This Day in MLB History: March 21

Mar 21, 2023 - 12:00 PM

MLB History

1908 - Ty Cobb signs with the Detroit Tigers for $4,000 and will receive an $800 bonus if he finishes the season with a .300 batting average.

1921 - Gene Paulette is banned from organized baseball for throwing games.

1931 - The Chicago White Sox and the New York Giants are the first major league teams to play a night game.

1957 - Major League Baseball will receive $9.3 million for TV and radio rights for the upcoming season.

1962 - The Philadelphia Phillies retire Robin Roberts’ No. 36.

1968 - Kansas City’s American League expansion franchise announces that their new name will be the “Royals.”

1978 - The San Diego Padres fire manager Alvin Dark and replace him with pitching coach Roger Craig. Dark is the second manager to be replaced during the spring.

1986 - A coalition of 13 public and private investors purchase the Pittsburgh Pirates from the Galbreath family for $21.8 million.

2001 - The Yankees acquire third baseman Drew Henson and outfielder Michael Coleman from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for outfielder Wily Mo Pena.

2006 - Alfonso Soriano refuses to play the outfield for the Washington Nationals in the team’s first exhibition game. Nationals GM Jim Bowden says that Soriano could be placed on the disqualified list if he doesn’t agree to switch positions.

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