November 29 in Tigers and mlb history:
1910: The Havana Reds beat the Detroit Tigers, 3 - 0, behind Chiche Gonzalez's 5-hitter. Ty Cobb goes 0 for 3 and is caught stealing by Bruce Petway. The story is later blown out of proportion to claim Cobb was caught 3 times, when in fact this is the only recorded steal attempt he had in five games in Cuba that winter.
1916: In Kansas City, MO, Walter Johnson and Grover Cleveland Alexander face each other for the first time. The exhibition game between the two stars features Zach Wheat, Casey Stengel, Max Carey, Hal Chase and others. The "Johnsons" prevail over the "Alexanders", 3 - 2.
1926: Tris Speaker resigns as Indians manager. Stories of a thrown game and betting on games by Ty Cobb and Speaker gain momentum when Judge Landis holds a secret hearing with the two stars and former P-OF Joe Wood. The story and testimony will not be released until December 21.
Former Tiger P Dutch Leonard wrote to Harry Heilmann that he had turned over letters written to him by Wood and Cobb to American League president Ban Johnson, implicating the two in betting on a Tiger-Cleveland game played in Detroit, MI, on September 25, 1919. He charged that Cobb and Speaker conspired to let Detroit win to help them gain 3rd-place money.
At a secret meeting of AL directors, it was decided to let Cobb and Speaker resign with no publicity. But, as rumors spread, Judge Landis takes charge of the matter and holds the hearings, at which Leonard refuses to appear. Cobb and Wood admit to the letters, but say it was a horse racing bet, and contend Leonard is angry for having been released to the Pacific Coast League by Cobb. Speaker, not named in the letters, denies everything.
Public sympathy is with the stars, but the matter will remain unresolved until January of next year.
1939: Judge Landis fines Brooklyn, Detroit, and the St. Louis farm club, Columbus, for manipulating player contracts. He frees seven farmhands.
1962: After 61 years, the American Association (AAA) folds, with some of the franchises being absorbed by the International League and the Pacific Coast League. The PCL adds the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, Denver, CO and Oklahoma City, OK clubs and drops the Vancouver, BC club. The International League adds the Indianapolis, IN and Little Rock, AR clubs. As a result, both leagues became ten-club leagues. The American Association will re-form after expansion in 1969.
1962: Major league officials and player representatives agree to return to a single All-Star Game in 1963. The players' pension fund will receive 95 percent of the one game's proceeds (rather than 60 percent of two games).
1965: The Philadelphia Phillies drafted Bruce Brubaker from the Detroit Tigers in the 1965 rule 5 draft.
1965: The Detroit Tigers drafted Orlando McFarlane from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1965 rule 5 draft.
1966: The Detroit Tigers drafted Fred Lasher from the Minnesota Twins in the 1966 minor league draft.
1967: The Detroit Tigers traded Chris Cannizzaro to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Mike Derrick.
1971: In three blockbuster deals, the Cubs trade P Ken Holtzman to the A's for OF Rick Monday; the Giants trade P Gaylord Perry and SS Frank Duffy to the Indians for P Sam McDowell;
and the Reds trade 1B Lee May, 2B Tommy Helms, and OF Jimmy Stewart to the Astros for 2B Joe Morgan, OF Cesar Geronimo, and P Jack Billingham.
This last trade, criticized in the Cincinnati press, is one of the best in Reds history, and puts the wheels on the Big Red Machine, as future Hall of Fame member Morgan will win two MVP Awards with the team.
1975: Two Orioles standouts, with a combined total of 24 Gold Glove Awards, are each honored for the last time. Brooks Robinson and Paul Blair are the two making swan songs on The Sporting News fielding team.
1976: The Yankees sign free agent Reggie Jackson to five-year, $3.5 million dollar contract. During "Mr. October"'s tenure, the Bronx Bombers will win four division titles, three pennants and two World Series.
1979: Commissioner Bowie Kuhn lets Billy Martin off with a warning, following the October 23rd barroom altercation with a marshmallow salesman.
1994: The Detroit Tigers signed Rob Lukachyk as a free agent.
1999: The Detroit Tigers signed Mike Oquist as a free agent.
2000: The Detroit Tigers signed Tommy Phelps as a free agent.
2002: The Detroit Tigers signed Ernie Young as a free agent.
2010: The Detroit Tigers signed Scott Thorman as a free agent.
2014: The Detroit Tigers signed Rafael Dolis as a free agent.
2015: The Tigers sign free agent pitcher Jordan Zimmermann to a five-year contract worth $110 million.
Tigers players, coaches, and announcers birthdays:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/orengjo01.shtml
Joe Orengo 1944.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/George_Thomas
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/thomage01.shtml
George Thomas 1957-1958, 1961, 1963-1965.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Dick_McAuliffe
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcauldi01.shtml
http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/d1a98d71
Dick McAuliffe 1960-1973.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Bill_Freehan
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/freehbi01.shtml
http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/b315d9b7
Bill Freehan 1961, 1963-1976, announcer 1984-1985, coach 2002-2005.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Howard_Johnson
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnsho01.shtml
Howard Johnson 1982-1984.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rodrist01.shtml
Steve Rodriguez 1995.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hamelbo01.shtml
Bob Hamelin 1997.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/giarrto01.shtml
Tony Giarratano 2005.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/beltrfr01.shtml
Francis Beltran 2008.
Tigers players and coaches who passed away:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kressre01.shtml
Red Kress 1939-1940, coach 1940.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/staintu01.shtml
Tuck Stainback 1940-1941.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Al_Cicotte
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cicotal01.shtml
Al Cicotte 1958.
from Baseball Reference
