On December 15 in Baseball History... 1896 - The first pitching machine, created by Princeton professor Charles E. Hinton, is demonstrated in the university's gymnasium. The mathematics instructor's device resembles a rifle which shoots the ball toward the batter.
1900 - The Giants trade Amos Rusie, a veteran pitcher who hasn't played since 1898, but won 20+ games in each season during his eight years with the team, to the Reds for Christy Mathewson. 'Matty', a future Hall of Famer, will post a 372-188 record and will become a legend during his 17-year tenure in New York.
1910 - During a five hour session at the Hotel Breslin in New York, National League president Tom Lynch informs the owners that umpires will be required to take a 'severe' eye test before the start of the season. As a result of the edict, any arbitrator found to have defective eyesight will not be allowed to work.
1912 - The Cubs trade Joe Tinker along with Harry Chapman and Grover Lowdermilk to the Reds for Red Corriden, Bert Humphries, Pete Knisely, Mike Mitchell and Art Phelan. The former Chicago shortstop, immortalized in 1910 by Franklin Pierce Adams' baseball poem "Tinker to Evers to Chance", will serve as the player-manager for Cincinnati next season
1920 - Yankees general manager Ed Barrow pries future Hall of Fame pitcher Waite Hoyt, catcher Wally Schang, lefty Harry Harper, and infielder Mike McNally from his former Boston team in exchange for second baseman Del Pratt, catcher Muddy Ruel, pitcher Hank Thormahlen, outfielder Sammy Vick, and cash.
1933 - The major leagues agree on a uniform ball, to be livelier than the NL ball of recent seasons, to match the AL balls. Owners also agree to ban Sunday doubleheaders until after June 15.
1948 - The Dodgers trade the much heralded, but injury prone Pete Reiser to the Braves for outfielder Myron McCormick. 'Pistol Pete' will play in only 137 games in his two years in Boston.
1960 - The Reds, who finished 20 games below .500, obtain two players in separate deals who both will play key roles in their unexpected run to next season's National League pennant when they send shortstop Roy McMillan to the Braves for Juan Pizarro and Joey Jay, who will 21 games for his new team. Pizarro will be packaged by Cincinnati along with Cal McLish to obtain White Sox third baseman Gene Freese, who will hit 26 home runs and drive in 87 runs for the NL champs.
1967 - The Mets obtain Tommy Agee, the 1966 Rookie of the Year, and utility infielder Al Weis from the White Sox in exchange for Buddy Booker, Tommy Davis, Jack Fisher and Billy Wynne. New York's newest additions will both play a pivotal role in the team's 1969 World Championship season.
1974 - Arbitrator Peter Seitz rules in favors of Cy Young winner Jim Hunter in a dispute with A's owner Charlie O. Finley making 'Catfish' a very attractive unrestricted free agent.
1980 - Dave Winfield becomes the highest-paid player in baseball when he signs a 10-year, $15 million contract with the Yankees.
1981 - The Yankees and Ron Guidry agree to a four-year, $3.6 million deal keeping the free agent in New York. During the span of the contract, 'Gator' will average nearly 17 wins a season.
1995 - The Ted Williams Tunnel in Boston is opened as the Splendid Splinter leads the way.
2000 - In their third free agent signing in the last eight days, the Red Sox come to terms pitcher Hideo Nomo signing the 1995 NL Rookie of the Year to a one-year deal worth 4.5 million dollars.
2001 - The Mariners acquire 32-year old two-time All-Star third baseman Jeff Cirillo (.312, 17, 83) from the Rockies in exchange for reliever Jose Paniagua and minor leaguers Dennis Stark and Brian Fuentes.
2002 - With the threat of losing their heavy-hitting second baseman, Jeff Kent, the Giants sign former All-Star free agent Edgardo Alfonzo (.308, 16, 56) to a four-year deal. The 29-year-old infielder, who was named the Mets All-time second baseman in August, was not tendered arbitration after turning down a number of contract proposals from the team.
2004 - Coming off an injury-shortened season with the Diamondbacks, Richie Sexson (.233, 9, 23) agrees to a $50 million, four-year deal with the Mariners. The 29-year old free-agent first baseman will be reunited with Seattle’s new manager Mike Hargrove, his former skipper in Cleveland from 1997-2000.
2004 - After offering a four-year deal worth approximately $53 million, the Mets announce officially the club has come to terms with Pedro Martinez (16-9, 3.90 ERA). The former Red Sox ace, who posted a 117-37 record in seven seasons with Boston, criticizes his former team for not being more aggressive in retaining his services.
2004 - After the District of Columbia Council votes to require private financing for at least half of the construction costs of a Nationals’ new ballpark, major league baseball suspends all sales of the team’s merchandise and tickets. The decision may make any thing with the National League’s newest logo quite a collector’s item.
2006 - Buck O'Neil, who passed away in October, is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously by President George W. Bush for his "excellence and determination both on and off the baseball field." Accepting the country's highest civilian honor on behalf of the Negro league baseball legend is his 91-year old brother, Warren.
