1944 – Branch Rickey suggests the pooling of surplus players if major league 4F players are drafted for military service. Nothing comes of the suggestion.
1966 – Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale end their 32-day holdout, signing for $130,000 and $105,000, respectively.
1972 – Marvin Miller, executive director of the Players’ Association, completes his canvass of players on the strike issue. 663 vote in favor of a strike, ten vote against, and two players abstain.
1978 – The Red Sox trade catcher Bo Diaz, third baseman Ted Cox, and pitchers Rick Wise and Mike Paxton to the Indians for catcher Fred Kendall and pitcher Dennis Eckersley. Eckersley will win 20 for Boston.
1979 – Umpires meet in Chicago and vote 50-2 to reject new offers from the American and National League.
1988 – Reds outfielder Eddie Milner is suspended for the 1988 season by Commissioner Peter Ueberroth after suffering a relapse of his cocaine problem, ending Milner’s major league career.
2000 – The Astros open Enron Field with an exhibition game win over the Yankees.
2001 – Dwight Gooden announces his retirement
2003 – Major League Baseball makes its long awaited return to Brooklyn for a day as the Mets take to KeySpan Park in Coney Island, home of the then short-season single-A Brooklyn Cyclones, for their last preseason practice. Despite the rain canceling the session, fans relish the chance to meet the players and snag autographs. Proceeds from beverage and merchandise sales are channeled towards charities in the NYC region that support children.
2006 – George Mitchell is appointed by Bud Selig to head an investigation on steroid use in baseball.
2008 – The Washington Nationals open Nationals Park with a win over the Atlanta Braves
