, NPB pitcher
- 1943 - Alison Gordon, writer (d. 2015)
- 1943 - Bud Hollowell, minor league catcher and manager (d. 2014)
- 1943 - Motohiko Sato, NPB pitcher
- 1944 - Roberto Castellon, minor league infielder and manager
- 1944 - Yasuhiro Kunisada, NPB infielder
- 1948 - Randy Bobb, catcher (d. 1982)
- 1948 - John Dolinsek, minor league outfielder
- 1951 - Rick Albert, minor league infielder and manager
- 1953 - Lynn Jones, outfielder
- 1953 - Joe Pittman, infielder (d. 2014)
- 1954 - Shigeki Wakamatsu, Japanese national team infielder
- 1955 - La Marr Hoyt, pitcher; All-Star (d. 2021)
- 1955 - Bob Owchinko, pitcher
- 1957 - Rob Pietroburgo, minor league pitcher
- 1959 - Robbie Allen, minor league infielder
- 1960 - Yury Zhirov, Russian national team pitcher
- 1965 - Rich Aldrete, college coach
- 1965 - Wen-Cheng Lin, CPBL pitcher (d. 1992)
- 1969 - Bienvenido Cedeño, Panamanian National Team pitcher
- 1969 - Ron Gerstein, minor league pitcher
- 1969 - Ray Harvey, minor league infielder
- 1969 - Roberto Rivera, pitcher
- 1970 - Derek Hacopian, minor league outfielder
- 1970 - Gary Wilson, pitcher
- 1970 - Henry Centeno, scout (d. 2009)
- 1971 - Guy DeMutis, scout
- 1971 - Jose David Flores, coach
- 1972 - Ariel Borrero, Cuban National League infielder
- 1972 - Etienne Coste, French Division I pitcher
- 1972 - Rafael Roque, pitcher
- 1972 - Kazuhito Yoshimura, NPB infielder
- 1973 - Ming-Tsung Wu, TML pitcher
- 1974 - Kevin Beirne, pitcher
- 1974 - Yudith Ozorio, minor league outfielder
- 1974 - Nelson Saldaña, Nicaraguan national team pitcher
- 1975 - Jon Cannon, minor league pitcher
- 1975 - Fernando Tatis, infielder
- 1976 - Alexander Vashakidze, Russian national team outfielder
- 1979 - Juan Pablo López, Nicaraguan national team pitcher
- 1979 - Raul Nieves, minor league infielder
- 1980 - Jae-hun Chung, KBO pitcher
- 1981 - Avelino Asprilla, minor league infielder
- 1981 - Miguel Bernard, minor league catcher and manager
- 1981 - Brett Burnham, minor league infielder
- 1981 - B.J. LaMura, minor league pitcher
- 1981 - Wei Zhang, Chinese national team infielder
- 1982 - Chih-Sheng Lin, CPBL infielder
- 1983 - Edwar Gonzalez, coach
- 1984 - Jean Centeno, minor league outfielder
- 1984 - Branden Dewing, minor league pitcher
- 1984 - Anthony Gressick, minor league outfielder/pitcher
- 1984 - Jay Heafner, scout
- 1984 - Neil Wagner, pitcher
- 1985 - Diego Echeverria, minor league pitcher
- 1985 - André Hughes, Hoofdklasse pitcher
- 1986 - Nick Hagadone, pitcher
- 1986 - Sheng-An Kuo, minor league pitcher
- 1987 - Hun-do Park, KBO outfielder
- 1987 - Chao Zhang, China Baseball League outfielder
- 1988 - Saleem Haider, Pakistani national team pitcher
- 1988 - Dallas Keuchel, pitcher; All-Star
- 1988 - Mark Tracy, minor league infielder
- 1989 - Chad Oberacker, minor league outfielder
- 1989 - Jarrett Parker, outfielder
- 1990 - Xavier Avery, outfielder
- 1990 - Dabo Matko, Croatian national team pitcher
- 1991 - Jeroen de Haas, minor league pitcher
- 1991 - Irvin del Rio, Cuban National League infielder
- 1991 - Luis Samayoa, Guatemalan national team infielder
- 1993 - Shayla Sashavar, Canadian womens' national team pitcher
