On November 4 in Baseball History... 1935 - NFL standout Cal Hubbard becomes an American League umpire. The former Green Bay Packers offensive tackle will become the only person to be enshrined at both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1957 - With a new balk rule, the hitter now has an option after the call is made. If a player gets a hit, he can accept the outcome of the pitch, instead of being only limited to the advance of the base runner(s).
1959 - Ernie Banks (.304, 45, 143) wins his second consecutive MVP award. 'Mr Cub' garners 10 of the writers' 21 first-place votes with Eddie Mathews (5) and Hank Aaron (2) of the Braves and Dodger Wally Moon (4) names found on top of the remaining ballots.
1963 - The Cardinals trade outfielder George Altman and pitcher Bill Wakefield to the Mets for veteran right-hander Roger Craig. Next season, the hard luck hurler, who has lost 20 games the last two years, will win Game 4 of the Fall Classic, beating the Yankees, for the World Champion Redbirds.
1965 - Al Lopez resigns as the manager of the White Sox. The future Hall of Fame skipper will briefly return to the Chicago dugout to manage 47 games in 1968 and another 17 games the following season, before retiring for good. 1975 - Jim Palmer of the Orioles wins his second Cy Young Award, after pacing the American League in wins (23), shutouts (ten), and ERA (2.09).
1976 - The first mass-market free agent re-entry draft is held at New York's Plaza Hotel. Among those available are Reggie Jackson, Joe Rudi, Don Gullett, Gene Tenace, Rollie Fingers, Don Baylor, Bobby Grich, and Willie McCovey.
1977 - The second re-entry free-agent draft is held at New York's Plaza Hotel. Big names include Lyman Bostock, Goose Gossage, Larry Hisle, Mike Torrez, and Oscar G@mble.
1978 - The third annual re-entry free-agent draft is held at the Plaza Hotel, New York City. Pete Rose, Tommy John, and Darrell Evans are the biggest names among the eligible players.
1980 - Steve Carlton joins Sandy Koufax, Tom Seaver, and Jim Palmer as pitchers with three Cy Young Awards. Carlton garners all but one of the twenty-four first-place votes to take National League honors. Carlton was 24-9 with a 2.34 ERA and led the National League with 286 strikeouts.
1980 - Japan's all-time home run hitter, Sadaharu Oh, retires from professional baseball. The Tokyo Yomiuri Giants' first baseman hit a record 868 home runs in his 22-year playing career.
1987 - Padres catcher Benito Santiago, who ended the season with a rookie record 34-game hitting streak, is a unanimous selection as the National League Rookie of the Year.
1997 - Scott Rolen is the unanimous choice for National League Rookie of the Year. The 22-year-old third baseman led all National League rookies in batting average (.283), home runs (21), RBI (92), runs (93), hits (159), doubles (35), total bases (263), on-base percentage (.377), and slugging percentage (.469). Rolen did not qualify as a rookie last season by one at-bat after having his wrist broken when hit by a pitch, becomes the first Philadelphia player to win the award since Dick Allen copped the honor in 1964.
2001 - In Game 7 of a classic World Series, Arizona rallies for two runs in the bottom of the ninth defeating the Yankees and their usually unbeatable closer, Mariano Rivera, 3-2. The four-year old Diamondbacks, the youngest franchise to win a Fall Classic, ends New York's string of three consecutive World Championships.
2001 - Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling are named co-MVPs of the World Series. The Diamondback hurlers are the first multiple winners since a trio of Dodgers (Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager) shared the award in 1981.
2001 - For the first time since 1985, two twenty game winners start Game 7 of the World Series as Yankee pitcher Rogers Clemens (20-3) faces Curt Schilling (22-6) of the Diamondbacks at Bank One Ballpark in Arizona. Sixteen years ago Bret Saberhagen (20-6) of the Royals squared off against Cardinal hurler John Tudor (21-8) in the Fall Classic finale at Kauffman Stadium.
2002 - Eric Hinske (.279, 24, 84) wins the American League Rookie of the Year award. The 25-year-old Blue Jays third baseman receives 19 of 28 first-place votes cast by the Baseball Writers Association of America with Oriole starter Rodrigo Lopez getting the other nine first-place votes.
2002 - Colorado Rockies right-hander Jason Jennings (16-6, 4.52) becomes the first member of the Rockies to be selected by the BBWAA as the National League Rookie of the Year. The 24-year old right-hander receives 27 first-place votes from the 32 writers participating in the balloting.
2003 - Miami-Dade County Commissioners approved a plan committing $73 million in tax money toward a new major league ballpark for the Marlins. The World Champions, who have agreed to change their name to the Miami Marlins if the city builds the ballpark, want to begin playing in the $325 million new park in 2007, but still doesn't have a plan for raising $137 million needed as part of their commitment.
2003 - Former Yankee captain Don Mattingly is named as the Bronx Bombers' hitting coach replacing Rick Down, who did not have his contract renewed last week. The 42-year-old, who retired due to back problems, will be a top candidate to replace Joe Torre as manager in 2005.
2004 - Charlie Manuel is named to replace Larry Bowa as the Phillies' manager. The former Cleveland skipper compiled a 220-190 (.537) record and won a division during his three years with the Tribe.
2004 - The Mets introduced Willie Randolph as the franchise's 18th manager. The long-time Yankee second baseman and third base coach becomes the first black to manage in New York.
