This Day in Braves History: Dennis Martinez announces his retirement

Feb 7, 2023 - 1:00 PM

Braves Franchise History

1942 - The Boston Braves acquire Ernie Lombardi from the Cincinnati Reds for cash. Lombardi will win the batting title in the upcoming season with a .330 average.

1995 - Cecil Upshaw passes away at the age of 52 due to a heart attack. Upshaw saved 27 games in 1969 for the Atlanta Braves who won the NL West crown.

1999 - Dennis Martinez announces his retirement bringing an end to a 23-year career. Martinez spent the 1998 season with the Braves appearing in 53 games while posting a 4.45 ERA in 91.0 innings.

MLB History

1908 - The St. Louis Browns acquire future Hall of Fame pitcher Rube Waddell from the Philadelphia Athletics for a reported $5,000

1934 - The Cincinnati Reds travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico for a month of Spring Training. They will wrap up the Grapefruit League season in Tampa.

1949 - Joe DiMaggio signs a one-year contract with the New York Yankees worth a reported $100,000 to become the first player to receive a six-figure deal in major league history.

1958 - The Dodgers officially become the Los Angeles Dodgers as they prepare for their first season on the west coast.

1961 - Red Sox outfielder Jackie Jensen returns to the major leagues on a one-year, $40,000 deal. Jensen retired in 1960 due to a fear of flying.

1979 - Reliever Jesse Orozco is the player to be named later, going to the Mets in the Jerry Koosman trade with Minnesota.

1983 - The Seattle Mariners select Reds outfielder Danny Tartabull as compensation for the loss of free agent pitcher Floyd Bannister to the White Sox.

1987 - Dodgers starter Orel Hershiser is forced to take a twenty percent pay cut due to salary arbitration after going 14-14 with a 3.85 ERA in 1986.

1994 - Michael Jordan signs a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox. Jordan will later be assigned to the Double-A Birmingham Barons.

1996 - Dave Winfield announces his retirement at the age of 44. He finished a 22-year career having played with six teams while totaling 3,110 hits, 465 home runs and 1,833 RBIs.

2005 - The Tigers sign outfielder Magglio Ordonez to a five-year, $75 million contract.

2013 - The Mariners sign Felix Hernandez to a seven-year, $175 million contract making him the highest paid pitcher in league history.

2014 - Alex Rodriguez drops his lawsuit against Major League Baseball and the Players Association. He will serve a one-year suspension for his role in the Biogenesis scandal.

2019 - Frank Robinson passes away at the age of 83. Robinson was the first player to win the MVP Award in both leagues and was the first African American manager in major league history.

2019 - The Miami Marlins trade catcher J.T. Realmuto to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for catcher Jorge Alfaro, and pitchers Sixto Sanchez and Will Stewart.

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Information for this article was found via Baseball Reference, NationalPastime.com and Today in Baseball History.