December 15 in Tigers and mlb history:
1883: In Louisville a "first-class colored team" is formed. The team, later known as the Falls Cities, becomes one of the nation's best black teams. It will join the National Colored Base Ball League (NCBBL) in 1887, but will apparently disband shortly after the collapse of the NCBBL in the first week of its season.
1886: The American Association meets and ratifies the new rules. It also approves the new clause that allows a club to reserve a player for as long as it wants, not just for next year's contract.
1896: The first pitching machine, created by Princeton professor Charles E. Hinton, is demonstrated in the university's gymnasium. The mathematics instructor's device resembles a rifle which shoots the ball toward the batter.
1900: Amos Rusie, out for the past two years with arm problems, is traded to the Reds by the Giants for young Christy Mathewson. Though only 30, Rusie, a future Hall of Fame pitcher, will not have the ability that brought him eight straight 20-game seasons, and he will not add to the 245 wins he collected in nine seasons. Appearing in just three games next season, he will finish with an 0-1 record.
Mathewson, 0-3 with the Giants but 20-2 with Norfolk (Virginia League), is much coveted by Cincinnati owner John T. Brush, who is currently negotiating to buy control of the Giants from the unscrupulous Andrew Freedman. Before he takes over, Brush wants Mathewson in place as a Giants starter, rather than the "pitched out" Rusie.
1905: After losing a record 29 games this year, veteran righthander Vic Willis is traded by 7th-place Boston to Pittsburgh for three players: Del Howard, infielder Dave Brain, and Vive Lindaman. Willis will rebound with four straight 20-win seasons.
1920: The Yankees' Ed Barrow pries future Hall of Fame P Waite Hoyt, C Wally Schang, lefty Harry Harper, and IF Mike McNally from his former Boston team in exchange for 2B Del Pratt, C Muddy Ruel, P Hank Thormahlen, OF Sammy Vick, and cash.
1920: The National League reveals a most telling statistic, pointing out the changes in the game: the use of 27,924 baseballs during the season, an increase of 10,248 over 1919.
1923: Al Szymanski, 21, who signed with his hometown Milwaukee club in the spring and was farmed out to Shreveport, is traded. Connie Mack secured the rights to his contract while he was at Shreveport; at the end of the season he reported to Milwaukee and hit .398 in 24 games. Scorekeepers change his name to Al Simmons.
1927: In a joint meeting, the major leagues turn over $5,000 to the Association of Professional Ball Players to aid ill or disabled former players.
1932: A joint meeting of American League and National League owners approves the concept of "chain store" baseball, developed as the St. Louis Cardinals farm system, despite strenuous objections by Judge Landis.
1933: The major leagues agree on a uniform ball to be livelier than the National League ball of recent seasons, to match the American League balls.
Owners also agree to ban Sunday doubleheaders until after June 15th.
1938: The Detroit Tigers traded Elden Auker, Chet Morgan and Jake Wade to the Boston Red Sox for Pinky Higgins and Archie McKain.
1945: The Tigers release Tommy Bridges, longtime ace pitcher. Bridges played his entire 16 year career with the Tigers and compiled a 194 - 138 record and was a 3 time 20 game winner from 1934-1936, leading the A.L. in Strikeouts 2 years. Bridges was a 6 time All-Star.
He has one of the greatest full names in baseball history: Thomas Jefferson Davis Bridges.
1949: The St. Louis Browns selected Stubby Overmire off waivers from the Detroit Tigers.
1959: Frank Lane replaces former Tiger Hank Greenberg as Cleveland's general manager. "Trader" Lane will trade Norm Cash the following April to the Tigers for Steve Demeter and Rocky Colavito to the Tigers the following April for Harvey Kuenn.
1960: The biggest trade in history? The Phils lose more than 1 1/2 inches when they acquire P Frank Sullivan from the Red Sox for 6'9" Gene Conley. In the next two years, Conley will win 26 games for the Sox, the third Boston team he will play for: Conley started with the Boston Braves in their last year before moving to Milwaukee, and played several seasons with the Celtics as Bill Russell's backup.
1964: Tigers owner John Fetzer announces a 2-year television pact between Major League Baseball and ABC-TV. The network pays $12.2 million to telecast games on 25 Saturdays, Independence Day, and Labor Day.
