On January 5 in Baseball History... 1920 - The Yankees announce the purchase of Babe Ruth. The deal had been delayed until Ruth agreed to terms believed to be $40,000 total for two years.
1925 - During a European tour by the White Sox and Giants, the French Baseball Federation awards silver medals to John McGraw, Charlie Comiskey, and Hughie Jennings for their efforts to advance the game in France.
1927 - Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis begins a three-day public hearing on the charges that four games played between Chicago and Detroit in 1917 had been thrown to the White Sox. The White Sox, Swede Risberg contends, returned the favor for two games in 1919. A week after the hearing opens, Landis clears all the accused due to a lack of evidence. 1931 - Lucille Thomas purchases the Topeka franchise in the Western League. She becomes the first woman to buy a professional baseball team.
1934 - The Fenway Park center field new concrete and steel bleachers, being built in center field to replace the wooden grandstands, are destroyed by fire in an early afternoon blaze. The Red Sox will rebuild and have the project finished for Opening Day.
1943 - Teams agree to start the season later than usual and prepare to train in northern areas because of World War II. Resorts, armories, and university facilities are chosen for training sites. The Dodgers will train at Bear Mountain, New York; the Cardinals hop to Cape Girardeau, Missouri; the Yankees try Atlantic City.
1946 - The Giants pay the largest amount ever paid for a single player when the team obtains Walker Cooper from the Cardinals for $175,000. The All-Star catcher will hit .276 during his 3+ seasons with New York.
1957 - Jackie Robinson retires rather than move across town from the Dodgers to the Giants, to whom he had been traded in December.
1960 - The Continental League, a proposed third major league, gets an assurance of congressional support from New York Senator Kenneth Keating.
1963 - Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby dies at age 66 of a heart ailment. Hornsby's .358 career batting average is the second highest in major league history.
1974 - Due to heavy financial losses, Rheingold Beer announces it will close its Brooklyn-based plant. As as a result, the brewery will be forced to end its 13-year relationship with the Mets as the team's primary radio-TV sponsor.
1982 - The BBWAA selects Vin Scully as the sixth recipient of the Ford Frick Award, an honor given for excellence in broadcasting the national pastime. The Dodger veteran announcer follows mentor Red Barber, Mel Allen, Bob Elson, Russ Hodges and Ernie Harwell into the Hall of Fame.
1989 - Three weeks after signing a record four-year, $1.1 billion network television contract with CBS, major league baseball signs a $400 million contract with ESPN. The deal will put 175 games per year on cable television beginning in 1990.
1993 - Reggie Jackson is the lone player elected to the Hall of Fame. Jackson, whose .262 lifetime batting average is the lowest of any outfielder in the Hall, receives 93.6 percent of the vote. Jackson's 563 career home runs make him a hit with voters in his first year of eligibility.
1994 - The Mets trade Vince Coleman to the Royals along with along with $500,000, a sum that will make up the difference between the two salaries, reacquiring Kevin McReynolds. New York's co-owner Fred Wilpon had clearly indicated that Coleman would never wear his team's uniform again due to the outfielder's role in last season's firecracker incident at Dodger Stadium.
1998 - Don Sutton gets into the Hall of Fame on his fifth try. With 324 wins, he had the most victories of any eligible pitcher not in the Hall of Fame. He reached the postseason with three different clubs (Dodgers, Brewers, and Angels), and struck out 3,574 batters in 23 seasons. Sutton receives 386 votes of the record 473 ballots cast for 81.6 percent; Tony Perez falls short with 355 votes and Ron Santo, on the ballot for the 15th and final time, gains 204 votes.
1999 - Receiving an apology from Yankees owner George Steinbrenner about his 1985 dismissal as manager after only 16 games, Yogi Berra ends his self-exile from Yankee Stadium and the organization. The Bronx Bomber legend is expected to participate in future Opening Day and Old Timers' ceremonies.
