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2006 In Baseball




  This Year 2006



CALENDAR


May


  • 6-7 - Amateur draft

  • July

  • 11 - All-Star Game at PNC Park

  • 30 - Hall of Fame inductions, Cooperstown, N.Y.

  • 31 - Last day to trade a player without securing waivers

  • September

  •   1 - Active rosters expand to 40 players

  • October





CHAMPIONS



AWARDS AND HONORS



EVENTS





  • March 20 - Japan defeats Cuba 10-6 in the championship game of the 2006 World Baseball Classic . After falling behind 6-1 early in the game, Cuba pulls back to within one run entering the ninth inning before Japan closes the door. The championship game of the first international baseball tournament open to players from Major League Baseball features teams that, combined, have only two players on a Major League roster.


  • March 28 - Marquis Grissom announces his retirement after a 17-year career. The MVP of the 1997 ALCS, a four-time Gold Glove winner and two-time All-Star, Grissom retires as one of seven players with 2,000 hits, 200 home runs and 400 stolen bases.


  • March 30 - Commissoner Bud Selig appoints Red Sox director and former U.S. Senate majority leader George J. Mitchell to head a probe into the use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs in the major leagues. The investigation is initially limited to events since September 2002, when such drugs were banned in the majors, but Mitchell has the authority to expand its scope.


  • April 6 - In the Phillies' 4-2 loss to the Cardinals, Jimmy Rollins goes 0-4, ending his multi-season hitting streak at 38 games.


  • April 6 - R.A. Dickey ties a post-1900 major league record by giving up six home runs in 3 1/3 innings in the Rangers' 10-6 loss to the Tigers.





  • April 28 - In a 6-2 victory over the Brewers, Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux earns the victory with 6 K and 2 ER over 6.0 IP, earning the first 5-0 start of his career.


  • of the Rangers becomes the first right-handed batter in MLB history to hit home runs in seven consecutive games. He is one game short of tying the overall record. And Albert Pujols of the Cardinals ties a record with his 13th home run in the month of April.



MOVIES



DEATHS


January-March

  • January 1 - Paul Lindblad , 64, relief pitcher for the Athletics who retired with the seventh most appearances (655) among lefthanders

  • January 5 - Rod Dedeaux , 91, baseball coach at the University of Southern California from 1942 to 1986 who won a record 11 College World Series titles, twice as many as any other coach, and 1,332 games, a record until 1994; played major role in baseball's acceptance in the Olympics, and coached the U.S. team in 1964 and 1984

  • January 24 - Carlos (Café) Martínez , 40, infielder for three AL teams who batted .300 for the 1989 White Sox

  • February 1 - Jake Wade , 93, pitcher for six AL teams who had been the oldest living Chicago White Sox player

  • February 4 - Joe McGuff , 79, sportswriter and editor for ''The Kansas City Star'' from 1948 to 1992 who covered the Athletics and later the Royals, playing an instrumental role in the latter franchise being awarded in 1969 and retained in the 1990s

  • February 11 - Robert W. Peterson , 80, author of the 1970 book ''Only the Ball Was White'', which focused attention on the Negro Leagues; member of the 2006 Hall of Fame committee responsible for electing Negro Leaguers

  • February 20 - Curt Gowdy , 86, broadcaster whose voice was the soundtrack of 13 World Series and 16 All-Star games, as well as the Red Sox from 1951-1966 and ten years with NBC

  • February 26 - Ace Adams , 94, All-Star pitcher for the New York Giants who led the National League in saves in 1944 and 1945

  • March 6 - Kirby Puckett , 45, Hall of Fame center fielder for the Twins who batted .318 lifetime and won six Gold Gloves; 1989 batting champion led AL in hits four times, total bases twice and RBI once; MVP of 1991 ALCS, his 11th-inning HR won Game 6 of 1991 World Series



April

  • April 9 - Billy Hitchcock , 89, infielder for five AL teams who later managed Orioles and Braves, was minor league executive

  • April 9 - Jimmy Outlaw , 93, outfielder and third baseman, primarily for the Tigers, who was the left fielder on the 1945 World Series champions

  • April 28 - Steve Howe , 48, All-Star relief pitcher, mainly with the Dodgers and Yankees, who was the 1980 NL Rookie of the Year but was suspended from baseball seven times and eventually barred from the sport due to drug abuse