Today In Baseball History: March

[CrimsonCowboy]

March 1st:

1909: Construction begins on the Pirates future home, Forbes Field.

1954: Ted Williams breaks his collarbone on the first day of Spring Training. He will miss the first four weeks of the season.

1967: Commissioner William Eckert approves the plan of the BBWAA to select a Cy Young winner from both leagues.

1969: Mickey Mantle announces his retirement.

1993: Two and a half years after accepting a lifetime ban, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner is reinstated. He was originally suspended by Fay Vincent for hiring gambler Howie Spira to snoop into th Eli of Dave Winfield.

1994: Leonard Coleman is named NL President.

1995: In an exhibition in Tempe, AZ, the replacement Angels defeat Arizona State University 13-5. It marked the first game ML game since 1912 to use replacement players.

2005: The Braves and Tim Hudson agree to a four year extension worth $47 million.

2012: Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek announces his retirement.

2012: The Cardinals and Yadier Molina agree to a five year deal worth $75 million.

[CrimsonCowboy]

March 2nd:

1927: Babe Ruth signs a deal with the Yankees that pays him $70,000 over the next three years, making him the highest paid player in the game.

1966: Citing a rule that disallows teams from signing a player during their collegiate season, Commissioner Eckert void this deal the Braves had with Tom Seaver.

1992: The Cubs and Ryne Sandberg agree to a four year extension worth $7.1 million per season.

2001: The Rangers sign Rusty Greer to a three year extension worth $21.8 million.

2005: President George W. Bush posthumously awards Jackie Robinson The Congressional Medal of Freedom. Robinson's widow Rachel receives the honor.

2007: The Rangers sign Michael Young to a five year extension worth $80 million.

2012: MLB introduces a new playoff format, which calls for an additional Wild Card and a one game Wild Card Game in each league.

[CrimsonCowboy]

March 3rd:

1984: Peter Uberroth is elected as the six commissioner of baseball.

2006: South Korea defeats Taiwan 2-0 in the first ever World Baseball Classic game.

2012: The Padres sign Cameron Maybin to a five year contract extension.

[CrimsonCowboy]

March 4th:

1912: Construction begins on the future home of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Ebbets Field.

1948: Stan Musial ends his holdout from Cardinals camp, signing a $31,000 deal.

1976: The Giants are sold for $8 million to Bob Lurie and Bud Herseth. The team was set to be sold to the Labbat's Brewery and moved to Canada until San Francisco mayor George Moscone intervened.

1984: The Veterans Committee elects Pee Wee Reese and Rick Ferrell to the Hall of Fame.

2004: Commissioner Bud Selig announces every ballpark will obverse Jackie Robinson Day on April 15t

[CrimsonCowboy]

March 5th:

1922: Babe Ruth signs a three year deal with the Yankees at $52,000 per season.

1964: Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen says he has an agreement for with a ML team to move to the city if a stadium is ready by next season.

1966: Marvin Miller, who was the assistant to the President of United Steelworkers, is named the first executive director of the players union.

1982: One win short of 300 for his career, Gaylord Perry signs a one year deal with the Mariners .

1986: The Brewers trade Ted Simmons to the Braves for Rick Cerone and two minor leaguers.

2002: The Red Sox fire manager Joe Kerrigan.

2005: A group led by Lewis Wolf and John Fisher take control of the A's after purchasing them from Steve Schott and Ken Hoffman.

[CrimsonCowboy]

March 6th:

1900: Hall of Famer Lefty Grove is born in Lonaconing, Maryland.

1948: The Dodgers trade Eddie Stanley to the Braves for Bama Rowell and $60,000.

1973: In a Spring Training game against the Pirates, the Twins Larry Hisle becomes the first designated hitter in ML history.

1987: Andre Dawson signs a blank contract with the Cubs. The team would pay Dawson, who would go on to win the NL MVP, $500,000.

2001: The Veterans Committee elects Bill Mazeroski to the Hall of Fame.

2005: Joining WCBS radio for Yankees games, Suzyn Waldman becomes the first woman in ML history to be a full time color commentator.

2006: Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett dies at age 45.

[CrimsonCowboy]

March 7th:

1941: Pee Wee Reese and Ducky Medwick wear plastic inserts in their caps during an exhibition game, believed to be the first time protective headgear had been used during a game.

