2005 in baseball - Definition and Overview

This year in baseball: 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005

Contents

1 Calendar

Calendar

January 5-15: Salary arbitration filing period
January 8: Last day until May 1 for free agents who rejected arbitration offers to resign with their former teams
January 18: Exchange of salary arbitration figures
February 1-21: Salary arbitration hearings
February 19: Spring training - Voluntary reporting date for pitchers, catchers and injured players
February 24: Spring training - Voluntary reporting date for other players
March 2: Spring training - Mandatory reporting date
March 2-11: Teams may renew contracts of unsigned players
March 16: Last day to place a player on unconditional release waivers and pay 30 days termination pay instead of 45 days
March 30: Last day to request unconditional release waivers on a player without having to pay his full 2005 salary
April 3: Opening day. Active rosters reduced to 25 players. Major league baseball's opener season will played by the Yankees and Red Sox in New York, at 8:05 p.m., and be televised by ESPN2 on Sunday Night Baseball
May 23: Baseball Hall of Fame Game - Red Sox vs. Tigers, Cooperstown, N.Y.
July 12: All-Star Game, at Comerica Park, Detroit
July 31: Hall of Fame inductions, Cooperstown, N.Y.
October 4: Division Series begin
October 11: League Championship Series begin
October 22: World Series begins

January 3 - Wade Boggs, a five-time batting champion, and Ryne Sandberg, a nine-time Gold Glove winner at second base, were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Boggs received 474 votes, or 91.9 percent of the 516 ballots cast. Sandberg received 393 votes, six more that the needed number. Relief pitchers Bruce Sutter (66.7 percent) and Rich "Goose" Gossage (55.2) and outfielders Jim Rice (59.5) and Andre Dawson (52.3) were the only other players to be named on at least half of the ballots cast. Boggs and Sandberg will be enshrined during a ceremony July 31 at the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

January 11 - The Arizona Diamondbacks traded five-time Cy Young winner Randy Johnson to the New York Yankees in a three-team deal that includes the Los Angeles Dodgers. Shawn Green, Javier Vázquez and Dioner Navarro also moved in the transaction. Arizona received Vázquez, Navarro and Brad Halsey from the Yankees, and later sent Navarro and three minor leagues prospects to Los Angeles for Green.

January 18 - The New York Mets signed Carlos Beltrán to play center field for the next seven years. The team will be paying him for the next 14. Beltran's deal contains $22 million in deferred salary that will be paid out in the seven years after the contract expires. He will be 41 by the time he receives all the money, which will be paid each July 1 starting in 2012 in yearly installments of $3,142,857 plus interest that will accrue at the rate of 1.7175 percent annually.

January 21 - Roger Clemens and the Houston Astros agreed to an $18 million, one-year contract. Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner, agreed a deal that makes him the highest-paid pitcher for the fifth time, following deals with the Boston Red Sox in 1989 ($2.5 million) and 1991 ($5.38 million); with the Toronto Blue Jays before the 1997 season, and with the New York Yankees in 2000 ($15.45 million). The two contracts with the Red Sox and the one with the Yankees made him the sport's highest-paid player overall. Clemens also got the highest, one-year contract in baseball history, topping Greg Maddux's $14.75 million deal with the Atlanta Braves in 2003 and Pedro Martínez's $17.5 million in 2004, and tied Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds for the fourth-highest average salary in the major leagues, trailing only Alex Rodriguez ($25.2 million), Manny Ramirez ($20 million) and Derek Jeter ($18.9 million).

January 26 - Carlos Delgado agreed with the Florida Marlins to a $52 million, four-year contract, which includes an option year making it potentially worth $64 million over five seasons. With the addition of the free agent first baseman, Florida becomes perhaps the team to beat in the NL East. The Marlins won the World Series in 1997 and 2003 but still are seeking their first division title. Delgado hit at least 30 home runs each of the past eight seasons, all with the Toronto Blue Jays. He joins a lineup that include All-Stars Miguel Cabrera, Mike Lowell, Paul Lo Duca and Alex González.

January 31 - The Seattle Mariners signed relief pitcher Jeff Nelson to a minor league contract, his third stint with the club. The reliever previously pitched with the Mariners from 1992-1995 and again from 2001-2003. He is Seattle's all-time record holder for most games pitched with 383 and has a 23-20 record with the Mariners.

February 2 - The trade that sent Sammy Sosa to the Baltimore Orioles from the Chicago Cubs was finalized after commissioner Bud Selig approved the deal and the slugger passed his physical. Chicago received second baseman Jerry Hairston Jr. and two minor leaguers, then signed Jeromy Burnitz as a free agent to replace Sosa in right field.

February 6: At Mazatlan, Mexico, Francisco Campos turned in another brilliant outing and Mexican champion Águilas de Mazatlán (Mazatlan Eagles) held on in the final game, edging the Dominican Republic 4-3 to win the 56th Caribbean World Series. The title is just Mexicos fifth since joining the competition in 1970, the second in the last four years, but its first since hosting the series. Campos allowed just three hits --two infield hits and a bunt single-- and a run over his first eight innings of work, striking out 11. Previouly, Campos handcuffed the Venezuelan champion Tigres de Aragua (Aragua Tigers) 4-0 in the series opener. He allowed just three hits over eight innings and struck out 10. Campos was voted the Series MVP.