1/05/2007

Baseball History -- January 5

Complete entry for January 5 is at BaseballLibrary.com HERE.

Highlighted entries:
1999
Nolan Ryan, George Brett, and Robin Yount are elected to baseball's Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. It is the first time since 1936 that three players are elected simultaneously on their first try. Carlton Fisk finishes 4th in the voting, missing election by 43 votes.

This is one of the best Hall of Fame classes in recent history. A pitcher with 5,000 strikeouts and 300 wins and two hitters with more than 3,000 hits.
1989
Three weeks after signing a record 4-year, $1.1 billion network television contract with CBS, major league baseball signs a $400 million contract with ESPN that will put 175 games per year on cable television beginning in 1990.

This ended that rotation between ABC and NBC for the All-Star Game, League Championship Series, and World Series.
1920
The Yankees announce the purchase of
Babe Ruth; it had been delayed until Ruth agreed to terms believed to be $40,000 total for two years.

This officially started the Curse of the Bambino.
1916
The National League, happy to be rid of fractious Cubs owner Charles W. Murphy, allows Charles H. Weeghman, owner of a restaurant chain and president of the Federal League Chicago Whales, to buy the Cubs for $500,000. By putting up $50,000, William Wrigley, Jr. becomes a minority stock holder. Whales manager Joe Tinker succeeds Roger Bresnahan, and the Cubs will play in the FL's newly built park on the North Side, soon to become Wrigley Field.

And now you know, the rest of the story.

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