Welcome to the weekly show where we look back and forward at some of the biggest news stories affecting the sport we love. Whether it's a broken home run record, a famous player’s birth, or a significant franchise trade, we'll have it covered.
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This Week’s Historical Moments
March 20, 1934
Female athlete Mildred Babe Didrickson pitched the first inning for the Philadelphia Athletics in a spring training exhibition game against the Brooklyn Dodgers. She gave up one walk but no hits. Two days later, she pitched again, this time going one inning for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Red Sox.
She was less successful this time, giving up four hits and three runs. Didrickson became the second female to play exhibitions with a major league team (the first was Lizzie Murphy, who pitched for an A.L. all-star team on August 14, 1922).
March 21, 1978
The San Diego Padres fired manager Alvin Dark and replaced him with pitching coach Roger Craig. Dark was only the second manager in MLB history to be fired during spring training. Phil Cavarretta (Cubs in 1954) was the first in 1954 while managing the Cubs.
More recently, Tim Johnson got canned during the pre-season by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1999, and Joe Kerrigan was let go by the Boston Red Sox in 2002 before Opening Day.
March 22, 1962
A former player for the San Francisco Giants revealed to the media that a home run hit by teammate Bobby Thomson's in the 1951 playoffs against the Dodgers was aided by a sign-stealing clubhouse spy. The whistleblower, maintaining anonymity, also said that the spy had been helping the Giants since midway through that same season.
Both Bobby Thomson and the team’s manager, Leo Durocher, angrily denied that any help was received. Still, another source close to the team came out days later to confirm the spy operation.
March 23, 1951
The Brooklyn Dodgers signed a 21-year lease with the city of Vero Beach, Florida to host their spring training facilities there. The team, now based in Los Angeles, hosts its spring training games in Phoenix, Arizona.
March 24, 1952
During Spring Training, Cardinal prospect Bob Slaybaugh was hit in the left eye with a line drive pitch and lost the damaged organ. The young pitcher returned to the mound in 1953 and again in 1954 before retiring from professional baseball.
March 25, 1910
The Chalmers Auto Company of Detroit offered to award a new car to the batting champion of each league. The National Commission accepts.
March 26, 1960
Baltimore chief Lee MacPhail moved an Orioles-Reds series scheduled for Havana, Cuba, to Miami. The Reds, who had a farm club in Cuba then, was excited for the opportunity, but the Orioles feared increased political unrest in the area.
March 27, 1986
Major league baseball's Rules Committee votes to change the designated hitter rule for the World Series, allowing a DH to be used in all games played in the A.L. club's home park. Since 1976, the DH had been used in all games in alternating years.
Focus Story: The First World Baseball Classic Re-Visited
The WBC has been a huge success this year, re-igniting global excitement for the sport we all love. The tournament has also been a showcase for the best players in the world, and it has helped to raise the profile of international baseball.
So what happened at the very first WBC tournament? The first World Baseball Classic was held in 2006 and featured 16 teams, picked based on their baseball prowess. No qualifying games were held.
The tournament format was round-robin group play in the first and second rounds, with single-elimination semifinals and finals.
The first WBC game was South Korea vs. Chinese Taipei on March 3, 2006, with South Korea winning 2-0. South Korea advanced to the semifinals with a 6-0 record but lost to Japan, who they had beaten twice in earlier rounds, for a berth in the final game. Meanwhile, Cuba defeated the Dominican Republic in the other semifinal. Japan beat Cuba 10-6 to be crowned the first champion of the World Baseball Classic.
Current News
1) The World Baseball Classic Will Be Back in 2026
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has announced that the World Baseball Classic tournament will be held again in 2026. The announcement was made during a press conference ahead of the tournament's opening game in Miami.
The event is an international tournament that features teams from around the world competing against each other. The tournament was last held in 2017, and the 2021 tournament had been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Manfred reportedly emphasized the importance of the tournament in promoting and growing the sport of baseball globally. He also suggested that the 2026 tournament could feature some changes to the tournament format, including expanding the number of teams or altering the schedule.
The World Baseball Classic has faced some challenges in the past, including concerns over player participation and injuries, as well as questions about the tournament's financial viability. However, Manfred and other officials remain committed to the tournament and see it as an important way to showcase the best of international baseball.
Overall, the announcement of the 2026 tournament is good news for baseball fans around the world and could help to promote further and grow the sport internationally.
Read more about this inspiring team in Hannah Keyser’s article in Yahoo! Sports.
2) MLB to Stream All Minor League Games for Free on Bally’s Casinos App
Major League Baseball has struck a deal with Bally's to stream all minor league games for free on the Bally Live app, according to two sources.
The deal is a major coup for Bally, which has been aggressively pursuing sports streaming rights in recent months. It also gives MLB a way to reach a larger audience of fans, as Bally's app is available in more than 100 million homes.
The games will be available on a live and on-demand basis, and will include both home and away broadcasts. The deal is set to run for multiple years, and is reportedly worth tens of millions of dollars.
The move is the latest in a series of initiatives by MLB to expand its reach and grow the game of baseball. In recent years, the league has launched a number of new streaming services, including MLB.tv and the At Bat app. It has also made a number of changes to the rules of the game, in an effort to make it more exciting and appealing to younger fans.
The deal with Bally's is a major step forward in MLB's efforts to reach a larger audience. By making all minor league games available for free on the Bally Live app, MLB is making it easier for fans to watch the game they love.
Check out more details in Josh Kosman’s article in the New York Post.
Conclusion
That's all for this edition of This Week in Baseball History. Be sure to check back next week for more memorable moments, current news, and updates from around the league!
TWIBH: March 20-27