2001 - Needing help due to the departures of Shawon Dunston and Eric Davis, the Cardinals sign their first free agents of the off-season. The four include Bobby Bonilla, Bernard Gilkey, John Mabry and Shane Andrews.
2001 - The Mariners ink Ichiro Suzuki to a three-year deal worth $14,088,000. The signing rights to the Japanese outfielder, winner of seven batting titles in Japan, were awarded to Seattle for approximately $13 million.
2001 - The plan to name a new ballpark in downtown Montreal Labatt Park dims as the Canadian brewery announces the ending of its 15-year sponsorship of the Expos. The company cites the lack of a local television contract and stalled stadium plans as factors in the decision.
2007 - Felipe Alou is named special assistant to Brian Sabean, general manager of the Giants. The team’s 72-year old former manager (2003-06) will handle Major League, Minor League scouting assignments providing insights on personnel for the GM.
2009 - Carl Pohlad, believed by many to be the savior of major league baseball in Minnesota after buying the club in 1984, dies at the age of 93. Although the owner of the Twins' net worth was $3.6 billion, the franchise often had some of the lowest payrolls in baseball, including the World Champion teams of 1987 and 1991.
2009 - Pat Burrell agrees to a two-year deal reportedly worth $16 million with the Rays, his World Series foes last season. The 32-year old outfielder, who spent his first nine seasons in the majors with the Phillies, will most likely be used as a designated hitter with Tampa Bay.
2009 - According to reports, a preliminary agreement has been reached between the Cubs and free-agent outfielder Milton Bradley on a $30 million, three-year deal. The switch-hitting All-Star, who batted .321 and led the American League with a .436 on-base percentage, will fill the team's need for a left-handed presence in the middle of the line-up.
2010 - Troy Glaus and the Braves come to terms on a $1.75 million, one-year incentive-laden deal that will shift the four-time All-Star third baseman to first base. After arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder a year ago, the 33 year-old infielder appeared in only 14 games with St. Louis at the end of the season.
2010 - After 22 big league seasons, playing for the Expos (3-4), Mariners (130-74), Astros (10-1), Diamondbacks (118-62), Yankees (34-19), and the Giants (8-6), five-time Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson announces his retirement. The 6-foot-10 'Big Unit' finishes his no-miss Hall of Fame career, which includes a World Series Most Valuable Player award, a perfect game and two no-hitters, with a record of 303-166 and as the all-time left-handed strike out leader with 4,875.
2010 - Kelly Shoppach (.214, 12, 40) and the Rays come to terms on a $5.5 million, two-year contract that includes a club option for a third season at $3.2 million or a $300,000 buyout. The Rays obtained the 29-year-old back up catcher from the Indians last month for a player to be named, which turns out be right-hander Mitch Talbot.
2010 - In a deal intended to strengthen Philadelphia's bullpen, right-handed reliever Danys Baez (4-6, 4.02) and the Phillies come to terms on a $5.25 million, two-year contract. The 32-year-old former Baltimore closer will be used with Ryan Madson and J.C. Romero as a setup man, but could become an option to replace an unreliable Brad Lidge, who led the majors last season with 11 blown saves while compiling an 0-8 record along with a 7.21 ERA .
2010 - The Mets and R.A. Dickey agree to a one-year minor league deal reportedly worth $600,000 if the journeyman is added to the major league roster along with the opportunity to earn $150,000 more in performance bonuses. The 35-year-old knuckleballer will become the first player in franchise history to win six of his first seven starts (6-0, 2.33 ERA).
2011 - After narrowly missing induction last year, Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven are elected to the Hall of Fame by a wide margin. Right-hander Blyleven, who waited 14 years before getting the nod from the writers, and second baseman Alomar, considered a sure first-ballot inductee last year, will join executive Pat Gillick, broadcaster Dave Van Horne, and writer Bill Conlin in Cooperstown next July.
