February 6th-

1892: Happy Birthday Joseph 'Goldie' Rapp 1921-23 Phillies 3B 218 games



1903: Rest in Peace James Harding 'Hardie' Henderson, born and died in Philadelphia, 1883 Phillies OF/P 2 games, later became an Umpire; He was run over and killed by a trolley.

1927: Happy Birthday Forrest 'Smoky' Burgess 1952-55 Phillies C 327 games



1950: Rest in Peace Art Fletcher 1920, 22 Phillies SS 212 games; member 1911-13, 17 Giants NL Pennant and World Series teams

1958: Happy 50th Birthday Bill Dawley 1988 Phillies P 8 games


1970: Rest in Peace Dick Mauney 1945-47 Phillies P 53 games

1974: Rest in Peace Bernhard 'Benny' 'Earache' Meyer 1925 Phillies 2B 1 game

1986: The Yankees sign free-agent Al Holland, 1983-85 Phillies P 139 games. Holland saved five games for three different teams last season ( Phillies, Pirates, and the Angels).


1995: Rest in Peace Elmer 'Swede' Burkart, born in Philadelphia, 1936-39 Phillies P 16 games

2007: Rest in Peace Selva Lewis 'Bird Cage' 'Lew' 'Lou' Burdette, Jr 1965 Phillies P 19 games; 1957,59 NL All-Star; 1957-58 Braves World Series teams (1957 WS winning team).


Other Baseball History-

1887: At Hot Springs, Arkansas, Albert Spalding meets with the Chicago White Stockings players and exacts from each man a pledge of total abstinence from drinking during the coming season. With the entire outfield gone from last year's team and pitcher Jim McCormick holding out at home in New Jersey, the champion White Stockings will have to rely on young players

1891: The New York Giants' salary list is leaked to the press. It shows a total player payroll of $54,600 with Buck Ewing's $5,500 salary topping the scale.



1895: Kate Schamberger Ruth gives birth to her first child, George Herman Ruth, Jr., in the house of his grandparents in Baltimore, Maryland. Babe Ruth, considered by many as the greatest player in history, will amass 714 home runs and a lifetime batting average of .342 on his way to Hall of Fame election in 1936.



1920: Rest in Peace Jack Lapp, born in Frazer PA and died in Philadelphia, 1908-15 Philadelphia Athletics C/1B 527 games; member AL Pennant 1910,11,13,14 and World Series 1910, 11, 13 winning teams



1926: The St. Louis Browns acquire catcher Wally Schang from the Yankees for pitcher George Mogridge and cash. Although Schang is 37, he will hold the job as catcher for the Browns for four seasons.

1934: The Reds purchase 43-year-old Dazzy Vance from the Cardinals for $7,500. The future Hall of Famer will pitch for two more years, although he will only make two starts for the Reds and he will be waived back to St. Louis in midseason.

1935: Demanding a yearly salary of $25,000, future Hall of Fame pitcher Dizzy Dean becomes a holdout. The St. Louis Cardinals right-handed ace will sign for $19,500 the following day

1951: Charles 'Gabby' Street dies in Joplin, Missouri, at age of 67. Nicknamed "The Old Sarge", he had a prolific baseball career as a catcher, manager, coach and play-by-play broadcaster. As a manager, Street led the St. Louis Cardinals to two National League championships and one World Championship in 1932.



1956: Supporting the Wagner-Cashmore plan to build a $30-million downtown Brooklyn sports center, Walter O'Malley promises to buy four million dollars worth of bonds.

1958: Ted Williams signs with the Red Sox for $135,000, making him the highest-paid player in major-league history.

1958: New York sportswriter and broadcaster Ford Frick is named the public relations director of the National League. In nine months, Frick will become president of the National League, and will later become commissioner, succeeding Happy Chandler. Frick had previously played an instrumental role in promoting the birth of the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.



1968: Voters in King County (Washington) approve by 62 percent a $40 million bond issue to build a domed, multipurpose stadium.

1976: The American League grants the new expansion franchise in Seattle to a six-man investment group that includes movie star and entertainer Danny Kaye. The new franchise, called the Mariners, will start play in 1977.

1995: President Bill Clinton's deadline for a resolution to the baseball strike passes without a resolution. On January 26, Clinton had told the players and owners to resume bargaining and reach an agreement by the 6th. The strike will continue for nearly two more months.

