April 22 in Tigers and mlb history:
1906: A new baseball rule puts the umpire in sole charge of all game balls. The home team manager previously had some say as to when a new ball was introduced.
1914: At age 19, Babe Ruth plays his first professional game as a pitcher, as he throws a six-hit, 6 - 0 shutout for the Baltimore Orioles over the Buffalo Bisons. The second batter Ruth faces is Joe McCarthy, the manager he will play for 17 years later with the Yankees. Ruth is 2 for 4 at the plate in addition to his great pitching.
1915: Pinstripes first appear on New York Yankees uniforms.
1916: Philadelphia Athletics pitcher Jack Nabors tops the Boston Red Sox, 6 - 2. His only victory of the season evens his record at 1-1. Nabors will follow with 19 straight losses to set a major-league record.
1937: Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson are among 18 black players who jump to the Dominican Republic league. Negro League owners regard this as desertion and plan to ban the players from the league. In May, Paige will be banned for life.
1957: John Kennedy becomes the first black to play for the Philadelphia Phillies, making them the last National League team to integrate. Kennedy pinch runs for Solly Hemus in the 5 - 1 loss to the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. He will play only briefly in five games, two at third base, and will go hitless.
1960: A record opening day crowd of 53,563 at Briggs Stadium sees the Detroit Tigers chalk up their third straight win, 6 - 5, against the Chicago White Sox. Recently-acquired Rocky Colavito blasts a home run in his first at-bat with Detroit, and Eddie Yost adds a home run in the 5th inning.
1968: The Detroit Tigers signed Dick Radatz as a free agent.
1976: The Cincinnati Reds purchased John Knox from the Detroit Tigers.
2004: Andres Torres of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
2009: The Milwaukee Brewers sent Jason Tyner to the Detroit Tigers as part of a conditional deal.
2012: The Rangers edge the Tigers, 3 - 2, on a controversial squeeze bunt in the 11th inning. The bases are loaded with no one out when Alberto Gonzalez squares up and lays the ball down right in front of him; it bounces and glances off his right knee, but the umpires miss it and the play is allowed to stand in spite of Detroit manager Jim Leyland's protests. After the game, home plate umpire Tim Welke will admit he missed the call and should have declared the play a foul ball. Thad Weber is charged with the loss in his major league debut as a result.
Tigers players and coaches birthdays:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Terry_Francona
Terry Francona coach 1996.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/purceda01.shtml
David Purcey 2011.
Tigers players who passed away:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Mark_Koenig
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/koenima01.shtml
Mark Koenig 1930-1931.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Ron_Cash
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cashro01.shtml
Ron Cash 1973-1974.
from Baseball Reference
