On November 20 in Baseball History... 1934 - Seventeen-year-old Eiji Sawamura gives up one hit, a home run to Lou Gehrig, as the touring American All-Stars win in Japan, 1-0. At one point Sawamura strikes out four future Hall of Famers in a row: Charlie Gehringer, Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, and Gehrig.
1952 - The writers name Cubs slugger Hank Sauer as the National League Most Valuable Player. The Cubs finished in fifth place, despite Sauer's 37 home runs and 121 RBI.
1952 - Commissioner Ford Frick states his belief that the Pacific Coast League will eventually reach major league status. The PCL is the only minor league in history to be given the "Open" classification, considered a step above the AAA level, that limited the rights of big league clubs to draft players from its teams, and is perceived as a precursor to the circuit becoming a third major league.
1958 - Breaking New York's four-year stronghold on the award, Jackie Jensen (.286, 35, 122) of the Red Sox is selected as the American League Most Valuable Player. The outcome is unexpected as the fleet outfielder played on a non-contender unlike runner-up Bob Turley, who pitched for the World Champion Yankees.
1962 - Mickey Mantle is named the American League Most Valuable Player for the third time.
1967 - Tom Seaver is named the National League’s Rookie of the Year. The 22-year old right-hander, who compiled a 16-13 record along with a 2.76 ERA for the last-place Mets, easily outdistances fellow righties Dick Hughes of St. Louis and Cincinnati’s Gary Nolan for the freshman honor.
1969 - Willie McCovey (.320, 45, 126) is selected by the BBWAA as the National League's Most Valuable Player. The Giants first baseman edges Tom Seaver, who posted a 2.21 ERA with 208 strikeouts and a league-leading 25 wins for the World Champion Mets.
1974 - Jeff Burroughs of Texas, who batted .301 with 25 home runs and a league-leading 118 RBI, wins the American League Most Valuable Player Award.
1984 - Four days after his 20th birthday, Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden becomes the youngest player ever to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award. Gooden was 17-9 with a 2.60 ERA and a major league-leading 276 strikeouts.
1985 - Don Mattingly easily wins the American League Most Valuable Player Award with a .324 average.
1985 - Jim Leyland, who will become a mainstay in the Bucs' dugout for 11 seasons, replaces Chuck Tanner as the manager of the Pirates. Pittsburgh finished in last place this season, compiling a woeful record of 57-104.
1987 - Don Zimmer, former skipper of the Padres, Red Sox and Rangers, is hired by longtime-friend Jim Frey to manage the Cubs. In his last managerial stint, 'Popeye' will compile a 265-258 (.507) record during his 3+ year tenure in Chicago.
1989 - Robin Yount is selected by BBWAA as the American League's Most Valuable Player becoming the first major leaguer from a sub .500 team to win the prestigious prize. The Milwaukee center fielder, who also won the award in 1982 as a shortstop, joins Hank Greenberg and Stan Musial as the third person to win the MVP twice playing different positions.
1990 - Oakland's Rickey Henderson edges Detroit's Cecil Fielder for the American League Most Valuable Player Award. Henderson hit .325 with 28 home runs and a major league-best 65 stolen bases.
1990 - Due to his unruly behavior toward the umpires in Game 4 of the ALCS, Roger Clemens is suspended for the first five games of the 1991 season and is fined $10,000. The right-hander ace, starting the deciding game in Boston's loss in the 1990 ALCS against the A's, was ejected in the second inning of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum contest by umpire Terry Cooney for his frequent and rapid use of foul language.
1997 - Andres Galarraga signs a three-year $24.8 million contract as a free agent with the Braves, ending a five-year career in Colorado that helped put the Rockies on the map. He batted .316 with 172 home runs and 579 RBI with the Rockies, including consecutive RBI crowns in 1996-1997. Another player who exploded after expansion in 1992, Jeff Conine, is dealt to Kansas City by the cost-cutting Marlins.
2001 - Ichiro Suzuki becomes only the second player in major league history to win the Most Valuable Player Award in the same year as being selected Rookie of the Year. The 28-year-old Mariner outfielder joins Red Sox freshman outfielder Fred Lynn, who accomplished the feat in 1975, as the only other rookie to win the MVP.
2007 - Jimmy Rollins becomes the fifth and second consecutive Phillies player to win the National League Most Valuable Player Award. The 5'8" Gold Glove shortstop, who narrowly edges Matt Holliday of the Rockies for the honor, joins Chuck Klein (1932), Jim Konstanty (1950), Mike Schmidt (1980, 1981, 1986) and Ryan Howard (2006) to win the MVP in the senior circuit playing in Philadelphia.
2007 - Mike Lowell and the Red Sox finalize a $37.5 million, three-year contract. The 33-year-old third baseman, who was the World Series MVP, had been seeking a four-year deal, but choose to stay with the World Champions despite longer and more lucrative offers.
2008 - The 35-year reign of George Steinbrenner as the Yankees boss officially ends when the MLB owners unanimously approve of his son taking control of the franchise. Hal Steinbrenner was appointed co-chairman of the team along with his brother Hank at the start of last season when it became evident their 78-year old dad was gradually reducing his role as the owner of the storied franchise.