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1965: Detroit trades P Phil Regan to the Dodgers for IF Dick Tracewski. Regan will lead the National League in saves in 1966 while winning 14 of 15 decisions. Tracewski will play for the Tigers for 4 seasons & coach for 24 seasons.
1967: Pittsburgh acquires P Jim Bunning from the Phillies for pitchers Woody Fryman, Bill Laxton, and Harold Clem, and IF Don Money.
1968: The Kansas City Royals purchased Dennis Ribant from the Detroit Tigers.
1969: The National Labor Relations Board accepts the case of fired umpires Bill Valentine and Al Salerno, thereby issuing a challenge to baseball's antitrust status.
1976: Tigers release Bill Freehan after 15 years, prompting his retirement. Freehan would later say he could have played another year or two, but didn't want to start over somewhere else:
1980: Dave Winfield (.276, 20, 87) becomes the highest-paid player in the history of sports. The former Padre signs a ten-year free agent deal with Yankees worth a record $16 million.
1983: Commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspends convicted Kansas City Royals Willie Wilson, Willie Aikens, and Jerry Martin, and Dodgers pitcher Steve Howe for one season without pay for their use of illegal drugs. The suspensions will be shortened by an arbitrator and lifted on May 15th. Former Royal Vida Blue, who was released during the season and is currently out of a job, is also suspended.
1992:The Yankees sign free agent 3B Wade Boggs to a three-year contract.
1994: The owners approve a salary cap plan by a vote of 25-3, but agree to delay implementing it so that another round of talks with the players can be held as the strike remains unresolved.
1995: The Ted Williams Tunnel in Boston is opened as the "Splendid Splinter" leads the way.
1996: The Detroit Tigers signed Ray Holbert as a free agent.
1997: The Detroit Tigers drafted Sean Runyan from the San Diego Padres in the 1997 rule 5 draft.
1998: The Detroit Tigers signed Alejandro Freire as a free agent.
2000: The Tigers acquire P Matt Perisho from the Rangers for pitchers Kevin Mobley and Brandon Villafuerte.
2003: The Detroit Tigers drafted Chris Shelton from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2003 rule 5 draft.
2003: The Detroit Tigers drafted Lino Urdaneta from the Cleveland Indians in the 2003 rule 5 draft.
2005: The Detroit Tigers signed Steve Green as a free agent.
2005: The Detroit Tigers signed Kenny Rogers as a free agent.
2006: The Detroit Tigers signed Lance Davis as a free agent.
2006: The Detroit Tigers signed Jason Karnuth as a free agent.
2006: The Detroit Tigers signed Dane Sardinha as a free agent.
2008: Detroit signs free agent and defensive specialist Adam Everett.
2009: Commissioner Bud Selig announces that he will chair a 14-person committee to analyze ways to improve baseball's on-field product. The group will look at issues such as the pace of the game, umpiring, instant replay and possible rule changes.
2010: Hall of Famer Bob Feller, one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, dies at age 92. "Rapid Robert" made his major league debut at 17 and had the best fastball of his generation. He lost a good part of his prime years while serving with great distinction in the US Navy during World War II and spent his entire career with the Cleveland Indians, for whom he posted 6 20-win seasons and pitched 3 no-hitters and also had 12 one hitters.
2018: The amounts due for luxury tax payments this year are announced, and the World Series champions Red Sox lead the pack, being assessed a penalty of almost $12 million for exceeding payroll limits. The only other team over the threshold are the Nationals, who owe $2.3 million. In addition to the amount of the fine, the Red Sox will see their top pick in the 2019 amateur draft drop by 10 places as a result of the assessment, under a newly-adopted clause.
Tigers players and managers birthdays:
Jay Clarke Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Jay Clarke 1905.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Eddie_Robinson
Eddie Robinson Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Eddie Robinson 1957.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Ray_Herbert
Ray Herbert Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Ray Herbert 1950-1951, 1953-1954.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Jim_Leyland
Jim Leyland Managerial Record | Baseball-Reference.com
Jim Leyland manager 2006-2013, Tigers minor league player 1964-1970, Tigers minor league manager 1971-1981, advisor to ownership 2017-present.
Tigers players and managers who passed away:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Ed_Barrow
Ed Barrow Managerial Record | Baseball-Reference.com
Ed Barrow manager 1903-1904.
Bubba Floyd Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Bubba Floyd 1944.
Baseball Reference
