Happy ’80s Birthday to Tom Grieve, who retired as a player after the 1979 season but served as the GM of the Texas Rangers for 10 years beginning in 1984.
Happy ’80s Birthday to former pitcher Mark Wagner, who played in the big leagues for nine years and also played in the short-lived Senior League as well.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Lorenzo Gray, who had a 40-game hitting streak in the minor leagues and played for the White Sox in 1982 and 1983.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Jeff Dedmon, who spent 6 years coming out of the bullpen for Atlanta and Cleveland.
Happy ’80s Birthday to Tom Lampkin, who made his big league debut in 1988 and played through 2002.
Tom spent 13 years in the big leagues with six teams.
3/4/82
The Giants trade Enos Cabell and cash to the Tigers for Champ Summers. The deal was supposed to include Doyle Alexander going from San Francisco to Detroit but Alexander, despite requesting a trade, refused to go to Detroit or Kansas City in another arranged deal. The Giants threw in some cash to complete the deal with Detroit. When asked about Alexander, Giants G.M. Tom Haller said, “As far as I’m concerned, he can sit out the season.” Alexander is dealt to the Yankees at the end of March.
3/4/82
The Orioles sign John Flinn as a free agent.
Flinn returns to the Orioles organization and pitches well in five September appearances in the heat of a pennant race.
3/4/85
The Expos sign Miguel Dilone as a free agent.
He splits the season between the Expos and Padres and his career is over.
3/4/86
The Mets sign Tim Corcoran as a free agent.
He spends most of the season in Triple-A, but does appear in six games for the Mets. He spends 1987 and ’88 in the minor leagues and his career is over.
3/4/87
The Rangers sign Steve Kemp as a free agent.
He spends the year at Triple-A Oklahoma City and returns to the big leagues briefly in 1988 before retiring.
3/4/89
Alan Trammell signs the richest contract in team history, a three-year $6.5 million deal.
Back problems limited Tram to 121 games in 1989 and his play suffered but he bounced back to hit .304 in 1990.
3/4/80
Marvin Miller and the Players Association authorize a strike if they can’t come to an agreement with the owners on a new labor contract. After a brief spring training walkout, the players eventually decide to strike on Labor Day weekend but a work stoppage is averted at the 11th hour and the season resumes uninterrupted. Unfortunately for all, the situation is not solved and the players strike the following season.
3/4/80
An emotional Bob Welch confesses to his Dodgers teammates that he has a drinking problem and has undergone treatment. Welch bonces back after a bad 1979 season to win 14 games and earn his first All-Star bid. He wins a Cy Young with Oakland in 1990.
3/4/85
Michael Jack Schmidt and his outrageous salary appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Adjusted for inflation, Schmitty’s 1985 salary would be about $5.2 Million today.
3/4/89
Two days after a near brawl during a Spring Training photo shoot, Mets stars Darryl Strawberry and Keith Hernandez kiss and make up.
3/4/81
The Seibu Lions purchase Terry Whitfield from the San Francisco Giants.
Terry spends three years in Japan and returns to the big leagues in 1984 with the Dodgers.
3/4/83
Tigers rookie Howard Johnson suffers a broken nose after a bad hop hits him in the face during a workout. “I’ll have him out back out there first thing in the morning,” said Sparky Anderson. “A guy can get gun-shy after something like that.”
3/4/86
Cubs coach Don Zimmer suffers a concussion when he falls in the Cubs clubhouse and hits his head. Zimm is put on bed rest but is ready to go when the season starts.
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