March 13
From BR Bullpen
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| Stats of players who died on this day | |
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Events, births and deaths that occurred on March 13.
Events[edit]
- 1886:
- Via a transatlantic telegraph from Paris, France, American Association 40-game winner Bob Caruthers agrees to terms with St. Louis Browns owner Chris von der Ahe. Caruthers' well-publicized holdout will earn him the nickname "Parisian Bob."
- Frank Baker is born in Trappe, Maryland. A third baseman and left-handed hitter, Baker will guide the Philadelphia Athletics to three World Series championships. He will be nicknamed "Home Run" during the 1911 World Series, in which he will hit a go-ahead home run off Rube Marquard in Game 2 and a 9th-inning game-tying home run off Christy Mathewson in Game 3. Baker will lead the American League in home runs for four consecutive seasons, twice lead the league in RBI, and bat .363 in six Series. Baker will earn Hall of Fame honors in 1955.
- 1887 - After a week of conditioning in Macon, Georgia, the Detroit Wolverines National League club team begins a six-week spring exhibition tour through the South and Midwest.
- 1917 - After hearing that Gabby Street had caught a ball dropped off the Washington Monument in 1908, Brooklyn manager Wilbert Robinson brags that he could catch a ball dropped from an airplane at spring training, even though he is in his mid-50s and well above his playing weight. Robinson circles unsteadily under the descending spheroid. Instead, a grapefruit was secretly substituted and it explodes on impact with his glove. Once he feels the ooze, Robinson thinks it is blood, and screams that he is dying, until he tastes the juice. He later concedes that he probably would have been killed if a real baseball had been dropped from the plane. Aviatrix Ruth Law dropped the grapefruit as outfielder Casey Stengel assumed culpability for the switch.
- 1937 - Lou Gehrig signs with the New York Yankees for $38,000 and a $750 signing bonus.
- 1943 - The major leagues approve a new official ball manufactured by the Spalding Company for the upcoming season. Instead of the usual combination of cork and rubber, the inside of the ball is made up of recycled cork and balata, materials not needed in the war effort. Officials insist the ball will have the resiliency of the 1939 ball, but the players will express dismay that they cannot drive the new ball and point out the dearth of runs and homers in 1942 even with the old ball.
- 1953 - Braves owner Lou Perini announces he will seek permission from the National League to move his franchise from Boston to Milwaukee. The day will become known as "Black Friday" in Beantown.
- 1954:
- Milwaukee Braves outfielder Bobby Thomson breaks his ankle while sliding into a base during a spring training game. The 1951 National League playoff hero is replaced by a promising prospect named Hank Aaron. Thomson will be out until July 14th.
- ABC's attempt to turn a spring training game between the Phillies and White Sox in Clearwater, FL into a national telecast ends in a fiasco. As part of its contract to air the Game of the Week, the network has until now been prohibited from broadcasting any game within 75 miles of an existing major league franchise, but it tries to contravene this by omitting the clause from that broadcast's contract. The teams only realize this just before the game is aired, and then force ABC to pull the game from the "illegitimate" stations. As the network is unable to do so in time, it simply stops the broadcast after three innings without providing an explanation to viewers.
- 1960 - The Chicago White Sox unveil an important uniform innovation. The Sox's road uniforms feature players' names on the backs of the jerseys, marking the first time that players' names will appear on major league uniforms. The innovation will make it easier for fans watching games on television to identify the players on the field. The idea is yet another creation of colorful White Sox owner and innovator Bill Veeck.
- 1969 - In addition to this year's lower mound and tightened strike zone, Major League Baseball tries an experimental ball with 10% more resiliency for a spring training game between the Mets and Tigers in Lakeland, Florida. It has an all-rubber center instead of a cork and rubber core, and the seams are higher than the regular ball. Mets pitcher Don Cardwell surrenders three home runs in the 4th inning to Dick McAuliffe, Norm Cash, and Gates Brown in the Tigers' 7 - 4 victory. Tomorrow, in Phoenix, Arizona, the same ball is used in the Giants' 13 - 1 win over the Angels, with Bobby Bonds hitting the only two homers off George Brunet. The players agree the ball is definitely livelier and sounds louder coming off the bat.
