Philly Front Office

This website is mostly about Philly sports, but sometimes stories are too good not to tell even if by some odd chance they don’t involve our teams. I’ll be posting those stories here. Since the Philly only calendar is based on a January to December system that’s been working just fine, this will be completely different! Straight chronological playboy.

1906

• July 7 – Satchel Paige was born in Mobile, Alabama…maybe.

1951

• August 24 – Grandstand Manager’s Day: Bill Veeck allows fans to make certain managerial decisions from the crowd. It works. The St. Louis Browns (eventually the Baltimore Orioles) defeat the A’s 5-3

1952

• April 30 – Ted Williams homers in his final MLB at bat, the first time. He will do it again 8 years later.

1954

• May 6 – Roger Bannister breaks the 4-Minute Mile barrier. Later that summer he will battle John Landy in the greatest race of all time with both men going under 4 minutes

1956

• April 30 – Worst Trade in Hawks History – The then St. Louis Hawks drafted and traded Bill Russell to the Boston Celtics, changing the course of the NBA

1960

• September 7 – Ted Williams homers in his final MLB at bat, for the second time. He did it 8 years earlier too.

1967
– October 1 – Carl Yastrzemski hits for the Triple Crown and puts up the single best position player WAR season by anyone not named Babe Ruth

1971

• April – The Oakland A’s ball girls start serving homemade cookies to umpires during the game, including Ms. Debra Jane Sivyer. Ms. Sivyer was so good at it that she eventually opened up a store under her eventual married name: Mrs. Fields.
• September 30 – The last game in Washington for 33 years ends with the home team losing despite scoring more runs – 1 of only 5 forfeits in baseball since 1955
• November 29 – Best Trade in Reds History – Reds trade Lee May and others to the Astros for future Hall of Famer Joe Morgan changing the trajectory of the 1970s

1973

• February – Yankees pitchers Mike Kekich and Fritz Peterson make it official. They announce that they are swapping wives, homes, and children.
• April – Oakland A’s owner Charlie O. Finley hires an 11 year old kid to watch the team when he isn’t there and gives him the title Executive Vice President. The kid is MC Hammer

1974

• June 4 – 10¢ Beer Night in Cleveland – 1 of only 5 forfeits in baseball since 1955

1975

• October 14 – Finals of the 1975 Bazooka Bubble Gum Blowing Championships won by Kurt Bevacqua of the Milwaukee Brewers
• December 23 – The famous Seitz Decision is handed down in favor of pitcher Andy Messersmith over the LA Dodgers, ending the Reserve Clause and determining baseball players have a right to free agency

1976

• July – Worst decision in Knicks history – The Nets offer Julius Erving to the Knicks to waive the ABA/NBA territorial invasion fee of $5m. The Knicks refuse and demand the money allowing Dr. J to go to the Sixers.

1977

• June 15 – Worst trade in Mets history – The Midnight Massacre sends the greatest Met of all time, Tom Seaver, to the Reds for nothing

1978

• April 13 – The REGGIE! Bar makes its debut at Yankee Stadium where 45k fans shower Reggie Jackson with his own candy bar upon him hitting a home run
• December 5 – Pete Rose turns down a champion race horse, an oil field, and a beer distributorship from other teams to sign with the Phillies

1979

• June 29 – The Grand Hatching of the San Diego Chicken occurs in front of 50,000 Padres fans
• July 12 – Disco Demolition Night – 1 of only 5 forfeits in baseball since 1955

1982

• January 27 – Best trade in Cubs history – Phillies trade Ryne Sandberg to the Cubs

1983

• July 24 – The George Brett Pine Tar Game

1987

• August 12 – The Tigers trade for Doyle Alexander, sending future Hall of Famer John Smoltz to the Braves

1988

• August 30 – The Expos score two runs off Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser. He wouldn’t give up another run for 59 more innings…well kinda.

1989

• August 24 – Pete Rose receives lifetime ban from baseball

1990

• August 30 – Best Trade in Astros History – Red Sox trade Jeff Bagwell to the Houston Astros for Larry Anderson in what is widely considered one of the most lopsided trades of all time.
• September 2 – The original ace of the Blue Jays, Dave Stieb, throws the first no-hitter in franchise history against Cleveland.

1991

• June 22 – The San Jose Sharks make their first draft selection ever, Pat Falloon, right after Eric Lindros

1993

• April 5 – The first games ever played for the latest expansion teams: the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies. Who has had it better?
• November 19 – Best Trade in Expos History – Dodgers trade Pedro Martinez to Montreal for Delino DeShields

1994

• August 12 – MLB Strike Begins ruining some great seasons and wiping out the World Series

1995

• April 26 – The Colorado Rockies foundation of Andres Galarraga, Dante Bichette, Vinny Castilla, Larry Walker, and Ellis Burks form the Blake Street Bombers.
• August 10 – The last forfeit in MLB history occurs when Dodgers fans shower the Cardinals and umpires with 15k baseballs – 1 of only 5 forfeits in baseball since 1955

1996

• August 5 – Juwan Howard signs with the Washington Bullets to become the first $100m man in the NBA. The story is crazy because he actually did in with the Miami Heat a week earlier

1997

• November 18 – Worst Trade in Expos History – Montreal trades Pedro Martinez to the Red Sox for Tony Armas and Carl Pavano

1998

• December 10 – Best Free Agent Signing Ever – Randy Johnson signs with the Diamondbacks for 4/$52m. In those 4 years he wins 4 Cy Young Awards
• December 12 – Kevin Brown signs with the Dodgers to become the first $100m man in MLB

2000

• December 27 – After getting the Penguins out of bankruptcy AGAIN and taking ownership of the team, Mario Lemieux pulls a Roger Dorn and activates himself at 35 years old.

2008

• January 10 – Alex Ovechkin becomes the first $100m player in NHL history when he signs for 13/$124m with the Washington Capitals

2010

• April 17 – Ubaldo Jimenez throws the only no-hitter in Rockies history

2011

• July 28 – The Mets trade Carlos Beltran to the Giants for Zack Wheeler

2012

• April 28 – Derrick Rose gets injured in the playoffs, ruining both the Bulls and the Sixers in the process.

2014

• June 16 – With the passing of Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs and Rod Carew earn the title of Best Hitters Alive.

2016

• October 25 – Cubs DH Kyle Schwarber is activated for Game 1 of the World Series after missing all but 2 games that year due to injury

2024

• August 26 – Danny Jansen becomes the first player to play for both MLB teams in the same game when the Red Sox and Blue Jays continued a weather suspended game after Jansen had been traded

2026

• January 24 – The Steelers hire Mike McCarthy to be just their 4th head coach in the last 57 years
• May 21 – Kyle Busch passes away at age 41