1995: Darryl Strawberry is suspended for 60 days for violation of baseball's drug policy and his aftercare program. He is also released by the Giants.

1998: The New York Yankees acquire All-Star second baseman Chuck Knoblauch from the Minnesota Twins for pitcher Eric Milton, shortstop Christian Guzman, two other minor leaguers, and $3 million in cash. Knoblauch will bat .265 with 17 home runs in 1998 and help the Yankees to the World Championship.

1998: The New York Mets obtain pitcher Al Leiter and minor leaguer Ralph Milliard from the Florida Marlins in exchange for pitcher A.J. Burnett and two minor leaguers, Jesus Sanchez and Rob Stratton.

2005 : At Mazatlan, Mexico, pitcher Francisco Campos turns in another brilliant outing, and the Mexican champion Mazatlan Deer hold on in the final game, edging the Dominican Republic, 4 - 3, to win the 56th Caribbean World Series.



2006: Daniel Cabrera allowed only one run and two hits in five innings, pitching the Dominican Republic's Licey Tigers past Mexico's Mazatlan 3-1 in the Caribbean Series. In the second game, the Caracas Lions of Venezuela remained undefeated after five games with a 5 - 1 victory over Puerto Rico's Carolina Giants. Home field advantage aside, Venezuela is heavily favored in tomorrow's decisive game against Dominican Republic.

February 5th-

1880: Worcester is voted into the National League. The team, known as the Ruby Legs, Worcesters, No-Names, or the Brown Stockings, will be expelled from the league after minuscule attendance in 1882. Their spot was taken by the Philadelphia Quakers (later Phillies), but there is no direct link between the teams. The vacant Worcester franchise was picked up by sporting goods mogul Al Reach though it had none of the same players or personnel. Yet the Phils still claim their heritage from the Worcester team.





1988: Phils trade Freddie Toliver P to the Twins for Chris Calvert (minors)

I was a history major in college so historical inaccuracies are a little bit of a sore point for me. On that note, it's utterly aggravating that the Phillies claim a link to Worcester. Worcester was disbanded and the Phillies took their place. The Phillies web site list the three seasons in Worcester on their records. However, that is not accurate! Interestingly, the Brown Stockings/Ruby Legs were disbanded on the same day as the Troy (NY) Trojans. The New York Gothams (later Giants) replaced them. Yet, the San Francisco Giants do not list the Troy Trojans on their records! Grrr, why can't the Phillies get their history straight?!

And I remember Freddie Toliver. He was supposed to be good but never seemed to get it together, in keeping with so many young players the Phillies had in the late '80's.

February 5th part 2 of 2-


1951: California governor Earl Warren denies the rumor he is a candidate for baseball commissioner.

Wow! Another case of "how different this world would have been if he decided to go into baseball?"! Warren would later become Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court. Under his leadership, the Court dramatically expanded American jurisprudence and helped change America in equally dramatic ways. In the interest of promoting equal time, there are others who say his court engaged in reckless "judicial activism" but it is un deniable that his court had a profound impact on America.

See also, Fidel Castro (nearly became a professional pitcher instead of Cuban revolutionary and later communist dictator), George W. Bush (almost become commissioner instead of Texas Governor, [editorial comments ommitted]).

February 6th-
1986: The Yankees sign free-agent Al Holland, 1983-85 Phillies P 139 games. Holland saved five games for three different teams last season ( Phillies, Pirates, and the Angels).

Al Holland. Now there's a guy who gets my blood boiling! Maybe even worse than Jose Mesa gets Gina's or Dennis's blood boiling. In 1983, Holland was the NL's premier closer. Won the Rolaids Relief Man award. Helped the Phillies win the pennant. The following spring training, he shows up grossly overweight. He refuses to admit he's overweight. His pitching begins to struggle. He still refuses to admit he's overweight and, defiantly, gets fatter. His performance totally flatlines. He is traded in early 1985 for nerdy Kent Tekulve who despite being a nerd gives them three fine seasons.

February 7th-

1876: Happy Birthday Pat Moran 1910-14 Phillies C 102 games; manager of the 1915 NL Pennant winning team; manager of the 1919 Reds who beat the 'Black Sox' in the World Series; member 1906-09 Cubs. The 1906 Cubs still hold the record for best winning percentage of the modern era, with a .763 mark, 116 - 36 155 games.