- 1975 - In Las Vegas, Nevada, the late Roberto Clemente joins Roy Campanella and twelve other sports figures, living and dead, as this year's inductees in the Black Athletes' Hall of Fame.
- 1981 - The California Angels sign free agent Rick Burleson to a six-year contract worth $4.2 million, making him the highest-paid shortstop in the major leagues. A former Boston Red Sox standout, Burleson will bat .293 in his first season with the Angels before being slowed down by injuries.
- 1986 - The father-and-son team of Hal and Brian McRae appears together in an exhibition game for the Kansas City Royals. Brian, who will be sent back to the minor leagues before the start of the season, will not make his major league debut until 1990. In 1991, Brian will play for his father, when he takes over as Royals manager.
- 1995 - Newly-elected Hall of Famer Leon Day dies in Baltimore, Maryland, at the age of 78. A former Negro Leagues outstanding pitcher and superb contact hitter, Day had been elected to Cooperstown by the Veterans Committee just six days earlier.
- 2001 - At spring training, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Rick Ankiel makes his first appearance since the 2000 playoffs in which he lost his control throwing seven wild pitches in three postseason appearances. Ankiel throws 22 strikes out of 29 pitches over two innings of shutout ball in his surprise start against the Mets, but his control problems will reappear within a short while.
- 2006:
- In Round Two of the inaugural World Baseball Classic, at Angel Stadium, slugger Hee-Seop Choi hits a three-run home run as South Korea humbles the United States, 7 - 3, to maintain its unbeaten run and leave the US's title hopes in jeopardy. Ken Griffey, Jr. hits a solo homer and an RBI single.
- At Hiram Bithorn Stadium, Odalis Perez pitches 4 2/3 shutout innings and David Ortiz powers the Dominican Republic to a key victory over Cuba, 7 - 3. A 5th-inning mammoth blast by "Big Papi" - hit clear out of the stadium - is symbolic of Cuba's defeat. In the second game, Victor Martinez belts a grand slam, Endy Chavez hits a two-run homer for the second consecutive day, and Carlos Zambrano combines with six pitchers on a seven-hit shutout, as Venezuela defeats Puerto Rico, 6 - 0. Pool Two is all knotted up with 1-1 records among all four teams.
- Legendary pitcher Bob Feller, who has been in the Hall of Fame longer than any other living player, says that controversial superstar Barry Bonds should be kept out of the exclusive club.
- Major League Baseball agrees to a five-year contract with the North American Sports Network to televise about 275 games live each season. NASN, which gained rights to the All-Star Game, the playoffs and the World Series, is televising the World Baseball Classic. The subscription network, based in Dublin, Ireland, broadcasts in Britain, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Iceland and the Netherlands. The deal is valued at $18 to $20 million, according to Sports Business Journal.
- 2008:
- Alexei Bell of Santiago de Cuba ties one Cuban Serie Nacional record and sets another with a two-homer, five-RBI game. His five RBIs give him 97 for the year, a new mark, while he ties Joan Carlos Pedroso's home run record of 28.
- Also in Cuban play today, Yulieski González improves to 14-0, matching Rolando Macías (1969) and José Ibar (1998) for most consecutive wins in a season.
- 59-year-old Billy Crystal makes an appearance in a spring training game, playing for the New York Yankees. He strikes out on a full count from Paul Maholm after hitting one ball just foul.
- In the 2008 Final Olympic Qualification Tournament, Team Canada locks up an Olympic berth, beating South Korea, 4 - 3, for South Korea's lone loss of the tournament. Matt Rogelstad hits a three-run 1st-inning homer off Hyun-jin Ryu and Nick Weglarz later adds a solo shot. South Korea rallies for two in the 9th before Mike Kusiewicz slams the door.
- In other games in the tournament, Taiwan, led by Chien-Ming Chiang, tops South Africa, 4 - 0, and will join Canada and South Korea in Beijing (as well as the five teams that qualified previously). Francisco Campos strikes out 18 in just eight innings as Mexico beats Germany, 4 - 0, and four Australian pitchers combine on a one-hitter as the Aussies rout Spain, 9 - 0.
