March 8
From BR Bullpen
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Events, births and deaths that occurred on March 8.
Events[edit]
- 1900 - In New York, the National League meets, voting to shrink to eight teams. They pay the Baltimore owners $30,000 for their franchise, with Charles Ebbets and Ned Hanlon reserving the right to sell the players. Cleveland, Louisville, and Washington receive $10,000 each, with Louisville owner Barney Dreyfuss sending most of his players to his Pittsburgh Pirates team. The circuit will remain the same until the Boston Braves move to Milwaukee, WI in 1953.
- 1913 - The Federal League is organized as a six-team outlaw circuit and elects John T. Powers president. It will play 120 games at a level equivalent to the lower minor leagues, but will enhance its status considerably in 1914 to challenge the major leagues.
- 1923 - Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis allows former New York Giants pitcher Rube Benton to return to the National League. Benton had admitted prior knowledge of the 1919 World Series fix, but remained active, winning 22 games for St. Paul (American Association). NL President John Heydler disagrees with Landis, calling Benton undesirable, but does not stop the Cincinnati Reds from signing him. Benton, at age 35, will be 14-10 for the second-place Reds.
- 1930 - Babe Ruth signs a two-year contract with the New York Yankees for $160,000. At $80,000 per year, he becomes the highest-paid player of all time.
- 1938 - Lou Gehrig rejects the latest contract offer from the New York Yankees to a one-year deal worth $39,000. Four days later, Gehrig will agree to the same Yankees offer and end his spring training holdout.
- 1941 - Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Hugh Mulcahy becomes the first major league player to be drafted into the Armed Forces. The newest member of the 101st Artillery at Cape Cod's Camp Edwards lost 22 games last season and 20 in 1938 to lead the National League in defeats both years.
- 1947 - In the new Estadio del Cerro at Havana, Cuba, the Brooklyn Dodgers beat the New York Yankees, 1 - 0.
- 1950 - The Japan Series is created, to begin play this fall, between the champions of the new Pacific League and Central League.
- 1953 - OF Jim Rice is born in Anderson, SC. He will gain fame as a slugger with the Boston Red Sox, starting with an outstanding rookie campaign in 1975, when he will finish second to teammate Fred Lynn for the Rookie of the Year Award. He will be the American League MVP in 1978 and retire in 1989 with 382 homers and 1451 RBI, having played his entire career with the Sox. Rice will be elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in 2009, in his last year of eligibility.
- 1956 - Pirates second-year man Roberto Clemente hits Pittsburgh's inaugural dinger of spring training in an in-house affair, coached by two key figures in Clemente's career, as the "Sukeforths" defeat the "Murtaughs", 9 - 3, in an intra-squad game.
- 1966 - The Hall of Fame Special Veterans Committee waives one of its election rules and selects manager Casey Stengel as the newest member of the Hall. Stengel managed the New York Mets for much of the 1965 season before falling and breaking his hip. The injury ended the elderly Stengel's career. Given his age, the Veterans Committee decides to make him immediately eligible for Cooperstown.
- 1985 - Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dave Stieb signs an unusual 11-year contract. The deal carries an estimated value of $25 million, based on deferred payments and incentives.
- 1999 - Hall of Fame centerfielder Joe DiMaggio dies of a lung cancer at age 84. Born in Martinez, California, DiMaggio arrived in the major leagues at the age of 21. He batted .323 in his first season and helped the New York Yankees to the 1936 World Championship. His rookie performance served as an indicator of future success, both for him and the Yankees. During his 13-year career, DiMaggio participated in ten World Series, with his team winning the Championship nine times. In 1941, DiMaggio achieved his most famous milestone when he compiled a major league record 56-game hitting streak.
- 2001 - In a press release, the Baltimore Orioles announce Albert Belle, "has been found to be totally disabled and unable to perform as a Major League baseball player," due to a degenerative right hip. The Orioles will place the 34-year-old outfielder on the 60-day disabled list thus beginning the process which conforms to the procedure set forth by MLB in the case of a totally disabling and permanent injury to a player.
