Baseball History -- February 25

Complete entry for February 25 is at BaseballLibrary.com HERE.

Highlighted entires:

1969
A pension plan for baseball is agreed on, with players to get $5.45 million per year. They also get a reduction in the years necessary to qualify for a pension from five to 4, retroactive to 1959; a percentage of television revenues; lowered minimum age for drawing a pension from 50 to 45; and other benefits.

1957
The U.S. Supreme Court decides 6-3 that baseball is the only professional sport exempt from antitrust laws. The issue arises when pro football seeks similar protection from the laws.

HERE is a USA Today article from 2001 and HERE is an ESPN.com Q&A. These explain why the anti-trust exemption is important to MLB.

1946
The Chicago White Sox hand out the first media guide to beat writers. Just 17 pages long, it is the creation of Marsh Samuel, according to historian Peggy Beck. The project intrigues Bill Veeck, owner of the Cleveland Indians, who hires Samuel away from the Sox to create a guide for the Tribe.

Now, some players have entires that are 17 pages long.

1933
Multimillionaire sportsman Tom Yawkey buys the Boston Red Sox from the broke Robert Quinn. Young Tom's father, William Austin, was negotiating to buy the Tigers when he died and William Yawkey completed the deal. William Yawkey then adopted young Tom, who took on the Yawkey name and now uses his inheritance to buy the Red Sox. Yawkey intends to rebuild Fenway to boost attendance, which skidded to 182,150 last season. He also hires Eddie Collins as vice-president and GM.

And now you know.

1882
Providence players and their opponents will be expected to parade down the streets of Providence in full uniform, accompanied by a brass band, on game days in order to encourage attendance.

Think this would work on College Avenue in downtown Appleton in 2007?