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March 31 in Tigers and mlb history:
1909: The National Commission rules that players who jump contracts will be suspended for five years. Players joining outlaw organizations will be suspended for three years as punishment for going outside organized baseball.
1928: Gordie Howe was born #OTD in 1928. Here he takes batting practice at Briggs (Tiger) Stadium.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DBvJG_yXgAEwRJg?format=jpg&name=small
Howe and Al Kaline were friends. Gordie went to old Briggs Stadium to take batting practice with Al and the Tigers.
1942: The Washington Senators purchased Bobo Newsom from the Detroit Tigers for $40,000. Bobo held the Reds to 4 runs in 3 complete game starts in a losing cause in the 1940 World Series.
1962: The Pacific Coast League proposal to use a designated hitter is voted down 8-1 by the Professional Baseball Rules Committee. Prompted by the Cubs' college of coaches, the committee also rules each team must name a manager 30 minutes prior to the game. The DH will not come into major league use until 1973, when it is adopted by the American League.
1968: The American League's new franchise in Seattle, WA chooses the "Pilots" as its nickname. The team will last only one season in Seattle before becoming the Milwaukee Brewers.
1972: The Detroit Tigers traded a player to be named later and cash to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Tom Haller. The Detroit Tigers sent Bernie Beckman (minors) (March 31, 1972) to the Los Angeles Dodgers to complete the trade.
1988: The Detroit Tigers signed Mike Trujillo as a free agent.
1993: Bill White, the first black man to serve as a league president, resigns from his National League post. He will remain at the job until March of 1994.
1994: The Detroit Tigers traded Rico Brogna to the New York Mets for Alan Zinter.
1994: The Detroit Tigers released Jeff Grotewold.
1995: The longest strike action in sports history ends - in a courtroom. A U.S. District court order forbids owners from implementing new financial working conditions in the wake of the impasse in negotiations. The court decides that conditions will revert to the old rules from the previous season. Because of the timing of the court order, 18 games will have to be trimmed from the major league schedule.
1996: The American League unveils its new colorful red polo shirts for the umpires, part of the "What a Game" campaign to lure fans back to the parks. The last sartorial change was in the 1970s when AL umps wore red blazers for several years. National League umpires will stick with traditional blue.
1996: For the first time in major league history, the regular season opens in March with the Seattle Mariners beating the Chicago White Sox in 12 innings, 3 - 2, at the Kingdome. Five Mariners pitchers strike out 21 batters, with Randy Johnson collecting 14 Sox in seven innings.
1996: The Detroit Tigers signed Curtis Pride as a free agent.
1998: In their first game ever, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays lose to the Detroit Tigers, 11 - 6. Pitcher Wilson Alvarez takes the loss for Tampa while third baseman Wade Boggs hits the first home run in team history and drives in three runs.
Tampa Native, Luis Gonzalez hits a home run to right field, the first home run ever hit at Tropicana Field.
1999: Commissioner Bud Selig confirms that discussions are underway which could lead to advertising space being sold on the sleeves of players uniforms. Nothing will come of these, fortunately.
2000: Workers put the finishing touches Comerica Park in preparation for its opening game on April 11.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DZOsoTTW4AAIbq8.jpg
2001: The Detroit Tigers released Eric DuBose.
2004: The Detroit Tigers released Esteban Yan.
2006: The Detroit Tigers released Reggie Taylor.
2009: The Detroit Tigers surprisingly cut slugger Gary Sheffield, who is one home run shy of 500 for his career. Sheffield, a 9-time All-Star, is 25th on the all-time home run list and 27th in RBI (1,633). He only hit .178 in spring training, but went deep in 5 of 45 at-bats. He says he is not shocked, but is surprised. Marcus Thames will replace Sheffield as Detroit's starting DH.
2011: The Yankees are successful on opening day, beating Detroit, 6 - 3, at home. Curtis Granderson, whose health was a concern before the start of the game because of a strained right oblique muscle, makes a diving catch of a line drive hit by Will Rhymes in the 1st, then breaks a 3 - 3 tie with a solo homer off Phil Coke in the 7th. Mark Teixeira had earlier hit a three-run blast to tie the score in the 3rd.
2014: With the majority of teams opening their season today, expanded instant replay is used for the first time in a major league game.
2014: Tigers walk off on an Alex Gonzalez single on #OpeningDay.
2016: The Detroit Tigers released Luke Carlin
2016: The Detroit Tigers released John Mayberry.
2017: The Detroit Tigers signed Bryan Holaday as a free agent.
2019: Tigers beat the blue jays 4 - 3 and leave Toronto with a series split thanks to Nick Castellanos' single in the 11th.
Tigers players birthdays:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/couchjo01.shtml
Johnny Couch 1917.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/grissma01.shtml
Marv Grissom 1949.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/denehbi01.shtml
Bill Denehy 1971.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jonestr01.shtml
Tracy Jones 1989-1990.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mckayda02.shtml
David McKay 2019.
Tigers players who passed away:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Grover_Lowdermilk
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lowdegr01.shtml
Grover Lowdermilk 1915-1916.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Bob_Schultz
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/schulbo01.shtml
Bob Schultz 1955.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Riccardo_Ingram
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/i/ingrari01.shtml
Ricardo Ingram 1994.