2011 - Adrian Beltre agrees to a $96 million, six-year deal with the Rangers, the reigning American League champs. The acquisition of the All-Star third baseman will make incumbent Michael Young the team's designated hitter, giving Texas a potent lineup and a much improved defense.
2012 - The Cubs trade Carlos Zambrano to the Marlins for right-hander Chris Volstad and cash. The 30-year old right-hander will join fellow Venezuelan Ozzie Guillen, Miami's new manager, who has been publicly supportive during the hurler's troubled moments.
2013 - The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Ramon Castro as a free agent. Castro, a 13-year veteran who last caught for the Chicago White Sox in 2011 before becoming a free agent, would end up being released by the Dodgers during spring training on March 18, 2013. 2017 - The Cleveland Indians signed Edwin Encarnacion as a free agent.
Baseball Birthdays on January 5... 1864 - Caruthers, Bob
1865 - Moriarity, Gene
1870 - Dahlen, Bill
1875 - Hoffman, Izzy
1879 - Harvey, Zaza 1880 - Jordan, Dutch
1880 - Hunter, Newt
1880 - Byrnes, Jim
1885 - Fletcher, Art
1888 - Foster, Rube
1890 - Kauff, Benny
1892 - Wortman, Chuck
1894 - Steele, Bob
1895 - Delaney, Art
1898 - Stephenson, Riggs
1899 - Kinsella, Bob
1899 - Hunnefield, Bill
1901 - Sewell, Luke 1908 - Leheny, Regis
1911 - Petoskey, Ted
1914 - Grace, Joe
1914 - Salveson, Jack 1918 - Kramer, Jack
1924 - Marsh, Fred 1928 - Oldis, Bob
1935 - Battey, Earl 1936 - Robertson, Daryl
1936 - Bloomfield, Bud
1942 - Wolf, Wally
1944 - Vinson, Charlie
1944 - Kelley, Tom
1947 - Vance, Sandy
1948 - Laxton, Bill
1948 - Hough, Charlie 1951 - Reece, Bob
1953 - Gantner, Jim
1954 - Littlefield, John
1957 - Dernier, Bob
1958 - Kittle, Ron 1959 - Thompson, Milt
1961 - Cotto, Henry
1961 - Russell, John
1961 - Samuels, Roger
1962 - Jackson, Danny
1963 - Davis, John 1963 - Fassero, Jeff
1965 - Nieves, Juan 1966 - Shifflett, Steve
1967 - Nabholz, Chris
1971 - Bates, Jason
1973 - Rath, Fred
1974 - Minor, Ryan
1974 - Minor, Damon
1974 - Redman, Mark
1976 - Witt, Kevin
1977 - Junge, Eric
1979 - Quevedo, Ruben
1981 - Cavazos, Andy
1982 - Aoki, Norichika
1986 - Arencibia, J. P.
1989 - Escobar, Eduardo 1990 - Cron, C.J.
1990 - Inglesias, Jose
1990 - Ortiz, Danny
1992 - Cole, A.J.
Baseball Deaths on January 5... 1936 - Sawyer, Will
1937 - Beville, Ben
1943 - Rafter, Jack
1945 - Hobbs, Bill
1949 - Edwards, Ralph
1953 - Cantwell, Mike
1953 - Lapan, Pete
1954 - Maranville, Rabbit
1960 - Van Alstyne, Clay
1961 - Luderus, Fred
1962 - Snyder, Frank
1963 - Hornsby, Rogers
1965 - Manush, Frank
1969 - Osborne, Tiny
1975 - Wilson, Don
1976 - Sperber, Ed
1976 - Elliott, Gene
1979 - Washburn, George
1982 - Baker, Neal
1987 - Mitchell, Dale
1990 - Balcena, Bobby
1994 - Brittin, Jack
1996 - Singleton, Elmer
1997 - Roy, Emil
2004 - McGraw, Tug
2006 - Dedeaux, Rod
2013 - Padilla, Joey
2014 - Coleman, Jerry
2016 - Ritchie, Jay