Back in an era when a manager's responsibilities often included both the duties of a modern skipper plus those of today's general manager, Pat Moran excelled at each role. In a span of six years Moran took over two mediocre franchises with little history of winning, rebuilt and reassembled their players, and managed each to a pennant. Unfortunately, his place in the pantheon of great managers never solidified due to his unexpected and premature death at age 48. SABR Biography by Dan Levitt

http://bioproj.sabr.o...



1900: Rest in Peace John 'Brewery Jack' 'Jack' Taylor 1892-97 Phillies OF/P 207 games

1905: Happy Birthday William 'Cy' Moore 1933-34 Phillies P 71 games

1927: Happy 81st Birthday Joe Lonnett 1956-59 Phillies C 143 games

1938: Free agent Bill Hallahan P is signed by the Phils

1948: Reds trade Eddie Miller SS for Johnny Wyrostek OF and cash

1959: Rest in Peace Napoleon 'Nap' 'King' 'Poli' Lajoie 1896-1900 Phillies 1B/2B/OF/3B 492 games; Hall of Famer Napoleon Lajoie dies of pneumonia at the age of 84. Lajoie batted .338 over a 21-year career and gained election to the Hall of Fame in 1937. Lajoie also managed Cleveland from 1905 to 1909.

http://www.baseball-a...



1997: Rest in Peace Manuel 'Manny' Salvo 1943 Phillies P 1 game

Other Baseball History-

1881: The Providence Grays rounds out its roster by signing pitcher Charley Radbourn, who missed most of last season with a bad arm.

http://providencegray...

1899: Under a joint ownership arrangement, several Baltimore Orioles players are shifted to the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, and that club transfers several to the Orioles. Manager Ned Hanlon takes Willie Keeler, Joe Kelley, Hughie Jennings, and others with him, while John McGraw and Wilbert Robinson remain in Baltimore. The powerful new Brooklyn team is renamed as the Superbas.



Hughie Jennings- the ever-grinning Irishman was a master psychologist, constantly whistling and pulling grass, kicking, and yelling his famous battle cry while skillfully intertwining his signals and antics. Winning pennants in his first three seasons at the helm, Hughie Jennings served as manager for 14 years, second longest tenure in Tiger history.
http://www.baseballli...



1900: Pitcher Jack Taylor, three-times a 20-game winner and 20-game loser, dies of Bright's disease in Staten Island, New York, at 26 of age.

1905: In Lynn, Massachusetts, Rube Waddell prevents a fire by carrying a burning stove out of a store and throwing it into a snow bank. Three days later he flees nearby Peabody to escape charges of assaulting and injuring his wife's parents.


1908: A frustrated Connie Mack finally gives up on dealing with screwball lefty George 'Rube' Waddell and sells his talented but eccentric and unreliable hurler to the St. Louis Browns for $5,000. Waddell had been a 19-game winner for Mack's Philadelphia Athletics in 1907 with a 2.15 ERA, but Mack is out of patience. Years of dealing with Waddell's drinking, fighting, problems with women, wrestling alligators, leaving the ballpark in the middle of games to chase fire trucks, and complaints from roommates that he ate crackers in bed had taken its final toll on the patient patrician. Waddell would go on to win another 19 games for the 1908 St. Louis Browns while lowering his ERA to 1.89. It would be his last good year. He would leave the big leagues after the 1910 season. Sadly, Waddell died from tuberculosis in 1914 at the age of 37. Rube Waddell was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946.



1916: The Federal League's year-old suit charging antitrust violations by organized baseball is dismissed by mutual consent in U.S. District Court in Chicago by Judge Kenesaw M. Landis. No appellate decision is written and it will not be until 1922 when the courts rule on antitrust. (Note- Smells fishy to me; got to be more behind this)


1917: Tim Murnane, a first baseman on the original Boston National League team of 1876, and later a leading Boston baseball writer, dies in Boston at age of 64.


1934: The Cincinnati Reds players and officials set sail from New York City to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for a month of spring training. They will finish the grapefruit season in Tampa, Florida.

1942: Cincinnati stirs the hometown fans by selling popular Ernie Lombardi to the Boston Braves, where he will win the batting title in 1942 with a .330 average.


1949: Joe DiMaggio signs with the Yankees for $100,000, the first six-figure contract in the major leagues. In 1948, DiMaggio batted .320, while leading the American League in home runs and RBI.

