In Play Magazine
1903 The New York Highlander franchise (to be renamed Yankees in 1913) is approved as a member of the American League.
1971 The Cubs' catcher Randy Hundley suffers a badly sprained knee and will play only nine games this season. In 1968, the venerable backstop caught 160 games for Chicago.
1980 National League outfielder Chuck Klein, who compiled a .320 batting average during his 17-year career, and former Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey are elected into the Hall of Fame. Yawkey is the first person to be selected who was not first a player, manager or general manager.
1991 Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer's attempted comeback at the age of 45 comes to an end when the newly elected Hall of Famer tears a hamstring during spring training.
2001 Richard Hidalgo signs the third-richest contract in Astro history with a four-year $32 million, deal with the club. The outfielder's pact is less than teammate's Jeff Bagwell's $85 million (5 years), and Craig Biggio's $33 million (4 years).
2003 The second exhibition season bench-clearing brawl this week occurs when a raging Mike Piazza, after being hit by a pitch, charges the mound in pursuit of Guillermo Mota, who makes it to the dugout without being caught. The incident may be a follow-up to an similar event last spring when a shoving match between the two players resulted when the Mets' All-Star catcher waited for Mota and grabbed the Dodger reliever by the jersey as he was coming off the field in the eighth inning of the game.
2008 The benches clear in a rare spring training brawl when Shelley Duncan slides into second base, with his spikes aimed at Rays infielder Akinori Iwamura after being thrown out by a wide margin. The incident was precipitated Tampa Bay’s aggressive play four days ago which resulted in a home-plate collision which injured Yankee catcher Francisco Cervelli.