- 2010:
- The Astros' Lance Berkman undergoes surgery to remove loose cartilage in his left knee. He will miss Opening Day and only make his season debut on April 20th.
- The Minnesota Twins sign outfielder Denard Span to a five-year contract worth $16.5 million, with an option for a sixth year. Span hit .311 as the Twins' leadoff hitter in 2009 while playing in all three outfield spots; he'll be the regular centerfielder this season.
- 2011 - Marlins P Ricky Nolasco, usually known for his outstanding control, goes wild in a spring training start against the Nationals in his first outing since August 28th, when his season ended with a knee injury. He gives up four runs on four hits, a walk, a wild pitch and two hit batsmen in 1 2/3 innings of work. After he is plucked, the game's leadoff batter, Nyjer Morgan, claims Nolasco is throwing at him, but the Marlin hurler's further performance is proof that he is simply out of form.
- 2012 - In Cuba, the Schiller Rule takes effect in a no-hitter for the first time. 20-year-old Raimar Navarro enters the game with a 12-23 career record for Holguín but overcomes eight walks to toss nine no-hit shutout innings. He is matched zero for zero by Frank Madan of Camagüey. Madan finally allows a run in the 10th thanks to the Schiller Rule. In the bottom of the 10th, Pablo Fernández finishes the no-hitter, the third combined no-no in Cuban annals and the first since 1979.
- 2013 - In a crucial game at the 2013 World Baseball Classic, Puerto Rico stays alive by beating Italy, 4 - 3, sending home the Azzurri. Italy takes a 3 - 0 lead in the 5th on a double by Anthony Rizzo and leads, 3 - 1, going into the 8th behind the pitching of Alex Maestri and Chris Cooper. Things unravel, though, as four Italian hurlers allow three runs in the bottom of the 8th, while closer Jason Grilli sits unused in the bullpen. The winning blow is a single by Andy González off Pat Venditte, scoring Alex Ríos. Italy is plagued by bad defense, as three errors by shortstops Anthony Granato and Jack Santora play a big role in its defeat.
- 2017:
- In a second-round game at the 2017 World Baseball Classic, the Netherlands ends Israel's string of wins with a 12 - 2, mercy rule-shortened win. The Dutch score four times in the 3rd, and as many again in the 4th to build a huge lead, with a three-run homer by Didi Gregorius off Danny Burawa in the 4th constituting a big blow. Wladimir Balentien adds three RBIs to Gregorius's five, while Jair Jurrjens is the winner.
- Venezuela becomes the final team to qualify for the second round when they defeat Italy, 4 - 3, in tiebreaking game in Pool D. Italy has a 2 -1 lead in the top of the 9th, following John Andreoli's third homer of the tournament in the 7th, but Mike DeMark can't close the door, giving up a game-tying homer to Miguel Cabrera to start the 9th, before walking Victor Martinez. Rougned Odor then hits an apparent homer, but a video review reduces the hit to a single, although the go-ahead run scores. Frailyn Florian replaces DeMark, but a single by Carlos Gonzalez and a squeeze bunt by Alcides Escobar add an insurance run, which becomes precious when Alex Liddi hits a solo homer off Francisco Rodriguez in the bottom of the inning. But it's not enough to knot up the score again, and Venezuela moves on, continuing its wild ride in the tournament thus far.
- 2022 - On the day when players must report to spring training following the conclusion of the lockout, there is a blockbuster trade, as the Yankees send C Gary Sanchez and 3B Gio Urshela to the Twins for 3B Josh Donaldson, C Ben Rortvedt and SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Kiner-Falefa has only been with the Twins for one day, having been acquired in a separate trade the day before.
