In Play Magazine
March 8
1900 -In New York, the National League decides to go with eight teams. These eight cities will remain the same for 53 years until the Braves move to Milwaukee in 1953.
1913 -In Indianapolis, John Powers, founder of last year's failed mid-western Columbian League, organizes the Federal League. To avoid the agreement of the National Commission, the upstart league will operate independently with franchises in Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and St. Louis.
1923 -Despite admitting to prior knowledge of the 1919 World Series fix, Commissioner Landis allows pitcher Rube Benton to return to the NL. Benton signs with the Reds and has a 14-10 season.
1930 -Yankee superstar Babe Ruth signs a two-year deal for $160,000 making him the highest paid player of all time.
1941 -'Losing Pitcher' Hugh Mulcahy of the Phillies becomes the first major league player to be drafted into the Armed Forces. The newest member of the 101st Artillery at Cape Cod's Camp Edwards on had lost 22 games last season and 20 in 1938 to lead the National League in defeats both years.
1944 -The Tigers ask 6-foot-6 inch Ralph Stewart to attend spring training camp.
1947 -In Havana's new stadium delCerro, the Dodgers beat the Yankees, 1-0 on Snuffy Stirnweiss's tenth inning single which is the Bronx Bombers only hit.
2001 -In a press release, the Orioles announce Albert Belle, "has been found to be totally disabled and unable to perform as a Major League baseball player," due to a degenerative right hip. The Orioles will place the 34-year old outfielder on the 60-day disabled list thus beginning the process which conforms to the procedure set forth by Major League Baseball in the case of a totally disabling and permanent injury to a player.
2006 -A Canadian team made up mostly minor leaguers stuns the baseball world by beating an highly-favored Team USA in the first round of the WBC, 8-6. Thanks center fielder, Adam Stern, who hits an inside-the-park homer, collects four RBIs and makes a pair of sensational catches, and 21-year old southpaw Adam Loewen, who gives up three hits and keeps American all-stars scoreless for 3 2-3 innings, the Canadians post their biggest victory in its national history of baseball.
2008 -In hopes of a more lucrative deal in the future, Ryan Zimmerman inks a new one-year contract to play infield with the Nationals. After he homers and drives in four runs during a 12-10 split-squad victory over the Astros, the third baseman agrees to a $465,000 deal, slightly improving his present salary.
