On February 12 in Baseball History... 1878 - After designing the device last season to protect his team's promising catcher James Tyng, Fredrick Thayer receives a patent for his innovative invention, the catcher's mask. The Harvard captain, who will never play in a major league game, uses an oblong wire frame that supports a series of strategically-placed pads made from animal skins.
1920 - Frank Home Run Baker's wife, Ottalee, dies at 31, leaving two small children. Baker will miss the entire season to stay home and take care of the family, returning in 1921 to hit .294.
1920 - Dissatisfaction with the National Commission system comes to a head. The N.L. votes 6-2 for a one-man commission while the AL votes 6-2 for the status quo. Chairman Garry Herrmann resigns, stating his belief that no club owner should serve on the governing board. When the two leagues cannot agree on a chairman, it is left to the league presidents to decide disputes.
1924 - The National League announces it will join the AL in awarding a thousand dollars to the player selected by writers as the league's Most Valuable Player. Dazzy Vance, who posts a 28-6 record along with an ERA of 2.16 for the Dodgers, easily outpoints Rogers Hornsby to become the Senior Circuit's first MVP.
1930 - After leading his A's to a world championship, Connie Mack becomes the first Philadelphian sports figure to receive the prestigious Edward W. Bok Prize. The honor, now known as the Philadelphia Award, recognizes distinguished Philadelphians for their achievements in education, industry, law, politics, science. medicine, philosophy, and the creative arts.
1942 - Former Texarkana outfielder Gordon Houston is the first professional ballplayer to be killed in WW II. The minor league batting champion, who became a full-time fighter pilot following the attack on Pearl Harbor, dies at the age of 25 when his Republic P-43 Lancer crashes at Washington's McChord Field, after leading a sortie along the West Coast, looking for Japanese submarines.
1944 - Bob Coleman, who filled in for Casey Stengel last season when the Boston skipper suffered a broken leg when hit by a taxi cab trying to cross a street, is named to replace the 'Old Perfessor' as the manager of the Braves. Considered one of the most successful managers in minor league history, the 54-year old Indiana native could not work his magic with the wartime club, and after finishing sixth followed by a slow start in 1945, the former big league catcher will be replaced by Del Bissonette, one of his coaches.
1980 - Charlie Finley's plan to sell his A's to oil man Marv Davis is thwarted when the American League offers to buy out the Oakland Coliseum lease. Davis had hoped to move the franchise to Denver.
1981 - Arbitrator Raymond Goetz supports the Players' Association and declares Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk a free agent on the grounds that the club mailed his 1981 contract two days after the December 20 deadline. 2002 - For the first time in its history, Major League Baseball will own a team after acquiring the Expos from Jeffrey Loria. The former Montreal owner sells the Expos for $120 million, then buys the Florida Marlins for $158.5 million with the difference being made up with a loan from major league baseball.
2002 - With unanimous approval of the sale of the Florida Marlins to the former owner of the Montreal Expos, Jeffrey Loria, and Major League Baseball's acquisition of the Montreal franchise, personnel changes are announced. The Expos name Frank Robinson as manager, Tony Tavares as president of the club with Omar Minaya becoming the major leagues' first Hispanic general manager, and south of the border former Expo manger Jeff Torborg will manage the Marlins with former Expos' interim general manager Larry Beinfest as the GM and David Samson will take over the duties of team president.
2003 - Federal Judge James Holderman has given the Cubs and the owners of rooftop bleachers which provide fans a view of Wrigley Field a year to settle their dispute. The team believes the seating provided above the field via rooftops directly compete with the club for ticket sales revenue and the surrounding neighbors, in turn, have not been sympathetic to team's expansion plans.
2007 - The Major League Baseball Players Association asks 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider its 2-1 decision which would allow the names and urine samples of more than 100 players who tested positive for performance enhancing drugs to be made available to authorities investigating the use of steroids in baseball. The 1993 samples were collected by MLB in an effort to gauge the prevalence of steroid use with players and owners agreeing the results would be confidential.
2007 - After a year of negotiations, an agreement is reached on the sale of the Braves from Time Warner to Liberty Media. Seventy percent the owners must approve the deal which includes the retention of general manager John Schuerholz and manager Bobby Cox.
2008 - The Twins, in an effort to add experience to a young rotation, sign Livan Hernandez (11-11, 4.93) to a $5 million, one-year deal with an additional $2 million in performance bonuses. The 32-year old right-hander from Cuba will also add innings to a staff depleted due to the departures of starters Johan Santana and Carlos Silva.
2009 - Three days after Alex Rodriguez apologizes for using steroids, commisioner Bud Selig chastises the Yankee superstar, and all the other players who used such substances, for bringing shame to the game. The third baseman's apology followed a SI.com report that he was one of 104 players who tested positive in tests taken in 2003 to determine the extent of steroid use in the national pastime.
2009 - Ervin Santana avoids arbitration agreeing to a deal with the Angels which could be worth $42 million over the next five years. The 26-year-old right-hander, who posted a 16-7 record with a 3.49 ERA for the AL West Champions last season, is the youngest active hurler with 50 career victories (51-37).
2009 - Dan Uggla (.260, 32, 92), eligible for arbitration for the first time, is awarded $5.35 million by the process. The All-star second baseman, who has averaged 30 home runs and 90 RBIs his first three seasons in the majors, rejected the Marlins' offer of $4.4 million.
