Today In Baseball History: February

February 22nd:

1938: After an All-American football career at Texas Christian University, Sammy Baugh signs a deal as a shortstop with the Cardinals. He would soon after leave the minor leagues and begin a Hall of Fame career in the NFL with the Washington Redskins.

2005: Padres broadcaster Jerry Coleman is named winner of the Ford Frick Award.
 
February 23rd:

1934: The Dodgers name coach Casey Stengel as the team's new manager.

1960: The demolition of Ebbets Field in Brooklyn begins.

1987: Three days into Spring Training, Royals manager Dick Howser resigns as manager. He was trying to come back as the team's manager after undergoing brain surgery for a tumor, but was too weak to continue. Third base coach Billy Gardner takes over as manager. Howser passed away three months later.

1990: Despite the owners drop arbitration and minimum salary proposals, baseball's seven work stoppage begins. It will last 32 days.

2012: The Brewers Ryan Braun becomes the first player to successfully challenge a positive drug test.
 
February 24th:

1966: USC pitcher Tom Seaver signs with the Braves. However, the deal would be voided and later in a special draft, the Mets would sign Seaver.

1986: Dick Williams resigns as Padres manager. The resignation came 11 weeks after Padres executives attempted to buy out Williams' contract. Their efforts were denied owner John Kroc.

1990: Tony Conigliaro dies at age 45 of pneumonia and kidney failure. At age 20 in 1965, he became the youngest player to lead the A.L. in home runs, hitting 32 for the season.

2003: After the death of Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler, Commissioner Bud Selig bans the use of ephedra in the minor leagues. Players on the 40-man M.L. rosters were not prohibited from using the substance as union members, because of the new drug-testing rules in the CBA that banned only drugs of certain abuse and steriods.

2010: A Kansas man sues the Royals, seeking $25,000 in damages. He was sitting six rows behind the third base dugout when he was hit in the eye from a hot dog thrown by the team's mascot. The allegation said the hot dog thrown caused a detached retina and the development of cataracts in his left eye.
 
February 25th:

1933: Tom Yawkey purchases the Red Sox from Robert Quinn for $1.2 million.

1934: Future Hall of Fame manager John McGraw dies at age 60.

1969: The owners agree to increase their contribution to the newly revised pension plan, thus avoiding the first work stoppage in baseball history.

1972: The Cardinals trade Steve Carlton to the Phillies for Rick Wise.

1973: The owners and players agree to a new three year CBA, ending the lockout. The new agreement establishes arbitration for players with two or three years of MLB service, raises the minimum salary to $15,000, and also the "10 and 5" rule, which allows a player who has been in the M.L. for ten years and the last five with the same team to veto a trade.

1994: The Veterans Committee elects Phil Rizutto and Leo Durocher to the Hall of Fame.

2002: 84-year old Tigers announcer Ernie Harwell announces the 2002 season will be his final season in the Detroit radio booth.
 
February 27th:

1912: The Yankees announce they will start wearing pinstripes on their uniforms. It won't be until April 22, 1915 for them to start.

1948: Pie Traynor and Herb Pennock are elected to the Hall of Fame.

1988: The Orioles trade third baseman Ray Knight to the Tigers for pitcher Mark Thurmond.

1989: Blue Jays draft pick John Olerud undergoes surgery to remove a brain aneurysm. He had collapsed after a workout on January 11th.
 
February 28th:

1903: Pittsburgh owner Barney Dreyfuss and James Potter lead a syndicate to buy the Phillies for $170,000.

1966: Dodger pitchers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale begin their holdout of Spring Training. They ask for a three year deal worth $1 million to be divided equally between them.

1975: The Mets purchase Dave Kingman from the Giants.

1985: Rick Reuschel signs a free-agent deal with the Pirates.

1986: Known as the "cocaine seven", Joaquin Andujar, Dale Berra, Enos Cabell, Keith Hernandez, Jeffrey Leonard, Dave Parker, and Lonnie Smith are disciplined by Commissioner Peter Uberroth for their "prolonged pattern of drug use" and the distribution of drugs to others in baseball. They were to be suspended for the entire season, but will be allowed to play when they agree to donate 10% of their salaries to drug-related community service, 100 hours of community service, and submit to drug testing.

2000: The Yankees Darryl Strawberry is suspended for one year after he tested positive for cocaine the prior month.

2005: The Padres and Jake Peavy agree to terms on a four year deal with a team option for a fifth year.
 
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