1913 | Two-time Olympic gold medal winner Jim Thorpe signs with the New York Giants. After what was initially a publicity stunt by Giants manager John McGraw, Thorpe spent parts of six seasons in the majors, hitting .286/.362/.648 (99 OPS+) in 751 PA.

1919 | The Brooklyn Robins trade first baseman Jake Duabert to the Cincinnati Reds for outfielder Tommy Griffith.

1926 | The New York Yankees sell first baseman Wally Pipp to the Cincinnati Reds.

1928 | Hughie Jennings dies at the age of 58. The former shortstop hit .312/.391/.406 (118 OPS+) over an 18-year career spanning from 1891 to 1918. He still holds the career record with 287 hit-by-pitches. Jennings would be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1945.

1947 | Commissioner Happy Chandler announces the league’s first pension plan for major league players.

1959 | Left fielder Zack Wheat is elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.

1970 | Commissioner Ford Frick, center fielder Earle Combs, and right-hander Jesse Haines are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.

1973 | Outfielder/first baseman Monte Irvin is elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues.

1999 | The New York Yankees trade third base prospect Mike Lowell to the Florida Marlins for left-hander Ed Yarnell and right-handers Mark Johnson and Todd Noel.

2003 | Four senators — Edward Kennedy, John Kerry, John McCain, and Tom Daschle — file legislation nominating Jackie Robinson for the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor.

2008 | Left-hander Johan Santana agrees to a six-year, $137.5 million contract with the New York Mets. The deal makes him the highest-paid pitcher in league history.

2011 | A judge in the Dominican Republic denies bail to right-hander Alfredo Simon, who has been detained in relation to a New Year’s Eve shooting that left a man later identified as Simon’s cousin dead. Simon will eventually be cleared of charges and released in early March.

2024 | The Milwaukee Brewers trade right-hander Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles for infielder Joey Ortiz, left-hander DL Hall, and a Compensation Round A pick in the 2024 Draft (#34 overall; Milwaukee would select first baseman Blake Burke).

1876 | The National League is formed at the insistence of William Hulbert, owner of the Chicago White Stockings.

1936 | The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) announces the results of the very first Hall of Fame election. The first class includes: Ty Cobb (98.2% of ballots), Babe Ruth (95.1%), Honus Wagner (95.1%), Christy Mathewson (90.7%), and Walter Johnson (83.6%).

1989 | Bill White, a seven-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove winner during his 13-year playing career, is named president of the National League. White is the first African American to be named president in either league and becomes the highest-ranking black executive in the four major sports.

2005 | Toronto’s SkyDome is renamed the “Rogers Centre.”

2013 | The Cal Tech baseball team wins its first game in 10 years, a span of 228 games.

2015 | The ADO Lakers, the oldest franchise in the Dutch Hoofdklasse, folds due to financial troubles. The club had been founded in 1949.

2019 | The Brisbane Bandits win their fourth straight ABL (Australian Baseball League) title.

1886 | Albert Spaulding founded the sporting goods company that would become known as Spaulding. They’ll produce the first official baseball.

1920 | The Negro National League is formed.

1975 | Second baseman Billy Herman, center fielder Earl Averill, and former Nationals and Yankees manager Bucky Harris are elected to the Hall of Fame by a Special Veterans Committee.

1977 | Right-hander/infielder Martin Dihigo and shortstop Pop Lloyd are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues.

1979 | The Minnesota Twins trade first baseman Rod Carew to the California Angels for outfielder Ken Landreaux, catcher Dave Engle, right-hander Paul Hartzell, and left-hander Brad Havens.

1987 | The Montreal Expos trade right-hander Jeff Reardon and catcher Tom Nieto to the Minnesota Twins for left-hander Neal Heaton, catcher Jeff Reed, right-hander Al Cardwood, and left-hander Yorkis Pérez.

1998 | Brian Cashman is named the general manager of the New York Yankees, replacing Bob Watson.

2025 | Umpire Pat Hoberg is fired for violating the league’s policies on sports gambling.

1909 | Right-hander John Clarkson dies in Belmont, MA, at the age of 47. Clarkson won 328 games with a 2.81 ERA over a 12-year career spanning from 1882 to 1894. He will be elected into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1963.

1915 | The New York Yankees purchase first baseman Wally Pipp and outfielder Hugh High from the Detroit Tigers for $5,000 each.

1956 | Commissioner Ford Frick and the BBWAA announce plans to establish the Cy Young Memorial Award for the most outstanding pitcher each year. Initially, the award will be issued to one player regardless of league. Young had died the year before, prompting the decision to name the award after him.

1957 | Manager Joe McCarthy and outfielder Sam Crawford are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.

1969 | Bowie Kuhn is named commissioner, replacing Spike Eckert.

1984 | The New York Yankees trade outfielder Otis Nixon and right-hander George Frazier to the Cleveland Indians for third baseman Toby Harrah.

1990 | The St. Petersburg Pelicans defeat the West Palm Beach Tropics 12-4 to win the first and only Senior Professional Baseball Association championship (the league would fold midway through its second season).

1991 | The 12 members of the Hall of Fame’s board of directors vote unanimously to ban Pete Rose from appearing on the ballot given to the BBWAA.

2004 | First baseman Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals agree to a seven-year, $100 million contract extension.

2011 | Left-hander Andy Pettitte announces his retirement.

