On November 23 in Baseball History... 1943 - Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis rules that Phils owner William D. Cox is permanently ineligible to hold office or be employed in baseball for having bet on his own team. The Carpenter family of Delaware will buy the Philadelphia club and Bob Carpenter, age 28, will become president.
1944 - Five groups totaling 23 players, managers, umpires, and writers visit war theaters as part of the USO program. Included are Mel Ott, Frankie Frisch, Bucky Walters, Harry Heilmann, Carl Hubbell, Leo Durocher, Joe Medwick, Dixie Walker, Paul Waner, and Rip Sewell.
1960 - Dodgers outfielder Frank Howard is voted National League Rookie of the Year with 12 of 24 votes.
1962 - The BBWAA selects Dodger shortstop Maury Wills as the National League's Most Valuable Player. The Gold Glove infielder stole a record 104 bases this season and served as a catalyst in the team's 102 victories and their attempt to capture a pennant, an effort that fell short in a three-game play off against San Francisco.
1964 - Future Hall of Fame southpaw Warren Spahn is purchased by the Mets from the Braves. In addition to serving on the club's coaching staff, the crafty southpaw will post a 4-12 record in twenty appearances.
1966 - Chicago White Sox outfielder Tommie Agee is voted American League Rookie of the Year, gathering 16 of the 18 votes. Kansas City pitcher Jim Nash gets the other two votes. Agee had been brought up briefly the past four seasons before finding a permanent spot in 1966. 1971 - Bill Virdon is named to take over for the retiring Danny Murtaugh as the manager of the world champion Pirates. Murtaugh, however will return to the Pittsburgh dugout during the 1973 season to replace his replacement.
1977 - The Red Sox sign two free-agent pitchers as Mike Torrez and Dick Drago come to terms to play in Boston.
1988 - Steve Sax signs a three-year deal as a free agent with the Yankees worth $3.75 million. The former NL Rookie of the year will replace fan-favorite Willie Randolph at second base, and Randolph will sign with the World Champion Dodgers replacing Sax.
2007 - While visiting his wife's family and scheduled to be the best man at a wedding later in the day, Joe Kennedy awakes and collapses in the bedroom at 1:00 am and dies unexpectedly. The 6'4", 250-pound Blue Jays southpaw reliever, who signed with the club in September after being released by the Diamondbacks, also played for the A's, Rockies, and Devil Rays during his seven-year career.
2007 - The woeful Reds bullpen gets a big boost with the signing of free-agent Francisco Cordero to a four-year, $46 million contract. The 32-year old former Brewers closer collected 44 saves in 51 chances while posting a 2.98 ERA with Milwaukee last season.
2009 - Joe Mauer (.365, 28, 96) becomes the fifth Twin to be named the American League's Most Valuable Player joining Zoilo Versalles (1965), Harmon Killebrew (1969), Rod Carew (1977), and Justin Morneau (2006). The slugging Gold Glove catcher, who missed the first month of the season with a back injury, receives 27 of 28 first-place votes cast by the BBWAA, and the St. Paul native easily outpoints Yankee teammates Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter.
2010 - Josh Hamilton joins Jeff Burroughs (1974), Juan Gonzalez (1996, 1998), Ivan Rodriguez (1999) and Alex Rodriguez (2003) as the fifth Ranger player to win the American League’s Most Valuable Player award. The Texas slugging outfielder, who received 22 of the 28 first-place votes cast by the writers, led the major leagues in batting with a .359 average, hitting 32 homers and driving in 100 runs despite missing 29 games in September after suffering two broken ribs.
2010 - Aubrey Huff agrees to a $22 million, two-year deal to stay with the World Champions Giants. Last January, San Francisco signed the 33-year old to a one-year contract with the hope he could provide some pop in the middle of the batting order, and the first baseman/outfielder did not disappoint hitting a team-leading 26 home runs along with 86 RBIs.
2011 - The oft-injured Grady Sizemore agrees to a one-year, incentive-laden contract to stay with the Indians, after the club declined his $9 million option for 2012. The Tribe will pay the 29-year-old All-star outfielder $5 million next season along with the opportunity for him to make another $4 million based on plate appearances and another $500,000 if he is selected comeback player of the year.
2011 - The A's deal right-handed starter Gio Gonzalez along with pitching prospect Robert Gilliam to the Nationals for southpaw Tommy Milone, catcher Derek Norris, right-hander Brad Peac0ck, and minor-league hurler A.J. Cole. Washington's newest member of the rotation, after agreeing to a five-year, $42 million extension following the trade, will enjoy a spectacular first season in the national's capital, going 21-8 with an ERA of 2.89.
Baseball Birthdays on November 23... 1850 - Bentley, Cy
1860 - Zimmer, Chief
1863 - Church, Hi
1870 - Seybold, Socks
1874 - Clay, Bill
1878 - Sheckard, Jimmy
1878 - Stovall, George
1890 - Halt, Al
1894 - Corcoran, Art
1894 - Petty, Jesse
1895 - Bradshaw, Dallas
1896 - Reichle, Dick
1897 - Leach, Freddy
1897 - Jonnard, Claude
1897 - Jonnard, Bubber 1903 - Muich, Joe
1906 - Wehde, Biggs 1910 - Schumacher, Hal
1913 - Scarsella, Les
1914 - Preibisch, Mel
1915 - Kahle, Bob
1916 - Collins, Eddie
1917 - Reich, Herman
1917 - Caulfield, Jake
1920 - Jones, Jake 1922 - Wilson, Grady
1926 - Osgood, Charlie
1932 - Anderson, John
1940 - Tiant, Luis
1940 - Ott, Billy
1942 - Nyman, Jerry 1947 - Tepedino, Frank
1947 - Anderson, Dwain
1947 - Hall, Tom
1951 - Cage, Wayne
1954 - Brummer, Glenn
1954 - Perkins, Broderick
1954 - Schrom, Ken
1955 - Smith, Mark
1955 - Whitmer, Dan
1955 - Cruz, Todd 1959 - Jacoby, Brook
1963 - Sauveur, Rich
1963 - Sveum, Dale 1964 - Gonzalez, Jose
1969 - Brady, Doug 1969 - McCarty, David
1970 - Murray, Glenn
1971 - McGuire, Ryan
1971 - Miller, Matt
1971 - Oropesa, Eddie
1971 - Small, Aaron
1975 - Porter, Colin
1977 - Eaton, Adam
1980 - Papelbon, Jonathan
1983 - Bankston, Wes
1984 - Coello, Robert
1984 - Turner, Justin
1984 - Wells, Casper 1985 - Figueroa, Pedro
1986 - Snyder, Brandon
1989 - Stripling, Ross
1990 - Burgos, Enrique
1990 - Ferrell, Jeff
1994 - Wade, Tyler
Baseball Deaths on November 23... 1898 - Watson, Mother
1905 - Hanlon, Bill
1910 - Barber, Charlie
1922 - McDermott, Sandy
1925 - Whiteley, Guerdon
1925 - Lynch, Henry
1937 - Walker, Welday
1947 - Newman, Charlie
1948 - Wilson, Hack
1955 - Tauby, Fred 1961 - Carter, Nick
1973 - Mitchell, Willie
1974 - Twombly, Babe
1978 - Ross, Buck
1985 - West, Sam 1990 - Diaz, Bo
1993 - Clarke, Grey 1995 - Rogers, Lee
2001 - Belinsky, Bo
2007 - Kennedy, Joe
2007 - Yates, Al
2012 - Diering, Chuck
2012 - Trosky, Hal Jr. 2013 - Forman, Al
2015 - Royster, Willie
2016 - Branca, Ralph