- Thread Author
- #89,281
January 20 in Tigers and mlb history:
1906: Henry Mathewson, Christy Mathewson's younger brother, signed with the Giants. In his only start he walks 14 batters to establish a National League record.
1912: Walter "Spike" Briggs Jr. born in Detroit. Inherited Tigers ownership from his father in 1952 before selling the team in 1956 to a syndicate led by John Fetzer and Fred Knorr.
1914: Ed Willett jumped from the Detroit Tigers to the St. Louis Terriers.
1930: Commissioner Landis bans boxing for all players following the brief boxing career of Chicago White Sox first baseman Art Shires. His challenge to slugger Hack Wilson purportedly prompts the ban. Shires fought several suspected bouts that resulted in his being suspended by the boxing commissions of 32 states but loses a desultory five-rounder to Chicago Bears center George (The Brute) Trafton. Shires did win a punch-out with Sox manager Lena Blackburne and two hotel detectives late last season.
1931: Joe Sewell, released by the Cleveland Indians after last season, signs with the New York Yankees. The future Hall of Fame shortstop will finish his 14-season career in 1933.
1940: The Detroit Tigers traded Beau Bell to the Cleveland Indians for Bruce Campbell.
1946: In a classic pitching matchup played in the newly-constituted Venezuelan League, Alex Carrasquel of Magallanes beats Roy Welmaker and the Equipo Vargas club, 3 - 2, in 17 innings. In the six-and-a-half-hour marathon, Carrasquel is good enough to silence the bats of Roy Campanella and Sam Jethroe. Both pitchers go the distance in one of the greatest winter league matchups ever.
1947: Former Negro Leagues legend Josh Gibson dies from a brain tumor at the age of 35. Considered by many to be the greatest home run hitter in the history of the Negro Leagues, Gibson will eventually gain election to the Hall of Fame in 1972, when he is selected by the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GESc-ScW8AA1qEd?format=png&name=900x900
1949: The Detroit Tigers purchased Don Lund from the St. Louis Browns for $15,000.
1951: Seattle (PCL) traded Wayne McLeland to the Detroit Tigers for Marv Grissom and Sam Vico.
1961: Byron White, who played for the Lions at Briggs (Tiger) Stadium, begins serving as deputy U.S. attorney general. The following year he will be named to the Supreme Court by President Kennedy.
1965: The Cleveland Indians re-acquire popular slugger Rocky Colavito from the Chicago White Sox in an eight-player, three-way trade involving the Kansas City Athletics.
In the deal, the White Sox send a player to be named later (pitcher Fred Talbot) and outfielders Jim Landis and Mike Hershberger to Kansas City in exchange for Colavito.
Chicago also sends catcher Cam Carreon to the Indians and receives catcher Johnny Romano, outfielder Tommy Agee and pitcher Tommy John from Cleveland.
In 1960, the Indians had traded Colavito to Detroit for Harvey Kuenn, drawing the wrath of Cleveland fans.
1966: The Baseball Writers Association of America elects former Boston Red Sox outfielder Ted Williams to the Hall of Fame. Williams, the last major league batter to hit .400, receives 282 of a possible 302 votes.
He won the Triple Crown twice, the American League MVP Award twice, and produced the highest career on-base percentage of all time (.483) leading the league 6 times in Bases on Balls, even though he lost five years to military service.
Ted won 6 Batting Titles, 9 Slugging Titles, 4 Homerun and 4 RBI Titles, as well as leading the league 6 times in Runs Scored, 6 times in Total Bases, 12 times in OBP, 10 times in OPS, and 9 times in OPS+.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GESfkwsW4AAf6yv?format=jpg&name=medium
1970: Shortstop Lou Boudreau achieves election to the Hall of Fame, receiving 232 of a possible 300 votes from the BBWAA. Boudreau led the American League eight times in fielding percentage, won a batting title, and was named AL Most Valuable Player as player-manager of the 1948 World Champion Cleveland Indians.
1984: The Montreal Expos sign 42-year-old free agent Pete Rose. The veteran first baseman batted only .245 in 1983, the last of his five seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. Rose will play only 95 games for the Expos before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds, where he will become player-manager.
1984: The Chicago White Sox claim 39-year-old pitcher Tom Seaver from the New York Mets as compensation for the loss of free agent pitcher Dennis Lamp to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Mets left Seaver off their protected list assuming (wrongly) that no team would want to select the aging star, who finished 1983 with a 9-14 record and a 3.55 ERA.