1979: The Veterans Committee elects Hack Wilson and former NL President Warren Giles to the Hall of Fame.

1995: The Veterans Committee elects Richie Ashburn, Vic Willis, Leon Day, and William Hulbert to the Hall of Fame.

2001: Commissioner Selig upholds the agreed trade that sent David Wells and Mat DeWitt to the White Sox for Mike Sirotka, Kevin Bernie, Mike Williams, and Brian Simmons. Further medical examinations showed Sirotka to be 'damaged goods'. Selig used a 'buyer beware' policy, saying the individual team must take responsibility for the information used in the trade.

2006: Team USA wins their first World Baseball Classic game, defeating Mexico 2-0.

[CrimsonCowboy]

March 8th:

1913: With franchises in Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis, the Federal League is organized.

1930: Babe Ruth signs a two year deal worth $160,000.

1941: Phillies pitcher Hugh Mulcahy becomes the first ML player to be drafted into the Armed Forces.

1946: In Tucson, the Indians defeat the Giants 3-1 in the first Spring Training game played in Arizona.

1953: Hall of Famer Jim Rice is born in Anderson, South Carolina.

1966: Mets manager Casey Stengel is elected to the Hall of Fame.

1999: Joe DiMaggio dies at age 84.

2006: In a stunning upset, Canada defeats Team USA 8-6 in the World Baseball Classic.

2013: The Cardinals and Allen Craig agree to a five year deal worth $31 million.

[CrimsonCowboy]

March 9th:

1922: Rogers Hornsby signs a three year deal with the Cardinals.

1979: Fearing possible legal consequences, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn allows female reporters in the clubhouses.

1995: The owners vote unanimously to add teams in Arizona and Tampa Bay for the 1998 season.

2005: Current and former MLB players and executives are subpoenaed to testify before The House Committee on Government Reform about steroid use in baseball. Testifying before Congress were Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmerio, Curt Schilling, Frank Thomas, MLB executivs Rob Manfred and Sandy Alderson, GM Kevin Towers, and players rep Donald Fehr.

[CrimsonCowboy]

March 9th:

1951: FBI director J. Edgar Hoover declines an offer to become commissioner of baseball.

1963: In an exhibition against the White Sox, Reds rookie Pete Rose makes his debut, going 2-2 at the plate.

1992: The Royals trade Kirk Gibson to the Pirates for Neal Heaton.

1995: Michael Jordan announces he is leaving the White Sox organization and rejoining the NBA and the Chicago Bulls.

2006: The Indians and Jhonny Peralta agree to a five year deal worth $13 million.

2010: The Diamondbacks and Justin Upton agree to a six year deal worth $51.25 million.

[CrimsonCowboy]

March 11th:

1933: After bing fired as Cubs manager the prior season, Rogers Hornsby returns to the Cardinals as a player.

1988: Gene Mauch takes a leaf of absence as Angels manager due to health issues. Cookie Rojas takes his place.

2001: Preston Wilson signs a five year deal worth $32 million with the Marlins.

2002: The Red Sox name Grady Little manager.

2006: The Nationals and Nick Johnson agree to a three year extension worth $16.5 million.

2010: The Rockies and a Todd Helton agree to a two year extension worth $9.9 million.

[CrimsonCowboy]

March 12th:

1903: By approval of 15 of the 136 owners, the relocation of the original AL team in Baltimore to New York is approved. The Giants were the only team to vote no on the relocation of the team who would eventually become the Yankees.

1980: Chuck Klein and former Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey are elected to the Hall of Fame.

1991: Warming up for an exhibition appearance against the Red Sox, 45 year old Jim Palmer tears his hamstring and ends his comeback attempt.

2001: The Astros sign Richard Hidalgo to a four year deal worth $32 million.

2015: To raise awareness of organizations trying to cure cancer, comedian Will Ferrell makes an appearance for ten different teams, playing nine different positions in five Cactus League games.

[CrimsonCowboy]

March 13th:

1953: Braves owner Lou Perini announces he will seek permission to move the team from Boston to Milwaukee.

1954: During a Braves exhibition game against the Yankees, Bobby Thompson breaks his ankle. He would be replaced by a prospect named Hank Aaron.

1960: The White Sox become the first team to put the players names on the back of their uniforms.