2007 - Joining his close friend closer Takashi Saito, free-agent right-hander Hiroki Kuroda agrees to a three-year, $35.2 million deal to pitch for the Dodgers. The 33-year old native of Osaka complied a 103-89 record posting a 3.69 ERA in the Japanese Central League during past 11 seasons playing with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
2008 - In possibly the richest contract ever offered to an older player, 46-year-old Jamie Moyer (16-7, 3.71) signs a $13 million, two-year contract to stay with the World Champion Phillies. In his last outing, the southpaw pitched six strong innings against Tampa Bay in Game 3 of the World Series.
2008 - The Tigers improve their infield defense signing Adam Everett to a one-year contract reported worth $1 million to replace the departed Edgar Renteria, who signed a free-agent deal to play with San Francisco earlier in the month. The light-hitting infielder, formerly with Minnesota, is known to be one of the better defensive shortstops in baseball and will improve upon the 16 errors made at that position last season.
2009 - Adam Lind of the Toronto wins the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award. The Blue Jays outfielder batted .299 along with 21 homers and 74 RBIs appearing in 95 games as a DH for Toronto.
2009 - Bud Selig announces the establishment of a special committee, composed of managers and longtime executives who will explore "on-field matters", that the baseball commissioner will chair. The 15 panel members include four owner representatives- Paul Beeston (Blue Jays), Dave Montgomery (Phillies), Chuck Armstrong (Mariners), and Bill DeWitt (Cardinals), three current managers - Tony La Russa (Cardinals), Jim Leyland (Rockies), and Joe Torre (Dodgers) along with Mike Scioscia (Angels), Orioles president for baseball operations Andy MacPhail, Indians GM Mark Shapiro, Braves president John Schuerholz, former Twins GM Terry Ryan, political columnist George Will, and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson.
2009 - The Los Angeles Dodgers traded outfielder Juan Pierre to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for two players to be named later; Los Angeles Dodgers received pitchers John Ely and Jon Link. 2011 - The Twins' signing of former Oakland left fielder Josh Willingham (.246, 29, 98) to a three-year deal worth $21 million makes it unlikely the team will try to ink their own free agent outfielders. Minnesota is expected to have fleet flycatchers Denard Span and Ben Revere filling in the vacancies created by the probable departure of Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel.
2012 - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim sign free agent outfield Josh Hamilton to a five year, $125 million contract.
2014 - The Cubs and Jon Lester agree to a six-year contract reportedly worth $155 million with a seventh year option worth $15 million, making the southpaw one of the highest paid players in baseball history. The multiyear deal, valued at about $25.8 million annually, is the richest ever given to a pitcher in free agency.
2015 - The Chicago Cubs signed free agent outfielder Jason Heyward to a eight year, $184 million contract.
2016 - The New York Yankees signed Aroldis Chapman as a free agent.
2016 - The Giants make the final payment on AT&T Park, 17 years after playing their first game in the new ballpark located in the China Basin. The team’s home, originally known as Pacific Bell Park when the gates opened in 2000, was built by HOK Sport at a cost of $357 million dollars.
Baseball Birthdays on December 15... 1860 - Powell, Abner
1863 - Van Dyke, Bill
1868 - Hemming, George
1878 - Slagle, Walt
1882 - Clarke, Nig
1884 - Nealon, Jim
1888 - Prendergast, Mike
1902 - Watt, Frank
1906 - Kane, Tom
1910 - Stumpf, George 1919 - Trinkle, Ken
1920 - Robinson, Eddie 1923 - Bonness, Bill
1929 - Herbert, Ray 1930 - Sullivan, Haywood
1931 - Esposito, Sammy
1944 - Bahnsen, Stan 1945 - Blanco, Gil
1946 - Howe, Art
1947 - Crosby, Ken
1948 - Rau, Doug
1950 - Hockenbery, Chuck
1950 - Proly, Mike 1951 - Sexton, Jimmy
1952 - Bulling, Bud
1967 - Vaughn, Mo
1970 - Helling, Rick
1970 - Ellis, Robert 1971 - Ramirez, Hector
1975 - Clemente, Edgard
1976 - Miles, Aaron 1978 - Wuertz, Mike
1979 - Cameron, Kevin
1981 - Gonzalez, Andy 1981 - Montanez, Lou
1984 - Houser, James
1984 - Garner, Cole
1986 - Buss, Nick
1987 - Copeland, Scott
1988 - Pressly, Ryan
1990 - Hildenberger, Trevor
1991 - Crockett, Kyle
Baseball Deaths on December 15... 1892 - Shetzline, John
1915 - Murphy, Tony
1921 - Weber, Harry
1932 - Bishop, Bill
1941 - Gillpatrick, George
1944 - Chatterton, Jim
1945 - Hess, Tom
1949 - Hershey, Frank
1958 - Heitmann, Harry
1961 - Hoy, Dummy 1964 - Wachtel, Paul
1965 - Newsome, Dick
1968 - McLaughlin, Jim
1975 - Chatham, Buster
1979 - Hack, Stan
1981 - Wisner, Jack
1981 - Glass, Tom
1984 - Tomer, George
1990 - Otis, Bill
1992 - Mulligan, Dick
1998 - Riddle, Johnny 1999 - Kazak, Eddie
2000 - Floyd, Bubba
2002 - Stuart, Dick
2003 - Hamner, Garvin
2004 - Marino, Jimmy
2011 - Carey, Andy