December 12 in Tigers and mlb history:
1887 - A baseball reporters association is organized. It pledges to work to standardize scoring practices, especially in the gray area of stolen bases.
1900 - The National League considers going back to 12 teams to counter American League moves into some cities. Club owners invite Ban Johnson to come to the NL meeting, but change their mind about compromise and leave the AL head outside the meeting room. The NL awards the AL's Minnesota and Kansas City territories to the new Western League, even before the AL officially abandons them. The NL agrees to hear the players in a public meeting, but rejects all their demands.
1906 - The American League gives Ban Johnson a raise to $15,000 for the remaining four years of his contract.
1911 - A rift between the leagues develops over widespread charges of ticket speculation during the World Series, and accusations that officials of the Giants and A's were involved. The American League passes a resolution refusing to participate in another World Series until it has control of ticket sales in its own parks. The National Commission investigates the charge that speculators were given large blocks of tickets, but takes no action and releases no findings. The following spring, the Commission finds that much scalping occurred, but there is no evidence either team was involved, and peace is declared.
1930 - The Rules Committee of baseball issues a greatly revised code, reducing the number of rules by combining many. Not only is the sacrifice rule abolished but also the rule awarding a home runs when the ball bounces into the stands. "Bounce homers" will now be doubles. This had already been in effect in the American League but not the National League.
1938 - The Tigers purchased contract of PCL pitching sensation Fred Hutchinson from Seattle for cash and four players.
1944 - The Tigers swap infielder Joe Orengo to the Red Sox for Skeeter Webb, son-in-law of Detroit manager Steve O'Neill. O'Neill denies any knowledge of trade talks, saying "I read about it in the morning paper."
1949 - By a 7-1 vote, the American League rejects a proposal to bring back the legal spitball. The rules committee also alters the strike zone to the space between the armpits and the top of the knees. The new rule eliminates the batter's shoulders being within the strike zone.
1950 - The owners vote to drop the bonus and high school rule which was designed to prevent the wealthier clubs from buying up all of the available talent. The rule required that all "bonus players" had to stay on the major league roster after one season in the minors.
1975: The Tigers trade pitcher Mickey Lolich and outfielder Billy Baldwin to the Mets in exchange for outfielder Rusty Staub and pitcher Bill Laxton.
2013: The Tigers sign P Joba Chamberlain to a one-year deal.
Tigers players birthdays:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hennele01.shtml
Les Hennessy 1913.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Flea_Clifton
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cliftfl01.shtml?redir
Flea Clifton 1934-1937.
from baseball reference
