March 20 in Tigers and mlb history:
1889 - A New York sporting goods house receives an order for bats, balls, and other baseball equipment from Mr. Hiroka of Tokyo, Japan. In his letter he says that baseball "has been played there for several months" and that a baseball association would soon be organized.
1934 - Mildred Didrickson (also known as Babe Zaharias), the renowned all-around female athlete, pitches the 1st inning for the Philadelphia Athletics in a spring training exhibition game against the Brooklyn Dodgers.
She gives up one walk but no hits. Two days later she pitches again, this time one inning for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Boston Red Sox.
Didrickson is less successful the second time, giving up four hits and three runs. Bill Hallahan relieves her, as she does not have an at bat in either game. She will also play several games for the House of David this season.
Didrickson is the second female to play exhibitions with a major league team. Previously, first baseman Lizzie Murphy played for an American League All-Star team on August 14, 1922.
1937 - The Homestead Grays of the Negro Leagues acquire future Hall of Famers Josh Gibson and Judy Johnson for $2,500 in cash and a pair of journeymen players. The trade is considered the largest transaction in the history of the Negro Leagues.
1953 - U.S. Senator Edwin C. Johnson offers a bill to give clubs the sole right to ban radio-TV broadcasts of major league games in their own territory. The antitrust division of the Justice Department outlawed this practice in 1949. Johnson believes that it started the decline of baseball in small towns and cities throughout the country. His bill aims to restore the equity between large communities and the small areas.
1973: Roberto Clemente becomes the first Hispanic American to gain election to the Hall of Fame. The Baseball Writers Association of America announces the results of a special ballot, with Clemente receiving 393 of 424 votes. Clemente died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve. In light of his tragic death, the Hall's Board of Directors waived the five-year waiting period that is normally required before a player is eligible for election. A 12-time All-Star, Clemente batted .317 and won a dozen Gold Gloves over an 18-year career.
1989 - Commissioner Peter Ueberroth announces that he has begun an investigation into the behavior of Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose. Ueberroth doesn't identify the allegations against Rose, but the Reds' skipper will eventually be banished for his alleged involvement with gambling.
2002: The commissioner's office announces that Major League Baseball will continue the practice that began after the September 11 attacks of singing God Bless America during the seventh-inning stretch in each team's first homestand. In addition, a Flag of the United States patch will be worn on the jackets of all 30 major league teams this season and special logos will be used on Opening Day, Memorial Day weekend and the Fourth of July, with Canadian versions designed for the Toronto Blue Jays and Montreal Expos.
Tigers players birthdays:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/greenpa01.shtml
Paddy Greene 1903.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/klawial01.shtml
Al Klawitter 1913.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Vern_Kennedy
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kenneve01.shtml
Vern Kennedy 1938-1939.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Chuck_Seelbach
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/seelbch01.shtml
Chuck Seelbach 1971-1974.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brunswi01.shtml
Will Brunson 1998-1999.
Tigers players who passed away:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Bob_Fothergill
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fothebo01.shtml
Bob 'Fatty' Fothergill 1922-1930.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Gee_Walker
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/walkege02.shtml
Gee Walker 1931-1937.
from Baseball Reference
