1/31/2007

Baseball History -- January 31

Complete entry for January 31 is at BaseballLibrary.com HERE.

Highlighted entries:

Contracts! Get your Contracts! Get your HUGE contracts!

1996
Ken Griffey Jr. becomes baseball's highest-paid player by signing a 4-year, $34 million contract.

1992
The Pirates sign OF
Barry Bonds to a one-year contract worth $4.7 million, the largest-ever one-year deal.

1962
Willie Mays signs the biggest contract in baseball, a reported $90,000 for 1962. They also sign another slugger -- Ralph Kiner joins Lindsey Nelson and Bob Murphy in the announcing booth.



1927
National League President
John Heydler rules that Rogers Hornsby cannot continue to hold stock in the Cardinals and play for the Giants. Seemingly oblivious, the Cards board of directors meeting in St. Louis, voted stockholders a 10% dividend, earning Hornsby $2916 for his 1167 shares.

The ruling makes sense. The obliviousness doesn't surprise me.

1898
Cap Anson is fired after 19 years as player-manager of Chicago. Strong-minded Cap, with a record of 1,288 victories and five pennants, was enormously popular in Chicago. Former infielder Tom Burns takes over for Chicago, who are now called the Orphans.

Hmmm. The Cubs got rid of a popular, successful player?

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