2005 - The Yankees continue to makeover their coaching staff as southpaw Ron Guidry, a former three-time 20-game winner, is named to replace Mel Stottlemyre as the team’s pitching coach and former Red Sox skipper Joe Kerrigan joins the team as its bullpen coach. Earlier in the week, former big league managers Larry Bowa (third base coach), Lee Mazzilli (bench coach) and Tony Pena (first base coach) also are added to Joe Torre's staff.
2008 - Barack Obama, a long-time White Sox fan, is elected as the 44th president of the United States. The junior senator from Illinois, the first African-American to become the nation's commander-in-chief, is friendly with the team's general manager Kenny Williams, also a prominent member of Chicago’s black community. 2009 - In Game 6 of the Fall Classic, the Yankees captured their 27th World Championship, and their first since 2000 with a 7-3 decision over the Phillies, the defending champs. Hideki Matsui, New York's designated hitter, collects six RBIs, tying a World Series mark, and Andy Pettitte became the second pitcher to get the victory in all three post-season clinching games joining Derek Lowe, who accomplished the feat with Boston in 2004.
2009 - Ryan Howard breaks KC outfielder Willie Wilson's record, established in the 1980 Fall Classic against Philadelphia, for the most strikeouts in a World Series. The Phillies' slugging first baseman, who was the NLCS MVP against LA, earns the dubious distinction when he whiffs in the eighth inning of Game 6, making it the 13th time he returned to the bench without putting the ball in play.
2010 - Instead of negotiating a new multiyear contract with their designated hitter, the Red Sox decide to exercise their $12.5 million option on 34-year old David Ortiz for the upcoming season. 'Big Papi', who would have preferred a long-term contract, led Boston with 32 homers along with 102 RBIs.
2011 - Jim Thome returns to the Phillies inking a $1.25 million, one-year contract with the the team as a free agent. The 41-year-old slugger, who hit hit .256 with 15 homers that included his 600th career round-tripper with the Twins and the Indians last season, had successfully completed three seasons of his six-year $85 million deal in his first stint with the club before being traded to Chicago in 2005 for Aaron Rowand and two pitching prospects.
2013 - The Mets and Clear Channel Media and Entertainment announce the launch of a five-year multimedia marketing partnership. WOR (710 AM) will become the team's flagship radio station, replacing WFAN (660 AM), which will now be broadcasting Yankee games after carrying the Amazins’ for the past 26 years.
2013 - The Texas Rangers signed Jason Frasor as a free agent.
Baseball Birthdays on November 4... 1840 - Crane, Fred
1866 - Hernon, Tom
1872 - Kilroy, Mike
1873 - Wallace, Bobby
1877 - Leach, Tommy
1885 - Enzenroth, Jack
1889 - Schwind, Art
1889 - O'Brien, George
1890 - Sherman, Joe
1893 - Leinhauser, Bill
1894 - Shanner, Bill
1895 - McCarren, Bill
1897 - Menze, Ted
1901 - Henderson, Bill
1904 - Mattingly, Earl
1905 - Willis, Lefty
1909 - Webb, Skeeter 1910 - Beggs, Joe
1914 - Gryska, Sig
1914 - McCrabb, Les
1915 - Kracher, Joe
1916 - Kush, Emil
1920 - Heim, Val 1922 - Basinski, Eddie
1925 - Jacobs, Spook
1927 - Sawatski, Carl 1928 - Van Noy, Jay
1930 - Groat, Dick
1930 - Morton, Guy
1933 - Francona, Tito 1942 - Whillock, Jack
1943 - Selma, Dick
1946 - Godby, Danny
1947 - Colson, Loyd
1952 - Corbett, Doug
1953 - Slagle, Roger
1961 - Bailey, Mark
1961 - Salazar, Angel
1961 - Easley, Logan
1967 - Thompson, Ryan
1967 - Karros, Eric
1967 - Shave, Jon
1967 - Bushing, Chris
1968 - Fernandez, Osvaldo
1968 - Baerga, Carlos
1968 - Cedeno, Domingo 1971 - Bunch, Melvin
1974 - Mendoza, Carlos
1976 - Frederick, Kevin
1977 - Bigbie, Larry
1977 - Gwyn, Marc
1978 - Cali, Carmen
1978 - Grabow, John
1979 - Astacio, Ezequiel
1981 - Threets, Erick 1982 - Blackley, Travis
1982 - MacLane, Evan
1982 - Resop, Chris
1985 - Savery, Joe
1991 - Wallach, Chad
1993 - Duggar, Steven
1993 - Hu, Chih-Wei
1994 - Calhoun, Willie
Baseball Deaths on November 4... 1904 - Reilly, Charlie
1904 - Shanley, Jim
1912 - Murphy, Frank
1921 - Meyerle, Levi
1922 - Houseman, John
1928 - Kelly, Ed
1939 - Henning, Pete
1946 - Barthold, John
1948 - Powell, Jake
1949 - Douglas, Larry
1950 - Alexander, Grover
1955 - Young, Cy
1959 - Williams, Lefty 1961 - Mohler, Kid
1965 - Trekell, Harry
1965 - Mitchell, Johnny
1967 - Lanning, Tom
1971 - O'Brien, Dink
1971 - Messenger, Bud
1971 - McLarry, Polly 1974 - Fritz, Harry
1977 - Pittinger, Pinky
1979 - Priest, Johnny
1979 - Terry, Yank
1983 - Pickrel, Clarence
1992 - Varga, Andy
1993 - Young, Cliff
1994 - Bradshaw, George
1997 - Dickshot, Johnny
2001 - Gillespie, Bob 2004 - Phillips, Damon
2010 - Anderson, Sparky
2016 - Carnett, Eddie