- 1993 - Shunyi Yang, China Baseball League outfielder
- 1994 - Chhit Chamrouen, Cambodian national team pitcher/outfielder
- 1994 - Jerinson Tatis, minor league pitcher (d. 2012)
- 1994 - LaMonte Wade, outfielder
- 1995 - Yoshikazu Kutsukake, Japanese national team infielder
- 1996 - Li Lin, CPBL infielder
- 1998 - Jasier Herrera, minor league pitcher
- 2001 - José Ramos, minor league outfielder
- 2002 - Whee-jip Kim, KBO infielder
- 2003 - Yanquiel Fernandez, minor league outfielder
Deaths[edit]
- 1904 - George Radbourn, pitcher (b. 1856)
- 1916 - Jake Drauby, infielder (b. 1864)
- 1919 - Gene Curtis, outfielder (b. 1883)
- 1919 - RG Knowles, British baseball pioneer (b. 1858)
- 1921 - George Winkleman, outfielder (b. 1858)
- 1923 - Willie Keeler, outfielder; Hall of Famer (b. 1872)
- 1925 - Hank Simon, outfielder (b. 1862)
- 1932 - Tom Parrott, outfielder (b. 1868)
- 1949 - Hans Rasmussen, pitcher (b. 1895)
- 1953 - Doug McWeeny, pitcher (b. 1896)
- 1956 - Red Baldwin, minor league catcher (b. 1894)
- 1959 - Neck Stanley, pitcher (b. 1905)
- 1960 - Tige Stone, outfielder (b. 1901)
- 1966 - Oscar Dugey, infielder (b. 1887)
- 1967 - Lindsay Brown, infielder (b. 1911)
- 1971 - Luis Aparicio Sr., winter league infielder (b. 1912)
- 1971 - Joe Lotz, pitcher (b. 1891)
- 1971 - Harry Rice, outfielder (b. 1901)
- 1971 - Harold Treadwell, pitcher (b. 1897)
- 1974 - Jimmy Smith, infielder (b. 1895)
- 1974 - Dutch Weems, minor league pitcher (b. 1951)
- 1976 - Frank Parenti, minor league player and manager (b. 1898)
- 1977 - Danny Frisella, pitcher (b. 1946)
- 1983 - Ángel Castro, minor league infielder; Salon de la Fama (b. 1917)
- 1986 - Bill Hall, catcher (b. 1928)
- 1987 - Ernie Maun, pitcher (b. 1901)
- 1990 - Carmen Hill, pitcher (b. 1895)
- 1992 - Jean Lovell, AAGPBL catcher and pitcher (b. 1926)
- 1992 - Buck Stanton, outfielder (b. 1906)
- 1999 - Len Dondero, infielder (b. 1903)
- 2000 - Larry Bearnarth, pitcher (b. 1940)
- 2000 - Andy Spognardi, infielder (b. 1908)
- 2001 - John Steadman, writer (b. 1927)
- 2004 - John Stoneham, outfielder (b. 1908)
- 2006 - Paul Lindblad, pitcher (b. 1941)
- 2007 - Ernie Koy, outfielder (b. 1909)
- 2008 - Chuck Daniel, pitcher (b. 1933)
- 2008 - George Sprys, minor league outfielder (b. 1921)
- 2011 - John Rice, umpire (b. 1918)
- 2011 - Kenshiro Saga, NPB pitcher (b. 1937)
- 2011 - Raymond Searcy, minor league pitcher (b. 1938)
- 2012 - Ralph Foster, minor league pitcher (b. 1926)
- 2012 - Bob Loranger, minor league player (b. 1931)
- 2012 - Lee Susman, writer (b. 1917)
- 2013 - Red Benton, minor league pitcher (b. 1921)
- 2013 - Satchel Davis, pitcher (b. 1918)
- 2014 - Jim Raugh, minor league pitcher (b. 1934)
- 2015 - Mario Cuomo, minor league outfielder (b. 1932)
- 2015 - Bill Kearns, scout (b. ~1925)
- 2015 - Jack Miller, minor league pitcher (b. 1927)
- 2017 - Bob Shaulis, minor league catcher (b. 1930)
- 2019 - Walt McKeel, catcher (b. 1972)
- 2020 - Don Larsen, pitcher (b. 1929)
- 2020 - Jim Manning, pitcher (b. 1943)
- 2023 - Pedro Reinoso, minor league pitcher (b. 1942)
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