- 2006:
- Five games are played today in the inaugural World Baseball Classic. In the day's biggest upset, Adam Stern drives in four runs, has an inside-the-park home run and makes a clutch game-saving catch as Canada shocks the U.S., 8 - 6, leaving the Americans on the brink of elimination. The beating begins early as Canada powers over pitchers Dontrelle Willis and Al Leiter, taking an 8 - 0 lead at Chase Field.
- In other games played today, Mexico beats South Africa, 10 - 4; Cuba defeats Panama, 8 - 6 in 11 innings in the first tournament they have played against Major League stars; Puerto Rico earns an 8 - 3 win over the Netherlands; and Venezuela rebounds from a loss in its opener with a 6 - 0 victory over Italy as pitchers Freddy Garcia, Carlos Silva, Rafael Betancourt and Francisco Rodriguez combine in the two-hit, 12-strikeout shutout.
- 2008:
- In the 2008 Final Olympic Qualification Tournament, Taiwan tops Mexico, 6 - 1, as Mexico falls to 0-2 and is on the brink of elimination from contention. Chen-Min Peng collects three hits to lead the hit parade off Pablo Ortega and company, while Chien-Fu Yang and two hard-throwing amateur relievers shut down a Mexican offense which includes a couple of former major leaguers.
- In other games today, South Korea routs Australia, 16 - 2. Seung-yeop Lee scores three and drives in four and three other South Koreans tack on three RBI apiece in the unexpected rout. Canada easily turns back South Africa as expected, with a 10 - 0, seven-inning win; and the German national team beats Spain, 1 - 0, to assure that they will get at least one win out of the event.
- 2009:
- In the 2009 World Baseball Classic, South Korea eliminates China with a 14 - 0 rout. Suk-min Yoon, Tae-hyon Chong and Chang-yong Lim combine on a two-hitter while walking none. Ki-hyuk Park and Bum-ho Lee each drive home three runs, while 11 different South Koreans cross home with runs.
- Cuba starts its tournament on the right foot by hitting a record six home runs in an 8 - 1 win over South Africa in Mexico City. Frederich Cepeda hits two of the dingers, while starting pitcher Norge Vera turns in a dominating performance on the mound against the weak-hitting South Africans.
- In other games, the Dominican Republic rebounds from their first-game defeat to rout Panama, 9 - 0, making the Panamanians the third country eliminated; Australia romps past Mexico, 17 - 7, as the hosts fade in Foro Sol Stadium after a five-run 1st inning against Craig Anderson; and in another high-scoring slugfest, Team USA beats Venezuela, 15 - 6.
- 2011:
- Major League Baseball names Dodgers Assistant General Manager Kim Ng, the highest-ranking woman in the major leagues, as senior Vice-President of baseball operations. She will report to former Dodgers manager Joe Torre, who was named Executive Vice-President last month.
- The Milwaukee Brewers announce that their prize off-season acquisition, P Zack Greinke, will likely miss the beginning of the year with a broken rib suffered in a pick-up basketball game this winter. Initial x-rays were negative, but another test this week revealed a hairline fracture.
- Twins 1B Justin Morneau returns to action for the first time in 8 months, having been sidelined by a concussion since July 7th of last year. He goes 1 for 2 with a three-run double in a spring training contest against the Pirates.
- 2012 - At this stage of spring training, injuries are the big story. News from the infirmary today includes Cardinals P Chris Carpenter, out with a stiff neck, Nationals OF prospect Bryce Harper, who has a tight calf muscle, and Yankees P David Robertson, who sprained his foot falling down some stairs while moving boxes at home.
