February 28 in Tigers and mlb history:
1931 - Ban Johnson dies in St. Louis, at age 57. Johnson had served as the founder and first president of the American League from 1901 to 1927. He was a dynamic and dictatorial leader until subdued by the advent of Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who took office as the first Baseball commissioner in January 1921. Johnson will gain election to the Hall of Fame in 1937.
1986 - In Major League Baseball's sternest disciplinary move since the 1919 Black Sox were banished for life, Commissioner Peter Ueberroth gives seven players who were admitted drug users a choice of a year's suspension without pay or heavy fines and career-long drug testing, along with 100 hours of drug-related community service. Joaquin And?jar, Dale Berra, Enos Cabell, Keith Hernandez, Jeffrey Leonard, Dave Parker, and Lonnie Smith will be fined 10 percent of their annual salaries to drug abuse programs. The commissioner also doles out lesser penalties to 14 other players for their use of drugs.
1989 - The Veterans Committee elects Red Schoendienst and Al Barlick to the Hall of Fame. Schoendienst served as a second baseman and manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, and Barlick was a major league umpire for over 29 seasons.
2000 - American League umpire John Hirschbeck is elected as the first president of the World Umpires Association, which was recognized by the National Labor Relations Board a few days ago.
2002 - Major League Baseball announces it has rehired five umpires who had resigned during the 1999 season as part of the ill-fated strategy concocted by Richie Phillips and the Major League Umpires Association. They are Gary Darling, Bill Hohn, Larry Poncino, Larry Vanover and Joe West. Four other umpires, Drew Coble, Greg Kosc, Terry Tata, and Frank Pulli, are allowed to retire.
2011: Miguel Cabrera makes his first appearance since his drunk driving arrest and goes 0 for 2 with a walk in a Tigers victory.
Tigers players birthdays:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Lil_Stoner
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stoneli01.shtml?redir
Lil Stoner 1922, 1924-1929.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/samforo01.shtml
Ron Samford 1955, 1957.
Tigers players who passed away:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Dizzy_Trout
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/troutdi01.shtml?redir
Dizzy Trout 1939-1952.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Harvey_Kuenn
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kuennha01.shtml?redir
Harvey Kuenn 1952-1959.
from Baseball Reference
