THIS DAY IN BÉISBOL November 17: George Bell named first MVP in Blue Jays history
Blue Jays slugger George Bell was named the American League MVP on this day in béisbol, November 17, 1987 after what turned out to be his peak season in Toronto. The 27-year-old left fielder swatted 47 home runs with a .308 average, and led the AL in RBI (134) and totals bases (389) though the second-place Jays failed to win the AL East despite 96 wins and a power-packed lineup that included outfielders Lloyd Moseby, Jesse Barfield, and 23-year-old DH/first basemen Fred McGriff and Cecil Fielder. Bell was one of a handful of Dominican Republic-born young stars who were among
THIS DAY IN BÉISBOL November 16: Andres Galarraga signs with the Rockies, rejuvenates career
After a second injury-shortened season in a row sapped Andres Galarraga of his power, the free agent joined the Colorado Rockies on this day in béisbol, November 16, 1992 — and then wound up winning the 1993 NL batting title. After seven solid years with the Montreal Expos, the popular Venezuelan first baseman was traded to the Cardinals before the 1992 season but missed nearly 70 games due to a hit-by-pitch wrist injury after just three games with his new team. He hit only 10 home runs with a .243 average. But Galarraga, a three-time Gold Glove winner nicknamed “The
THIS DAY IN BÉISBOL November 15: Miguel Cabrera wins 2012 MVP
The recent great debate over who deserved the 2025 American League MVP Award more — Aaron Judge or Cal Raleigh — was nothing compared to how the baseball universe wrangled over whether the first Triple Crown winner in nearly five decades had a better year than a flashy five-tool rookie with dominant sabermetric statistics. On this day in béisbol, November 15, 2012, tradition won out over the growing use of advanced metrics to measure a player’s overall performance when veteran Miguel Cabrera was named the AL’s Most Valuable Player over Mike Trout, that season’s sensational Rookie of the Year Award
HALL OF FAME: Orlando Cepeda, 1999
ORLANDO CEPEDA "The Baby Bull" Born: September 17, 1937 in Ponce, Puerto Rico Died: June 28, 2024, Concord, California Position: First base, outfield Bats: Right / Throws: Right Hall of Fame Induction: 1999 Teams: San Francisco Giants (1958–1966), St. Louis Cardinals (1966–1968), Atlanta Braves (1969–1972), Oakland Athletics (1972), Boston Red Sox (1973), Kansas City Royals (1974) MLB debut: April 15, 1958, San Francisco Giants Last MLB appearance: August 10, 1974, Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame plaque: A powerful first baseman and consistent run producer for 17 Major League seasons, not withstanding chronic knee problems. his ability to drive the
THIS DAY IN BÉISBOL November 11: Fernando Valenzuela is first Rookie of the Year to win Cy Young
“Fernandomania” continued into baseball’s awards season in 1981 as mega-popular Dodgers phenom Fernando Valenzuela won the NL Cy Young Award on the heels of taking home Rookie of the Year honors and a Silver Slugger on this day in béisbol, November 11. The 20-year-old Mexican native quickly became a fan favorite during the strike-shortened season as he went 13-7 with a 2.48 ERA while hurling 8 shutouts with 180 strikeouts, best in the majors. He was the first rookie to win a Cy Young, and the first pitcher to win both a Rookie of the Year and a Cy Young
THIS DAY IN BÉISBOL November 10: Gimenez, Tatis win 2023 Platinum Glove Award
Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez was named the 2023 Platinum Glove winner in the American League, while Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. won the award for being the NL’s best overall fielder on this day in béisbol, November 10. Gimenez, of Venezuela, earned the top prize for fielding excellence in the same year he won his second career Gold Glove. He also had a solid year at the plate, belting 15 homers, driving in 62 runs and stealing 30 bases while splitting time at shortstop. Tatis, who began his career at shortstop before moving to right, also won a
NEWS: Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase, Luis Ortiz indicted on gambling related charges
Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been indicted on federal charges alleging they accepted bribes to rig individual pitches for gamblers. Clase, 28, considered one of baseball’s elite closers, allegedly began coordinating with bettors at the beginning of the 2025, using inside information on his own pitches and tipping off conspirators about specific outcomes, according to an indictment filed in Brooklyn, New York. The 26-year-old Ortiz is accused of deliberately throwing first pitches of innings as balls to satisfy proposition bets, or prop-bets — wagers on specific events during a game — placed by co-conspirators, according to
HALL OF FAME: Tony Perez, 2000
TONY PEREZ, First Base Born: May 14, 1942 in Camaguey, Cuba Bats: Right / Throws: Right Hall of Fame Induction: 2000 Teams: Cincinnati Reds (1964–1976, 1984–1986), Montreal Expos (1977–1979), Boston Red Sox (1980–1982), Philadelphia Phillies (1983) MLB debut: July 26, 1964, for the Cincinnati Reds Last MLB appearance: October 5, 1986 for the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame plaque: "A clutch performer throughout an illustrious 23-year career, he tormented the opposition with his ability to consistently drive in runs. His composure under pressure led to 379 home runs, 505 doubles and 1652 RBIs, including seven 100 RBI seasons and 954