Baseball Reference
1909: The National Commission rules that players who jump contracts will be suspended for five years. Players joining outlaw organizations will be suspended for three years as punishment for going outside organized baseball.
1928: Gordie Howe was born #OTD in 1928. Here he takes batting practice at Briggs (Tiger) Stadium.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DBvJG_yXgAEwRJg?format=jpg&name=small
Howe and Al Kaline were friends. Gordie went to old Briggs Stadium to take batting practice with Al and the Tigers.
1942: The Washington Senators purchased Bobo Newsom from the Detroit Tigers for $40,000. Bobo held the Reds to 4 runs in 3 complete game starts in a losing cause in the 1940 World Series.
1962: The Pacific Coast League proposal to use a designated hitter is voted down 8-1 by the Professional Baseball Rules Committee. Prompted by the Cubs' college of coaches, the committee also rules each team must name a manager 30 minutes prior to the game. The DH will not come into major league use until 1973, when it is adopted by the American League.
1968: The American League's new franchise in Seattle, WA chooses the "Pilots" as its nickname. The team will last only one season in Seattle before becoming the Milwaukee Brewers.
1972: The Detroit Tigers traded a player to be named later and cash to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Tom Haller. The Detroit Tigers sent Bernie Beckman (minors) (March 31, 1972) to the Los Angeles Dodgers to complete the trade.
1988: The Detroit Tigers signed Mike Trujillo as a free agent.
1993: Bill White, the first black man to serve as a league president, resigns from his National League post. He will remain at the job until March of 1994.
1994: The Detroit Tigers traded Rico Brogna to the New York Mets for Alan Zinter.
1994: The Detroit Tigers released Jeff Grotewold.
1995: The longest strike action in sports history ends - in a courtroom. A U.S. District court order forbids owners from implementing new financial working conditions in the wake of the impasse in negotiations. The court decides that conditions will revert to the old rules from the previous season. Because of the timing of the court order, 18 games will have to be trimmed from the major league schedule.
1996: The American League unveils its new colorful red polo shirts for the umpires, part of the "What a Game" campaign to lure fans back to the parks. The last sartorial change was in the 1970s when AL umps wore red blazers for several years. National League umpires will stick with traditional blue.
1996: For the first time in major league history, the regular season opens in March with the Seattle Mariners beating the Chicago White Sox in 12 innings, 3 - 2, at the Kingdome. Five Mariners pitchers strike out 21 batters, with Randy Johnson collecting 14 Sox in seven innings.
1996: The Detroit Tigers signed Curtis Pride as a free agent.
1998: In their first game ever, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays lose to the Detroit Tigers, 11 - 6. Pitcher Wilson Alvarez takes the loss for Tampa while third baseman Wade Boggs hits the first home run in team history and drives in three runs.
Tampa Native, Luis Gonzalez hits a home run to right field, the first home run ever hit at Tropicana Field.
1999: Commissioner Bud Selig confirms that discussions are underway which could lead to advertising space being sold on the sleeves of players uniforms. Nothing will come of these, fortunately.
2000: Workers put the finishing touches Comerica Park in preparation for its opening game on April 11.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DZOsoTTW4AAIbq8.jpg
2001: The Detroit Tigers released Eric DuBose.
2004: The Detroit Tigers released Esteban Yan.
2006: The Detroit Tigers released Reggie Taylor.
2009: The Detroit Tigers surprisingly cut slugger Gary Sheffield, who is one home run shy of 500 for his career. Sheffield, a 9-time All-Star, is 25th on the all-time home run list and 27th in RBI (1,633). He only hit .178 in spring training, but went deep in 5 of 45 at-bats. He says he is not shocked, but is surprised. Marcus Thames will replace Sheffield as Detroit's starting DH.
2011: The Yankees are successful on opening day, beating Detroit, 6 - 3, at home. Curtis Granderson, whose health was a concern before the start of the game because of a strained right oblique muscle, makes a diving catch of a line drive hit by Will Rhymes in the 1st, then breaks a 3 - 3 tie with a solo homer off Phil Coke in the 7th. Mark Teixeira had earlier hit a three-run blast to tie the score in the 3rd.
2014: With the majority of teams opening their season today, expanded instant replay is used for the first time in a major league game.
2014: Tigers walk off on an Alex Gonzalez single on #OpeningDay.
2016: The Detroit Tigers released Luke Carlin
2016: The Detroit Tigers released John Mayberry.
2017: The Detroit Tigers signed Bryan Holaday as a free agent.
2019: Tigers beat the blue jays 4 - 3 and leave Toronto with a series split thanks to Nick Castellanos' single in the 11th.
Tigers players birthdays:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/couchjo01.shtml
Johnny Couch 1917.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/grissma01.shtml
Marv Grissom 1949.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/denehbi01.shtml
Bill Denehy 1971.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jonestr01.shtml
Tracy Jones 1989-1990.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mckayda02.shtml
David McKay 2019.
Tigers players who passed away:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Grover_Lowdermilk
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lowdegr01.shtml
Grover Lowdermilk 1915-1916.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Bob_Schultz
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/schulbo01.shtml
Bob Schultz 1955.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Riccardo_Ingram
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/i/ingrari01.shtml
Ricardo Ingram 1994.
Baseball Reference
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