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This Day in Baseball History
November 14th

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24 Fact(s) Found
1946 After finishing second to Yankees Joe DiMaggio (1941) and Joe Gordon (1942), Ted Williams (.342, 38, 123) wins the American League Most Valuable Player award. The Red Sox outfielder missed the last three seasons due to serving in the military during World War II.
1956 The Pirates threaten to move the franchise from Pittsburgh unless a new municipal stadium is built to replace Forbes Field. The second division club drew 949,878 fans, the fifth best total of the eight National League teams.
1957 The BBWAA selects Hank Aaron as the National League's Most Valuable Player. With 239 points from the writers, the Milwaukee Braves' outfielder narrowly edges out Stan Musial and his Cardinal former teammate, Giants infielder Red Schoendienst, who collect 230 and 221 respectively.
1961 John Fetzer becomes the lone owner of the Tigers when he buys out the estate of Fred Knorr.
1973 A's Reggie Jackson (.293, 32, 117) is selected unanimously as the American League's MVP.
1973 Jim Palmer (22-9, 2.40) is named as the American League's Cy Young Award winner.
1979 David Goltz, the first player to be selected by the maximum thirteen teams in the first round of the free agent draft, signs a six-year, three-million dollar contract with the Dodgers. The former Twins' pitcher (14-13, 4.16) will post a 9-19 record during his 2+ seasons with the club.
1985 The all-time major league save leader with 341, Rollie Fingers, is released by the Brewers at the age of 39.
1986 Nelson Doubleday and Fred Wilpon buy the World Champion Mets from the Doubleday Publishing Company for $80.75 million. In 1980, the company had bought the franchise for a then-record $21.1 million.
1988 The Angels name Doug Rader as manager of the team. Rader had compiled a 155-200 (.437) record piloting the Rangers from 1982 to 1985.
1996 In the closest vote for the award since 1960, Ranger Juan Gonzalez (.314, 47, 144) wins the American League MVP edging out Mariner Alex Rodriguez by just three votes.
2000 Winning his second straight award and third of his career, the 'Big Unit' Randy Johnson (19-7, 2.64) of the Arizona Diamondbacks overwhelming wins the NL Cy Young Award.
2001 For the second time in his career, Seattle skipper Lou Piniella is named the American League Manager of the Year. 'Sweet Lou', the only person to appear on every ballot, guided the Mariners to an historical 116 victories which tied 1906 Cubs as the winningest team in major league history.
2001 Larry Bowa (86-76, .531) becomes the first Phillies manager to be named by the BBWAA as the National League Manager of the Year. In his first year at the helm, Philadelphia improves by 21 games finishing the season two games behind the first-place Atlanta.
2006 Brandon Webb (16-8, 3.10) garners 15 of the possible 32 BBWAA's first-place votes to win the NL Cy Young Award. The Diamondback right-hander, who had the fewest victories of any starter to ever win the prestigious pitching prize, beats out Padres closer Trevor Hoffman and Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter with Reds hurler Aaron Harang, who led the league in victories and strikeouts, not receiving one vote from the writers.
2007 Bob Melvin is named National League Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. The Diamondbacks skipper, who led the club to a league-best 90 victories, also was was selected by his fellow managers for the same honor in The Sporting News poll.
2007 Eric Wedge becomes the first Indians skipper to be selected by the Baseball Writers' Association of America as the American League Manager of the Year. The 39-year-old skipper led the Tribe to the AL Central title compiling a 96-66 record in the regular season.
2007 Major League Baseball announces the World champion Red Sox will take on the A's in the 2008 season opener at the Tokyo Dome scheduled for March 25. The Opening Day game will mark the third time the regular major league season has started in Japan.
2007 Only a few hours after Alex Rodriguez confirms on his website he has spoken directly with the Steinbrenner family reports start to surface that the Yankees and their third baseman are close to a multi-year deal that would be worth as much as $290 million. The move is seen, in part, as an attempt to soften the harsh criticism incurred when A-Rod, through his agent Scott Boras, announced his decision to opt out of his contract with the team during Game 4 of the World Series.
2010 A Santa Barbara father-son sports collectors team pays $575,912 for the bat that Kirk Gibson used to hit his dramatic World Series Game 1 home run in 1988. The winning bid was the second-highest sale price ever for a baseball bat, topped only by the $1.265 million paid in 2004 for a Babe Ruth signed bat, which was used by the 'Bambino' to hit the first home run at Yankee Stadium.
2011 Craig Kimbrel unanimously wins the National League Rookie of the Year award. The Braves' right-handed closer, who struck out 127 batters in 77 innings, set a major league record for saves by a rookie with 46.
2011 Former Red Sox reliever Jonathan Papelbon agrees to a four-year, $50 million free-agent deal to finish games for the Phillies. The contract is the richest ever signed by a closer, surpassing B.J. Ryan's five-year, $47 million pact with the Blue Jays.
2011 Mike Matheny is named to succeed Tony La Russa, who retired as the manager of the Cardinals a few days after leading the Redbirds to a world championship. The 41-year old former minor league instructor, who served as a special assistant to general manager John Mozeliak, has no previous managerial experience.
2012 In one of the closest races to determine the American League Cy Young Award winner, Rays' southpaw David Price (20-5, 2.56) outpoints last year's recipient Tigers ace Justin Verlander (17-8, 2.64) by the slim margin of four points. The difference proves to be the one first-place vote given to the Tampa Bay left-hander's teammate, closer Fernando Rodney.
24 Fact(s) Found