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This Day In Baseball History: November 26th
By Administrator | November 26, 2009
In 1948, NL president Ford Frick stepped in and paid $350 for funeral services, including the cost of a coffin, for the unclaimed body of Hack Wilson… the former slugger, who had died of alcohol abuse a few days earlier in a Baltimore hospital, was identified only as a white male.
In 1960, less than a month after being granted permission to move to Minneapolis/St. Paul, the former Washington, D.C. team changed its team’s name to the Minnesota Twins… the new American League expansion team that was placed in the nation’s capital continued to use the name Senators, but was a totally different franchise.
In 1974, RHP Catfish Hunter, who claims his contract has been violated by the A’s for failing to pay $50,000 into a long term annuity fund, met with an arbitator and team owner Charles O. Finley in New York City in an effort to be declared free of his contract. Arbitrator Peter Seitz, of the American Arbitration Association, eventually ruled in favor of Hunter, making him the first big-name star to become a free agent in modern times.
In 1975, Fred Lynn received 22 of 24 first-place votes to easily outdistance Royals 1B / DH John Mayberry in balloting for the American League Most Valuable Player Award.
In 1980, Philly 3B Mike Schmidt won the NL Most Valuable Player Award as the unanimous choice of the baseball writers.
In 2007, the Cubs re-signed free agent Kerry Wood to a one-year, $4.2 million deal which included additional incentives for finishing games… the fragile 30-year old former starter, who turned down multi-year offers from other clubs to stay with Chicago, would be given an opportunity to become the club’s closer.
Topics: MLB History |