1952: North American P Bill Samson achieves an undistinguished winter league record by walking 14 Vargas batters in six innings while pitching for Cerveceria Caracas of the Venezuelan League. This negative feat also matches the major-league record set in 1906 by Henry Mathewson of the New York Giants, who needed nine full innings for an equal display of pitching wildness.

1958: The Dodgers officially become the Los Angeles Dodgers, Inc.

1959: White Sox president Mrs. Dorothy Rigney agrees to sell the team to Bill Veeck for a reported $2.7 million. Chicago insurance broker Charles O. Finley allows that he can match the price. Charles Comiskey will try to stop Veeck from buying the Sox, but will be unsuccessful.

1961: Boston Red Sox outfielder Jackie Jensen makes a return to the major leagues by signing a $40,000 contract. Jensen had retired in 1960 due to a fear of flying. The layoff will prove detrimental to Jensen, who will hit only .263 with 13 home runs in 1961.

February 7th part 2 of 2

u]1962: The Boston Red Sox hire former Indianapolis Clowns scout Ed Scott as their first full-time black scout.


1979: Jesse Orosco becomes 'the player to be named later' in the Met trade of Jerry Koosman to the Twins.

1983: The Mariners select Reds minor leaguer Danny Tartabull as compensation for the loss of Floyd Bannister to the White Sox.

1987: For only the second time, a player is forced to take a pay cut due to salary arbitration. Dodger pitcher Orel Hershiser signs for $800,000 which is a twenty percent reduction.

1990: The Astros Silver Anniversary Team (1965-1989) is announced at a Houston banquet. Joe Morgan is honored as the first genuine Astro to make it to the Hall of Fame. Mike Scott also receives the 1989 Astros Most Valuable Player award. Not surprisingly, both are on the 25th Anniversary squad.


1991: Hall of Famer James 'Cool Papa' Bell dies at the age of 87. An outfielder with blazing speed, Bell played in the Negro Leagues from 1922 to 1946. Bell entered the Hall of Fame in 1974, joining fellow Negro Leagues stars Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, and Monte Irvin in Cooperstown.



1994: Former National Basketball Association star Michael Jordan signs a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox. Jordan will report to spring training before being assigned to Class-AA Nashville. After one season in the minor leagues, Jordan will return to the NBA.



1995: Former major league pitcher Cecil Upshaw dies from a heart attack at the age of 52. The side-arming Upshaw saved 27 games in 1969, helping the Atlanta Braves win the National League West. In nine seasons, Upshaw made 348 appearances, all in relief.



1996: Future Hall of Famer Dave Winfield announces his retirement at the age of 44. Winfield compiled 3,110 hits, 465 home runs and 1,833 RBIs during a 22-year career with the Padres, Yankees, Angels, Blue Jays, Twins, and Indians.

1999: Veteran pitcher Dennis Martinez announces his retirement. The Nicaraguan right-hander won 245 games over a 23-year career with the Baltimore Orioles, Montreal Expos, Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners, and Atlanta Braves. In 1991, he pitched a perfect game as a member of the Expos.

2005: The Tigers sign 31-year-old right fielder Magglio Ordonez (.292, 9.37) for five-years for a reported $75 million. The contract for the free agent slugger, recovering from knee surgery, includes options which could extend the All-Star?s stay in Detroit for an additional two years making the deal nearly $100 million.

2006: Alex Gonzalez singles in the tying run and then scores the winning run as Henry Blanco's pop fly bounces off the head off Erick Aybar giving Venezuela its first Caribbean Series championship since 1989. The ball, which the Dominican Republic Licey's Tigers? shortstop lost in the lights, is ruled a double and caps a two-run bottom of the ninth rally resulting in 5-4 comeback victory for the Caracas Lions.

February 8th-

1901: It is rumored the National League's leading hitter and the Phillies' top player, Napoleon Lajoie, has jumped to the new American League's Philadelphia franchise.