- 2023:
- Pool B of the 2023 World Baseball Classic comes to an end. As expected, Australia gets the last spot in the quarterfinals, finishing second in the pool after going 3-1 (they had been 2-10 in the first four WBCs). The Czech national team keeps it close, as Martin Schneider allows one hit and one run in 5 1/3 IP but Australia rallies after he leaves for an 8 - 3 win. Alex Hall drives in four and Tim Kennelly makes two great catches in right field. That guarantees South Korea will not advance but at least they go out with a bang, setting a World Baseball Classic record with 22 runs as they only need five innings for a 22 - 2 mercy rule drubbing of China. Kun-woo Park and Ha-seong Kim both hit grand slams.
- Things are knotted up in Pool C after Great Britain pulls off a huge upset, defeating Colombia, 7 - 5, for its first-ever win in a World Baseball Classic game. Team USA then follows by handing Canada its first defeat with an emphatic 12 - 1 win shortened by the mercy rule as they score 9 runs in the 1st against 19-year-old Mitch Bratt and R.J. Freure. Mike Trout and Trea Turner both homer for the U.S. while Canada's lone run comes on a solo shot by Jared Young. All five teams in the pool now have at least one win and one loss after three days of action.
- In Pool D, four pitchers for Puerto Rico combine to throw a perfect game in a 10 - 0 win over Israel. José De León retires the first 17 batters in the game before leaving after coming within one pitch of his pitch count limit of 65. Yacksel Rios strikes out the only batter he faces to finish the 6th inning, and Edwin Diaz and Duane Underwood breeze through the 7th and 8th inning, respectively. The game's outcome is never in doubt as Puerto Rico scores six times over the first two innings, and the mercy rule is triggered when it scores its tenth run in the bottom of the 8th. In the other game, the Dominican Republic eliminates Nicaragua with a 6 - 1 win.
- 2024:
- With spring training well under way, the Padres pull off a blockbuster trade with the White Sox, acquiring ace pitcher Dylan Cease in return for P Steven Wilson and three prospects - Jairo Iriarte, Drew Thorpe and Samuel Zavala.
- The Brewers get some bad news as P Devin Williams, winner of the Trevor Hoffman Award as the National League's best relief pitcher last year, will be out for three months with a stress fracture in his back.
Births[edit]
- 1849 - Charles Daniels, umpire (d. 1932)
- 1862 - Joe McGuckin, outfielder (d. 1903)
- 1865 - Charlie Bartson, pitcher (d. 1936)
- 1868 - Bill Gilbert, pitcher (d. 1927)
- 1875 - Tim Flood, infielder (d. 1929)
- 1875 - Chappie McFarland, pitcher (d. 1924)
- 1879 - Mal Eason, pitcher; umpire (d. 1970)
- 1879 - John Kelly, outfielder (d. 1944)
- 1882 - Ralph Glaze, pitcher (d. 1968)
- 1885 - Bruno Block, catcher (d. 1937)
- 1886 - Frank Baker, infielder; Hall of Famer (d. 1963)
- 1888 - Wally Smith, infielder (d. 1930)
- 1889 - Byrd Lynn, catcher (d. 1940)
- 1890 - Dizzy Dismukes, pitcher, manager (d. 1961)
- 1892 - Eric Erickson, pitcher (d. 1965)
- 1892 - Chippy Gaw, pitcher (d. 1968)
- 1892 - Patsy Gharrity, catcher (d. 1966)
