Welcome to the first installment (and hopefully not the last) of “This Week in Baseball History,” brought to you every Friday, where we explore the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, the most outlandish of the bizarre, and the stupidity of the stupid from the annals of baseball history. Today, we look at the week of March 8 through March 14.
The Babe Signs for $160,000
March 8, 1930: In St. Petersburg, Florida, Babe Ruth ended his holdout and signed a then-record two-year contract to play for the New York Yankees for an annual salary of $80,000. The slugging right fielder, who was baseball’s first great power hitter, was coming off a 1929 season when he hit .345/.430/.697, 46 HR, and 154 RBI. It was the 10th time he led the majors in home runs. Ruth finally relented after demanding $85,000 per year.
Ruth issued a statement, saying, “Being persuaded it was for the best interest of the Yankees [no kidding – they saved $5,000 per year], and being eager to step right in and give every possible help to our new manager, Bob Shawkey, I have conceded my point and accepted terms for a two-year contract at $80,000 a season.” The media pointed out that even at $80,000 per year, Ruth was now making more than the President of the United States, Herbert Hoover. “I know, but I had a better year than Hoover,” was Ruth’s retort. He wasn’t wrong.
Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?
March 8, 1999: Joe DiMaggio passed away at the age of 84 in Hollywood, Florida. His 13-year career, all with the Yankees, included nine World Series, two batting titles, three Most Valuable Player Awards, and 13 All-Star Games. The Hall-of-Famer hit .325/.398/.579, 361 HR, 1,537 RBI, and 155 OPS+ for his career while manning center field gracefully. Remarkably, he struck out just 369 times. DiMaggio was the stuff of myths: He captivated the nation with his 56-game hitting streak in 1941 and married Marilyn Monroe in 1954. Sadly, biographer Richard Ben Cramer would paint a picture of a post-retirement DiMaggio as a greedy loner, estranged from his homeless son. DiMaggio died on Al Gionfriddo’s birthday. If you don’t know why that’s significant, you’re on the wrong website.
Loaded at the Bar Takes on a Different Meaning
March 9, 1967: Cincinnati Reds reliever Ted Davidson was drinking in a Tampa bar when his estranged wife, Mary Ruth, joined him. “They began arguing,” an employee told United Press International, “and the next thing I knew, he walked out the back entrance, and she walked out the front. Two men across the street told police they heard two shots.” Police found Davidson, who told them, “My wife shot me,” lying in a dark alley with blood on his shirt. Mary Ruth had a .22 calibre gun in her possession and was held on charges of assault to commit murder. Doctors removed bullets from Davidson’s chest and abdomen. The charges were eventually dropped when Davidson and his attorney failed to appear in court. Davidson, who entered the 1967 season with a career 3.16 ERA, recovered but was never the same pitcher. Across 1967-68, his ERA was 5.66. His career was over after spending 1969 in the minors with three organizations.
Hoover Says No
March 10, 1951: FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover officially declined an offer to serve as Commissioner of Baseball. MLB’s owners were dissatisfied with the current commissioner, Happy Chandler, and were preparing for the likelihood that Chandler would be unable to garner enough votes to remain in the position. (Indeed, the job would go to Ford Frick, architect of the absurd asterisk by Roger Maris’s name in the record books.) Later, Anthony Summers’ Hoover biography would reveal an FBI director who let organized crime run amok while focusing his efforts on blackmailing public officials, combating a largely nonexistent threat in the American Communist Party, and spying on Hollywood stars. No doubt Chuck Connors and Johnny Berardino breathed a sigh of relief when Hoover turned down the offer.
Eight Men Out
March 12, 1921: Baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis issued suspensions to the eight Chicago White Sox players who conspired with gamblers to fix the 1919 World Series: Eddie Cicotte, Happy Felsch, Chick Gandil, Joe Jackson, Fred McMullin, Swede Risberg, Buck Weaver, and Lefty Williams. That same day, a Cook County grand jury dismissed indictments against the eight players and seven other “fixers.” The suspensions were initially for the 1921 season before becoming lifetime bans. Jackson, a career .356/.423/.517 hitter who received MVP votes in four seasons, was the highest-profile player of the eight. In the Series, he was 12-for-35 with six RBI and led the “Black Sox” hitters with a 0.58 WPA.
Billy at the Bat
March 13, 2008: Attempting to follow in the footsteps of the aforementioned Messrs. Connors and Berardino, on his 60th birthday, actor/comedian Billy Crystal signed a one-day contract with his favorite team, the Yankees. Wearing number 60, he was in the lineup as the designated hitter, batting first against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton, Florida. The first offering from pitcher Paul Maholm, taking it easy on Crystal, was outside, drawing boos from the crowd. Crystal then hit a foul ball wide of the first base bag to wild cheers. After that, Maholm went after Crystal like he was a major league hitter, running the count full before blowing two cut fastballs by him. That would be Crystal’s only appearance in the game.
Meanwhile, it was good to know that one could make an appearance in a major league exhibition game simply by virtue of being a big fan. However, 18 years later, I’m still waiting for my phone to ring.
Send in the Clowns
March 14, 1946: Roger Peckinpaugh, vice president of Cleveland’s baseball team, filed a formal complaint with AL president Will Harridge, accusing the Yankees of violating a spring training agreement by not sending their star players to play in exhibition games against Cleveland. Speaking to the United Press, Peckinpaugh claimed that the Yankees were turning the Grapefruit League “into a traveling circus and we are getting all of the clowns.” At least they didn’t get Billy Crystal.