- 2013:
- At the 2013 World Baseball Classic, the Dutch national team beats Cuba for the third straight game, having done so twice at the 2011 Baseball World Cup en route to the world title. Diegomar Markwell, Leon Boyd and Loek van Mil allow 12 hits but are backed by five double plays in the 6 - 2 win; Jonathan Schoop hits a three-run homer off Yadier Pedroso for half the offense and Curt Smith also goes deep for the winners.
- Japan survives a scare to open the second round of the Classic, scoring twice in the 8th, once in the 9th and once in the 10th for a 4 - 3 victory over Taiwan. Sho Nakata hits a sacrifice fly off Yi-Hao Lin to score Nobuhiro Matsuda. The Tokyo Dome capacity crowd can't breathe a sigh of relief yet, as Toshiya Sugiuchi gives up two hits in the bottom of the 10th with one out before Yung-Chi Chen hits into a game-ending twin killing. Chien-Ming Wang tosses six shutout innings for the losers, while Hirokazu Ibata and Atsunori Inaba each have three hits for the victors.
- Three first-round games are also played in Pools C and D, over in North America. Italy continues to surprise, downing Canada, 14 - 4, in a game shortened by the mercy rule, while Mexico bounces back from its opening loss to Italy to defeat Team USA, 5 - 2, as R.A. Dickey allows four runs in as many innings. Meanwhile, Puerto Rico opens its ledger with a 3 - 0 shutout of Spain, making its World Baseball Classic debut.
- 2015 - In a spring training game, nine Braves pitchers combine on a no-hitter against the Astros, but the game ends in a 2 - 2 tie after ten innings. Houston manages to scratch together a pair of runs without the benefit of a hit in the 7th, taking advantage of some wildness, as the Braves' hurlers walk nine and hit a batter even though they don't give up a safety.
- 2016 - The Orioles reportedly sign free agent 1B/3B Pedro Alvarez for one year at $5.75 million. The 2013 National League home run champ had trouble finding a team after being let go by the Pirates last Fall because of concerns regarding his defensive play. He won't have to worry about that as the Birds' primary designated hitter this year.
- 2017:
- Cuba picks up its first win at the 2017 World Baseball Classic by blanking China, 6 - 0, in a Pool B first-round match. Roel Santos hits a two-run triple as part of a four-run 4th inning, after 39-year-old Bruce Chen had started things off by blanking the Cubans for 2 2/3 innings. Vladimir Banos allows only one baserunner in five innings to pick up the win as four Cuban pitchers combine on a one-hitter.
- In other WBC action, Australia manages to hang on to a 1 - 1 tie with hosts Japan until the 7th inning, when a solo homer by Sho Nakata sends the Japanese on their way to a 4 - 1 win. Australia's run comes on a 2nd-inning homer by Allan de San Miguel while starter Tim Atherton manages to keep Japan off the scoreboard. Nobuhiro Matsuda ties the game with a sacrifice fly off Lachlan Wells in the 5th before the late runs break the Aussies' dream of pulling off a huge upset. In the other game, the Netherlands qualify for the next round with a 6 - 5 win over Chinese Taipei, a win that also guarantees that Israel, winner of its first two games, will advance further. Jurickson Profar draws a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 9th to cap a late comeback for the Dutch. Three doubles by Didi Gregorius figure in the Netherlands' first five runs of the game, his third tying the game at 5 - 5 in the 8th by driving in a key run.
- 2018 - 3B Mike Moustakas, one of the most prominent free agents still unsigned at this late date, agrees to one-year deal with his former team, the Royals that involves a massive pay cut. Coming off a year in which he set a new franchise record for homers in a season, he signs for $6.5 million after having turned down a qualifying offer of $17.4 million earlier this off-season.
- 2019 - Major League Baseball announces that it has reached an agreement with the independent Atlantic League to have the circuit test out some potential rule changes this year, including larger bases, moving back the pitcher's mound by two feet, limiting defensive shifts and imposing a minimum numbers of batters faced a by a relief pitcher brought into the game (the "three-batter minimum" rule). All balls and strikes will also be called by an automated system, and not the home plate umpire, except for a few specific exceptions.