- 1896 - Alejandro Oms, outfielder; All-Star (d. 1946)
- 1897 - Lew Malone, infielder (d. 1972)
- 1899 - Otis Brannan, infielder (d. 1967)
- 1899 - C. Arnholt Smith, owner (d. 1996)
- 1906 - Ike Powers, pitcher (d. 1968)
- 1909 - Harry Kimberlin, pitcher (d. 1999)
- 1915 - Buzz Clarkson, infielder; All-Star (d. 1989)
- 1917 - Joe Walsh, infielder (d. 1996)
- 1918 - Eddie Pellagrini, infielder (d. 2006)
- 1920 - Frank Biscan, pitcher (d. 1959)
- 1921 - Alex Broome, pitcher
- 1921 - Joe Rossi, catcher (d. 1999)
- 1922 - Marian Fricker, AAGPBL catcher (d. 2011)
- 1922 - Cliff Mapes, outfielder (d. 1996)
- 1923 - Helen Callaghan, AAGPBL outfielder (d. 1992)
- 1923 - Pedro Miró, infielder (d. 1996)
- 1925 - Ray Martin, pitcher (d. 2013)
- 1927 - Shih-Ming Lin, Chinese Taipei national team infielder
- 1928 - Bob Greenwood, pitcher (d. 1994)
- 1930 - Doug Harvey, umpire; Hall of Famer (d. 2018)
- 1931 - Don Bessent, pitcher (d. 1990)
- 1931 - Carlos Pascual, pitcher (d. 2011)
- 1933 - Roberto Barbon, NPB infielder (d. 2023)
- 1936 - Don Miles, outfielder (d. 2011)
- 1939 - Al Luplow, outfielder (d. 2017)
- 1940 - Gary Kolb, outfielder (d. 2019)
- 1942 - Hiroyoshi Kodama, NPB catcher (d. 2009)
- 1942 - Marv Staehle, infielder (d. 2022)
- 1948 - Steve Barber, pitcher
- 1948 - Pete Calieri, minor league umpire (d. 2014)
- 1949 - Dennis O'Toole, pitcher
- 1953 - Mitsugu Kobayashi, Japanese national team outfielder
- 1954 - Randy Bass, infielder
- 1954 - Terry Leach, pitcher
- 1956 - Ben Wiltbank, minor league pitcher (d. 2021)
- 1957 - Yoshihiko Takahashi, NPB infielder
- 1957 - Duane Walker, outfielder
- 1959 - Luis Aguayo, infielder
- 1962 - Tom Funk, pitcher
- 1962 - Terry Lee, infielder
- 1963 - Mariano Duncan, infielder; All-Star
- 1964 - Will Clark, infielder; All-Star
- 1964 - Adam Ging, minor league infielder
- 1964 - Dave Wills, broadcaster (d. 2023)
- 1967 - Johnny Wiggs, college coach
- 1969 - Craig Holman, minor league pitcher
- 1969 - Andrew Sallee, minor league infielder
- 1970 - Jorge Fabregas, catcher
- 1971 - Alessandro Flisi, Serie A1 infielder
- 1971 - Scott Sullivan, pitcher
- 1972 - Christopher Madonna, minor league catcher
- 1973 - Won-ho Choi, KBO pitcher and manager
- 1973 - Dario Veras, pitcher
- 1974 - Jesus Martinez, minor league pitcher (d. 2018)
- 1974 - Chun-Liang Wu, CPBL pitcher
- 1975 - Sven Hendrickx, First Division infielder and coach
- 1979 - Jeong-kil Ma, KBO pitcher
- 1979 - Johan Santana, pitcher; All-Star
- 1980 - Byron Gettis, outfielder
- 1981 - Mike Aviles, infielder
- 1981 - Brandon Sing, minor league infielder
- 1982 - Matt Wright, minor league pitcher
- 1983 - Yung-Che Chen, CPBL infielder
- 1984 - Deinys Suárez, Cuban league pitcher
- 1985 - Orlando Mercado Jr., minor league catcher
- 1986 - Jaïr Roseburg, Hoofdklasse infielder
- 1987 - Juan Diaz, minor league pitcher
- 1987 - Evan Porter, college coach
- 1988 - Bruno Hirata, Brazilian national team utility man
- 1988 - Mat Keplinger, college coach
- 1988 - Jason Rogers, infielder
- 1989 - Sandy León, catcher
- 1989 - Jesus Pirela, minor league pitcher
- 1989 - Bubby Williams, minor league catcher
- 1990 - Scott Oberg, pitcher
- 1991 - Stetson Allie, minor league infielder
