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• From The Bill Chuck Files
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• Trades That Should Happen: Beltre to the Giants
• A Day in the Life of the Off-Season Pitcher
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• Top Baseball Names of All Time

Today in Baseball History from the BR Bullpen

Full Today in Baseball History

• 1917 - With Bill Carrigan reaffirming his decision to leave the Boston Red Sox, shortstop Jack Barry is named the team's new manager.
• 1926 - Future All-Star pitcher Ralph Branca is born in Mount Vernon, NY. Although Branca will win 21 games in 1947, he will become best known for giving up Bobby Thomson's pennant-winning home run in 1951.
• 1937 - The New York Giants buy shortstop Tommy Thevenow from Cincinnati Reds.
• 1946 - The Boston Red Sox announce that they have signed a working agreement with the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans are managed by Johnny Peacock, a former Boston catcher.
• 1964 - Charlie Finley signs a two-year pact to move the Athletics from Kansas City to Louisville, pending American League approval. He is later denied and the Athletics stay put in Kansas City until after the 1967 season.
• 1969 - Umpires Al Salerno and Bill Valentine file a grievance against the American League and its American League president, Joe Cronin. The grievance is filed by the new umpires union with the National Labor Relations Board.
• 1997 - Former Atlanta Braves knuckleballer Phil Niekro is elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America, becoming the 227th member of the Hall. He receives 80.34% of the vote, as former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Don Sutton falls nine votes short of election. Niekro is only the 87th player to be elected by the BBWAA.
• 1997 - Los Angeles Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley announces plans to sell the team, which has been controlled by his family since 1950. The club is expected to command a record price.
• 1999 - Surgery makes the news as the New York Mets prize rookie outfielder Jay Payton undergoes arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder. Also, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Paul Quantrill has surgery to repair a fractured right thigh and a metal rod is inserted in his leg. He was injured in a snowmobile accident at his home in Port Hope, ON.
• 2005 - Bob Watson, the general manager of the United States team for the World Baseball Classic, expects to find out by next week whether Alex Rodriguez will play for the Americans at the tournament. Rodriguez is eligible to play for both the US and the Dominican Republic.

Born This Date

• 1886 - Billy Purtell, infielder (d. 1962)
• 1897 - Buck Crouse, catcher (d. 1983)
• 1900 - Clyde Beck, infielder (d. 1988)
• 1915 - Tom Ferrick, pitcher (d. 1996)
• 1920 - Early Wynn, pitcher; All-Star, Hall of Famer (d. 1999)
• 1931 - Fern Battaglia, AAGPBL infielder (d. 2001)
• 1963 - Norm Charlton, pitcher; All-Star
• 1978 - Casey Fossum, pitcher

Died This Date

• 1894 - Marty Sullivan, outfielder (b. 1862)
• 1899 - John Smith, infielder (b. 1858)
• 1941 - Charley O'Leary, infielder (b. 1882)
• 1951 - Harry Camnitz, pitcher (b. 1884)
• 1957 - Ed Abbaticchio, infielder (b. 1877)
• 1957 - Gil Gallagher, infielder (b. 1896)
• 1978 - Tony Rego, catcher (b. 1897)
• 1991 - Bobby Estalella, outfielder (b. 1911)
• 1997 - Dick Donovan, pitcher; All-Star (b. 1927)
• 2002 - Fred Taylor, infielder (b. 1924)

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