January 1
From BR Bullpen
| Stats of players who were born this day | |
| Stats of players who died on this day | |
| Standings on this day | |
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| Baseball Library Chronology | |
| Today in Baseball History | |
Events, births and deaths that occurred on January 1.
[edit] Events
- 1857 - Future Hall of Fame pitcher Tim Keefe is born in Cambridge, MA. In a 14-season major league career, Keefe will post a 342-225 record with 2562 strikeouts and a 2.62 ERA.
- 1911 - Hank Greenberg is born in New York, NY. After a splendid career as a player and executive Greenberg will gain Hall of Fame honors in 1956.
- 1923 - Hall of Fame outfielder Willie Keeler dies in Brooklyn, NY, at age of 50. In 19 major league seasons, Keller hit .341, amassed 2,932 hits, and won consecutive batting titles in 1897-98.
- 1927 - The press is informed that outfielder Zack Wheat, after 18 consecutive seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers teams, has been released. Wheat, who led the National League in hitting in 1918 with a .335 batting average, will hit .324 in 88 games for the Philadelphia Athletics in his final major league season in 1927, completing a distinguished Hall of Fame career with a lifetime mark of .318.
- 1929 - Cool Papa Bell, playing for Cienfuegos, becomes the first slugger to connect for three home runs in a single game during Cuban professional play. A Negro Leaguer and future Hall of Fame member, Bell accomplished his feat at Aida Park during the 15-11 slugfest victory over Havana. All three are inside the park efforts. Oscar Levis, Cliff Bell and Martin Dihigo surrender the homers.
- 1943 - Negro League star Josh Gibson suffers a nervous breakdown and is admitted to St. Francis hospital for rest and treatment. He will be released in time to go to Hot Springs, AR, to get in shape for the baseball season.
- 1961 - Briggs Stadium, home of the Detroit Tigers, is officially renamed Tiger Stadium.
- 1970 - Chub Feeney begins his 16-year presidency of the National League taking over for Warren Giles, who held the position for 18 years.
- 1974 - Lee MacPhail takes over as American League president, succeeding Joe Cronin, who retires. MacPhail will serve in this role until 1984. He will join his father, Larry MacPhail, as a member of the Hall of Fame in 1998.
[edit] Births
- 1844 - Harry Berthrong, outfielder (d. 1928)
- 1851 - David Lenz, catcher (d. 1886)
- 1854 - Peter Morris, infielder (d. 1884)
- 1855 - Tom Mansell, outfielder (d. 1934)
- 1855 - Bill McGunnigle, outfielder, manager (d. 1899)
- 1857 - Tim Keefe, pitcher; Hall of Famer (d. 1933)
- 1858 - Hugh Nicol, outfielder, manager (d. 1921)
- 1865 - Miah Murray, catcher (d. 1922)
- 1868 - Dave Zearfoss, catcher (d. 1945)
- 1869 - Frank Connaughton, infielder (d. 1942)
- 1870 - Bumpus Jones, pitcher (d. 1938)
- 1873 - Tom Donovan, outfielder (d. 1933)
- 1874 - Ned Garvin, pitcher (d. 1908)
- 1876 - Joe Martin, utility player (d. 1964)
- 1880 - Jake Livingstone, pitcher (d. 1949)
- 1880 - Claude Rothgeb, outfielder (d. 1944)
- 1881 - Rudy Bell, outfielder (d. 1955)
- 1882 - Andy Bruckmiller, pitcher (d. 1970)
- 1882 - Howard Murphy, outfielder (d. 1926)
- 1884 - Tom Downey, infielder (d. 1961)
- 1892 - Charlie Schmutz, pitcher (d. 1962)
