Seattle’s franchise cornerstone signs a lucrative deal to stay with the M’s.
Braves Franchise History
1942: The Cincinnati Reds stir the hometown fans by selling popular catcher Ernie Lombardi to the Boston Braves, where he will win the National League batting title this season with a .330 average.
1995: Former major league pitcher Cecil Upshaw dies from a heart attack at the age of 52. The side-arming Upshaw saved 27 games in 1969, helping the Atlanta Braves win the first division title in the National League West. In nine seasons, Upshaw made 348 appearances, all in relief.
MLB History
1949: New York Yankees superstar Joe DiMaggio signs a one-year contract worth $100,000, becoming the first player to earn a six-figure deal in major league history. In 1948, DiMaggio batted .320, while leading the American League in home runs and RBI.
1958: The Dodgers officially become the “Los Angeles Dodgers, Inc.” in anticipation of playing their first season on the West Coast.
2005: The Detroit Tigers sign All-Star right fielder Magglio Ordóñez for five years for a reported $75 million. The contract for the free agent slugger, recovering from knee surgery, includes options which could extend his stay in Detroit for an additional two years making the deal worth nearly $100 million.
2013: The Mariners sign ace pitcher Felix Hernandez to a seven-year contract for $175 million, making him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history. The M’s also sign veteran lefty Joe Saunders to a one-year contract, but for considerably less money.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Here’s King Felix during his extremely brief stint with the Braves.]
Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Information for this article was found via Baseball Reference, NationalPastime.com and Today in Baseball History.