2011 | Left-hander David Welch pitches a no-hitter in the ABL playoffs while playing for the Sydney Blue Sox.

2013 | The Houston Astros trade infielder Jed Lowrie and right-hander Francisco Rodriguez to the Oakland Athletics for first baseman Chris Carter, right-hander Brad Peacock, and catcher Max Stassi.

2013 | Right-hander Brandon Webb announces his retirement, ending a third comeback attempt following a series of shoulder injuries.

2020 | The Boston Red Sox trade outfielder Mookie Betts, left-hander David Price, and cash considerations to the Los Angeles Dodgers for outfielder Alex Verdugo, infielder Jeter Downs, and catcher Connor Wong.

1897 | Charlie “Old Hoss” Radbourn dies in Bloomington, Illinois, at age 42. Radbourn won 310 games with a 2.68 ERA during an 11-year career spanning from 1881 to 1891. He would be elected to the Hall of Fame in 1939.

1921 | The New York Yankees purchase ten acres of land in the Bronx that will serve as the future home to Yankee Stadium.

1931 | Cubs outfielder Hack Wilson signs a $35,000 contract for the coming season. The amount represents a modest raise after Wilson set the NL home run record (56) and RBI record (191) the season prior. The RBI mark still stands as an MLB record.

1935 | Babe Ruth is released by the New York Yankees. He will sign with the Boston Braves for one more season, but will retire before it concludes.

1936 | The Japanese Professional Baseball League is established.

1942 | The New York Yankees trade outfielder Tommy Holmes to the Boston Braves for right fielder Gene Moore and first baseman Buddy Hassett.

1983 | The Kansas City Royals trade first baseman Cecil Fielder to the Toronto Blue Jays for outfielder Leon Roberts.

2002 | The Houston Astros filed a motion in federal court to be let out of their naming rights agreement with Enron after the energy giant filed for bankruptcy.

2014 | First baseman Freddie Freeman agrees to an eight-year, $135 million contract extension with the Atlanta Braves.

2021 | The BBWAA announces plans to rename the J.G. Taylor Spink Award, which will now be known as the Career Excellence Award.

2024 | Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. agrees to an 11-year, $288.7 million contract extension (with three additional team options that could raise the total value to $377.7M) with the Kansas City Royals.

1934 | New York sportswriter and broadcaster Ford C. Frick is named the public relations director for the National League.

1958 | Ted Williams signs a one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox that will reportedly pay him between $138,000 to $150,000, making him the highest-paid player in league history.

1968 | Voters approve a plan to support a $40 million bond issue to help finance the construction of a domed, multipurpose stadium in Seattle.

1976 | An investment group led by movie star Danny Kaye is awarded the new expansion franchise coming to Seattle in 1977.

1998 | The Minnesota Twins trade second baseman Chuck Knoblauch to the New York Yankees for left-hander Eric Milton, infielder Cristian Guzman, outfielder Brian Buchanan, right-hander Danny Mota, and $3M in cash.

2001 | Anaheim Angels first baseman Mo Vaughn undergoes surgery to repair a torn biceps tendon. He will miss the entire season.

2012 | The Baltimore Orioles trade right-hander Jeremy Guthrie to the Colorado Rockies for right-handers Matt Lindstrom and Jason Hammel.

2014 | Ralph Kiner dies at age 91. Kiner had a lengthy career as a Mets broadcaster after a Hall of Fame playing career.

2021 | The Texas Rangers trade shortstop Elvis Andrus and catcher Aramis Garcia to the Oakland Athletics for outfielder Khris Davis, catcher Jonah Heim, and right-hander Dane Acker.

1900 | Right-hander Jack Taylor dies of Bright’s disease in Staten Island, NY, at age 26. Taylor won 20 games three times in his nine-year career, but also lost 20 games three times.

1908 | The St. Louis Browns purchased left-hander Rube Waddell from the Philadelphia Athletics for $5,000.

1917 | Tom Murnane, a first baseman on the original Boston National League team in 1876, dies at age 64.

1942 | The Cincinnati Reds sell catcher Ernie Lombardi to the Boston Braves. Lombardi will win the batting title this season, hitting .330.

1949 | Joe DiMaggio signs a one-year, $100,000 contract with the New York Yankees, making him the first player in league history to earn six figures.

1959 | Chicago White Sox team president Dorothy Rigney agrees to sell the team to Bill Veeck for $2.7 million.

1959 | Hall of Famer Nap Lajoie dies of pneumonia at age 64.

1962 | Former Indianapolis Clowns scout Ed Scott is hired by the Boston Red Sox as their first full-time black scout.

1994 | Michael Jordan signs an MLB contract with the Chicago White Sox. He spent one season in the minors, hitting .202/.289/.266 in 497 PA at Double-A, before returning to the NBA.

1996 | Dave Winfield announces his retirement.

1999 | Right-hander Dennis Martinez, who worked 3999.2 IP over a 23-year career, announces his retirement.

2005 | Right fielder Magglio Ordoñez agrees to a five-year, $75 million contract to join the Detroit Tigers.

2013 | Right-hander Felix Hernández agrees to a seven-year, $175 million contract extension with the Seattle Mariners.

2019 | Frank Robinson dies in hospice care in Los Angeles, CA, at age 83.

2019 | The Miami Marlins trade catcher J.T. Realmuto to the Philadelphia Phillies for catcher Jorge Alfaro, right-hander Sixto Sanchez, and left-hander Will Stewart.