1910: Rest in Peace Henry Bert 'Cy' Vorhees 1902 Phillies P 10 games

1914: Happy Birthday Berthold John 'Bert' Haas 1948-49 Phillies 3B/1B 97games

1920: Happy 88th Birthday Robert 'Buddy' Blattner 1949 Phillies 2B/3B/SS 64 games

1941: Phils release Sylvester 'Syl' Johnson P

1942: Happy 66th Birthday John Costen Shockley 1964 Phillies 1B 11 games

1943: Rest in Peace Dan Casey 1886-89 Phillies OF/P 142 games

1962: Rest in Peace Robert Watkins 'Bert' Yeabsley, born and died in Philadelphia, buried at St Timothy Church Cemetery, 1919 Phillies PH 3 games

1966: Rest in Peace Eugene Edward 'Gene' Paulette 1919-20 Phillies 1B/2B/OF 210 games

1966: Phils sign Larry Cox C as a free agent (minor league, non-draft)

1968: The Reds trade C Johnny Edwards to the Cardinals for IF Jim Williams and C Pat Corrales.

1971: Rest in Peace Robert James 'Bobby' 'Lefty' Burke 1937 Phillies P 2 games

1972: Phils trade Bobby Pfeil 3B/2B to the Brewers for a player to be named; Phils get Chico Vaughns (minor league) on 3/25/1972

1996: Rest in Peace Delmer 'Del' Ennis, born in Philadelphia, 1946-56 Phillies OF 1656 games; 1946, 51, and 55 All-Star, member of the 1950 NL Pennant winning team - the 'Whiz Kids'; owned Del Ennis Lanes (bowling) on Huntingdon Pike.



Other Baseball History-

1887: The NL franchise in St. Louis is sold to a group from Indianapolis for $12,000, including players. The Maroons will now become the Hoosiers.

1887: Mike "King" Kelly meets with Chicago owner Albert Spalding for contract talks. Kelly, who won the National League batting championship for the pennant-winning White Stockings, wants the bonus of $375 that Spalding promised for good behavior last year. Spalding refuses to give him the bonus or to rescind the additional $225 withheld from Kelly's salary as fines for drinking.


1889: In NYC, workers are dismantling fences at the Polo Grounds to cut a street through the property, leaving the Giants without a home for the coming season

1906: Several Giant players assault passengers aboard a train from New York City to Troy where the players are to receive an award. Ringleader Mike Donlin is charges with assaulting a conductor and pulling a pistol on a porter. The New York Times reports that the players were drunk and started throwing baseballs.

http://query.nytimes....

1916: The N.L. votes down a proposal by Charlie Ebbets of Brooklyn to impose a limit of 2,000 seats that clubs can sell for 25 cents. Boston has 10,000 such seats, St. Louis 9,000, Philadelphia 6,500 and Cincinnati 4,000.


1927: Sad Sam Jones departs the Yankees for St. Louis, traded for P Joe Giard and OF Cedric Durst. Sam will be 8-14 in his only season in St. Louis.

1932: Waite Hoyt is released by the Philadelphia Athletics and will sign with Brooklyn.


1940: The Browns make one of their best acquisitions ever when they purchase Eldon Auker from the Red Sox. Auker will become the ace of the staff winning 44 games over the next three seasons.

1941: The Detroit Tigers release future Hall of Famer Earl Averill and sign outfielder Hoot Evers, a star at the University of Illinois. Averill will eventually sign a contract with the Boston Braves but will hit only .118 in 17 at-bats, ending his major league career.

1942: At California's Folsom prison, the annual game between major leaguers and the prison team is stopped when it's discovered that two prisoners have escaped. With the pros leading 24-5 at the end of seven innings, the game ends and guards go after the two lifers, who are found three hours later. The major leaguers include Ernie Lombardi, Ernie Bonham, Gus Suhr, Joe Marty, and Johnny Babich.

1956: Rest in Peace Cornelius Alexander 'Connie Mack' 'The Tall Tactician' 'The Grand Old Man of Baseball' McGillicuddy, died in Philadelphia at the age of 93, 11 year playing career 1886-1889 Senators, 1890 Bisons, 1891-96 Pirates, Pirates Manger 1894-96; C\1B\OF\2B\SS 728 games; legendary founder/owner/manager of the Philadelphia Athletics 1901-1954; architect of two of the greatest dynasties in baseball history 1902,1905,1910-1914, and 1929-1931; 9 AL Pennants and 5 Word Series; most wins of any manager in baseball history with 3731 victories. In 1937, while he was "only" 37 years deep into his still active managerial career, Connie Mack was selected as a member of the first class of admissions into the new Baseball Hall of Fame that would open to the public at Cooperstown, New York in 1939


http://www.thedeadbal...

"Any minute, any day, some players may break a long standing record. That's one of the fascinations about the game, the unexpected surprises."

"No matter what I talk about, I always get back to baseball."

http://baseball-alman...