2009 - Jose Offerman, a former All-Star major league infielder with the Red Sox and Dodgers, is sued by John Nathans for his bat-wielding attack at a minor league game in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The Bluefish catcher is seeking $4.8 million in damages against the Long Island Ducks player claiming the 2007 incident left him with career-ending injuries which include inner ear damage, vertigo, headaches and post-concussion syndrome.
2010 - Corey Hart (.260, 12, 48) is awarded a raise from $3.25 million to $4.8 million in the Brewers' first salary arbitration hearing in a dozen years. In the first case to use the process this year, Milwaukee's offer of $4.15 million to their 27-year old right-fielder, an All-Star in 2008, was rejected by a panel of arbitrators.
2010 - Tim Lincecum, two-time reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, reaches a preliminary agreement on a $23 million, two-year deal with the Giants prior to the start of a scheduled arbitration hearing. The 25-year-old right-hander has compiled a 40-17 record along with an ERA of 2.90 ERA during in three big league seasons with San Francisco.
2011 - "Doris From Rego Park" makes its debut on Jonathan Schwartz’s weekend program on WNYC-FM. The song, written and performed by Don Rosler, is a tribute to Doris Bauer, the Mets fan who became a New York institution as a late-night caller to WFAN sports radio before she died in 2003.
2013 - The Seattle Mariners signed Jon Garland as a free agent.
2014 - Derek Jeter, who will turn 40 during in June, announces the 2014 season will be his final one, informing his fans via a lengthy Facebook post. The 13-time All-Star shortstop acknowledged that his numerous injuries have taken their toll, making the game more of a struggle and less enjoyable.
2016 - Jenrry Mejia becomes the first player to receive a lifetime ban for three failed tests for performance-enhancing substances, after testing positive for boldenone, a steroid that has been used in horse racing. The 26 year-old Mets former closer claims that he only failed one test, states the second sets of results to be inaccurate, and believes that MLB fabricated the latest violation to remove him from the sport.
Baseball Birthdays on February 12... 1851 - Fulmer, Chick
1864 - Fogarty, Jim
1879 - Arndt, Harry
1885 - Mack, Bill
1886 - Connolly, Joe
1888 - Miller, Ray
1889 - Crompton, Ned
1889 - Thomason, Art
1889 - Cochran, George
1892 - Rogers, Tom
1893 - Sheely, Earl 1893 - Stutz, George
1895 - Bailey, Sweetbreads
1901 - Cheeves, Virgil
1902 - Davis, Kiddo
1903 - Hafey, Chick
1903 - Harrington, Andy
1912 - Blakely, Linc
1917 - DiMaggio, Dom
1918 - Dubiel, Monk
1921 - Bollweg, Don
1922 - Clark, Mike
1922 - Main, Woody
1926 - Garagiola, Joe
1937 - Johnson, Stan 1939 - Lawrence, Jim
1939 - Walker, Jerry
1941 - Joyce, Mike 1942 - Dobson, Pat
1942 - Bailey, Steve
1943 - Edmondson, Paul 1945 - Wilson, Don
1948 - Estrada, Frank
1949 - Corbin, Ray
1949 - Randle, Len
1949 - Hernandez, Enzo
1951 - Stanhouse, Don
1953 - Revering, Dave
1955 - Krug, Gene
1955 - Bonilla, Juan
1955 - Johnston, Greg
1955 - Lemon, Chet
1955 - Mura, Steve 1956 - Denman, Brian
1957 - Brown, Steve
1958 - Beswick, Jim
1958 - Smith, Ken
1964 - Drew, Cameron
1964 - Bitker, Joe
1965 - Springer, Dennis
1965 - Amaro, Ruben
1965 - Fansler, Stan
1966 - Pico, Jeff
1977 - Knotts, Gary
1978 - Redding, Tim
1980 - Stern, Adam
1981 - Snyder, Christopher
1985 - Devries, Cole
1986 - Allen, Brandon
1986 - Frazier, Todd 1987 - Cooper, David
1987 - Diaz, Argenis
1988 - Phegley, Josh 1991 - Fuentes, Reymond
1992 - Patterson, Jordan
1992 - Vasto, Jerry
Baseball Deaths on February 12... 1885 - Phelps, Nealy
1920 - Goodfellow, Mike
1932 - Shearon, John
1934 - Elliott, Rowdy
1939 - Fair, George
1943 - Cantz, Bart
1946 - Wagenhorst, Woody
1952 - Manlove, Charlie
1959 - Paskert, Dode
1961 - Atkinson, Lefty
1962 - Wheeler, Dick
1964 - Pawelek, Ted
1964 - Pierotti, Al
1967 - Rhoads, Bob
1967 - Distel, Dutch
1968 - Siegle, Johnny
1972 - Sullivan, Jim
1975 - Mele, Dutch
1979 - Vargus, Bill
1982 - Alderson, Dale
1985 - Mungo, Van
1989 - Moore, Euel
1997 - Healy, Francis
2003 - Burnette, Wally
2003 - Whitman, Dick
2003 - Sullivan, Haywood
2009 - Uhlaender, Ted
2010 - Fahr, Jerry
2011 - Cimoli, Gino
2014 - Levet, Jay
2018 - Regalado, Rudy