February 12 In Baseball

1800S

1878 - Fredrick Thayer patents the Catcher 's Mask . He is the captain of Harvard University Baseball Club.

1880 - The Boston Braves cuts the price of season tickets from $14 to $12 after the Red Stockings failed to win their third straight National League pennant last season.

1885 - The Western League is officially formed, with Indianapolis , Kansas City , Cleveland , Milwaukee , Toledo and Omaha as the original clubs. It will last until June 23.

1900S-1920

1903 - Charles (Chick) Hafey is born in Berkeley, California . Hafey will make his major league debut in 1924 with the St. Louis Cardinals . During a 13-year career with the Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds , Hafey will hit .317, including a National League Batting crown with .349 in 1931, and will be part of two World Series championships in 1926 and 1931 . Hafey will enter the Hall Of Fame in 1971.

1912 - In a change of Outfielder s, the Boston Braves send Mike Donlin to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Vin Campbell . After one season with Pittsburgh, Donlin will be waived to the Phillies but refuses to report and elects to retire.

1920 :

--- Frank Home Run Baker 's wife, Ottalee, dies at 31, leaving two small children. Baker will miss the entire season to stay home and take care of the family, returning in 1921 to hit .294.

---Dissatisfaction with the National Commission system comes to a head. The National League votes 6-2 for a one-man commission while the American League votes 6-2 for the status quo. Chairman Garry Herrmann resigns, stating his belief that no club owner should serve on the governing board. When the two leagues cannot agree on a chairman, it is left to the league presidents to decide disputes.

1924 - The National League announces it will join the American League in awarding a thousand dollars to the player selected by the Baseball Writers Association Of America as the Most Valuable Player .

1930S

1930 :

---After leading his Philadelphia Athletics to the 1929 World Championship , Connie Mack becomes the first Philadelphia n Sport s figure to receive the prestigious Edward W. Bok Prize .

---In a defeat for American League president Ban Johnson , Pitcher Carl Mays is reinstated, and the Yankees ' third place finish is recognized. Furthermore, a two man committee is appointed to review all fines over $100 and suspensions of more than 10 days.

1932 - George Weiss is named head of the Yankees ’ new Minor League system. Weiss will eventually become the General Manager of the Yankees, and along with Manager Casey Stengel , will oversee an unprecedented five consecutive World Championships from 1949 to 1953. In 1971 Weiss will eventually gain election to the Hall Of Fame in 1971.

1940S

1940 - The Brooklyn Dodgers purchase Outfielder Joe Vosmik from the Boston Red Sox .

1942 - Minor league outfielder Gordon Houston becomes the first player in Organized Baseball to die during active duty in World War II . Houston had played with Texarkana in 1940.

1944 - Bob Coleman is named as Manager of the Boston Braves . Previously, Coleman was managing in the minors for twenty-three years.

1950S

1955 - In Caracas , Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays hit crucial Home Run s to lead the Santurce Crabbers of Puerto Rico to a 4–2 victory over Venezuela in the Caribbean World Series championship. Mays's homer comes in the 11th inning.

1960S-1970S

1980S-1990S

1980 - Oakland Athletics owner Charlie Finley plans to sell his team to Oil Mogul Marv Davis is thwarted when the American League offers to buy out the Oakland Coliseum lease. Davis had hoped to move the franchise to Denver, Colorado .

1981 - A contract violation by the Boston Red Sox makes All-Star Catcher Carlton Fisk a Free Agent . In 1980, he batted .289 with 18 Home Run s and 62 RBI . Fisk will eventually sign a multi-year contract with the Chicago White Sox , for whom he will play during the balance of his career.

1988 - The San Diego Padres trade Reliever Rich Gossage to the Chicago Cubs for Infielder Keith Moreland in a deal that also includes a pair of minor league players.

1993 - The Kansas City Royals trade IF Gregg Jefferies and a minor leaguer to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for OF Félix José and IF/OF Craig Wilson .

1994 - Third Baseman Ray Dandridge dies in Palm Bay, Florida , at the age of 80. The former Negro Leagues star batted .322 for his career and gained election to the Hall Of Fame in 1987.

1999 - The San Diego Padres sign 37-year-old Country Music Singer Garth Brooks and invite him to Spring Training camp as a non–roster player.

2000S

2002 - For the first time in its history, Major League Baseball will own a team after acquiring the Montreal Expos from Jeffrey Loria . Loria sells the Expos for $120 million then buys the Florida Marlins of John Henry for $158.5 million with the difference being made up with a loan from MLB. Acquisition of the Montreal franchise and personnel changes are announced. The Expos name Frank Robinson as Manager , Tony Tavares as president of the club with Omar Minaya becoming the major leagues' first Hispanic General Manager , and south of the border former Expos manager Jeff Torborg will manage the Marlins with former Expos' interim general manager Larry Beinfest as the GM and David Samson will take over the duties of team president.

2003 - Federal Judge James Holderman has given the Chicago Cubs and the owners of rooftop Bleachers which provide fans a view of Wrigley Field a year to settle their dispute. The team believes the seating provided above the field via rooftops directly compete with the club for ticket sales revenue and the surrounding neighbors, in turn, have not been sympathetic to team's expansion plans.

2006 - The Chicago Cubs and Pitcher Carlos Zambrano agreed to terms on a one-year contract; First Baseman Shea Hillenbrand and pitcher Pete Walker signed with the Toronto Blue Jays on one-year contracts, and the Washington Nationals sold the contract of Infielder Jamey Carroll to the Colorado Rockies .

BIRTHS

1851 - Chick Fulmer , infielder (d. 1940 )

1864 - Jim Fogarty , outfleder (d. 1891 )

1879 - Pants Rowland , manager (d. 1969 )

1893 - Earl Sheely , infielder (d. 1952 )

1902 - Kiddo Davis , outfielder (d. 1983 )

1903 - Chick Hafey , Hall of Fame outfielder (d. 1973 )

1917 - Dom DiMaggio , All-Star outfielder

1926 - Joe Garagiola , catcher

1939 - Jerry Walker , All-Star pitcher

1942 - Pat Dobson , All-Star pitcher

1945 - Don Wilson , All-Star pitcher (d. 1975 )

1949 - Enzo Hernández , infielder

1949 - Lenny Randle , infielder

1951 - Don Stanhouse , All-Star pitcher

1955 - Chet Lemon , All-Star outfielder

1965 - Rubén Amaro, Jr. , outfielder/infielder

1965 - Dennis Springer , pitcher

1977 - Gary Knotts , pitcher

1978 - Tim Redding , pitcher

1980 - Adam Stern , outfielder

1981 - Chris Snyder , catcher

DEATHS

1959 - Dode Paskert , outfielder (b. 1881 )

1967 - Bob Rhoads , pitcher (b. 1879 )

1985 - Van Mungo , All-Star pitcher (b. 1911 )

1994 - Ray Dandridge , Hall of Fame Negro Leagues player (b. 1913 )

2003 - Haywood Sullivan , player and manager (b. 1930 )

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February 12 In Baseball