February 27 in Tigers and mlb history:
1901: The National League Rules Committee decrees that all foul balls are to count as strikes, except after two strikes. To cut the cost of lost foul balls, the committee urges that batsmen who foul off good strikes are to be disciplined. The American League will not adopt this rule for several years.
Other new rules: catchers must play within 10 feet of the batter; a ball will be called if the pitcher does not throw to a ready and waiting batter within 20 seconds, and players using indecent or improper language will be banished by the umpire. A ball will be called when a batter is hit by a pitch, but, in a mail vote, the owners will rescind this in April, and a HBP will earn a batter first base.
1908: The sacrifice fly rule is adopted. No time at bat is charged if a run scores after the catch of a fly ball. The rule will be repealed in 1931, then reinstated (or changed) several times before gaining permanent acceptance in 1954.
1908: In Fullerton, California, Washington Senators pitcher Walter Johnson is operated on for an infection of the mastoid area behind the right ear. The doctors remove a section of the bone, and the recuperation will keep Johnson sidelined until late May.
1909: The New York Giants release pitcher "Iron Man" Joe McGinnity, despite his 11-7 record in 1908. The move ends his 10-year major league career. McGinnity finishes with a 246-142 record and 2.66 ERA. In 1946, McGinnity will win election to the Hall of Fame.
1931: Finally cut loose by the New York Giants, for whom he refused to play in 1930 in a season-long holdout over salary terms, two-time National League batting champ Edd Roush returns to the Cincinnati Reds.
1935: Babe Ruth signs a contract with the Boston Braves. Released by the New York Yankees only one day earlier, Ruth will serve the Braves as a player, coach, and team vice-president.
1937: The Negro American League announces the schedule for its inaugural season.
1948: Newly elected to the Hall of Fame are Herb Pennock and Pie Traynor. Needing 91 votes for selection, Pennock, who died a month before, gets 94 votes, Traynor 93. Just missing are Al Simmons, Charlie Gehringer and Bill Terry.
1962: An architect offers a proposal to encase Candlestick Park in a plastic screen "saran cloth" to shield it from the wind.
1973: Chicago White Sox first baseman Dick Allen signs a three-year deal worth $250,000 per season, the richest contract in major league history. Allen won the American League MVP Award in 1972 after leading the league in home runs, runs batted in, and slugging percentage.
1988: The Baltimore Orioles trade third baseman Ray Knight to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for pitcher Mark Thurmond.
1990: The Special Veterans Committee fails to elect a single player to the Hall of Fame for the second time in three years.
2002: The sale of the Boston Red Sox to a group headed by John Henry becomes official.
2003: The new Hall of Fame Veterans selection committee, made up of mostly Hall of Famers, fails to select any of the 41 players, executives and umpires being considered. Former Dodgers first baseman Gil Hodges is 11 votes shy of the 75 percent needed for induction receiving 50 votes of 81 cast (61.7%).
2011: The "Duke of Flatbush", Hall of Famer Duke Snider dies in Escondido, CA at age 84. Snider was a power-hitting centerfielder for the great Brooklyn Dodgers teams of the 1950s and is immortalized in Terry Cashman's song "Willie, Mickey and the Duke". Snider led the N.L. in various offensive categories through out his career in runs, hits, home runs which included 5 straight seasons of 40 or more Home runs, RBI, Slugging%, OPS, OPS+, and Total Bases.
2018: The MLBPA files a grievance against four teams - the Marlins, Rays, Pirates and A's - accusing them of not investing the money they are obtaining through revenue sharing in the on-field product, as is specified in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. This action is the latest salvo in a war of words between players and ownership that was started by the slow free agent market, resulting in over 100 players still being unsigned when spring training opened two weeks ago.
2020: Major League Baseball announced that veteran umpire Kerwin Danley has been appointed a crew chief, becoming the first African-American to hold such a position.
Tigers players, coaches, and executives birthdays:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Walter_Briggs
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C4omoYVXUAErYX5.jpg
Walter Briggs co-owner and owner 1920-1952.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/perkicy01.shtml
Cy Perkins 1934.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Johnny_Pesky
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/peskyjo01.shtml
Johnny Pesky 1952-1954.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/John_Wockenfuss
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wockejo01.shtml
John Wockenfuss 1974-1983.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cadargr01.shtml
Greg Cadaret 1994.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Matt_Stairs
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stairma01.shtml
Matt Stairs 2006.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/monrocr01.shtml
Craig Monroe 2002-2007.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Anibal_Sánchez
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sanchan01.shtml
Anibal Sanchez 2012-2017.
Baseball Reference
