November 27th in Baseball History

Off-season, schmoff-season, every day on the calendar has a baseball connection. Want proof? Check out this date in 1972: The Yankees (still owned by CBS) send outfielders Charlie Spikes and Rusty Torres and infielder Jerry Kenny to the Indians for backup catcher Jerry Moses and 3rd baseman Graig Nettles (far right) -- whose often-stellar glovework and lefty power prove essential to four Yankee pennant winners and a pair of World Championships over the next decade.

And... there's more:

  • 1974: Yankee owner George Steinbrenner gets a two-year suspension from commissioner Bowie Kuhn for making illegal campaign contributions to Richard Nixon and others.
  • 1967: Six weeks after the Mets announced they'd hired Gil Hodges away from the Senators to be their new manager, pitcher Bill Denehy is sent to Washington as compensation. 
  • 1956: A week after winning the National League MVP award, Brooklyn Dodgers ace Don Newcombe receives the first ever Cy Young Award. The 1949 NL Rookie of the Year is still the only player to win the three main player awards.
  • 1947:  Despite winning the Triple Crown, Ted Williams is narrowly beaten out by Joe DiMaggio for the American League MVP. The difference is just one point, caused by a writer leaving the Splendid Splinter off his ballot.
Back to today's photo: it's a reunion of 1977-'78 Yankee World Series champs Roy White, Bucky Dent and Graig Nettles at the 2017 Thurman Munson Awards gala in New York, surrounding The Captain's widow Diana. 

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