[CrimsonCowboy]

March 14th:

1954: In a Spring Training game against the Red Sox, Hank Aaron makes his first ML start, collecting three hits, including s home run. After the performance, the Braves offer Aaron a ML contract.

2003: The Pirates and Kenny Lofton agree to a one year deal.

2006: The Red Sox agree to a two year extension with manager Terry Francona.

[CrimsonCowboy]

March 15th:

1975: Juan Marichal signs a free agent contract with the Dodgers.

1977: The A's trade Phil Garner, Chris Batton, and Tommy Helms to the Pirates for Tony Armas, Mitchell Page, Doc Medich, Dave Giusti, and two pitchers.

1999: Don Zimmer is named Yankees interim manager while Joe Torre undergoes treatment for prostate cancer.

2000: Red Sox pitchers Pedro Martinez, Fernando De La Cruz, Dan Smith, Rheal Cormier, Rich Garces, and Rod Beck combine to pitch a perfect game in a 5-0 Spring Training win over the Blue Jays,

2008: In the first ML game played in mainland China, the Padres and Dodgers play to a 3-3 tie in an exhibition.

[CrimsonCowboy]

March 16th:

1908: Honus Wagner announces the upcoming season will be his final.

1953: The AL rejects Bill Veeck's request to relocate th Browns to Baltimore.

1972: Hall of Famer Pie Traynor dies at age 73.

2001: The Cubs and Sammy Sosa agree to a four year extension.

2006: Mexico stuns Team USA 2-1, eliminating the Americans from the World Baseball Classic.

2006: The Blue Jays and Roy Halladay agree to a three year extension worth $40 million.

[CrimsonCowboy]

March 17th:

1936: In an exhibition game against the Cardinals, Joe DiMaggio make his debut, collecting four hits, including a triple.

1969: The Braves trade Joe Torre to the Cardinals for Orlando Cepeda.

1976: The 17-day lockout comes to an abrupt end when Commissioner Bowie Kuhn orders Spring camps to open as soon as possible.

1977: A judge rules in favor of Commissioner Kuhn in a dispute with A's owner Charley Finley. The dispute happened when Finley sued Kuhn for illegal restraint of trade when his deals to send Rollie Fingers and Joe Rudi to the Red Sox for $2 million and Vida Blue to the Yankees for $1.5 million were voided "in the best interest of baseball".

1999: The Blue Jays fire manager Tim Johnson and replace him with Jim Fregosi.

2005: The Committee on Government Reform holds and 11+ hour hearing about steroid use in baseball. The hearing was prompted by Jose Canseco's recent book, describing the using of steroids in the game. Mark McGwire does not deny using steroids, only saying he was not going to talk about the past, but be optimistic about the future. In addition to Canseco and McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmerio, and Curt Schilling also testified in front of lawmakers.

[CrimsonCowboy]

March 18th:

1937: Lou Gehrig signs a deal with the Yankees for $36,000 with a $750 signing bonus.

1953: The Braves officially move to Milwaukee.

1981: The White Sox sign Carlton Fisk to a contract worth $3.5 million.

1985: Mickey Mantle and a Willie Mays are reinstated by commissioner Uberroth. The two had be disassociated from baseball due to their employment with Atlantic City casinos.

1990: The players and owners agree to a four year CBA, ending the 32-day lockout.

2000: The Mets trade Jesse Orosco to the Cardinals for Joe McEwing.

2010: The Diamondbacks and Mark Reynolds agree to a three year deal worth $14.5 million.

[CrimsonCowboy]

March 19th:

1927: Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn is born in Tilden, Nebraska.

1989: After an injury to Dave Winfield that causes him to miss the season for back surgery, the Yankees trade Joel Skinner and a minor leaguer to the Indians for Mel Hall.

2005: The Astros and Lance Berkman agree to a six year deal worth $85 million.

[CrimsonCowboy]

March 20th:

1934: Famous female athlete Babe Didrickson pitches the first inning of an A's exhibition against the Dodgers. She walks one and gives up no hits.

1973: In a special election, the BBWAA elects Roberto Clemente to the Hall of Fame. The board of directors waived them usual five year waiting period for Clemente.

1989: The office of Commissioner Peter Uberroth announces they are conducting a serious investigation into the alleged gambling by Pete Rose.

2006: Japan defeats Cuba 10-6 to win the first World Baseball Classic.