Highlighted entries:
1997
The expansion draft for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks is held in Phoenix, Arizona. Florida pitcher Tony Saunders is taken with the 1st pick by the Devil Rays, while the Diamondbacks select pitcher Brian Anderson from Cleveland. Following the draft, the Diamondbacks acquire 3B Travis Fryman from the Tigers in exchange for infielders Joe Randa and Gabe Alvarez and P Matt Drews. They also obtain OF Devon White from the Marlins in exchange for P Jesus Martinez. In a rash of moves, the Devil Rays get 1B Fred McGriff from the Braves in exchange for a player to be named, C John Flaherty from the Padres in exchange for P Brian Boehringer and IF Andy Sheets, SS Kevin Stocker from the Phillies in exchange for Bobby Abreu, and sign free agent P Roberto Hernandez to a 4-year contract.
The entire draft is HERE.
Also in 1997
In one of their best swaps ever, the Red Sox obtain Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez from the Expos in exchange for P Carl Pavano and a player to be named.
If the Expos were still around, it would be the Curse of Pedro. I wonder if that curse made it through Customs to Washington.
1987
Cubs OF Andre Dawson becomes the first player from a last-place club wver to win an MVP Award, taking National League honors for his .287-49-137 season.
The story here is that no team wanted Dawson before the season started. He signed a blank contract with the Cubs and GM Dallas Green filled in the terms. Dawson signed a little better contract leading up to the 1988 season.
1966
Sandy Koufax announces his retirement, due to increasing pain in his arthritic left elbow.
Koufax (you can find his complete statistics HERE) was about six weeks shy of his 31st birthday when he retired from baseball. In his first six seasons with the Dodgers, he was 36-40. In his final six seasons, Koufax won 129 games. He was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1972.
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