February 7 in Tigers and mlb history:
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 Mountain Landis. No appellate decision is written and it will not be until 1922 when the courts rule on antitrust, in another suit stemming from the Federal League.
1949: New York Yankees superstar Joe DiMaggio signs a one-year contract worth $100,000, becoming the first player to earn a six-figure deal in major league history. In 1948, DiMaggio batted .320, while leading the American League in home runs and RBI.
1958: The Dodgers officially become the "Los Angeles Dodgers, Inc." in anticipation of playing their first season on the West Coast.
1959: Nap Lajoie dies of pneumonia at the age of 84. Lajoie, who also managed the Cleveland Naps from 1905 to 1909, hit for a .338 batting average over a 21-year career and gained election to the Hall of Fame in 1937.
1986: The Detroit Tigers signed Jack Lazorko as a free agent.
1987: For only the second time in major league history, a player is forced to take a pay cut due to salary arbitration, when Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser signs for $800,000, which is a twenty percent reduction from his 1986 salary. Hershiser was 14-14 with a 3.85 ERA in 1986.
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 the Class-AA Birmingham Barons. After one season in the minors, Jordan will return to the NBA.
1994: The Detroit Tigers sign free agent pitcher Tim Belcher.
1996: Dave Winfield announces his retirement at the age of 44. Winfield compiled 3,110 hits, 465 home runs and 1,833 RBI during a 22-year career with six teams.
2005: The Detroit Tigers sign All-Star right fielder Magglio Ord??ez for five years for a reported $75 million. The contract for the free agent slugger, recovering from knee surgery, includes options which could extend his stay in Detroit for an additional two years making the deal worth nearly $100 million.
2005: The Detroit Tigers released Dewayne Wise.
2007: The Detroit Tigers traded Jeff Frazier to the Seattle Mariners for Yorman Bazardo.
2008: The fallout from the Mitchell Report continues when Brian McNamee gives a seven-hour deposition to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Meanwhile, Roger Clemens lobbies congressmen and continues to claim McNamee lied about Clemens' use of steroids.
2014: In a major reversal, Alex Rodriguez decides to drop his lawsuit against Major League Baseball and the Players Association. He will serve his one-year suspension for his role in the Biogenesis scandal and will attempt to come back in 2015. He will also not attend the Yankees spring training opening shortly, where his presence would have been a major distraction.
Tigers players birthdays:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Earl_Whitehill
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/whiteea01.shtml
Earl Whitehill 1923-1932.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/borkoda01.shtml
Dave Borkowski 1999-2001.
Tigers players who passed away:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/walkuji02.shtml
Jim Walkup 1939.
from Baseball Reference
