<— DEC 02     DEC 04 —>

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1853 Tim Manning
1873 Frank Shannon

1878 Walt Dickson

Walter Raleigh Dixon was known as Hickory during his playing days. A right-handed pitcher, he came from the Texas Leagues to the majors as a Giant. His Sporting News Bio Card says he was born in 1886, but in truth he was born in 1878 in New Summerfield, Texas. Dixon got his first start with the Giants in 1910, was returned to the minors, and was drafted by Boston for the 1912 and 1913 seasons where he struggled some (if you can call going 3-19 in 1912 struggling…). Anyway, he was dispatched to the minors, but returned to the big leagues when he jumped a contract to pitch for the Pittsburgh Rebels of the Federal League for two years (1915, 1916).

Dickson retired from baseball and got into the cotton industry in Fort Worth, Texas before shifting to a compress business in Ardmore, Oklahoma. In late 1918 he came down with influenza during that epidemic. It turned into pneumonia and he died six days after his 40th birthday.

“‘Hickory’ Dickson, Once Star Pitcher, Dead at Ardmore,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, December 10, 1918: 16.

1884 Joe Birmingham
1886 Bill Crouch
1886 Delos Drake
1888 Louis Drucke
1891 Larry Gilbert
1896 Clarence Smith
1897 Otis Starks
1898 Ambrose Reid
1901 Bennie Tate
1902 Al Spohrer
1904 John Williams
1910 Dave Mays
1912 Charlie Wagner
1915 Charles William (Butch) Wensloff
1918 Joe Cleary
1919 Clarence Eugene (Hooks) Iott
1920 Jimmy Reynolds
1922 Joe Collins
1924 Fred Taylor
1925 Harry Simpson
1926 Al Corwin
1931 Bill Harris
1934 Minnie Mendoza
1936 Clay Dalrymple
1936 Dave Eilers
1939 Ed Connolly
1939 Ron Stillwell
1940 Rutherford Eduardo (Chico) Salmon
1942 Jose Pena
1943 Jerry Johnson
1945 Steve Huntz
1945 Lou Marone
1946 Greg Washburn
1947 Wayne Garrett
1947 Gerry Pirtle
1951 Lafayette Currence
1952 Larry Anderson
1953 Bob Pate
1953 Pat Putnam
1956 Mark Bradley
1958 Mike Martin
1960 Gene Nelson
1963 Damon Berryhill
1964 Steve Carter
1964 Jeff Carter
1964 Darryl Hamilton
1969 Kevin Morgan
1970 Paul Byrd
1973 Robert Ramsay
1976 Gary Glover
1977 Chad Durbin
1978 Matt Childers
1979 Eric Hull
1981 Chris Snelling
1982 Manny Corpas
1984 Tobi Stoner
1987 Andy Oliver
1990 Miguel Gonzalez
1990 J.T. Chargois
1990 Matt Reynolds
1990 Mike Tauchman
1991 Konner Wade
2000 Troy Melton

OBITUARIES:

1917 Robert Armstrong
1930 Harry Baumgartner
1938 Guy Hecker
1939 Frank Killen
1942 Chad Kimsey
1943 Mike Grady
1945 Bill Kay
1948 Fred Buckingham
1948 Gus Bono
1949 Pete LePine
1957 Jack Ness
1962 George Scott
1963 Nellie Pott
1969 Roy Wilson
1973 Bill Holland
1974 Cy Twombly
1976 Leo Townsend
1977 Bill Bonness
1981 Walter Cannady
1986 Bob Moorhead
1990 Clint Thomas
1993 Harry Barnes
1994 Earl Johnson
1994 Erwin Fowlkes
1996 John Bateman
1997 Vic Lombardi
1999 Curtis Brown
2000 Red Nonnenkamp
2002 Jug Thesenga
2002 Rusty Payne
2003 Jay Difani
2005 Herb Moford
2005 Roy Valdes
2006 Ernie Oravetz
2006 Billy Klaus

YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!!!

1962 Players led by Frank Crosetti and John Schulte file a suit to make sure that any changes in pension payments include players from the past.

1968 After the year of the pitcher, Major League Baseball agrees to shrink the strike zone and lower the heights of mounds.

TRANSACTION WIRE:

1940 The Browns purhase Denny Galehouse and Fritz Ostermueller from the Red Sox.

1956 Cincinnati drafted Maury Wills from the Dodgers in the Minor League draft – and later sent him back.

1957 Baltimore sends Billy Goodman, Tito Francona, and Ray Moore to the White Sox for Larry Doby, Jim Marshall, Russ Heman, and Jack Harshman.

1960 Cleveland sends Harvey Kuenn to the Giants for Johnny Antonellia and Willie Kirkland.

1963 Milwaukee sends Del Crandall, Bob Shaw, and Bob Hendley to the Giants for Felipe Alou, Ed Bailey, and Billy Hoeft (and later Ernie Bowman).

1969 The Mets send Amos Otis and Bob Johnson to the Royals for Joe Foy.

1974 Houston sends Lee May and Jay Schluter to the Orioles for Enos Cabell and Rob Andrews.

Also, Dick Allen was traded to the Braves for a player to be named later and cash. Allen didn’t want to be there – he held out until he was transferred to the Phillies. Atlanta sent Jim Essian to the White Sox to complete the trade in June.

2002 The White Sox send Keith Foulke, Mark Johnson, and some money to the Athletics for Billy Koch and (later) Neal Cotts and Daylan Holt.

2018 Seattle sends Robinson Cano, Edwin Diaz and money to the Mets for Jay Bruce, Anthony Swarzak, Justin Dunn, Gerson Bautista, and Jerred Kelenic.