- 1991 - Manny Banuelos, pitcher
- 1991 - Eddie Butler, pitcher
- 1991 - Mark Leiter, pitcher
- 1991 - Evan Marzilli, minor league outfielder
- 1991 - Tae-hyeok Nam, minor league infielder
- 1992 - Yoni Vischschoonmaker, First Division player
- 1993 - Robinson Leyer, pitcher
- 1994 - Hsin-Chi Hung, CPBL pitcher
- 1994 - Giljegiljaw Kungkuan, minor league catcher
- 1995 - Nicky Lopez, infielder
- 1995 - Keegan Thompson, pitcher
- 1996 - Abdiel Saldaña, minor league pitcher
- 1997 - Adrián Valerio, minor league infielder
- 1997 - Garrett Whitley, minor league outfielder
- 1998 - Jakub Kubica, Extraliga infielder
- 1999 - Teruaki Sato, NPB infielder
- 2002 - Tae-woong Yu, South Korean national team infielder
Deaths[edit]
- 1885 - Herman Dehlman, infielder (b. 1852)
- 1910 - John Rogers, owner (b. 1843)
- 1915 - Gus Land, minor league catcher (b. 1865)
- 1919 - Jim Toy, infielder (b. 1858)
- 1928 - Bobby Wheelock, infielder (b. 1864)
- 1929 - Sherry Magee, outfielder (b. 1884)
- 1932 - Sammy Strang, infielder (b. 1876)
- 1934 - Fielder Jones, outfielder, manager (b. 1871)
- 1938 - Rube Ellis, outfielder (b. 1885)
- 1940 - Ira Flagstead, outfielder (b. 1893)
- 1941 - Bits Bierhalter, trainer; umpire (b. 1869)
- 1942 - Gene Steere, infielder (b. 1872)
- 1943 - Earl Smith, outfielder (b. 1891)
- 1950 - George Young, pinch hitter (b. 1890)
- 1951 - Joe Hughes, outfielder (b. 1880)
- 1952 - Vincent Maney, infielder (b. 1886)
- 1953 - Joseph Langden, umpire (b. 1872)
- 1955 - Buck Sweeney, outfielder (b. 1890)
- 1955 - Joe Vernon, pitcher (b. 1889)
- 1961 - Joe Berry, catcher (b. 1872)
- 1961 - Si Pauxtis, catcher (b. 1885)
- 1961 - David Whatley, outfielder (b. 1914)
- 1964 - Mack Allison, pitcher (b. 1887)
- 1967 - Dutch Prather, minor league infielder and manager (b. 1909)
- 1975 - Red Marion, outfielder (b. 1914)
- 1976 - Johnny Pasek, catcher (b. 1905)
- 1977 - Hap Glenn, infielder (b. 1913)
- 1979 - Bill Steen, pitcher (b. 1887)
- 1983 - Bill Anderson, pitcher (b. 1895)
- 1986 - Jack Warner, infielder (b. 1903)
- 1987 - Wayne Osborne, pitcher (b. 1912)
- 1989 - Tice James, infielder (b. 1914)
- 1993 - Joe Wiley, infielder (b. 1918)
- 1994 - Tony Freitas, pitcher (b. 1908)
- 1994 - Buddy Rosar, catcher; All-Star (b. 1914)
- 1995 - Leon Day, pitcher; All-Star, Hall of Famer (b. 1916)
- 1996 - Dick West, catcher (b. 1915)
- 1998 - Chester Bujaci, minor league catcher and manager (b. 1908)
- 1998 - Toshiaki Tokuhisa, NPB pitcher (b. 1942)
- 1999 - Bill Peterman, catcher (b. 1921)
- 2000 - Harry Bright, infielder (b. 1929)
- 2005 - Frank House, catcher (b. 1930)
- 2009 - Fred Webb, minor league pitcher (b. 1918)
- 2009 - Bill Wollenburg, minor league pitcher (b. 1931)
- 2011 - Jean Smith, AAGPBL outfielder (b. 1928)
- 2013 - Ducky Detweiler, infielder (b. 1919)
- 2015 - Al Rosen, infielder; All-Star (b. 1924)
- 2016 - Trent Baker, minor league outfielder (b. 1990)
- 2018 - Gloria Cordes, AAGPBL pitcher (b. 1931)
- 2019 - Demie Mainieri, college coach (b. 1928)
- 2019 - Leroy Stanton, outfielder (d. 1946)
- 2023 - Joe Pepitone, infielder; All-Star (b. 1940)
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