March 6
From BR Bullpen
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| Stats of players who died on this day | |
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Events, births and deaths that occurred on March 6.
Events[edit]
- 1884 - High winds tear off the roof of the Polo Grounds' grandstand.
- 1906 - New owner Charles W. Murphy puts the last pieces of a Chicago Cubs dynasty in place, trading rookie infielder Hans Lobert and pitcher Jake Weimer to the Cincinnati Reds for third baseman Harry Steinfeldt. Not a heavy hitter, Steinfeldt completes the Frank Chance-Johnny Evers-Joe Tinker infield with more than adequate defense.
- 1907 - Philadelphia Phillies owners A.J. Reach and John Rogers are acquitted of damages resulting from the 1903 National League Park disaster. A balcony collapsed at the Broad Street and Lehigh Avenue ballpark, killing 12 and leaving 232 fans injured.
- 1923 - The St. Louis Cardinals announce that their players will wear numerals on their uniforms. The digits will be assigned according to the batting order.
- 1940 - Future Hall of Famer Willie Stargell is born in Earlsboro, Oklahoma. Stargell will make his debut in 1962 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He will hit 475 home runs during a 21-year major league career, helping the Pirates to World Championships in 1971 and 1979.
- 1945 - Former Philadelphia Athletics catcher Harry O'Neill is killed in combat during the Battle of Iwo Jima. The 27-year-old O'Neill becomes the second former major leaguer to lose his life in the war. Elmer Gedeon, a one-time outfielder with the Washington Senators, was killed in 1944.
- 1948 - The Brooklyn Dodgers send Eddie Stanky to the Boston Braves for Bama Rowell and $60,000.
- 1962 - St. Louis voters approve a bond issue that will fund the improvements necessary to build a new downtown stadium for the Cardinals - Busch Stadium.
- 1973 - Larry Hisle of the Minnesota Twins becomes the first designated hitter in major league history during an exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hisle makes the new American League rule look good by collecting two home runs and seven runs batted in.
- 1980 - Milwaukee Brewers manager George Bamberger suffers a heart attack at the team's spring training camp in Sun City, Arizona. Bamberger will undergo quintuple bypass surgery, and is replaced on an interim basis by one of the team's coaches, Buck Rodgers.
- 1985 - Enos Slaughter and Arky Vaughan are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. Slaughter, known for his hustling style of play, gained fame for his celebrated "Mad Dash" home during the 1946 World Series. Vaughan batted .318 over a 14-year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brooklyn Dodgers.
- 1987 - Prized free agent Andre Dawson signs a one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs worth $650,000, well below his market value. A former Montreal Expos star, Dawson had previously offered to sign a "blank check" contract with Chicago, because collusion prevents him from signing a contract at the market rate for his services. He desperately wanted out of Montreal because of the toll the rock-hard artificial turf at Stade Olympique was exerting on his knees.
- 2001 - Former Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star second baseman Bill Mazeroski and Negro Leagues pitching great Hilton Smith are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee. Mazeroski, an eight-time Gold Glove Award winner, hit one of the most memorable home runs ever - a 9th-inning blast in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series.
- 2005 - Suzyn Waldman becomes the first woman to be a full-time color commentator in major league history, making her debut with John Sterling on WCBS-AM 880, the radio flagship of the New York Yankees. The former radio-talk host on WFAN, the first all-sports radio station in United States, was also the first female to broadcast on a national baseball telecast, as well as the first to provide local TV (Yankees) major league play-by-play.
- 2006 - Hall of Fame outfielder Kirby Puckett dies in Scottsdale, Arizona, at age 45, a day after suffering a massive stroke. Puckett, who led the Minnesota Twins to World Series titles in 1987 and 1991, hit .318 with 207 home runs and 1,085 RBI over 12 seasons. A ten-time All-Star and six-time Gold Glove winner, Puckett ended his career abruptly due to irreversible retina damage in his right eye caused by glaucoma.
- 2008 - La Habana hurler Jonder Martínez throws a no-hitter against Ciego de Avila to improve to 12-1 on the season. It is the first no-hitter by a La Habana hurler in their 30 years in the Cuban Serie Nacional. Martínez uses a fastball over 90 mph, excellent curveballs and his change-up for the masterpiece performance.
- 2009 - Jin-young Lee hits a grand slam in the 1st inning to cap a six-run South Korean charge against Chen-Chang Lee and Taiwan in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. South Korea goes on to a 9 - 0 rout, with Hyun-jin Ryu getting the win and Keun-woo Jeong adding a two-run homer for insurance.
