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This Day in All Teams History
February 8th

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15 Fact(s) Found
1901 Rumors of the Phillies' star second baseman Napoleon Lajoie jumping to the Athletics, the Philadelphia franchise in the new American League, prove true. The National League's leading hitter, clearly in violation of the reserve clause, switches to the Junior Circuit, where he wins the Triple Crown, leading the league with a .426 batting average, 14 homers, and 125 RBIs.
1942 At the Folsom Correctional facility in California, the annual game between big leaguers and the prison inmates occurs after a delay when the guards need to search for two convicts attempting an escape. With the visiting team ahead 24-5 at the end of seven innings, the contest does not resume after escapees are apprehended.
1956 In Philadelphia, former A's manager and owner Connie Mack, 93, dies of "old age and complications from his hip surgery." The 'Tall Tactician' set records for major league wins (3,731) and losses (3,948), compiling a .486 managerial mark during his 54 years as a skipper, including his three seasons with the Pirates before the turn of the century.

Amazon The Grand Old Man of Baseball: Connie Mack
in His Final Years, 1932-1956

1972 Negro League Hall of Fame selection of Buck Leonard and Josh Gibson, a power-hitting catcher, called the "black Babe Ruth" during his playing days. Leonard, a teammate of Gibson on the Homestead Grays who once turned down an MLB contract believing he was too old to compete at that level, was ranked #47 on a 1999 Sporting News poll of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players.
1973 The owners announce 'Early Bird' spring training, scheduled to begin next week, will not take place until they complete negotiations with the Players' Association. The 23-day lockout, caused by a disagreement over salary arbitration, will not affect the start of the regular season.
1982 The longest-playing infield foursome is broken up when the Dodgers trade Davey Lopes straight up for A's minor leaguer Lance Hudson, a middle infielder who will never appear in a major league game. The 36 year-old former LA second baseman had played with Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, and Bill Russell since 1974.
2006 After rejecting an earlier proposal by an 8-5 margin a few hours ago, the District of Columbia Council reverses itself and approves a revised lease for a new Washington, D.C. ballpark. At the urging of Mayor Anthony A. Williams, the council reconvenes and votes 9-4 to approve the deal after attaching legislation capping the district's total cost at a bit less than $611 million.
2006 Wayne Krivsky, a leading candidate for the job in 2004, is finally selected as the Reds general manager. The 51 year-old former Twins executive replaces Dan O'Brien, fired due to new owner Bob Castellini's effort to choose his own baseball people.
2006 Johnny Damon, the former beloved Red Sox outfielder who signed as a free agent with the hated Yankees, takes out a full-page ad in the Boston Globe, thanking fans for their loyalty and support. As one of the most popular players in franchise history, the long-hair self-proclaimed 'idiot' incurred the wrath of the Fenway Faithful when he agreed to a $52 million, four-year deal to play in the Bronx.
2008 In a long and drawn-out 5-for-1 deal, the Mariners finally land Erik Bedard (13-5, 3.16) from the Orioles. In exchange for their Opening Day pitcher last season, Baltimore receives center fielder Adam Jones, veteran southpaw reliever George Sherrill, and pitching prospects Chris Tillman, Tony Butler, and Kam Mickolio from the Emerald City.
2008 The Brewers exercise Ned Yost's 2009 option, after the 53-year-old skipper led Milwaukee to its first winning season since 1992, finishing second in the NL Central with an 83-79 won-loss record. The skipper will never manage a game in his extended contracted year after being dismissed with 12 games remaining this season, taking the blame for the under-achieving team's swoon in August and September.
2009 In the softball championship game of the Leadoff Classic, Kylie Reynolds of Kent State strikes out 18 Stetson batters en route to throwing a nine-inning no-hitter. The Golden Flashes' junior sets a new school record for strikeouts in her 1-0 masterpiece at Patricia Wilson Field.
2010

As a tribute to his fellow countryman, Omar Vizquel will wear the number 11 this season to honor Luis Aparicio. The White Sox will temporarily "unretire" the Hall of Famer's number for the Venezuelan shortstop, recently acquired by the team as a free agent.

2010 The Brewers announce the club plans to erect a seven-foot statue of former owner Bud Selig with its unveiling scheduled during a pregame ceremony at Miller Park in August. Selig, the current baseball commissioner, led a group of investors that bought the Seattle Pilots in 1970 and moved the bankrupt franchise to Milwaukee.

2011 World War II veteran and former Dodger infielder Tony Malinosky, the oldest living major leaguer, dies at the age of 101 in Oxnard, California. The survivor of the Battle of the Bulge, who played 35 games for Brooklyn in 1937, was honored by the team on his 100th birthday.

15 Fact(s) Found