It’s great to be back with you! I’ve been on vacation getting some quality family time. I also got to check out the Tigers & Twins play at Spring Training during my hiatus. It was a great time. I hope you and your loved ones have been well.
But enough said - let’s get to recapping the top events that occurred in baseball history this week.
This Week’s Top Baseball History Moments ⚾
March 18, 1942: Jackie Robinson Almost Signs With the White Sox
On March 18, 1942, Jackie Robinson and Nate Moreland, two players from the Negro Leagues, requested a tryout with the Chicago White Sox. This event took place during spring training in Pasadena.
The team’s manager, Jimmy Dykes, allowed them to practice with the team, showing curiosity about what they could contribute. Dykes had nothing but praise for Robinson and Moreland, adding to the belief that players from the Negro Leagues could succeed in the Majors.
Unfortunately, despite their impressive performance, Dykes felt that the White Sox organization would not allow the players to be a part of the franchise. As a result, the color barrier in Major League Baseball remained in effect.
The White Sox could have used the duo that season. They finished with a 66-82 record, sixth in the American League. Outfielders Taffy Wright and Wally Moses were the only above-average bats in the lineup, while the pitching staff desperately needed another arm after Ted Lyons and Johnny Humphries.
Robinson and Moreland COULD have had a positive impact on the team.
March 19, 1962: A Player Retires Rather Than Joining His New Team
On March 19, 1960, Sammy White, a catcher for the Boston Red Sox, announced his retirement from baseball. This decision came after the Red Sox traded him to the Cleveland Indians. Instead of reporting to Cleveland, White chose to retire.
White was a significant player for the Red Sox, serving as the team’s number one catcher from 1952 to 1959. He was known for his skill behind the plate and had a reputation as one of the better major league catchers of the 1950s. His lifetime batting average with the Boston Red Sox was .264.
After his retirement, White focused on his bowling enterprise. He also opened a bowling alley, Sammy White’s Brighton Bowl, a few miles from Fenway Park, and became a professional bowler. Later, he moved to Hanalei, Hawaii, where he became a professional golfer for the Princeville organization.
March 20, 1934: Babe Didrickson Becomes the 2nd Woman to Pitch in a Major League Game
On March 20, 1934, Mildred “Babe” Didrickson, a renowned all-around female athlete, pitched the first inning for the Philadelphia Athletics in a spring training exhibition game against the Brooklyn Dodgers. In her one inning, Didrickson walked just one batter and allowed no hits.
Two days later, she pitched again, this time one inning for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Boston Red Sox. However, she was less successful this time, giving up four hits and three runs.
Didrickson, born on June 26, 1911, in Port Arthur, Texas, was a gold medalist in 1932 and achieved worldwide fame during the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
After her stint in baseball, she began playing golf and became a true trailblazer, playing in several events against men. She helped found the LPGA and won ten major championships.
Didrickson was the second female to pitch exhibitions with a major league team. The first was Jackie Mitchell. Lizzie Murphy, not to be left out, was a first baseman who played for an American League all-star team on August 14, 1922.
March 21, 1986: A Yankees Free Agent Never Touches the Mound
On March 21, 1986, the New York Yankees announced that Britt Burns, a 26-year-old pitcher they had recently acquired, would not pitch that season due to a chronic, degenerative hip condition.
This condition was severe enough that Burns’ femur would slip out of the socket. The problem eventually required surgery on both hips in which pins were inserted to stabilize the joints. Unfortunately, despite years of rehab, Burns never pitched in the major leagues again.
Burns had been a standout player for the Chicago White Sox. In 1985, he had a strong season, winning 18 games. He was known for his control and ability to pitch deep into games. His performance in 1985 led him to finish seventh in the American League Cy Young voting.
The loss of Burns was a significant blow to the Yankees’ pitching plans. They had counted on him to be their No. 2 starter behind Ron Guidry. The Yankees had even passed up other trades for pitchers to pursue Burns. His absence was felt, and his promising career was unfortunately cut short by his hip condition.
After his baseball career, Burns served as the minor league pitching coordinator for his hometown Houston Astros until 2010 and was the pitching coach for the Birmingham Barons, the White Sox AA affiliate, through 2015.
March 22, 1993: A Boating Accident Kills Two Cleveland Players
On March 22, 1993, a tragic boating accident occurred at Little Lake Nellie in Clermont, Florida, involving three Cleveland Indians pitchers: Steve Olin, Tim Crews, and Bob Ojeda
Steve Olin and Tim Crews, along with Bob Ojeda, were out on the lake for what was supposed to be a fun night of fishing. However, due to a combination of darkness, speed, and alcohol, the boat they were in, driven by Crews, crashed into a dock.
Olin was killed instantly, and Crews died the next morning. Ojeda, who was also on the boat, suffered severe head injuries but survived.
Olin had been with the Indians for the previous four seasons as a relief pitcher, while Crews had just signed a free-agent deal with the Indians in the offseason after spending the last six seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ojeda, a veteran like Crews, had also signed as a free agent with the Indians.
Following the accident, Ojeda underwent a long process of physical and emotional recovery. Despite the severity of his injuries, he made a remarkable comeback to pitch a Major League game.
This event marked the first time active major league players had died in an accident since Thurman Munson of the Yankees died in a plane crash in 1979. Munson, a catcher for the Yankees, was practicing touch-and-go landings in his new jet when the fatal accident occurred. His death was a significant loss for the Yankees and the sport of baseball.
March 23, 1979: All-Star Mark Buehrle is Born
Mark Alan Buehrle, an American former professional baseball pitcher, was born on March 23, 1979. He played the majority of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Chicago White Sox, playing twelve seasons for the team and winning the World Series with them in 2005. Buehrle also pitched for the Miami Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays.
He made his major league debut on July 16, 2000, pitching one inning of relief against the Milwaukee Brewers and allowing a run. Three days later he started against Minnesota, allowing six hits and two runs in seven innings while earning a win.
In 2001, Buehrle’s first year as a major league starter, he went 16–8 with a 3.29 ERA in 32 starts.
Buehrle was a five-time All-Star (2002, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2014) and a four-time Gold Glove Award winner (2009–2012). He pitched a perfect game on July 23, 2009, and a no-hitter on April 18, 2007. In White Sox pitching history, Buehrle is fifth all-time in strikeouts, sixth in games started, and eighth in wins and innings pitched.
March 24, 1952: A Young Player Gets Hit With a Line Drive, Loses an Eye
Bob Slaybaugh, a prospect for the St. Louis Cardinals, experienced a life-changing event during Spring Training on March 24, 1952. While pitching, he was hit in the left eye with a line drive, which resulted in the loss of his eye.
Despite this severe injury, Slaybaugh showed remarkable resilience and determination. He returned to the mound in 1953 and again in 1954.
However, his career in professional baseball ended after the 1954 season.
Before the accident, Slaybaugh had shown promise as a professional player. He debuted professionally in 1950 with the Goldsboro Cardinals, going 6-17 with a 4.85 ERA.
Despite leading the Coastal Plain League in losses, he struck out 176 batters, ranking 4th in the league. In 1951, he won 17 games with the Goldsboro Cardinals and led the Coastal Plain League with 223 strikeouts.
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This Week in Baseball History: March 18-24