Monday, December 5, 2005

The 'hot stove' is stoked...

It's freezing in New York with more snow on the way tonight, the perfect time to think about, what else ? Baseball. New York is buzzing about the moves Omar Minaya has already made to make the Mets playoff contenders next season and the hot stove league gets in full gear today in earnest at baseball's winter meetings. Actually the meetings are not in earnest but just down the road in Dallas which is right next to Irving. Before the meetings end on Thursday, trades and free-agent signings will make contenders out of pretenders and set the tone for what promises to be an active off season of baseball. Let's look back on some key trades and free-agent signings on this date through the years...

1973) The Dodgers trade Willie Davis to Montreal for relief pitcher Mike Marshall. Davis's career was on the decline but all Mike Marshall would do was become the Dodgers stopper and win the Cy Young award in 1974...

1978) After 16 years with the Reds, Pete Rose becomes baseball's highest paid player when he signs a 4-year, $32 million free-agent contract with Philadelphia. Rose takes the Phillies to the playoffs in 1980...

1990) Toronto trades Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez to San Diego for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter. All of these players contribute to their new teams but none more than Joe Carter who will lead the Blue Jays to 2 straight World Series titles in 1992 and 1993 when he hits a walk-off homer in one of the Fall Classics greatest moments...

On the other hand there were a couple of trades that were busts on this date, both involving the Yankees. In 1984 Rickey Henderson was traded to the Bronx where he would quickly wear out his welcome and same date, same year catcher and Bronx version of 'Italian Stalion', Rick Cerone was traded to the Braves for Brian Fisher and neither player would distinguish themselves...

It may be freezing where you are right now but things are about to warm up. Get those marshmallows out. Can't you just taste those smores now ???

More December 5 Memories...

1792) George Washington is re-elected president, John Adams, vice president...

1848) President James K. Polk triggers the Gold Rush by confirming that gold has been discovered in California...

1908) The University of Pittsburgh becomes the first college to use numbers on football jerseys...

1933) Prohibition comes to an end as the 21st Amendment to the Constitution is ratified...

1955) The AFL-CIO is established...

1956) Alan Freed's "Rock, Rock, Rock" premieres (Connie Francis' voice is dubbed in over Tuesday Weld's singing. The film featured Chuck Berry, Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, Johnny Burnette, LaVern Baker, the Flamingos and Moonglows)...

1965) The Byrds top the charts with "Turn, Turn, Turn" (Pete Seeger adapts the lyrics from the Book of Ecclesiastes)...

1968) The Rolling Stones unveil their "Beggar's Banquet" LP in an uncontroversial white cover designed to resemble a formal invitation...

1968) Graham Nash leaves the Hollies and announces the formation of Crosby, Stills and Nash 3 days later...

1975) "Fly, Robin, Fly" tops the charts for Silver Convention (the original title is "Run, Rabbit, Run" which would have worked at Easter time)...

1978) Pioneer Venus I orbits Venus and beams back the first picture of the planet...

1985) Mr. Mister is #1 with "Broken Wings" (the song is written in 20 minutes by band members Richard Page and Steve George)...

1991) Richard Speck who murdered 8 student nurses in Chicago in 1966 dies a day before his 50th birthday (a lot longer than his victims)...

1996) Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan sends reporters scurrying for translations after his famous "irrational exuberance" speech about whether or not the stock market was overvalued (9 years later we still don't know what he was talking about)...

1998) James P. Hoffa becomes the head of the Teamsters union, 23 years after his father was the head of the same union (it's been reported that Dad might be with the missing New York City fake-fireman but this has not been confirmed, then again he might be under the right crossbar of the Giant Stadium uprights)...

Happy Birthday To...

1932) Little Richard...

1947) Jim Messina...

1947) Former Patriot QB Jim Plunkett...

1952) Andy Kim...

1972) Mets outfielder Cliff Floyd...

1985) Frankie Muniz...