1937 – On the advice of Ty Cobb, Joe DiMaggio reduces the weight of his bat from 40 ounces to 36 ounces.
1951 – During a spring exhibition game against the University of Southern California at Bovard Field, Mickey Mantle hits a home run which is estimated to travel 650 feet.
1960 – Baltimore chief Lee MacPhail moves an Orioles-Reds series scheduled for Havana, Cuba, to Miami. The Reds, with a farm club in Cuba, want the trip, but the Orioles fear increased political unrest in the area.
1974 – the Boston Red Sox release two future Hall of Famers, Designated Hitter Orlando Cepeda and shortstop Luis Aparicio.
1976 – The American League votes to expand to Toronto, awarding a franchise to a group led by Labatt’s Breweries, who pay a $7 million expansion fee. The team will begin play on 1977.
1979 – The Padres and Giants announce that the 1980 exhibition series between the two teams will be played in Tokyo. But Giants owner Bob Lurie leaves the decision up to his players, who reject the agreement.
1984 – Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball’s color line playing for the Dodgers in 1947, is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously by President Reagan. It is the highest civilian honor given in the United States.
1996 – Voters in San Francisco vote 2-to-1 in favor of a privately-funded stadium to replace Candlestick Park. Plans call for the park to be ready for Opening Day, 2000.
2000 – The Seattle Kindgome was imploded in just 17.6 seconds.
2011 – Mike Hampton announces his retirement.
