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| 1915 |
"Help me, Lads, I'm covered with my own blood!" - WILBERT ROBINSON, reacting to the fluid dripping down from his chest before quickly realizing it's only grapefruit juice. Dodger manager Wilbert Robinson, thinking he will catch a baseball dropped from a plane, is surprised and splattered when the sphere turns out to be a grapefruit. Although legend has it that Casey Stengel is behind the prank, the pilot, Ruth Law, a pioneer in American aviation, substituted part of her lunch when she realized she forgot to bring a baseball. |
| 1944 | It's True, Cy Young's middle name is not Tecumseh, as sometimes listed, but the initial T stands for True. The Hall of Fame right-hander's middle name mixup may result from his teammates calling him 'The Chief,' the English word for Tecumseh. |
| 1953 | On the day that will become known as 'Black Friday' in Boston, Lou Perini announces he will seek permission from the National League to move his franchise to Milwaukee, home of the team's top minor-league affiliate. The Braves owner cites low attendance as the reason for relocating the club after it had been in the New England city for 82 years. |
| 1954 | During an exhibition game against the Yankees, recently acquired Brave Bobby Thomson breaks his ankle in three places, sidelining him until July 14. The '51 National League playoff hero is replaced in the Braves' lineup by a promising prospect named Hank Aaron. |
| 1960 |
Much to the chagrin of other owners and most of his players, Bill Veeck's White Sox becomes the first team to put the players' names on the back of the jersey, unveiling the new look on their road uniforms in an exhibition game against Cincinnati in Tampa. After the rest of the league's clubs protest the Chicago owner's innovation, the commissioner's office will rule that in addition to displaying traditional numbers, each team will have the option to use monikered uniforms.
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| 1979 | The Tigers and Mets swap relievers, with Detroit sending Ed Glynn to the Big Apple in exchange for Mardie Cornejo, who, after posting a 4-2 record as a rookie last season, will never play in another major league game. The latest addition to the New York bullpen will make 84 appearances, compiling an ERA of 3.53 during the two years with his new club. |
| 1986 |
Designated hitter Hal McRae, 39, and Brian, his 18-year-old second baseman son, play in a Royals preseason game against the Phillies at Terry Field to become the first father and son combination to appear as major league teammates. Kansas City manager Dick Howser refers to the pair as a 'Big Mac Attack.'
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| 1987 | The Phillies sign Tiger free-agent catcher Lance Parrish to a one-year deal worth $800,000, plus another $200,000 if the 31-year-old has no problems with his chronic back. The former six-time All-Star backstop, a winner of five Silver Slugger Awards and three Gold Glove Awards playing for the Tigers, is a bust in Philadelphia, batting .230 in his two seasons in the City of Brotherly Love. |
| 1997 | In their first-ever minor league spring training game, the Rays defeated Philadelphia, 6-0. John Kaufman, Tom Bergan, Matt Williams, and Jamie Ybarra combine to throw a no-hitter in the exhibition contest against the major league team. |
| 2001 | Rick Ankiel makes his first appearance since last year's playoffs, throwing 22 strikes out of 29 pitches while tossing two innings of shutout ball in his surprise start against the Mets at Roger Dean Stadium. The 21-year-old southpaw starter lost his control at the end of last season, throwing nine wild pitches in three postseason appearances last year. |
| 2006 | Three pitches into the top of the seventh inning, the stadium lights at Tradition Field partially fail. With fifty percent of the lighting not functioning, the exhibition game ends after a 15-minute delay, with the Mets leading the Nationals, 10-4. |
| 2008 |
Joining Garth Brooks and Tom Selleck as celebrities who have appeared in a spring exhibition game, Billy Crystal strikes out in the first inning as the Yankees' leadoff batter. The comedian, who signed a one-day contract with the Bronx Bombers, wears the number sixty to honor his 60th birthday tomorrow.
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| 2008 | The pitching-poor Cardinals bolster their rotation by agreeing to a preliminary one-year deal with Kyle Lohse (9-12, 4.62). The 29-year-old right-hander, who pitched for the Reds and Phillies last season, will make $4.25 million hurling for the Redbirds. |
| 2009 |
"Through good times and bad, I never doubted the support that all of you had for my teammates and me...I hope to see you in October." - PAT BURRELL, former Phillies outfielder, thanking the Philadelphia fans. Pat Burrell takes out ads in two of Philadelphia's largest newspapers, the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News, to thank Phillies fans for their support during his nine years with the team. The 32-year-old slugging 'Pat the Bat' signed a free-agent deal in the off-season with the Rays, the club the Phils beat in last season's World Series. |