- 2012:
- Pinar del Rio hurler Reinier Verano has a no-hitter going with two outs in the 6th when 43-year-old Metropolitanos DH Enrique Esteban Díaz singles. It is his 2,356 hit in Cuba, tying Antonio Pacheco's all-time record.
- Marlins Park in Miami, FL is host to its first game, an exhibition contest won by the Marlins, 7 - 6, over the University of Miami. Newly signed Mark Buehrle starts for the Fish, Hanley Ramirez hits the first-ever homer in the new ballpark off Alex Fernandez Jr., son of former Marlin Alex Fernandez, and Terry Tiffee ends the game with a game-winning single in the bottom of the 9th.
- 2013:
- In the final game of Pool A in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, Cuba defeats Japan, 6 - 3. Both teams start the game unbeaten and assured of moving to the next round, with the final result of little consequence. Cuba builds a 6 - 0 lead on the strength of homers by Yasmani Tomás and Alfredo Despaigne. Japan scores three runs againt Cuba's bullpen in the 9th, but it's not enough to negate the Cubans' big lead.
- The seemingly cursed Yankees get more bad news when they learn that 1B Mark Teixeira's wrist injury is more serious than thought and that he will be out until mid-May, with no obvious back-up plan in place. At least, SS Derek Jeter and reliever Mariano Rivera seem to be doing well in their bid to come back from season-ending injuries, but the Yanks' spring training complex is starting to look like a field hospital, with GM Brian Cashman addressing reporters on crutches resulting from a sky-diving accident.
- 2014 - Dr. Frank Jobe, the pioneer surgeon who performed the first ligament replacement surgery on pitcher Tommy John in 1974 and then popularized the technique that has saved hundred of pitchers' careers, dies in Santa Monica, CA at age 88. He had been a medical adviser to the Los Angeles Dodgers for 50 years, continuing even after his retirement from regular practice in 2008.
- 2016 - The Commissioner's office overturns the two-game suspension handed to Dodgers IF Chase Utley for a dangerous slide that injured the Mets' Ruben Tejada in last year's NLDS. The decision is because the rules regarding sliding at the time were too vague; they have since been strengthened.
- 2017 - The 2017 World Baseball Classic gets underway with a huge upset as Israel wins its debut game on the WBC stage over hosts South Korea, 2 - 1 in 10 innings. Jason Marquis starts things off with three scoreless frames, as both teams score once in regulation innings. Korean closer Seung-hwan Oh escapes a jam in the 8th, fanning SS Scott Burcham with the bases loaded for the final out. However, Burcham redeems himself in the 10th with a two-out infield single off Chang-yong Lim that scores pinch-runner Mike Meyers from second base. Josh Zeid then closes out the win with his third straight scoreless inning for Israel.
- 2018 - To celebrate their 20th anniversary this year, the Diamondbacks announce that they will re-introduce a contraption dating back to the days before the team existed: a bullpen cart. The modified golf carts were popular in the 1970s and early 1980s, but had seemingly gone the way of the dodo since that time.
- 2019 - Pitcher Steven Wright of the Red Sox is suspended for 80 games for violating Major League Baseball's policy on performance-enhancing substances.
- 2020 - Christian Yelich, the National League batting champion the last two years, signs a nine-year contract extension with the Milwaukee Brewers worth $187.25 million.
- 2023 - Off-season signee Justin Turner gives the Red Sox a scare when he is hit in the face by a fastball thrown by Tigers pitcher Matt Manning in the 1st inning of a Grapefruit League game in Fort Myers, FL. He is removed from the game and taken by ambulance to a local hospital, but escapes with only minor injuries.
Births[edit]
- 1863 - John Coleman, outfielder (d. 1922)
- 1869 - Hal Mauck, pitcher (d. 1921)
- 1871 - Frank Gatins, infielder (d. 1911)
- 1878 - Bert Husting, pitcher (d. 1948)
- 1878 - John McMakin, pitcher (d. 1956)
- 1885 - Ring Lardner, writer (d. 1933)
- 1886 - Bill Sweeney, infielder (d. 1948)
- 1891 - Frank Fletcher, pinch hitter (d. 1974)
- 1891 - Clarence Garrett, pitcher (d. 1977)
- 1892 - Chick Davies, pitcher (d. 1973)
- 1892 - George Mohart, pitcher (d. 1970)
- 1896 - Oscar Davis, infielder/outfielder (d. 1958)
- 1896 - Herman Roth, catcher (d. 1988)
- 1897 - Cliff Brady, infielder (d. 1974)
- 1898 - Roy Hansen, pitcher (d. 1977)
- 1900 - Lefty Grove, pitcher; All-Star, Hall of Famer (d. 1975)
- 1902 - Walter Cannady, infielder, manager; All-Star (d. 1981)
- 1912 - Fujio Ueda, NPB infielder (d. 2003)
- 1913 - Juan Montero, minor league pitcher (d. ????)