- 2020 - Willie Calhoun, expected to be the Rangers' starting left fielder after hitting 21 homers in half a season last year, suffers a broken jaw when hit in the face by a 95 mph fastball thrown by Julio Urias of the Dodgers.
- 2023:
- The 2023 World Baseball Classic opens in Taiwan. The Kingdom of the Netherlands beats Cuba in the first game, 4 - 2. It is Cuba's first time using players on a MLB roster as they have gradually eased restrictions on defectors. Josh Palacios's 6th-inning single off Carlos Viera scores Didi Gregorius to break a 1 - 1 tie, then Chadwick Tromp adds a two-run bloop single. Eric Mendez gets the win in relief of Tom de Blok, with Wendell Floranus registering the save. Yadil Mujica drives in Yoelkis Guibert with both of Cuba's runs.
- In the nitecap, Panama gets its first World Baseball Classic win, 12 - 5, over host Taiwan after dropping its first five decisions over the first two editions of the tournament. Jonathan Araúz and Jahdiel Santamaria lead a fine offense while Randall Delgado gets the victory over Chih-Wei Hu. Nien-Ting Wu has three hits, including a homer, as a bright spot in a losing cause.
Births[edit]
- 1857 - Bill Annis, outfielder (d. 1923)
- 1869 - Jim Hughey, pitcher (d. 1945)
- 1875 - Bob Brush, infielder (d. 1944)
- 1879 - Josh Clarke, outfielder (d. 1962)
- 1882 - Harry Lord, infielder, manager (d. 1948)
- 1890 - Charles Corbett, pitcher (d. ????)
- 1890 - George Keogan, college coach (d. 1943)
- 1891 - Ollie O'Mara, infielder (d. 1989)
- 1893 - Ray Francis, pitcher (d. 1934)
- 1894 - Leo Payne, minor league outfielder (d. ????)
- 1895 - Jack Bentley, pitcher (d. 1969)
- 1896 - Lefty Clarke, pitcher (d. 1975)
- 1897 - Pat Flaherty II, minor league pitcher (d. 1970)
- 1898 - Phil Bedgood, pitcher (d. 1927)
- 1900 - Ralph Conger, college coach (d. 1941)
- 1902 - Bobby Goff, minor league player and manager (d. 1981)
- 1908 - Kaichi Masu, NPB outfielder and manager (d. 1981)
- 1909 - Pete Fox, outfielder; All-Star (d. 1966)
- 1909 - Harold Kaese, writer (d. 1975)
- 1911 - Bob Madison, outfielder/pitcher (d. 1973)
- 1912 - Ray Mueller, catcher; All-Star (d. 1994)
- 1917 - Bill Salkeld, catcher (d. 1967)
- 1922 - Carl Furillo, outfielder; All-Star (d. 1989)
- 1922 - Al Gionfriddo, outfielder (d. 2003)
- 1924 - Toby Atwell, catcher; All-Star (d. 2003)
- 1924 - Bill Spaeter, minor league infielder (d. 2017)
- 1926 - Bob Gates, college coach (d. 2019)
- 1926 - Dick Teed, pinch hitter (d. 2014)
- 1930 - Bob Grim, pitcher; All-Star (d. 1996)
- 1934 - Marv Breeding, infielder (d. 2006)
- 1934 - Willard Hunter, pitcher (d. 2021)
- 1934 - Yukihiko Machida, NPB outfielder
- 1935 - Willie Hooker, minor league pitcher (d. 2007)
- 1937 - Jim Small, outfielder
- 1938 - Enrique Kerlegand, writer; Salon de la Fama
- 1938 - Yoshimi Moritaki, NPB pitcher
- 1939 - Jim Bouton, pitcher; All-Star (d. 2019)