1956: The Senators send P Mickey McDermott and SS Bob Kline to the Yankees in exchange for C Lou Berberet, infielder Harry Plews, OF Whitey Herzog, and two more players.

1962: The Federal Trade Commission accuses Topps Chewing Gum of illegally monopolizing the baseball picture-card industry. In 1980, a court decision will open the door to competition

1972: Commissioner Bowie Kuhn announces the Hall of Fame selection of legendary sluggers Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard by the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues. The duo led the Homestead Grays to nine straight league championships from 1937 to 1945.

February 8th part 2 of 2-

1973: The owners' announce 'Early Bird' spring training will be canceled until negotiations with the Players' Association are completed. The lockout will last until the end of the month.

1982: The Dodgers break up the longest-playing infield in major league history by trading veteran second baseman Davey Lopes to the A's for minor leaguer Lance Hudson. Lopes, first baseman Steve Garvey, third baseman Ron Cey, and shortstop Bill Russell had been the starting infielder for Los Angeles since 1974.

1983: One day after taking a job as director of sports promotions for the Claridge Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, Mickey Mantle is ordered to sever his ties with Major League Baseball by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. Mantle joins fellow Hall of Famer Willie Mays as players banned from baseball by Kuhn for involvement with legalized gambling.

1984: One day after losing Type A free agent Tom Underwood to the Orioles, the A's grab pitcher Tim Belcher from the Yankees as compensation. The number-one selection in the June 1983 draft, Belcher did not sign with the Twins and was available in the January draft. The Yankees signed him on February 2, only to lose him because they had already submitted their list of 26 protected players.

1991: Boston pitcher Roger Clemens signs a 4-year $21,521,000 contract extension, making him baseball's highest paid player. The contract calls for Clemens to receive $4.4 million in 1992, $4.5 million in 1993, $5 million in 1994, $5.5 million in 1995, and an option worth $5,830,250 for 1996.

1999: Boston OF Midre Cummings has his arbitration case heard by Elizabeth Neumeier. It is the first arbitration case in history to be decided by a female arbitrator. Since the arbitration rule went into effect in 1974, all 409 cases have been decided by men.

2001: The Dominican Republic defeats Mexico, 5-3, to take its fourth Caribbean Series title in five years. The Aguilas Cibaeñas (Eagles of Cibao) of Dominican Republic defeats Mexico's , 5-3, to take its fourth Caribbean Series title for his country in the last five years. The Aguilas also won in 1997-98, and the Tigres del Licey (Licey Tigers) was the champion in 1999.




2002: Mexico defeats Puerto Rico to win the Caribbean Series title. In Caracas, Venezuela, the Tomateros de Culiacan (Culiacan Tomato Growers) of Mexico defeats Puerto Rico's Vaqueros de Bayamón (Bayamon Cowboys) to win the 2002 Caribbean Series title.




2006: After rejecting an earlier proposal by 8-5 margin just a few hours ago, the District of Columbia Council reverses itself and approves a revised lease for new Washington D.C. ballpark. At the urging of Mayor Anthony A. Williams the council reconvenes and votes 9-4 to approve the deal after attaching legislation capping the district's total cost at bit less than $611 million.

2006: Wayne Krivsky, a leading candidate for the job in 2004, is finally selected as the Reds general manager. The 51-year old former Twins executive replaces Dan O'Brien, who was fired by new owner Bob Castellini in an effort to select his own baseball people.

2006: Johnny Damon, former beloved Red Sox outfielder who signed as free agent with the hated Yankees, takes out a full page ad in the Boston Globe thanking fans for their loyalty and support. As one of the most popular players in franchise history, the long-hair self proclaimed 'idiot' incurred the wrath of Beantown when he left town for a $52 million, four-year contract to play in the Bronx.



2006: Emil Brown defeated the Kansas City Royals in salary arbitration and will get his request for $1,775,000 rather than the team's offer of $1.4 million. Brown set career highs last season in average (.286), doubles (31), home runs (17) and RBI (86) for the Royals, who had the worst record in the major leagues at 56-106.

