On This Date in Baseball: February 16

1950 - Writers fail to name anyone to the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown. Thanks for nothing, losers.

1989 - Orel Hershiser becomes the first player in major league history to sign a contract for a $3 million annual salary. Awesome deal for the Dodgers as Orel went 15-15 in 1989 and 1-1 in 1990. At least it paid off in 1991 went he went 7-2. He finished out his time with the Dodgers going 10-15 in 1992, 12-14 in 1993 and 6-6 in 1994 before leaving for Cleveland as a free agent in 1995 (where he went 16-6, by the way). Way to earn the Benjamins, Orel. It just goes to show what two good seasons in an 18-year career can do for you.

Here's the complex equation in case you are not a math whiz:

19-3 in 1985 and 23-8 with a Cy Young and a trip to the World Series in 1988 = $3,000,000

On This Date in Baseball: September 30

1927 - Babe Ruth hit his 60th home run of the season. 60 would stand as the record for 34 years until Roger Maris hit 61 in 1961.

1934 - Dizzy Dean beat the Cincinnati Reds 9-0, for his 30th victory of the year as the St. Louis Cardinals clinched the National League pennant. The only pitcher to reach 30 wins in a season since Dizzy was Denny McClain in 1968.


1972 - Roberto Clemente doubled for his 3,000th and last hit. He was killed in a plane crash during the offseason.

1988 - Orel Hershiser of the Los Angeles Dodgers broke Don Drysdale's record of 58 consecutive scoreless innings.