This Weekend in Baseball History

November 6th, 2007: Greg Maddux wins a record 17th Gold Glove, breaking a tie with Brooks Robinson and veteran Jim Kaat for the most in a career. The future Hall of Famer, had been named the top fielding pitcher in the National League every year since 1990, except for 2003, when Mike Hampton of the Braves took the honor.


November 6th, 2007: General managers approve the limited use of video replays to determine questionable home run calls.


November 6th, 2002: Mike Scioscia, after leading the Angels to their first World Series championship. is named the American League Manager of the Year.


November 6th, 2002: Randy Johnson wins his fifth Cy Young Award, after winning 24, with 334 strikeouts, and a 2.32 ERA for the Diamondbacks. The future Hall of Famer is the first National League hurler since Dwight Gooden in 1985 to win the pitching equivalent of the triple crown.


November 6th, 2001: Commissioner Bud Selig is given approval to start the process of eliminating two of the 30 franchises. Speculation centered on the Expos, Twins, November 6th, contraction never takes place.


November 6th, 1984: Willie Hernandez of the World Champion Tigers joins Rollie Fingers as the only other relievers to win the MVP and the Cy Young Award the same season.


November 6th, 1955: Branch Rickey is named the Pirates executive vice president and general manager. After building winning organizations with the Cardinals and Brooklyn Dodgers, Rickey doesn't bring Pittsburgh back to contention -- though during his five-year tenure, he drafts future Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente out of the Dodger farm system and signs future stars Bill Mazeroski, Dick Groat, Elroy Face and Vernon Law. 



November 7th, 2017: Roy Halladay is killed when his small, single-engine aircraft crashes off the Florida coast into the Gulf of Mexico. The two-time Cy Young winner and eight-time All-Star was just 40.


November 7th, 2007: Brad Lidge is traded by the Astros to the Phillies, where he'll post a career-best season and help lead his new team to its second World Championship. The five-player deal sends outfielder Michael Bourn and prospects to Houston.


November 7th, 1995: FOX signs a deal to become MLB's team partner, showing a Saturday game of the week, plus playoffs and the World Series.


November 7th, 1978: Jim Rice of the Red Sox edges Yankee as Ron Guidry for the American League MVP.


November 7th, 1972: Johnny Bench of the Reds -- after hitting .270 with 40 homers and 125 RBIs -- is named National League MVP for the second time. He joins Mickey Cochrane (1928 A's, 1934 Tigers), Yogi Berra (1951, '54, '55 Yankees), and Roy Campanella (1951, '53, '55 Dodgers) as the only catchers to win the award multiple times.


November 7th, 1967: Orlando Cepeda of the Cardinals is the first player ever unanimously voted the National League's MVP.


November 7th, 1964: The Braves receive permission to move the franchise to Atlanta, which they will, following a lame duck season in Milwaukee. A new multi-purpose stadium is being built to bring baseball to the Southeast, while lucrative broadcast and sponsorship deals are already in place. 

The Braves biggest star, Hank Aaron expresses personal doubts about playing in the South, where racial discrimination remains common.


November 7th, 1963: Elston Howard of the Yankees becomes the first Black player to win the American League's Most Valuable Player Award. He's also the fourth straight Yankee to win the honor, following Roger Maris (1960-61) and Mickey Mantle (1962).


November 8th, 2007: Tampa Bay's ballclub announces they'll now be called the Rays. Dropping the Devil from their name works well the next season, as they win their first American League pennant.


November 8th, 1990: Darryl Strawberry leaves the Mets after eight seasons and signs as a free agent with the Dodgers.


November 8th, 1954: American League owners approve sale of the Athletics from the Connie Mack family to Arnold Johnson and its transfer to Kansas City for the 1955 season.


November 8th, 1951: Yogi Berra, after hitting .294 with 27 homers and 88 RBIs for the World Champion Yankees, wins his first of three American League Most Valuable Player award. The Hall of Fame-bound catcher will also earn the honor in 1954 and 1955.


November 8th, 1950: Red Sox outfielder Walt Dropo, who hit. 322 and drove in 144 runs is named the American League's Rookie of the Year. Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford finishes second.


November 8th, 1928: Massachusetts voters approve a referendum allowing professional sports to be played on Sundays.


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