February 9th-

1867: Happy Birthday Sumner Bowman 1890 Phillies P 1 game

1912: Happy Birthday Lloyd 'Dutch' Dietz 1943 Phillies P 21 games

1914: Rest in Peace Charles 'Buster' 'Yank' Brown 1907-09 Phillies P 31 games

1916: Happy 92nd Birthday Frederick 'Freddy' Schmidt 1947 Phillies P 29 games

1917: Happy 91st Birthday Ford Parker 'Moon' Mullen 1944 Phillies 2B/3B 118 games

1943: The N.L. is looking for a buyer for the Phillies, whose owner, Gerry Nugent, has fallen in arrears on rent and bank loans. The league pays $10 a share for 4,685 out of 5,000 outstanding shares in club.

1945: Happy 63rd Birthday Jim 'Jumbo' Nash 1972 Phillies P 9 games

1946: Phils release Whit Wyatt P

1961: Happy 47th Birthday John Kruk 1989-94 Phillies 1B/OF 744 games


1962: Reds purchase Ken Walters OF from the Phils

1967: Happy 41st Birthday Todd 'Tank' Pratt 1992-94, 2001-05 Phillies C/1B 299 games


1994: Rest in Peace Sam Parrilla 1970 Phillies 11 games LF

1994: Phils trade Terry Mulholland P and a player to be named later (Jeff Patterson P 11/8/1994) to the Yankees for Bobby Munoz P, Ryan Karp P, and Kevin Jordan 2B/3B/1B




1996: Phils sign Steve Frey P as a free agent

Other Baseball History-

1883: The New York Grammar School League is formed. Only "regular attendees" will be permitted to play in the 14-team league.

1884: The grounds of Cincinnati's UA club are flooded under 20 feet of water from the Ohio River. It will cost $3,000 to rebuild the fallen pavilions and fences and restore the field.

1886: Kansas City is admitted to the National League on a one-year trial basis.

1887: The Kansas City Cowboys go out of business with the sale of its players to the league for $6,000. The clubs spot in the league has already been taken by Pittsburgh.

1889: All-America beats Chicago 10-6 in the shadow of the Pyramids outside Cairo, and Cap Anson feels compelled to apologize to the Sphinx for his team's poor play.

1895: New York owner Andrew Freedman institutes reserved grandstand seats to attract businessmen.

1901: Giants and Pirates outfielder Tom O'Brien, 28 dies in Phoenix. A popular player with the Giants, O'Brien played for Pirates in 1900, then accompanied the Giants and Dodgers last fall on a trip to Cuba for a series of exhibition games. On the boat trip over, he was told that if he drank enough sea water he'd be sick, but would then be cured of any sea sickness. Both O'Brien and Kid Gleason became violently ill following the prescription, but O'Brien was so affected that all his internal organs were damaged, and he never recovered.

1914: Bill Veeck is born in Chicago, Illinois. The future Hall of Famer will become an owner of three major league franchises: the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Browns and Chicago White Sox. He will introduce an array of creative promotions, including fireworks and exploding scoreboards.


1914: Veteran umpire Hank O'Day, who managed the Reds in 1912, signs to skipper the Cubs.


1916: The N.L. votes down a proposal by the Giants, Braves, and Cubs to increase the club player limit from 21 to 22. (The Reds want to decrease it to 20.)

1916: The NL celebrates its 40th anniversary with a Waldorf-Astoria banquet. The NL's first president, Morgan G. Bulkeley, is present. The chief speaker is former president William H. Taft.


1920: The Joint Rules Committee bans all foreign substances or other alterations to the ball by pitchers, including saliva, resin, talcum powder, grease, sandpaper, paraffin, and the shine and emery balls. A pitcher caught cheating will be suspended for ten days. The A.L. allows each club to name just two pitchers who will be allowed to use the pitch for one more season. The N.L. allows each club to name all its spitball pitchers. No pitchers other than those designated (17 known ?spitball? pitchers will be permitted to use it in 1920 and until their careers end), and none at all after 1920. Other rules changes: the adoption of writer Fred Lieb's proposal that a game-winning home run with men on base be counted as a home run even if its run is not needed to win the game. Also, the intentional walk is banned, and everything that happens in a protested game will go in the records.

1922: Judge Landis cracks down on phony player deals. He fines the Cards and Tigers $150 each, and three minor league clubs a total of $1,400 for violating waiver rules. In March, he will assess the Giants $1,764 for the improper transfer of a player

1924: Washington owner Clark Griffith names SS Bucky Harris, last year's team captain as the new Nationals' manager. Harris had annoyed Griffith by playing pro basketball over the winter, in violation of his contract, but the owner still tabbed him the job. Harris, 28, team captain, was at spring training when he received the offer by letter. Harris will lead the Nats to two pennants and a World Championship in his first two seasons, on the way to winning 2,157 games during a 29-year Hall of Fame career.

