December 11 in Tigers and mlb history:
1884: The American Association votes to keep its ban on overhand pitching and to continue to allow fouls caught on one bounce to count as outs. It does abolish the tradition of team captains flipping for the honor of batting first. Now the home team will automatically bat first.
1900: A rumor that the Players Protective Association leaders have gone to Philadelphia to meet with Ban Johnson causes National League owners to "have something closely resembling a fit," says the New York Times. Players later admit the meeting took place.
1912: The Cincinnati Reds purchased Red Corriden from the Detroit Tigers for $7,500.
1917: The Phils sell star pitcher Grover Alexander, twice a 30-game winner, and his personal catcher "Reindeer" Bill Killefer to the Cubs for righthander "Iron" Mike Prendergast, C Pickles Dillhoefer, and $55,000. Phils owner William Baker later admits he made the trade because, "I needed the money." The 5th-place Cubs expect the addition of Alexander to greatly strengthen their staff, but Alex will be drafted in the Army.
1924: Eddie Collins signs as player-manager of the White Sox.
1927: The Browns sell George Sisler to Washington for $25,000.
1928: At the National League meeting, President John Heydler proposes the designated hitter for pitchers to improve and speed up the game. He contends fans are tired of seeing weak-hitting pitchers come to bat. Heydler refers to his idea as "the tenth regular."
1928: Toledo (American Association) purchased Johnny Neun from the Detroit Tigers.
1928: The Detroit Tigers traded Ken Holloway and Jackie Tavener to the Cleveland Indians for George Uhle.
1929: The Cards send Grover Alexander, 42, back to the Phillies with C Harry McCurdy for OF Homer Peel and P Bob McGraw.
1930: The BBWAA votes to continue the custom of selecting an MVP for each league. Beginning in 1931 the annual vote of the BBWAA will designate a player for this honor in each league. Previous MVP winners will be able to repeat under the new rules, something that was prohibited by the American League in the 1920s.
1934: The National League votes to permit night baseball, authorizing a maximum of seven games by any team installing lights. The American League will not grant permission for night games until 1937.
1934: The 1935 All-Star Game is assigned to Cleveland. Frank Frisch and Mickey Cochrane, rival managers in the St. Louis-Detroit World Series, will manage their respective league's teams.
1940: The Major Leagues extend commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis to another 4-year term. They also vote to limit night games to seven per team.
1941: The Giants acquire Johnny Mize from the Cardinals for three players - Bill Lohrman, Ken O'Dea and Johnny McCarthy - and $50,000. Because of injuries, Mize's home run production fell from 43 to 16 in 1941, but "The Big Cat" will bounce back to lead the National League in 1947 and 1948.
1947: Branch Rickey announces that the Dodgers have signed an agreement with Bud Holman and the city of Vero Beach to rent 104 acres of a former pre-war municipal airport. They will pay $1 a year and take over the maintenance. In 1952 the Dodgers will sign a new 20-year lease for $1 a year, and on March 11, 1953, a new field will be named Holman Stadium.
1950: At the winter meetings, held in St. Petersburg, FL, Major League owners vote 9-7 against renewing Commissioner Happy Chandler's contract for a new term, starting in 1951. The Cardinals' Fred Saigh led the opposition to Chandler, who had jeopardized the reserve clause and ordered investigations of the alleged gambling activities of several owners.
1951: Joe DiMaggio officially retires as a member of the New York Yankees with 361 home runs and an average of .325 after 13 seasons. His 56-game consecutive-game hitting streak in 1941 will stand as one of the all-time best diamond achievements.
1956: A major league player association is established with Bob Feller as president.
1956: The Major Leagues vote at a joint meeting to reduce player limits to 28 by Opening Day.
1957: The Phillies purchase veteran OF Dave Philley from Detroit.
1957: U.S. Congressman Emanuel Celler and Senator Kenneth Keating, both of New York, hint that there might be antitrust action against Major League Baseball if it televises games as planned, because it jeopardizes the minor leagues.
1969: A Federal Court in New York City rules against the suit of umpires Bill Valentine and Al Salerno because baseball is exempt from antitrust laws.
1974: Two baseball greats whose careers ended tragically, Roy Campanella and the late Roberto Clemente, each of whom already occupies baseball's Hall of Fame, are named today with twelve others to the Black Athlete's Hall of Fame. The formal induction ceremony will come on March 13th of next year.
1985: The Detroit Tigers traded a player to be named later, Juan Berenguer and Bob Melvin to the San Francisco Giants for Eric King, Dave LaPoint and Matt Nokes. The Detroit Tigers sent Scott Medvin (December 11, 1985) to the San Francisco Giants to complete the trade.
1991: The Detroit Tigers signed William Brennan as a free agent.
1992: In free agent signings today, the Tigers sign P Bill Krueger to a 2-year contract.
1996: The Detroit Tigers traded Brent Stentz (minors) to the Minnesota Twins for Matt Walbeck.
1996: The Detroit Tigers traded Anton French (minors) to the Toronto Blue Jays for Roberto Duran.
1997: The Detroit Tigers signed Frank Castillo as a free agent.
1998: The Detroit Tigers released Trey Beamon.
2000: The Tigers obtain P Chris Holt, OF Roger Cedeno, and C Mitch Meluskey from the Astros for C Brad Ausmus and pitchers Doug Brocail and Nelson Cruz. Houston catchers threw out 22% of base stealers in 2000, while Ausmus gunned down 42%.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ELbrjH8XYAEddcp?format=jpg&name=900x900
2000: The Detroit Tigers drafted Jermaine Clark from the Seattle Mariners in the 2000 rule 5 draft.
2001: Tigers trade Juan Encarnacion and Luis Pineda to the Reds for Dmitri Young.
2003: The Detroit Tigers signed David Cortes as a free agent.
2006: The Detroit Tigers signed Jose Mesa as a free agent.
2013: The Tigers ink OF Rajai Davis, also for two years.
2013: The Detroit Tigers signed Duane Below as a free agent.
2013: At the Winter Meetings, owners vote to ban home plate collisions over concerns about serious injuries recently suffered by catchers such as Buster Posey or Alex Avila. The exact wording of the rule still needs to be worked out, but baserunners will now be called out if they deliberately run into the opposing catcher, and will face a fine or suspension for particularly grievous offenses. catchers will also be banned from blocking access to the plate without the ball.
2014: Alfredo Simon heads to Detroit for Eugenio Suarez and Jonathon Crawford.
2014: The Tigers send P Rick Porcello to Boston for OF Yoenis Cespedes and Pitchers Alex Wilson and Gabe Speier.
2015: The Detroit Tigers signed Drake Britton as a free agent.
2015: The Detroit Tigers signed Lendy Castillo as a free agent.
2015: The Detroit Tigers signed Thad Weber as a free agent.
Tigers players birthdays:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Erwin_Renfer
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/renfeer01.shtml
Erwin Renfer 1913.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Slick_Coffman
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/coffmsl01.shtml
Slick Coffman 1937-1939.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sykesbo01.shtml
Bob Sykes 1977-1978.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Mike_Henneman
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hennemi01.shtml
Mike Henneman 1987-1995.
Tigers players who passed away:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lepcite01.shtml
Ted Lepcio 1959.
Baseball Reference
