- 1895 - John T. Brush , owner of the Cincinnati Reds and the Indianapolis team of the Western League , transfers six Reds to his minor league team. This sort of exchange becomes increasingly common in the 1890s as owners of more than one team shuttle their players between their teams throughout each season in an attempt to stock their most profitable team of the moment. This strategy causes much distrust among fans, who feel that their loyalties are being trampled.
- 1900 - At an American League meeting in Chicago , Ban Johnson announces that an A.L. team will be placed in the Windy City to ensure the stability of the league. Other franchises are in Kansas City , Minneapolis , Milwaukee , Indianapolis , Detroit , Cleveland , and Buffalo . In an agreement with Chicago National League officials, the A.L. club will be situated on the south side of the city and will be permitted to use the nickname White Stockings , formerly used by the N.L. team. However, the White Stockings will not be able to use the word Chicago in their official name. The new franchise, known as the White Sox , will be the 1901 A.L. champion in their inaugural season.
- 1906 - Lloyd Waner is born in Harrah, Oklahoma . Although Waner weighed only 150 pounds, he was an all-around player who could hit for Average , Steal , field and throw as a Center Fielder , and beat opponents in countless ways. He will make his major league debut in 1927, batting .355 while garnering 223 Hits , the latter figure establishing a National League Rookie record that would not be broken until the 21st Century . Waner will hit over .300 in 10 of his first 12 seasons, compiling a mark of .316 with 2,459 hits, and Striking Out just 173 times in an 18-season major league career with the Pittsburgh Pirates , Boston Braves , Cincinnati Reds , Philadelphia Phillies and Brooklyn Dodgers . Waner will be elected to the Hall Of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1967.
- 1908 - Pittsburgh Pirates Shortstop Honus Wagner , at age 34, announces his retirement. An annual rite of spring, it will not keep him from playing in 151 games, more than in any of the past 10 years, and leading the National League in Batting Average (for the sixth time), Hits , Total Bases , Doubles , Triples , Slugging , Runs Batted In , and Stolen Base s. He will miss the Triple Crown by hitting two fewer Home Run s than Tim Jordan 's 12.
- 1972 :
- --- Hall Of Fame Third Baseman Pie Traynor dies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , at the age of 72. Traynor batted .320 over a 17-year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates , with a career-high .366 in 1930.
- --- Oakland Athletics holdout Vida Blue announces that he has rejected the team’s latest contract offer and will retire to work for a company that makes toilet fixtures. The “retirement” won’t last long, as Blue will eventually come to terms with the Oakland and begin his season in May. A 24-game winner in 1971, Blue will have a 6-10 record in 1972.
- 2006 - In the inaugural World Baseball Classic , Mexico eliminated the United States 2–1 at Angel Stadium in front of 35,284 boisterous fans whose allegiance was split down the middle. Mexico had helped United States in Round One by beating Canada , thus staving off elimination for the Americans, but showed no such gratitude in Round Two. Jorge Cantú Drove In both runs and eight Pitcher s limited the US team to three hits, none after the fifth inning. With Japan , United States and Mexico all finishing 1-2 in Round Two, a complicated tiebreaker involving runs allowed divided by the number of innings played against each other was invoked. Japan allowed the fewest runs per inning played and joins South Korea , Cuba and the Dominican Republic in the final round in San Diego from March 18-20. South Korea, the only unbeaten team in the tournament at 6-0, previously saved the US from elimination with a 2–1 win against Japan. In what may be the final start of his illustrious career, Roger Clemens , who strongly hinted at retirement this week, gave up six hits and Struck Out four, allowing two runs in 4 1/3 innings. In the third inning, Mario Valenzuela sliced a fly ball directly down the right field line that replays showed hit off the foul pole for a Home Run . But controvertial Umpire Bob Davidson ruled the ball went off the short outfield wall and awarded Valenzuela a Double , which set off a lengthy argument from Mexico. On March 12 , Davidson overruled a decision that denied Japan a crucial run in a lost cause against United States. Cantú, however, this time nullified the call with a two-out RBI single for a 1-0 Mexico lead. United States scored its only run in the fourth, after Vernon Wells drove in Chipper Jones with a Sacrifice Fly . In the inning, Valenzuela had a defensive gem in right field to taking away a home run from Alex Rodriguez . Valenzuela scored his second run in the fifth on Cantú's RBI Groundout . Those were all the runs Mexico needed.
- 1859 - Jerry Denny , infielder (d. 1927 )
- 1865 - Patsy Donovan , outfielder (d. 1953 )
- 1871 - Bill Bernhard , pitcher (d. 1949 )
- 1874 - Bill Duggleby , pitcher (d. 1944 )
- 1902 - Jake Flowers , infielder (d. 1962 )
- 1904 - Buddy Myer , All-Star infielder (d. 1974 )
- 1906 - Lloyd Waner , Hall of Fame outfielder (d. 1982 )
- 1913 - Ken O'Dea , All-Star catcher (d. 1985 )
- 1927 - Clint Courtney , catcher (d. 1975 )
- 1930 - Hobie Landrith , catcher
- 1932 - Don Blasingame , All-Star infielder (d. 2005 )
- 1943 - Rick Reichardt , outfielder
- 1959 - Charles Hudson , pitcher
- 1970 - Quinton McCracken , outfielder
- 1976 - Abraham Núñez , infielder
- 1979 - Hee-Seop Choi , infielder
- 1981 - Curtis Granderson , outfielder
- 1983 - Brandon League , pitcher
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