1. materials characteristic of baseball and the culture of baseball; 2. collectible baseball Americana
1985
Enos Slaughter and Arky Vaughan are elected to the Hall of Fame by a Veterans Committee. Slaughter, known for his hustle, was famed for his “Mad Dash” home during the 1946 World Series. Vaughan batted .318 over a 14-year career with the Pirates and Dodgers.
1982
Needing just three wins to reach 300 for his career, pitcher Gaylord Perry signs a one-year contract with the Seattle Mariners. The future Hall of Fame pitcher reaches the milestone victory on May 6.
1988
Los Angeles Dodgers star Kirk Gibson walks out of training camp after a teammate plays a practical joke by placing “eyeblack” in his cap. The incident illustrates Gibson’s intensity and no-nonsense approach. Gibson, who returns the next day, will be the National League MVP and help the Dodgers win the World Series this season.
1969
New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle announces his retirement. Mantle, who slumped to a .237 batting average in 1968, finishes his 18-season career with 536 home runs and a .298 average, numbers that would have certainly been higher if not for persistent knee injuries.
1973
Chicago White Sox 1B Dick Allen signs a three-year deal worth $250,000 per season, the richest contract in MLB history. Allen won the 1972 American League MVP Award after leading the league in home runs, runs batted in, and slugging percentage.
1952
Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe is sworn into the Army. The 26-year old New Jersey native, who posted a 56-28 record his first three years with the team, will miss two seasons.
1977
The Oakland A’s trade Ron Fairly to the Toronto Blue Jays for a minor leaguer and cash. The Georgia native, who played with the Montreal Expos from 1969 to 1974, will become the first in MLB to play with both Canadian teams.
1992
Boston Red Sox outfielder and first baseman, Carlos Quintana, breaks his left arm and right toe in an automobile accident in Venezuela. He will miss all of 1992 having had his best season in 1991, hitting .295 with 11 homers and 71 RBIs in 149 games.
1953
August A. Busch buys the St. Louis Cardinals for $3.75 million and pledges not to move the team from St. Louis, Missouri. Since then, the Cards have won World Series titles in 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006 and 2011.
1987
New York Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly wins his $1.975 million arbitration case, breaking the record for the largest amount ever awarded to a player. The record was set by the Detroit Tigers pitcher Jack Morris just four days prior.