- 1893 - Frank Fuller, infielder (d. 1965)
- 1894 - Hack Miller, outfielder (d. 1971)
- 1897 - Monty Swartz, pitcher (d. 1980)
- 1900 - Teddy Kearns, infielder (d. 1949)
- 1900 - Webster McDonald, Negro League pitcher and manager (d. 1982)
- 1900 - Al Stokes, catcher (d. 1986)
- 1904 - Ethan Allen, outfielder (d. 1993)
- 1910 - Charlie Devens, pitcher (d. 2003)
- 1911 - Hank Greenberg, infielder; All-Star, Hall of Famer (d. 1986)
- 1911 - Toshiyasu Ogawa, NPB catcher (d. WWII)
- 1912 - Hiker Moran, pitcher (d. 1998)
- 1915 - Joe Reichler, writer (d. 1988)
- 1919 - Sherry Robertson, infielder (d. 1970)
- 1921 - Royce Lint, pitcher (d. 2006)
- 1924 - Charlie Bishop, pitcher (d. 1993)
- 1924 - Earl Torgeson, infielder (d. 1990)
- 1927 - Carl Scheib, pitcher
- 1931 - Foster Castleman, infielder
- 1933 - Gene Host, pitcher (d. 1998)
- 1939 - Roy Majtyka, coach
- 1942 - Bill Bethea, infielder
- 1942 - Masayuki Nagayasu, NPB pitcher
- 1943 - Bud Hollowell, minor league catcher and manager
- 1948 - Randy Bobb, catcher (d. 1982)
- 1948 - John Dolinsek, minor league outfielder
- 1951 - Rick Albert, minor league infielder and manager
- 1953 - Lynn Jones, outfielder
- 1954 - Joe Pittman, infielder
- 1955 - La Marr Hoyt, pitcher; All-Star
- 1955 - Bob Owchinko, pitcher
- 1957 - Rob Pietroburgo, minor league pitcher
- 1965 - Rich Aldrete, college coach
- 1969 - Ray Harvey, minor league infielder
- 1969 - Roberto Rivera, pitcher
- 1970 - Derek Hacopian, minor league outfielder
- 1970 - Gary Wilson, pitcher
- 1971 - Jose Flores, minor league player
- 1972 - Rafael Roque, pitcher
- 1974 - Kevin Beirne, pitcher
- 1975 - Fernando Tatis, infielder
- 1982 - Chih-Sheng Lin, CPBL infielder
- 1984 - Neil Wagner, minor league player
- 1985 - André Hughes, German national team pitcher
- 1986 - Sheng-An Kuo, minor league pitcher
- 1991 - Jeroen de Haas, minor league pitcher
[edit] Deaths
- 1904 - George Radbourn, pitcher (b. 1856)
- 1912 - Pete Gilbert, infielder (b. 1867)
- 1919 - Gene Curtis, outfielder (b. 1883)
- 1921 - George Winkleman, outfielder (b. 1859)
- 1923 - Willie Keeler, outfielder; Hall of Famer (b. 1872)
- 1925 - Hank Simon, outfielder (b. 1862)
- 1932 - Tom Parrott, outfielder (b. 1868)
- 1949 - Hans Rasmussen, pitcher (b. 1895)
- 1953 - Doug McWeeny, pitcher (b. 1896)
- 1960 - Tige Stone, outfielder (b. 1901)
- 1966 - Oscar Dugey, infielder (b. 1887)
- 1967 - Lindsay Brown, infielder (b. 1911)
- 1971 - Joe Lotz, pitcher (b. 1891)
- 1971 - Harry Rice, outfielder (b. 1901)
- 1971 - Luis Aparicio Sr., winter league infielder (b. 1912)
- 1974 - Jimmy Smith, infielder (b. 1895)
- 1976 - Frank Parenti, minor league player and manager (b. 1898)
- 1977 - Danny Frisella, pitcher (b. 1946)
- 1983 - Ángel Castro, minor league infielder; Salon de la Fama (b. 1917)
- 1986 - Bill Hall, catcher (b. 1928)
- 1987 - Ernie Maun, pitcher (b. 1901)
- 1990 - Carmen Hill, pitcher (b. 1895)
- 1992 - Jean Lovell, AAGPBL catcher and pitcher (b. 1926)
- 1992 - Buck Stanton, outfielder (b. 1906)
- 1999 - Len Dondero, infielder (b. 1903)
- 2000 - Andy Spognardi, infielder (b. 1908)
- 2004 - John Stoneham, outfielder (b. 1908)
- 2006 - Paul Lindblad, pitcher (b. 1941)
- 2007 - Ernie Koy, outfielder (b. 1909)
- 2008 - Chuck Daniel, pitcher (b. 1933)