- 1915 - Pete Gray, outfielder (d. 2002)
- 1915 - Bob Swift, catcher, manager (d. 1966)
- 1917 - Walker Cress, pitcher (d. 1996)
- 1917 - Ulysses Evans, pitcher (d. 1982)
- 1917 - Joe Orrell, pitcher (d. 1993)
- 1920 - Yukio Muramatsu, NPB pitcher (d. 1944)
- 1921 - Joe Richardson, minor league outfielder and manager (d. 2012)
- 1924 - Ed Mierkowicz, outfielder (d. 2017)
- 1924 - Bud Podbielan, pitcher (d. 1982)
- 1933 - Ted Abernathy, pitcher (d. 2004)
- 1934 - Joe Pomponi, umpire (d. 2020)
- 1939 - Cookie Rojas, infielder, manager; All-Star
- 1940 - Willie Stargell, outfielder; All-Star, Hall of Famer (d. 2001)
- 1940 - Nestor Velazquez, minor league infielder (d. 2014)
- 1944 - Jim Mallon, college coach (d. 2012)
- 1947 - Mike Cook, minor league pitcher (d. 2013)
- 1947 - Roberto Méndez, minor league infielder; Salon de la Fama
- 1952 - Eduardo Rodriguez, pitcher (d. 2009)
- 1953 - Gerry Hannahs, pitcher
- 1954 - Dave Bialas, coach
- 1958 - Doc Brummer, minor league catcher
- 1958 - Glen Franklin, minor league infielder
- 1959 - Karl Best, pitcher
- 1959 - Dennis Gonsalves, minor league pitcher
- 1960 - Rick Behenna, pitcher (d. 2012)
- 1963 - Mario Monico, minor league outfielder
- 1964 - Peter van Dalen, scout
- 1966 - Joe Hall, outfielder
- 1966 - Anthony Telford, pitcher
- 1966 - Omer Muñoz, minor league player and manager
- 1967 - Hirofumi Ogawa, NPB infielder
- 1968 - Joe Urbon, agent
- 1969 - Marco Vizcarra, minor league infielder
- 1970 - Lars Jakobsson, Swedish national team outfielder
- 1970 - Victor Oren, minor league pitcher
- 1970 - Scott Stahoviak, infielder
- 1971 - Shinji Imanaka, NPB pitcher
- 1971 - Roger Salkeld, pitcher
- 1971 - Peter Schöön, Swedish national team pitcher-infielder
- 1972 - Scott Franzke, announcer
- 1973 - Terry Adams, pitcher
- 1973 - Brett Cederblad, minor league pitcher
- 1973 - Roberto Duran, pitcher
- 1974 - Gabe Alvarez, infielder
- 1974 - James Lofton, infielder
- 1975 - Edgar Ramos, pitcher
- 1976 - Richard Negrette, minor league pitcher
- 1977 - Marcus Thames, outfielder
- 1978 - Clay Eavenson, minor league pitcher
- 1979 - Clint Barmes, infielder
- 1980 - Francisco Trejo, minor league pitcher
- 1982 - Cristhian Martinez, pitcher
- 1983 - Cy Donald, minor league infielder
- 1983 - Jean Toledo, minor league pitcher
- 1984 - Justin Cicatello, minor league pitcher
- 1984 - Simon Colboc, Division Elite pitcher
- 1984 - Esequier Pie, minor league pitcher
- 1984 - Chris Tuttle, minor league pitcher and manager
- 1985 - Samantha Ostrom, Women's Baseball World Cup pitcher
- 1986 - Jake Arrieta, pitcher; All-Star
- 1986 - Francisco Cervelli, catcher
- 1986 - Ross Detwiler, pitcher
- 1986 - Keisuke Ueno, minor league pitcher
- 1987 - Khatanbaatar Batbold, Mongolian national team pitcher
- 1988 - Asrar Ahmad, Pakistani national team pitcher
- 1988 - Viktor Dovgalenko, Ukrainian national team pitcher
- 1988 - Takeshi Kunimoto, Japanese national team catcher
- 1988 - Leonys Martín, outfielder
- 1991 - Yuji Nishino, NPB pitcher
