March 21 in Tigers and mlb history:
1896 - Bill McGowan is born in Wilmington, Delaware. McGowan will introduce a colorful umpiring style with authority and enthusiasm over 30 American League seasons, not missing an inning for 16 years during 2,541 consecutive games. He will be elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee in 1992.
1903 - Sporting Life, the U.S.'s oldest baseball publication, begins its 21st year. It will close during World War I.
1908 - Ty Cobb signs with the Detroit Tigers for $4,000 plus an $800 bonus if he hits over .300. He will collect the bonus with a league-leading .324 average, becoming one of only three American League regulars to top .300 this year.
1957 - Television Age reports that Major League Baseball will get $9.3 million for TV-Radio rights this year.
1959 The Indians trade Hall of Famer Larry Doby to the Tigers for Tito Francona.
1962 - The Philadelphia Phillies retire Robin Roberts' uniform number 36.
The Phillies sold Roberts to the Baltimore Orioles after the 1961 season. Roberts spent 14 seasons with the Phillies, winning 20 or more games from 1952 to 1955.
1974 Philadelphia purchases Ed Farmer from the Tigers.
1977 - Detroit Tigers pitching sensation Mark Fidrych tears cartilage in his left knee. The injury will require surgery, which will effectively end his promising career. Fidrych, who was elected the 1976 American League Rookie of the Year, gained national attention for his strange gyrations and mannerisms on the mound, which earned him the nickname "The Bird".
1997: The pitching-poor Detroit Tigers release pitcher Jason Grimsley, who posted a 5-7 record with a 6.84 ERA with the California Angels last season, but was 0-3 this spring training.
2011: The perjury trial of Barry Bonds, officially named "USA vs. Bonds", begins in San Francisco, CA with jury selection. The past few weeks have been spent arguing over what evidence would be admissible as the prosecution seeks to demonstrate that Bonds lied to a grand jury in 2003 during the BALCO investigation when he stated that he had never knowingly used steroids. Bonds also faces a charge of obstruction of justice.
Tigers players birthdays:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sigaffr01.shtml
Frank Sigafoos 1929.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/samuejo01.shtml
Joe Samuels 1930.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Boyd_Perry
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/perrybo01.shtml
Boyd Perry 1941.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Owen_Friend
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/frienow01.shtml
Owen Friend 1953.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Fernando_Arroyo
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/arroyfe01.shtml
Fernando Arroyo 1975, 1977-1979.
Tigers players who passed away:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Pinky_Higgins
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/higgipi01.shtml
Mike 'Pinky' Higgins 1939-1944, 1946.
from Baseball Reference