But Seaver will improve to 15-11 with the White Sox this season.
1997: The Detroit Tigers signed Mike Rivera as an amateur free agent.
1997: Former All-Star outfielder Curt Flood, who challenged baseball's reserve system all the way to the Supreme Court and made possible today's mega-salaries, dies at age 59.
2000: The 30 major league owners vote to give all their Internet rights to the Commissioner's office. This decision allows for the creation of mlb.com, which will become a model of success for other professional sports leagues. Bud Selig is expected to parcel out monies earned from the venture in equal amounts.
2003: The Detroit Tigers signed Bill Haselman as a free agent.
2004: The Detroit Tigers signed Esteban Yan as a free agent.
2006: Cuba will be allowed to play in the World Baseball Classic after all. President Bush's administration issued a license allowing the Cubans to participate in the 16-team tournament.
2009: The Detroit Tigers signed Juan Rincon as a free agent.
2010: The Detroit Tigers signed Mike Rabelo as a free agent.
2015: The Detroit Tigers signed Josh Prince as a free agent.
2016: The Detroit Tigers signed Argenis Diaz as a free agent.
2016: The Detroit Tigers signed Justin Upton as a free agent.
2017: Miguel Cabrera guest conducts the Detroit Symphony.
2023: The Detroit Tigers signed Chasen Shreve as a free agent.
Tigers players and executives birthdays:
Ernie Courtney Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Ernie Courtney 1903.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Briggs_Jr.
Walter "Spike" Briggs Jr. owner 1952-1956.
Bill James Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Bill James 1915-1919.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Jimmy_Outlaw
Jimmy Outlaw Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Jimmy Outlaw 1943-1949.
Dave Boswell Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Dave Boswell 1971.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Bill_Scherrer
Bill Scherrer Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Bill Scherrer 1984-1986.
Julio Santana Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Julio Santana 2002.
Franklyn Germán Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Franklyn German 2002-2005.
Chris Mears Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Chris Mears 2003.
Tigers players who passed away:
Jimmy Wiggs Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Jimmy Wiggs 1905-1906.
Vern Ruhle Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Vern Ruhle 1974-1977.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Gus_Zernial
Gus Zernial Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Gus Zernial 1958-1959.
Baseball Reference
1906: Henry Mathewson, Christy Mathewson's younger brother, signed with the Giants. In his only start he walks 14 batters to establish a National League record.
1912: Walter "Spike" Briggs Jr. born in Detroit. Inherited Tigers ownership from his father in 1952 before selling the team in 1956 to a syndicate led by John Fetzer and Fred Knorr.
1914: Ed Willett jumped from the Detroit Tigers to the St. Louis Terriers.
1930: Commissioner Landis bans boxing for all players following the brief boxing career of Chicago White Sox first baseman Art Shires. His challenge to slugger Hack Wilson purportedly prompts the ban. Shires fought several suspected bouts that resulted in his being suspended by the boxing commissions of 32 states but loses a desultory five-rounder to Chicago Bears center George (The Brute) Trafton. Shires did win a punch-out with Sox manager Lena Blackburne and two hotel detectives late last season.
1931: Joe Sewell, released by the Cleveland Indians after last season, signs with the New York Yankees. The future Hall of Fame shortstop will finish his 14-season career in 1933.
1940: The Detroit Tigers traded Beau Bell to the Cleveland Indians for Bruce Campbell.
1946: In a classic pitching matchup played in the newly-constituted Venezuelan League, Alex Carrasquel of Magallanes beats Roy Welmaker and the Equipo Vargas club, 3 - 2, in 17 innings. In the six-and-a-half-hour marathon, Carrasquel is good enough to silence the bats of Roy Campanella and Sam Jethroe. Both pitchers go the distance in one of the greatest winter league matchups ever.
1947: Former Negro Leagues legend Josh Gibson dies from a brain tumor at the age of 35. Considered by many to be the greatest home run hitter in the history of the Negro Leagues, Gibson will eventually gain election to the Hall of Fame in 1972, when he is selected by the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GESc-ScW8AA1qEd?format=png&name=900x900
1949: The Detroit Tigers purchased Don Lund from the St. Louis Browns for $15,000.
1951: Seattle (PCL) traded Wayne McLeland to the Detroit Tigers for Marv Grissom and Sam Vico.
1961: Byron White, who played for the Lions at Briggs (Tiger) Stadium, begins serving as deputy U.S. attorney general. The following year he will be named to the Supreme Court by President Kennedy.