1933: Dodger pitching ace Dazzy Vance is traded to the Cardinals with infielder Gordon Slade for Owen Carroll and Jake Flowers.

February 9th part 2 of 2-

1949: A federal appeals court orders the $300,000 suit against baseball by Mexican League jumper Danny Gardella back to a lower court for trial.
Outfielder Danny Gardella played for the New York Giants in 1944 and 1945. In 1946, he jumped to the Mexican League and was banned from the majors by Commissioner Happy Chandler. The next year, he filed a federal lawsuit challenging baseball's reserve clause. In the light of the legal challenge, Chandler revoked Gardella's ban, and Gardella dropped his lawsuit. He played in just one more big league game, with the St. Louis Cardinals, in 1950. Known for practicing with an iron bat to strengthening his muscles. Gardella died March 6, 2005 at age 85 of congestive heart failure.
http://www.baseball-r...

1951: The St. Louis Browns sign Satchel Paige. The 45-year-old pitcher had been out of the major leagues since last pitching for the Indians in l949.


1959: Frank D. Lawrence, owner of the Portsmouth, VA, club, files a $250,000 suit against Commissioner Ford Frick and ML baseball for breach of contract, alleging that broadcasts of ML games effectively forced him out of business

1971: Satchel Paige is nominated for the Hall of Fame. On June 10 the Hall's new Special Committee on the Negro Leagues will formally select him for induction.

1972: Former California Angels infielder Chico Ruiz is killed in an auto accident, just 11 days before the start of spring training. The 33-year-old Ruiz had recently signed with the Kansas City Royals. In 1971, Ruiz had been involved in an incident with Angels' teammate Alex Johnson, in which Ruiz allegedly threatened him with a gun. Ruiz denied the incident ever took place.


1976: Oscar Charleston is selected for the Hall of Fame by the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues. Charleston, a quick and powerful player as well as a skillful manager, played in five different decades.


1980: The late Yankee catcher Thurman Munson is inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame of Kent State University


1981: Future Hall of Famer Joe Morgan, 37, signs a free agent contract with the San Francisco Giants. Morgan led the National League in walks in 1980, while helping the Houston Astros to the Western Division title.

1994: The Ted Williams Retrospective Museum and Library opens in Hernando, Florida.

1995: Darryl Strawberry pleads guilty to income tax evasion and will spend three months in prison, in addition to paying back taxes, interest, and penalties.

2000: The Reds send four players, pitcher Brett Tomko, outfielder Mike Cameron and two minor leaguers to the Mariners and agree to a contract extension to obtain Seattle's superstar Ken Griffey Jr. Junior's nine-year $116.5 million contract is the richest package in baseball history, but in the current market is considered quite a bargain.

2001: After 13 months of negotiations, Derek Jeter and the Yankees finalize a $189 million, 10-year contract. The deal makes the all-star shortstop second only to Alex Rodriquez ($252 million/10 years) as highest paid player in the history of the sport.

2005: The Cubs trade reliever Kyle Farnsworth (4-5, 4.73)and a player to be named to the Tigers in exchange for pitcher Roberto Novoa (1-1, 5.09) and minor leaguers, Scott Moore and Bo Flowers. Farnsworth's inconsistency out of the bullpen last season last season made him very unpopular with the Wrigley Field fans

2006: Angels free-agent Bengie Molina (.295, 15, 69) and the Blue Jays come to terms on a $5 million, one-year deal with a $7.5 million mutual option for 2007 with a $500,000 buyout clause. Along with starter A.J. Burnett and closer B.J. Ryan, third baseman Troy Glaus and first baseman Lyle Overbay, the 31-year-old Gold Glove catcher becomes the latest blue chip to join Toronto during the off season.

2006: Deliberating for a little more than four hours, a jury rules the Angels did not breach a contract with the city of Anaheim when the ball club changed its name. Thirteen months ago the team known as the Anaheim Angels became the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim prompting the city where it plays to file a law suit claiming the change in name amounted to at least $100 million in lost revenue.

2007: Prior to performing in benefit concert in Connecticut, Bernie Williams shares with reporters that he plans to decline the Yankees' invitation to attend spring training on a minor league contract.