December 31 in Tigers and mlb history:
1878 - A reported eight million bats have been sold in the United States this year.
1914 - Ban Johnson's efforts to strengthen the New York Yankees succeed when he arranges the purchase of the team by Colonel Jacob Ruppert and Captain Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston for $460,000 from Bill Devery and Frank Farrell.
After Detroit Tigers owner Frank Navin refuses to let manager Hugh Jennings go, the new New York owners will name longtime Detroit pitcher Bill Donovan to manage the team. Under the new regime, the Yankees will make the most important trade in franchise history when they purchase Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox in 1920.
1949 - The 1940s is the only decade in Major League Baseball history in which no new stadiums are built. After the Cleveland Indians opened Cleveland Stadium in 1932, no new ballpark will be opened until Milwaukee County Stadium is unveiled by the Braves in 1953. The decade also will end with eight black players on major league rosters: three each on the Brooklyn Dodgers and Indians rosters, and two with the New York Giants.
Although it will be another decade before all major league teams will be integrated, most teams will be playing blacks in the next two years. Finally, all but the St. Louis Browns, Chicago Cubs, and Cincinnati Reds set attendance records in the 1940s.
There were 81 scheduled night games in 1940 and 384 in 1949. The change to playing under the lights is underscored by the release of the 1950 schedule: the St. Louis Cardinals have permission to open the season with the Pittsburgh Pirates in a night game.
1979 - The Basic Agreement between players and owners expires, precipitating more than 19 months of bitter negotiations, that will culminate in the 1981 player strike.
1984 - Despite six weeks of negotiations, the Basic Agreement between the players and owners that was reached after the 1981 strike expires. The players are now seeking increased contributions to their pension plan from the clubs' additional television revenues, while the owners are hoping to slow the rapid growth of player salaries.
Tigers players birthdays:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lakemal01.shtml
Al Lakeman 1954.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Ted_Gray
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/grayte01.shtml
Ted Gray 1946, 1948-1954.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/moehlbr01.shtml
Brian Moehler 1996-2002.
Tigers players who passed away:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/caseydo01.shtml
Doc Casey 1901-1902.
from baseball reference