- 1991 - Leighton Pangilinan, minor league infielder
- 1991 - David Peterson, minor league pitcher and manager
- 1994 - Domingo Acevedo, pitcher
- 1995 - Eduardo Paredes, pitcher
- 1996 - Dedgar Jiménez, minor league pitcher
- 1996 - Edward Olivares, outfielder
- 1996 - Edmundo Sosa, infielder
- 1997 - Ludovico Coveri, minor league pitcher
- 2000 - Isabelle Markies, Dutch women's national team infielder
- 2001 - Jackson Fristoe, minor league pitcher
Deaths[edit]
- 1899 - Edward Santry, infielder (b. 1861)
- 1910 - Morrie Critchley, pitcher (b. 1850)
- 1912 - Pembroke Finlayson, pitcher (b. 1888)
- 1912 - Gus Scheu, umpire (b. 1855)
- 1919 - Fred Demarais, pitcher (b. 1866)
- 1923 - Ducky Hemp, outfielder (b. 1862)
- 1927 - John Tilley, outfielder (b. 1854)
- 1936 - Watty Lee, outfielder (b. 1879)
- 1938 - Rube Lutzke, infielder (b. 1897)
- 1940 - Marshall Locke, outfielder (b. 1857)
- 1943 - Jimmy Collins, infielder, manager; Hall of Famer (b. 1870)
- 1945 - Harry O'Neill, catcher (b. 1917)
- 1946 - Claude Thomas, pitcher (b. 1890)
- 1949 - Rufus Jackson, Negro Leagues owner (b. 1900)
- 1950 - Bill Guthrie, umpire (b. 1886)
- 1964 - Augie Moran, umpire (b. 1868)
- 1965 - Jimmy Austin, infielder, manager (b. 1879)
- 1965 - Wally Schang, catcher (b. 1889)
- 1966 - Dick Whitworth, pitcher (b. 1895)
- 1967 - Vince Castino, catcher (b. 1917)
- 1970 - Bob Adams, pitcher (b. 1907)
- 1972 - Stan Jok, infielder (b. 1926)
- 1976 - Emory Long, infielder (b. 1912)
- 1979 - Link Wasem, catcher (b. 1911)
- 1980 - Teiyu Amano, amateur executive; Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame (b. 1884)
- 1981 - Wade Lefler, outfielder (b. 1896)
- 1988 - Lou Legett, catcher (b. 1901)
- 1988 - Dick Ricketts, pitcher (b. 1933)
- 1990 - Joe Sewell, infielder; Hall of Famer (b. 1898)
- 1992 - Larry Barton, minor league infielder and manager (b. 1912)
- 1992 - Wen-Cheng Lin, CPBL pitcher (b. 1965)
- 1993 - George Stumpf, outfielder (b. 1910)
- 1996 - Neal Russo, writer (b. 1920)
- 1998 - Frank Barrett, pitcher (b. 1913)
- 1999 - Ted Alexander, pitcher (b. 1912)
- 2000 - Pete Beiden, college coach (b. 1908)
- 2001 - Doc Dennis, infielder (b. 1918)
- 2003 - Mickey Kreitner, catcher (b. 1922)
- 2004 - John Henry Williams, minor league player (b. 1968)
- 2005 - Danny Gardella, outfielder (b. 1920)
- 2005 - Chuck Thompson, announcer (b. 1921)
- 2006 - Kirby Puckett, outfielder (b. 1960)
- 2006 - Carlos Tovar Bracho, announcer (b. 1933)
- 2008 - Deacon Donahue, pitcher (b. 1920)
- 2009 - Eduardo Rodriguez, pitcher (b. 1952)
- 2010 - Jim Roland, pitcher (b. 1942)
- 2014 - Frank Jobe, surgeon (b. 1925)
- 2015 - Dan Donahue, owner (b. 1923)
- 2015 - Anthony Simone, minor league executive (b. 1928)
- 2018 - Steve Stroughter, designated hitter (b. 1952)
- 2019 - Dave Tarapacki, minor league player (b. 1928)
- 2019 - Ed Wiltsee, minor league player (b. 1927)
- 2021 - Wim Koenders, Hoofdklasse player (b. 1940)
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