1965: The Cleveland Indians re-acquire popular slugger Rocky Colavito from the Chicago White Sox in an eight-player, three-way trade involving the Kansas City Athletics.
In the deal, the White Sox send a player to be named later (pitcher Fred Talbot) and outfielders Jim Landis and Mike Hershberger to Kansas City in exchange for Colavito.
Chicago also sends catcher Cam Carreon to the Indians and receives catcher Johnny Romano, outfielder Tommy Agee and pitcher Tommy John from Cleveland.
In 1960, the Indians had traded Colavito to Detroit for Harvey Kuenn, drawing the wrath of Cleveland fans.
1966: The Baseball Writers Association of America elects former Boston Red Sox outfielder Ted Williams to the Hall of Fame. Williams, the last major league batter to hit .400, receives 282 of a possible 302 votes.
He won the Triple Crown twice, the American League MVP Award twice, and produced the highest career on-base percentage of all time (.483) leading the league 6 times in Bases on Balls, even though he lost five years to military service.
Ted won 6 Batting Titles, 9 Slugging Titles, 4 Homerun and 4 RBI Titles, as well as leading the league 6 times in Runs Scored, 6 times in Total Bases, 12 times in OBP, 10 times in OPS, and 9 times in OPS+.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GESfkwsW4AAf6yv?format=jpg&name=medium
1970: Shortstop Lou Boudreau achieves election to the Hall of Fame, receiving 232 of a possible 300 votes from the BBWAA. Boudreau led the American League eight times in fielding percentage, won a batting title, and was named AL Most Valuable Player as player-manager of the 1948 World Champion Cleveland Indians.
1984: The Montreal Expos sign 42-year-old free agent Pete Rose. The veteran first baseman batted only .245 in 1983, the last of his five seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. Rose will play only 95 games for the Expos before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds, where he will become player-manager.
1984: The Chicago White Sox claim 39-year-old pitcher Tom Seaver from the New York Mets as compensation for the loss of free agent pitcher Dennis Lamp to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Mets left Seaver off their protected list assuming (wrongly) that no team would want to select the aging star, who finished 1983 with a 9-14 record and a 3.55 ERA.
But Seaver will improve to 15-11 with the White Sox this season.
1997: The Detroit Tigers signed Mike Rivera as an amateur free agent.
1997: Former All-Star outfielder Curt Flood, who challenged baseball's reserve system all the way to the Supreme Court and made possible today's mega-salaries, dies at age 59.
2000: The 30 major league owners vote to give all their Internet rights to the Commissioner's office. This decision allows for the creation of mlb.com, which will become a model of success for other professional sports leagues. Bud Selig is expected to parcel out monies earned from the venture in equal amounts.
2003: The Detroit Tigers signed Bill Haselman as a free agent.
2004: The Detroit Tigers signed Esteban Yan as a free agent.
2006: Cuba will be allowed to play in the World Baseball Classic after all. President Bush's administration issued a license allowing the Cubans to participate in the 16-team tournament.
2009: The Detroit Tigers signed Juan Rincon as a free agent.
2010: The Detroit Tigers signed Mike Rabelo as a free agent.
2015: The Detroit Tigers signed Josh Prince as a free agent.
2016: The Detroit Tigers signed Argenis Diaz as a free agent.
2016: The Detroit Tigers signed Justin Upton as a free agent.
2017: Miguel Cabrera guest conducts the Detroit Symphony.
2023: The Detroit Tigers signed Chasen Shreve as a free agent.
Tigers players and executives birthdays:
Ernie Courtney Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Ernie Courtney 1903.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Briggs_Jr.
Walter "Spike" Briggs Jr. owner 1952-1956.
Bill James Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Bill James 1915-1919.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Jimmy_Outlaw
Jimmy Outlaw Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Jimmy Outlaw 1943-1949.
Dave Boswell Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Dave Boswell 1971.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Bill_Scherrer
Bill Scherrer Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Bill Scherrer 1984-1986.
Julio Santana Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Julio Santana 2002.
Franklyn Germán Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Franklyn German 2002-2005.
Chris Mears Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Chris Mears 2003.
Tigers players who passed away:
Jimmy Wiggs Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Jimmy Wiggs 1905-1906.
Vern Ruhle Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Vern Ruhle 1974-1977.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Gus_Zernial
Gus Zernial Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
Gus Zernial 1958-1959.
Baseball Reference
Last edited: