Classic Baseball Daily Highlights

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On January 20 1966 — The Baseball Writers Association of America elects former Boston Red Sox outfielder Ted Williams to the Hall of Fame. Williams, the last major league batter to hit .400, receives 282 of a possible 302 votes. He won the Triple Crown twice, the American League MVP Award twice, and produced the highest career on-base percentage of all time (.483), even though he lost five years to military service.

American League Triple Crown: 1942 and 1946. In neither of those years did Williams win the MVP Award; in todays game he would have won the award because he had the highest WAR, he also had the highest WAR in the AL 6 times including posting 10+ three times. He is one of 11 positions players since 1900 to post a War over 10 multiple times.

Hit for the cycle on July 21, 1946; blasted three homers and drove in 8 runs on July 14, 1946; collected more RBI's 159 than games played 155 (1949); had RBI in 12 straight games (thru September 13, 1942); RBI in 11 consecutive games (thru June 10, 1950); homered in four straight at-bats (September 7th and September 22nd, 1957); combined with Bobby Doerr for 549 homers as teammates (Williams 333, Doerr 216)...

During Ted’s speech in the summer of 1966 he may have done the most selfless thing during his association with baseball. Williams was born of Mexican decent and it was something he kept to himself, he may have never played MLB if he had not. He was sensitive to the color barrier and made a pitch for the Negro League players inclusion into Cooperstown. The voters will listen and begin with Satchel Paige in 1971. Here is Ted’s speech the day he learned he was voted in.

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On January 19, 1945, media reports say that Stan “The Man” Musial will enlist in the U.S. military for duty in World War II. Musial will miss the entire 1945 season before returning to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1946.

Since big league ball wasn’t played any further west than the city of St. Louis until the Dodgers and Giants moved to California in 1958, Musial was a hero to virtually every young boy who lived beyond the banks of the Mississippi River during the 1940s and 1950s. The Cardinal outfielder’s warm, unpretentious, and easy-going manner also made him a favorite of teammates and opponents alike. Musial’s popularity was further enhanced by the greatness he displayed on the ballfield – a greatness that enabled him to win seven batting championships and three National League Most Valuable Player Awards during his 22-year career with the Cardinals. Stan Will pass away on January 19, 2013  in Ladue, MO

In discussing Musial’s legacy on ESPN’s Sports Century, Bob Costas noted, “He didn’t hit a homer in his last at-bat; he hit a single. He didn’t hit in 56 straight games. He married his high school sweetheart and stayed married to her – never married a Marilyn Monroe. He didn’t play with the sheer joy and style that goes alongside Willie Mays’ name. None of those easy things are there to associate with Stan Musial. All Musial represents is more than two decades of sustained excellence and complete decency as a human being.

Listen to stan on the American Legion Baseball 1949 Radio show with Stan Musial.

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On January 18, 1950, star right-hander Bob Feller tells the Cleveland Indians that he should receive a cut in pay after a subpar 15-14 season in 1949. The Indians agree to the suggestion, cutting the future Hall of Famer’s pay by $20,000. Feller will receive a salary of $45,000 in 1950. A farmboy from Van Meter, Iowa, in 1936 Feller was only 17 when he struck out eight members of the St. Louis Cardinals in three innings of an exhibition game. After this awesome display of pitching, Feller was advised to seek voluntary retirement from high school in order to sign a pro-baseball contract. In his first major league start, against the St. Louis Browns, Feller fanned 15 hitters and never looked back. For twenty years, all with the

Indians, the teenage phenomena dominated AL batters with his blazing fastball and bending curve. He hurled three no-hitters, including the only opening day gem on April 16, 1940, he will also win the triple crown in 40. His second came in 1946 when he set the AL record with 348 strikeouts. He also notched 12 one-hitters, and won 19 games for Cleveland's last world series winner in 1948. You can listen to all 6 games on our Classic Radio Broadcasts.  Feller career was put on hold when he became the second big league star to enter the service for World War II (following Hank Greenberg).

He lost almost four seasons to military duty While in the U.S. Navy, Feller won eight battle stars. I am going to play him recalling his first game back from the War

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On January 17, 1934, the New York Giants come to contract terms with National League Most Valuable Player Carl Hubbell. “The King,” who won league honors unanimously in 1933, will earn $18,000 for the upcoming season. The Giants will be well rewarded as Hubbell will lead the league in ERA, CG and SV’s and finish 9th in the MVP Voting. 

The 1934 season is best remembered for Hubbell’s historic achievement in the All-Star Game, when he struck out five straight future Hall of Famers, none of them familiar with the screwball. With two American Leaguers on base in the first inning at the Polo Grounds, Hubbell struck out Babe Ruth with three consecutive screwballs. Lou Gehrig took a ball and then swung through three more screwballs. Jimmie Foxx distinguished himself by comparison, at least managing one foul tip in the process of striking out. With the fans still buzzing, Hubbell struck out Al Simmons and Joe Cronin, the first two hitters in the second inning, before allowing a single to Bill Dickey.

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Don Wilson's Page - https://thisdayinbaseball.com/don-wilson-page/

Jan 5 1975 – Houston Astros pitcher Don Wilson is found dead of monoxide poisoning in his garage in Houston, a suicide victim at age 29. The Astros will retire his uniform number 40.

This show features a great article from the Sons of Same Horn on Don Wilson 

Don Wilson bio 

Events on Jan 5 

The End of the 1967 No Hitter against Atlanta. 

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On January 4, 1942 — Rogers Hornsby becomes the 14th player selected to the Hall of Fame, getting 78 percent of the vote, while both Frank Chance (58%) and Rube Waddell (54%) miss out.

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January 3, 1920, The details of the Babe Ruth to New York sale are revealed. The Red Sox owner received $100K plus a $300K note to remortgage Fenway Park. But what about the play? 

We take a deeper look into the trade on the Daily rewind. 

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On January 2, 1918, the Pittsburgh Pirates acquire outfielder Casey Stengel and infielder George Cutshaw from the Brooklyn Robins for 3 players - pitcher Burleigh Grimes, Al Mamaux, and infielder Chuck Ward.

Stengel will play only two seasons with the Pirates before moving on to Philadelphia, but will eventually enjoy his true success as a manager.

Grimes will win 158 games during a nine-year stint with Brooklyn and pitch in the 1920 World Series that Brooklyn lost to Cleveland, he went 1-2 over 3 starts.

His most wins in a season though will be back in Pittsburgh in 1928. When he will go 25-14 and he will finish 3rd and 4th respectively in the MVP race in 28 & 29 for the Pirates.

Grimes will win 270 games vs 212 loses over 19 seasons, playing for 6 different NL franchises and a short stint with the Yankees.

Grimes, known as Ol’ Stubblebeard, and will be inducted in Cooperstown in 1964 by the Veterans Committee.

Stengel will earn his fame managing the New York Yankees from 1949 – 1960 going to the World Series 10 times and winning 7 titles. He will win 1905 over his amazing career as a manager. Stengel - Dubbed The Old Professor, will both be enshrined in Cooperstown two years later in 1966 again by the Veteran committee.

I have something special for you an interview with Burleigh Grimes, listen to him talk about his playing days, Babe Ruth, how he hating managing and the great players he signed as a scout for the New York Yankees.

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On January 1, 1923, 19th century star Wee Willie Keeler dies at the age of 50. Having promised his fans and former teammates he’d live to see 1923, Wee Willie Keeler dies on New Year’s Day of that year as a result of heart failure. The five-foot, four-and-a-half-inch Keeler amassed 2,932 hits, and won consecutive batting titles in 1897 and 1898. He batted .341 over a 19-year career, placing him in the top 10 on the all-time batting list.

He played for the National League’s Superbas (Dodgers), Orioles, and Giants and the Highlanders (Yankees) of the American League will win election to the Hall of Fame in 1939.

He is credited with the baseball axiom, “Keep your eyes clear, and hit ’em where they ain’t.”

Wee Willie Keeler - Biography

Jim Austin talks about his teammate Wee Willie Keeler 

Events for January 1 

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December 26th Show Notes

December 26, 1919 —  Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee makes a secret agreement to sell Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for $100,000 (one-fourth cash, plus $25,000 a year at 6 percent) plus guaranteeing a $300,000 loan with Fenway Park as collateral. The transaction will be announced publicly in one week.

December 26, 2005 — The Associated Press reports that baseball took a lot of shots in 2005 from politicians, commentators and players themselves as the sport struggled with steroids. MLB went from no drug policy in 2002 to anonymous testing in 2003, to counseling for positive tests in 2004, to a dozen 10-day suspensions this year. Starting next year, an initial positive test will result in a 50-game suspension, and players will be tested for amphetamines for the first time, with penalties for a second positive result.

MLB took similar shots in 1973, many people don’t realize this, but they were on the hot seat by the Staggers Committee that found steroid and amphetamine use in baseball was alarming in November of 1973. Bowie Kuhn was there and testified under oath along with Bud Selig.

They did vow to clean up the game and congress let them off easy and never reviled the names of the players, unlike 2003. Tom House would later tell folks that 6 of 8 players were using steroids and his famous line was we never felt we lost, we were out-milligrammed. 

Born: December 26, 1954 in Mobile, AL. Defying critics who said he was too small and would never hit enough to stay in the big leagues, Ozzie Smith soared through the infield with his acrobatic moves, redefining the role of shortstop. He won 13 consecutive Gold Gloves and set a major league record for assists by a shortstop. Dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals early in his career, Smith became one of the most popular players in franchise history. A switch-hitter, Ozzie blasted one of his few home runs from the left side of the plate to win the 1985 National League pennant. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2002, his first year of eligibility.

Died: December 26, 2013 in Baltimore, MD

An eight-time Gold Glove Award winner, Paul Blair was the best defensive center fielder in the American League in the late 1960s and early 1970s. With uncanny instincts and great speed, Blair positioned himself perfectly, often gliding into shallow center to snare would-be singles. He had several great moments in the postseason, including a game-winning homer in Game 3 of the 1966 World Series, and a leaping catch the next day to prevent a home run.

In 1970, Blair was hit in the cheek, under his left eye, by a fastball from Ken Tatum of the Angels. It shattered about four different bones in his face and he underwent surgery. He missed 21 games but rebounded to play another 10 seasons. Contrary to some who say he was never quite the same hitter, Blair claimed he was...

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