2008 - Mike Mussina, a twenty-game winner last season, announces his retirement ending an 18-year career with the Orioles and the Yankees. 'Moose', who compiled a 270-153 record with a 3.68 ERA, left Baltimore after the 2000 season, signing an $88.5 million, six-year free-agent deal to play in the Bronx.
2009 - Tim Lincecum becomes the eighth hurler in baseball history, joining Sandy Koufax, Denny McLain, Jim Palmer, Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson, to win back-to-back Cy Young Awards. The Giants right-hander, receiving less first-place votes than the third runner-up Adam Wainwright, outpoints the Cardinals righty as well as runner-up Chris Carpenter, also a Redbird starter.
2012 - The Blue Jays rehire John Gibbons as their manager to replace John Farrell, who was release from his contract last month to become Boston's skipper. In the 605 games he manage over parts of five seasons from 2004-08, the 50 year-old field boss compiled a 305-305 won-lost record for Toronto.
2012 - Jeremy Guthrie and the Royals come to terms on a $25 million, three-year deal that will keep the right-hander in Kansas City through 2015. The former Eagle Scout, obtained in a mid-season trade from the Rockies for southpaw starter Jonathan Sanchez, compiled 5-3 record along with a 3.16 ERA in 14 starts with his new team.
2012 - The Rays announce the club has re-signed Joel Peralta to a $6 million, two-year deal that includes club options for 2015-17. The 36-year old right-handed reliever, mainly in his role as setup man for Fernando Rodney, posted a 2-6 record along with a 3.63 ERA and a career-high 84 strikeouts in his 76 appearances for Tampa Bay.
2013 - The Tigers trade Prince Fielder to the Rangers for second baseman Ian Kinsler, who will fill the void created by the departure of free agent Omar Infante to Kansas City. Texas is depending on their new southpaw-swinging slugger, who has blasted at least 30 home runs in six of the past seven seasons, to provide much-needed power to the team’s lineupT
2015 - The Oakland Athletics signed Rich Hill as a free agent.
2015 - The Atlanta Braves traded Cameron Maybin to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for Ian Krol and Gabe Speier.
2015 - The Oakland Athletics traded Jesse Chavez to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Liam Hendriks.
Baseball Birthdays on November 20... 1854 - Mundinger, George
1858 - Sommer, Joe
1858 - Reis, Laurie
1862 - Casey, Dan
1869 - Griffith, Clark 1873 - Fleming, Tom
1880 - McBride, George
1881 - McCabe, Swat
1882 - Coakley, Andy
1883 - Welchonce, Harry
1883 - Egan, Ben
1887 - Scheneberg, John
1888 - Powell, Ray
1889 - Edmonson, Eddie
1890 - Cadore, Leon 1894 - Ehrhardt, Rube
1897 - Benton, Larry
1898 - McNamara, Tim
1902 - Prudhomme, Augie
1906 - Ogrodowski, Joe
1915 - Aragon, Jack
1917 - Schemer, Mike
1917 - Dobernic, Jess 1917 - Mackiewicz, Felix
1919 - Ardizoia, Rugger
1921 - Sheridan, Neill
1929 - Berberet, Lou
1930 - Leppert, Don
1936 - Ritchie, Jay
1938 - Starrette, Herman
1945 - Sanders, John
1945 - Monday, Rick
1945 - Johnstone, Jay 1949 - Cash, Ron
1951 - Todd, Jackson
1953 - Theiss, Duane
1967 - Arias, Alex
1968 - Schrenk, Steve 1968 - Ricci, Chuck
1971 - Lomon, Kevin
1971 - White, Gabe
1973 - Kolb, Brandon
1975 - Drew, J.D.
1978 - White, Bill
1979 - Urdaneta, Lino
1981 - Fuld, Sam
1983 - Peterson, Brock
1984 - Reyes, Jo-Jo
1985 - Holland, Greg
1987 - Locke, Jeff
1988 - Allen, Cody
1990 - Washington, David
1992 - Morimando, Shawn
1995 - Rosario, Amed
Baseball Deaths on November 20... 1904 - Darling, Dell
1910 - O'Brien, Jack
1929 - Doty, Babe
1929 - Powell, Jim
1940 - Harkins, John
1951 - Burchell, Fred
1951 - Rogalski, Joe
1952 - McMullin, Fred 1953 - Maharg, Billy
1954 - Fenner, Hod 1956 - Kuhn, Bub
1958 - Lathrop, Bill 1959 - Thomas, Roy
1960 - Brower, Frank
1963 - Hopkins, Marty 1968 - Thompson, Fresco
1968 - Maisel, George
1969 - Baumann, Paddy
1976 - Hennessey, Les
1984 - Williams, Leon
1989 - Nichols, Dolan
1995 - Coleman, Walter
1996 - Sayles, Bill
1997 - Littlefield, Dick 1998 - Sisler, Dick
2010 - McDevitt, Danny