December 8 in Tigers and mlb history:
1880: At the annual National League meeting, the league rejects the Washington Nationals' bid for admission, electing Detroit instead, although there is no established club there. The Michigan city is chosen for geographic reasons, since its 1880 population (116,340) is smaller than both Washington's (147,293) and Cincinnati's (255,139), the city being replaced.
1881: The National League adopts a few new playing rules: the 3-foot corridor along the first base line is adopted for the first time; runners can no longer be put out returning to their bases after a foul ball not caught; the fine for pitchers hitting batters with pitches is repealed; the "block ball" rule allowing runners to take as many bases as possible on balls going into the crowd, the fielding team being able to put them out only after returning the ball to the pitcher in his box, is also repealed.
1908: The Philadelphia Athletics purchased Ira Thomas from the Detroit Tigers.
1914: The National League votes to hold the 1915 player limit to 21 per team. They also create the disabled list (DL) which allows a player to be kept out of play for 10 days and another player substituted for him.
1916: The National Commission fines 51 players $25 to $100 for performing in post-season exhibitions. Among the guilty: Babe Ruth, Jack Barry, Duffy Lewis, 10 other Red Sox players, and Ty Cobb.
1939: At the December meeting of both leagues in Cincinnati, Judge Landis votes against all amendments favorable to farm systems. The Rules committee, with an eye towards raising declining batting averages, votes to restore the sacrifice fly for 1940. Seven American League owners push through a new rule barring the American League champion from making any trades within the league. Clearly aimed at the Yankees, winners of the last four World Series, the National League owners decline to vote it for their league.
1941: Yesterday's bombing of Pearl Harbor and America's sudden involvement in the war, changes the owners' plan at the American League meeting of shifting the Browns from St. Louis to Los Angeles.
1951: The American League alters its restrictions on night games, adopting the National League's suspended game rule and lifting its ban on lights for Sunday games.
1957: Lions beat the Browns 20-7 at Briggs (Tiger) Stadium. They lose Bobby Layne for the season but will still go on beat the Browns again to win the NFL championship.
"Jim Brown tries to hurdle the Detroit line to make a first down on the Lions' four-yard line in the fourth quarter, but is stopped by Lion linebacker Joe Schmidt (#56). Brown's attempt failed and Detroit took possession of the ball."
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ELWyfNAWwAAD4ml?format=jpg&name=900x900
1959: American League President Joe Cronin reports that expansion plans are indefinite. Branch Rickey scores him for his indecisiveness.
1962: Former major leaguers Frank Crosetti and Johnny Schulte bring suit to prevent any increase in pension benefits which fails to include players from different eras.
1966: Five years after he broke Babe Ruth's record for homers in a season, the Yankees trade OF Roger Maris to the Cardinals for journeyman 3B Charley Smith.
1975: The Detroit Tigers drafted Bruce Taylor from the Cincinnati Reds in the 1975 rule 5 draft.
1980: The Detroit Tigers drafted Larry Rothschild from the Cincinnati Reds in the 1980 rule 5 draft.
1983: The Minnesota Twins traded Rusty Kuntz to the Detroit Tigers for Larry Pashnick.
1983: Dr. Bobby Brown, who played 3B for the Yankees before embarking on a successful medical career, is elected president of the American League by the club owners.
1986: The Detroit Tigers signed Larry Herndon as a free agent.
1987: The Detroit Tigers signed Dave Beard as a free agent.
1989: The Detroit Tigers released Rick Schu.
1992: Jamie Moyer of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
1995: The Detroit Tigers signed A.J. Sager as a free agent.
1997: The Detroit Tigers signed Denny Harriger as a free agent.
1997: The Detroit Tigers signed Pedro Swann as a free agent.
2003: The Cleveland Indians selected Cliff Bartosh off waivers from the Detroit Tigers.
2005: The Detroit Tigers drafted Eddie Bonine from the San Diego Padres in the 2005 rule 5 draft.
2005: The Detroit Tigers drafted Chris Booker from the Washington Nationals in the 2005 rule 5 draft.
2005: The Philadelphia Phillies purchased Chris Booker from the Detroit Tigers.
2008: The Detroit Tigers try to shore up a gap at catcher by acquiring Gerald Laird from the Texas Rangers. They give up two pitching prospects, Guillermo Moscoso and Carlos Melo.
2008: Joe Gordon becomes the first player elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee since it was reconstituted. It had been 7 years since Bill Mazeroski had been the most recent pick by the Committee. The new Committee had been criticized for not enshrining anyone in their first elections.
2008: Greg Maddux announces his retirement. The four-time Cy Young Award winner set all-time records for putouts by a pitcher (546), double plays (98) and seasons with 15+ wins (18). He finishes with a record of 355-227 with a 3.16 ERA (132 ERA+) and ranks in the top 10 all time in wins (8th) and starts (740, 4th).
2009: As part of a 3-team trade: The Detroit Tigers sent Curtis Granderson to the New York Yankees. The Detroit Tigers sent Edwin Jackson to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The New York Yankees sent Phil Coke and Austin Jackson to the Detroit Tigers. The New York Yankees sent Ian Kennedy to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Arizona Diamondbacks sent Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth to the Detroit Tigers.
2011: Also signing today is reliever Octavio Dotel, who agrees to terms with Detroit, his 13th major league team.
2013: Magglio Ord??ez elected mayor of Sotillo, Venezuela.
2014: The Veterans Committee fails to elect anyone to the Hall of Fame from the "Golden Era" of 1947-1972, although three candidates come very close: with 12 of 16 votes needed, Tony Oliva and Dick Allen miss election by one vote, and Jim Kaat falls two votes shy.
2015: The Detroit Tigers signed Rafael Dolis as a free agent.
2015: The Detroit Tigers signed Preston Guilmet as a free agent.
2015: The Detroit Tigers signed Mark Lowe as a free agent.
2016: The Los Angeles Dodgers drafted Edward Paredes from the Detroit Tigers in the 2016 rule 5 draft.
2016: The Detroit Tigers drafted Daniel Stumpf from the Kansas City Royals in the 2016 rule 5 draft.
2017: Mike Fiers, who pitched the most innings this season for the World Series champion Houston Astros but was left off their postseason roster, signs a one-year free agent deal with the Tigers worth $6 million.
2019: The Veterans Committee elects C Ted Simmons and Players' Union leader Marvin Miller to the Hall of Fame for induction in July, 2020. Miller had been passed over for election a number of times, and had asked that his name no longer be considered by the Committee before passing away in 2012, but his wishes were ignored.
Tigers players and coaches birthdays:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Jack_Rowe
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/roweja01.shtml
Jack Rowe Detroit Wolverines 1886-1888.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/ledbera01.shtml
Razor Ledbetter 1915.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Ed_Brinkman
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brinked01.shtml
Ed Brinkman 1971-1974, coach 1979.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Robbie_Weinhardt
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/weinhro01.shtml
Robbie Weinhardt 2010-2011.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcallza01.shtml
Zach McAllister 2018.
Tigers players and managers who passed away:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Bobby_Lowe
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lowebo01.shtml
Bobby Lowe 1904-1907, manager 1904.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/loudeba01.shtml
Baldy Louden 1912-1913.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/couchjo01.shtml
Johnny Couch 1917.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/madisda01.shtml
Dave Madison 1952-1953.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hicksbu01.shtml
Buddy Hicks 1956.
Baseball Reference
