Today in baseball history: January 2

Just over 23,000 players have officially appeared in a game in the long history of Major League Baseball. Collectively, the group would fail to fill baseball’s smallest stadium.

62 players were born on January 2.

10 of those totaled 10+ WAR across their careers:

• Edgar Martinez, designated hitter/third baseman, 68.4

• David Cone, right-handed pitcher, 62.3

• Greg Swindell, left-handed pitcher, 30.5

• Fernando Tatis Jr., shortstop/right field, 21.7

• Royce Clayton, shortstop, 19.5

• Jeff Suppan, right-handed pitcher, 17.1

• Pinky Whitney, infielder, 17.1

• Red Kress, infielder, 14.2

• Ted Strong, infielder, 11.3

• Jim Essian, catcher, 10.9

Cuban-born Negro League pitcher and second baseman José Méndez was also born on this day. Méndez was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2006 by the Negro League Committee.

Martinez (2019, BBWAA) would join him in Cooperstown.

Some highlights and events that took place on this day:

1912: Charles Ebbets purchased 4.5 acres of land in Brooklyn and announced plans to build a new ballpark for the Brooklyn Superbas. It would be named Ebbets Field and construction would be completed in just one year, allowing the park to open in April 1913.

1977: Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner is suspended for a year by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn due to tampering charges from the team signing Gary Matthews.

1981: Rickey Henderson steals his 41st and 42nd bases of the Puerto Rico Winter League season, setting a new league record. He’d finish with 44 steals. The next MLB season, he would set a new single-season MLB record with 130 steals.

1986: Former Chicago White Sox owner Bill Veeck dies at age 71.

2012: Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park hosts the NHL’s Winter Classic. The Rangers beat the Flyers, 3-2.

2017: St. Louis’ Busch Stadium takes its turn hosting the Winter Classic. The Blues beat the Blackhawks, 4-1.

2020: Luis Robert signs with the White Sox, agreeing to a deal that guarantees him $50M over six years with a pair of team options that could bring the total value to $88M.

2020: MLB rules on Domingo Germán’s pending case for violating the league’s domestic violence policies. Germán had been placed on administrative leave late the prior season, following accusations he had hit his girlfriend. MLB issues an 81-game suspension that includes the games missed the prior year, leaving Germán to miss the first 63 games of the 2020 season.

2022: Boston’s Fenway Park hosts the Winter Classic for a second time. The Bruins beat the Penguins, 2-1.