- 1939 - Minoru Kamata, NPB infielder (d. 2019)
- 1940 - Glen Clark, pinch hitter (d. 2018)
- 1940 - Jacques Doucet, announcer
- 1942 - Dick Allen, infielder; All-Star, Hall of Fame (d. 2020)
- 1942 - George Gerberman, pitcher (d. 2022)
- 1948 - Kwang-hwan Lee, KBO manager
- 1948 - Joe Staton, infielder (d. 2022)
- 1949 - Juan Jimenez, pitcher (d. 2008)
- 1950 - Luigi Ugolotti, Serie A1 outfielder
- 1953 - Jim Rice, outfielder; All-Star , Hall of Famer
- 1953 - Don Werner, catcher
- 1954 - Win Remmerswaal, pitcher (d. 2022)
- 1955 - Phil Nastu, pitcher
- 1957 - John Butcher, pitcher
- 1957 - Bob Stoddard, pitcher
- 1958 - Nick Capra, outfielder
- 1960 - Kevin Hagen, pitcher
- 1961 - Mark Salas, catcher
- 1964 - Lance McCullers, pitcher
- 1965 - Jerry Meyers, college coach
- 1965 - Manabu Tanabe, NPB pitcher
- 1966 - Mickey Pina, minor league outfielder
- 1966 - Mike Sodders, minor league pitcher
- 1967 - Lance Barksdale, umpire
- 1967 - Joel Johnston, pitcher
- 1968 - Jim Dougherty, pitcher
- 1968 - Saul Jimenez, minor league pitcher
- 1969 - Vladimir Pérez, minor league pitcher
- 1970 - Loren Gress, minor league infielder
- 1973 - Jimmy Gonzalez, minor league catcher
- 1973 - Daniel Lazo, Cuban league outfielder
- 1973 - Mark Lukasiewicz, pitcher
- 1973 - Justin Thompson, pitcher; All-Star
- 1974 - Stefan Fechtig, Bundesliga pitcher-infielder
- 1974 - Mike Moriarty, infielder
- 1975 - Jesus Pena, pitcher
- 1976 - Juan Encarnacion, outfielder
- 1976 - Ryan Freel, outfielder (d. 2012)
- 1976 - Pavlo Syvyrynchuk, Ukrainian national team outfielder
- 1976 - Hines Ward, drafted outfielder
- 1978 - Derek Mann, minor league infielder
- 1979 - Osman Buttar, Pakistani national team player
- 1981 - Chun-Hui Chen, CPBL catcher
- 1981 - Stephen Palos, Greek national team catcher
- 1982 - Craig Stansberry, infielder
- 1983 - Koichi Fukuda, Japanese national team infielder
- 1983 - Chris Lambert, pitcher
- 1983 - Mark Worrell, pitcher
- 1984 - Jerod Edmondson, college coach
- 1984 - Yoshihisa Hirano, pitcher
- 1984 - Jimmy Mayer, minor league infielder
- 1986 - Ricky Meinhold, coach
- 1987 - Daniel Gutierrez, minor league pitcher
- 1987 - Khurram Raza Khan, Pakistani national team infielder
- 1987 - Chih-Hsiang Lin, CPBL infielder
- 1987 - Kun-Sheng Lin, CPBL catcher
- 1988 - Tommy Pham, outfielder
- 1989 - Roberto Espinoza, coach
- 1990 - Sanders Commings, minor league outfielder
- 1991 - Rebecca Crosby, Australian women's national team pitcher
- 1992 - Nicholas Merullo, minor league catcher
- 1993 - Rafael Bautista, outfielder
- 1993 - Josh James, pitcher
- 1993 - Eric Peterson, minor league pitcher
- 1994 - Nikita Atadzhanov, Russian national team infielder
- 1994 - José Ayala, Puerto Rican national team pitcher
- 1994 - Cristopher Crisostomo, NPB pitcher
- 1994 - Jake Noll, infielder
