December 30,1935: The Great Sandy Koufax is Born
Sandy Koufax, one of the most dominant pitchers the game has ever seen, was born on this day in Brooklyn, New York.
He would grow up to pitch for his hometown Dodgers, but his legend truly took off after the team moved to Los Angeles.
From 1962 to 1966, Koufax put together one of the greatest stretches by any pitcher in baseball history, racking up a jaw-dropping 111-34 record and leading the league in ERA five straight seasons.
His three Cy Young Awards came during a time when the honor was handed out to only one pitcher across both leagues—an even greater testament to just how dominant he was.
Koufax wasn’t just a regular-season marvel; he delivered on the biggest stages, too. With a career 0.95 ERA in the World Series, he helped the Dodgers to three championships.
And let’s not forget the perfect game in 1965, one of his four career no-hitters.
Sadly, injuries cut his career short, but Koufax still made his mark as one of the youngest-ever Hall of Fame inductees in 1972.
For a guy who retired at just 30, his legacy stands taller than most careers that lasted twice as long. Simply put, Sandy Koufax was, and always will be, one of baseball’s true icons.
December 31, 1972: Roberto Clemente Disappears in a Plane Crash
On New Year’s Eve in 1972, the baseball world was forever changed when baseball legend Roberto Clemente tragically lost his life. The Pittsburgh Pirates’ legend had chartered a cargo plane to deliver aid to Nicaragua after a devastating earthquake.
Clemente, known for his humanitarian heart, insisted on accompanying the flight to ensure the supplies reached the victims. Shortly after takeoff from San Juan, Puerto Rico, the overloaded and mechanically faulty plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.
Clemente, only 38 years old, was gone, leaving behind a legacy that extended far beyond baseball.
Efforts to recover Clemente’s body were unsuccessful, and the crash site became a somber place of remembrance. In 2022, on the 50th anniversary of his death, Clemente’s family shared renewed hope for learning more about the crash.
Researchers believe they’ve identified the approximate location of the wreckage, but concerns over its fragility have led the family to consider the site a sacred grave rather than attempting a recovery.
That same year, the crash site was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places—a fitting tribute to a man who gave so much, even in his final moments.
Clemente’s story remains one of baseball’s most inspiring and heartbreaking legacies, cementing him as not just a Hall of Fame player but a Hall of Fame human being.
January 1, 1943: Negro Leagues Star Josh Gibson Suffers an Emotional Breakdown
On New Year’s Day, the great Josh Gibson experienced a severe health crisis, collapsing at his home and losing consciousness for an entire day.
He was promptly admitted to St. Francis Hospital in Pittsburgh, where he remained for ten days. During his stay, doctors diagnosed him with a brain tumor and recommended surgery. However, Gibson, apprehensive about the potential risks, declined the operation.
Despite this serious health scare, Gibson’s resilience shone through. He was released from the hospital in time to join his team, the Homestead Grays, for spring training in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Remarkably, he continued to play at an elite level throughout the 1943 season, even hitting over .400.
However, his health issues persisted, and later that year, he fell into a coma and would never play again.
January 2, 1977: An Atlanta Braves Owner is Suspended for Tampering
On this day, MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspended Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner for one year due to tampering violations during the signing of free agent outfielder Gary Matthews.
Turner had openly expressed his intent to sign Matthews, who was then with the San Francisco Giants, before the free agency period began—a clear breach of MLB’s tampering rules.
Despite the suspension, the Braves were allowed to retain Matthews, who went on to have a productive stint in Atlanta, including an All-Star appearance in 1979.
Turner’s suspension was just one of many times his hands-on and often controversial approach to team ownership popped up. For example, during the 1977 season, amid a 16-game losing streak, Turner appointed himself as the Braves’ manager for a single game—a move that was quickly nullified by National League President Chub Feeney, citing league rules prohibiting owners from managing.
January 3, 1962: Construction on the Futuristic Houston Astrodome Begins
1962 started with a bang for Houston baseball fans as the club broke ground on a new stadium - the Astrodome. This undertaking was a project that would forever change our expectations for sports venues.
In true Lone Star State fashion, the ceremony was anything but ordinary. Instead of traditional shovels, dignitaries fired Colt .45 pistols loaded with blanks into the ground, symbolically marking the start of construction for what was then known as the Harris County Domed Stadium.
The Astrodome, often called the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” was a marvel of engineering and innovation (for the time.) It became the first fully enclosed, air-conditioned stadium, providing a comfortable environment for both players and fans, regardless of the sweltering Houston heat or unpredictable weather.
Opening its doors in 1965, the Astrodome not only hosted the Houston Astros but also became an in-demand venue for football games, concerts, and even rodeos.
I did a whole episode covering the Houston Colt .45’s, which covered more information about the Astrodome. Check it out by clicking on this link.
January 4, 1942: Rogers Hornsby Makes the Hall of Fame
On this day, Rogers Hornsby, one of the greatest hitters to ever step onto a baseball diamond, was elected to the Hall of Fame.
Known for his intense focus and unmatched work ethic, “The Rajah” earned 78% of the vote, becoming just the 14th player enshrined in Cooperstown.
Hornsby’s numbers are jaw-dropping:
A .358 career batting average (still the highest in National League history)
A staggering .424 mark in 1924—numbers that seem almost otherworldly. That .424 average remains the highest in the National League during the 20th century, a record unlikely to ever fall.
Hornsby wasn’t just consistent; he was dominant. Along with Ted Williams, he’s one of the only players to win the Triple Crown twice, proving he could hit for power and average in equal measure.
And let’s not forget his leadership—Hornsby played a critical role in the Cardinals’ first-ever World Series championship in 1926 as a player-manager.
Known for his fiery personality and unrelenting passion for the game, Hornsby’s induction into the Hall of Fame cemented his place as one of baseball’s all-time greats.
January 5, 1943: World War II Delays the Upcoming Season Start Date
With the world at war, baseball had to adjust. On this day in 1943, MLB teams agreed to delay the start of the season and move spring training much closer to home.
The Office of Defense Transportation issued a mandate to conserve resources for the war effort, and teams responded by swapping their usual sunny, southern training sites for cold, northern locations. It was an entirely different kind of preseason.
The Brooklyn Dodgers set up camp at Bear Mountain in New York, braving the chilly weather and rugged terrain.
The Yankees, no strangers to luxury, made the best of things in Atlantic City, holding workouts on the beach.
The Cardinals ended up training in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
Resorts, armories, and even university gyms became make-shift training sites, proving that baseball would keep going no matter the circumstances.
This was a league-wide effort to adapt to wartime restrictions while still giving fans a chance to cheer—and a reminder that, even in tough times, baseball found a way.
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