- 1995 - Marcos Molina, minor league pitcher
- 1996 - Dane Myers, outfielder
- 1996 - Adan Ordonez, minor league catcher
- 1997 - Luz Feliciano, Puerto Rican women's national team utility player
- 1997 - Dae-hyun Kim, KBO pitcher
- 1999 - Yuto Hirano, Japanese national team outfielder
- 1999 - Cal Mitchell, outfielder
- 1999 - Gustavo Roque, Brazilian national team outfielder
- 2000 - David Festa, pitcher
- 2000 - Ho-Tsung Yee, Hong Kong national team pitcher
- 2001 - Ji-chan Kim, KBO infielder
- 2002 - Rhett Lowder, pitcher
- 2007 - Leah Cornish, Australian women's national team outfielder-pitcher
Deaths[edit]
- 1917 - Amory Hodges, umpire (b. 1852)
- 1920 - Eugene Rhoads, umpire (d. 1850)
- 1924 - Myron Allen, outfielder (b. 1854)
- 1925 - Garnett Norman, outfielder (b. 1900)
- 1926 - Howard Armstrong, pitcher (b. 1889)
- 1934 - Bill Rotes, pitcher (b. 1871)
- 1939 - John Robb, umpire (b. 1860)
- 1939 - Scott Stratton, pitcher (b. 1869)
- 1943 - Bill Riggins, infielder, manager (b. 1900)
- 1959 - Don Flinn, outfielder (b. 1892)
- 1959 - Ormsby Roy, infielder/outfielder (b. 1905)
- 1971 - Tripp Sigman, outfielder (b. 1899)
- 1974 - Frank Pratt, pinch hitter (b. 1897)
- 1977 - Sid Benton, pitcher (b. 1895)
- 1978 - Wade Johnston, outfielder (b. 1898)
- 1978 - Red Smith, catcher (b. 1904)
- 1979 - Natilla Jiménez, minor league pitcher (b. 1918?1920?)
- 1981 - Gowell Claset, pitcher (b. 1907)
- 1983 - Abel Francisco Cano, writer; Salon de la Fama (b. 1917)
- 1984 - Bruce Cunningham, pitcher (b. 1905)
- 1985 - Al Todd, catcher (b. 1902)
- 1989 - Dale Coogan, infielder (b. 1930)
- 1992 - Sherman Edwards, pitcher (b. 1909)
- 1995 - Oscar Mosley, minor league infielder and manager (b. 1916)
- 1996 - Bill Nicholson, outfielder; All-Star (b. 1914)
- 1999 - Joe DiMaggio, outfielder; All-Star, Hall of Famer (b. 1914)
- 1999 - Bill Wrigley, owner (b. 1933)
- 2002 - Ted Sepkowski, infielder (b. 1923)
- 2003 - Mickey McGowan, pitcher (b. 1921)
- 2007 - Marty Martinez, infielder; manager (b. 1941)
- 2007 - John Vukovich, infielder; manager (b. 1947)
- 2008 - Ossie Alvarez, outfielder (b. 1933)
- 2009 - Miles McAfee, college coach (b. 1932)
- 2009 - Ed Wolfe, pitcher (b. 1929)
- 2011 - Toshimichi Kunieda, NPB infielder (b. 1920)
- 2011 - Albert Turner, minor league pitcher (b. 1929)
- 2012 - Boyd Veal, minor league pitcher (b. 1930)
- 2014 - Luis DePaula, minor league infielder (b. 1982)
- 2014 - Terry Bulling, catcher (b. 1952)
- 2018 - Charles Finley, Jr., executive (b. 1944)
- 2019 - Mike Colbern, catcher (b. 1955)
- 2019 - Frank Joranko, college coach (b. 1930)
- 2021 - Rhéal Cormier, pitcher (b. 1967)
- 2021 - Apolinar Cruz, Nicaraguan national team outfielder (b. 1953)
- 2021 - Piet de Nieuwe, Hoofdklasse infielder (b. 1932)
- 2021 - Norm Sherry, catcher, manager (b. 1931)
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