Hot Stove: 11/23

History of Baseball: 1884
World's Series Champion*: Providence Grays (84-28, .750 WPCT).  *(Not World Series of modern times).
1884 was one of the few seasons with three major leagues.  In this case, it was the National League, American Association, and Union Association.  The Union, however, was not nearly as competitive as the NL or the AA.  Many teams in the Union folded and were replaced mid-season.  The league was dominated by one team, the St. Louis Maroons, who went 94-19 to win the league by 21 games.  The American Association added four teams for the 1884 season: Brooklyn Atlantics, Indianapolis Hoosiers, Toledo Blue Stockings, and Washington Nationals.  In addition, walks were lowered to six balls, rather than seven, and for the first time, separate benches were provided for both teams.  On March 15th, it was discovered that a groundskeeper for St. Louis had begun using tarps to keep the field dry.  This revolutionary idea spread around baseball quickly.  On May 1st, in the AA, African American Moses Fleetwood Walker debuted for Toledo.  He would go on to play 47 games, but constant racism forced him out of the league.  No other African American would play in the majors until Jackie Robinson in 1947.  On May 16th, a very funny thing happened.  A foul tip landed in Boston (NL) catcher Mike Hines' face mask, and the umpire ruled it a catch.  It is the only time in history in which a catcher has made an out with his face mask.  On May 30th, Chicago's Ned Williamson, continuing his power outburst, became the first player in major league history to hit three home runs in one game.  On June 7th, Providence's Charlie Sweeney set a major league record by striking out 19 batters in one game.  This will stand until Roger Clemens strikes out 20 in 1986.  At the season's end, the Providence Grays had dominated the National League, going 84-28 to win the league by 10.5 games over the Boston Beaneaters (73-38).  The New York Metropolitans won the American Association, going 75-32 (.701 WPCT) and finishing 6.5 games ahead of the second place Columbus Buckeyes (69-39).  In an early version of the World Series, Providence swept New York on three complete game victories from Old Hoss Radbourn.  In the National League, King Kelly of Chicago took home the batting crown with a .354 mark.  Dave Orr of the Metropolitans led the American Association with the same mark.  In the Union Association, Fred Dunlap of the Maroons led the league with a .412 average, well ahead of anyone else.  Home runs were a different story.  The Chicago White Stockings began to allow balls hit over the right field fence, which was only 180 feet from home plate, to be home runs rather than doubles.  Because of this, four White Stockings players broke Harry Stovey's single season home run record of 14.  Cap Anson knocked 21, Abner Dalrymple hit 22, Fred Pfeffer hit 25, and Ned Williamson set the major league record with 27.   Williamson's record would stand until 1919, when Babe Ruth hit 29 home runs.  Three players also broke the RBI record.  Pfeffer drove in 101, Anson drove in 102, and the Metropolitans' Dave Orr set the new record with 112.  Ross Barnes' 1876 record of 126 runs scored was broken by two players from the Union's St. Louis Maroons.  Orator Shaffer scored 130 runs, while Fred Dunlap scored 160.  On the mound, everything was dominated by Old Hoss Radbourn.  Making 73 starts, Radbourn went 59-12 with a 1.38 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP to set the single season wins record, one that still stands today and that will likely never be broken.  Guy Hecker of the AA's Louisville Eclipse was also dominant, going 52-20 with a 1.80 ERA and 0.87 WHIP.  After the season, the Union Association would disband, and the St. Louis Maroons would join the National League as one NL team disbands.  One of the most significant rule changes in history would be enacted in the offseason.

News
None

Trades
Cardinals traded David Freese (9 HR, 60 RBI, .262 AVG, 1 SB, 2014 age: 31) and Fernando Salas (0-3, 4.50 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 2014 age: 29) to the Angels for Peter Bourjos (3 HR, 12 RBI, .274 AVG, 6 SB, 2014 age: 27) and minor leaguer Randall Grichuk (22 HR, 64 RBI, .256 AVG, 9 SB at AA, 2014 age: 22)
Brewers traded Burke Badenhop (2-3, 3.47 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 1 SV, 2014 age: 31) to the Red Sox for minor leaguer Luis Ortega (3-3, 2.45 ERA, 1.45 WHIP at GCL, 2014 age: 21).

St. Louis hometown hero David Freese is moving to Los Angeles, where he'll take over at third base from Alberto Callaspo, who was traded to Oakland during the 2013 season.  Before acquiring Freese, the Angels were left with just Andrew Romine (0 HR, 10 RBI, .259 AVG) and Chris Nelson (3 HR, 24 RBI, .227 AVG) at the hot corner.  Freese is best remembered in St. Louis for his heroics in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series, ones that earned him the World Series MVP.  Despite his rough 2013 in which he hit nine home runs and batted .262, he had a great 2012, and that is what the Angels are banking on.  In 144 games in '12, he hit 20 home runs, drove in 79, and batted .293 to earn his first trip to the All Star Game.  For his career, he has 44 home runs, 237 RBI, and a .286 average in 466 games.  He has seven postseason home runs to go with a .289 average in 48 games.  Los Angeles also acquired Fernando Salas, a 28 year old right handed reliever.  He's always had a knack for getting right handed hitters out, as they bat .210 against him for his career.  Salas had his best year in 2011, when he posted a 2.28 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP in 68 games for the Cardinals, taking over at closer and saving 24 games.  Right handers batted .164 that year against him.  However, over the past two seasons, he's regressed a bit, going 1-7 with a 4.36 ERA in 92 appearances.  For his career, he is 6-13 with a 3.42 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP in 187 appearances.  Appearing in sixteen postseason games, he holds a 3.32 career mark with a 1.00 WHIP in those games.  
In return, the Cardinals received outfielder Peter Bourjos.  Bourjos has great speed and plays excellent defense, but was stuck behind Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo, Josh Hamilton, J.B. Shuck, and Kole Calhoun in a crowded Angels outfield.  Now in St. Louis, where Carlos Beltran has recently left a spot open, he'll have a chance to compete with Shane Robinson, Joey Butler, and Oscar Taveras for a starting spot.  Bourjos had his best season in 2011, when he was 24, hitting 12 home runs and batting .271 with 22 stolen bases.  Missing time to injury in 2013 while also competing in that crowded outfield, Bourjos batted .274 in 55 games.   For his career, he has 24 home runs and a .251 average with 41 stolen bases and 144 runs scored in 354 games.  Also going to Los Angeles is outfield prospect Randall Grichuk.  Grichuk has high power potential, as he's knocked 205 extra base hits (104 2B, 40 3B, 61 HR) in 433 minor league games.  In 135 games at High Class A Inland Empire in 2012, he hit 18 home runs and batted .298 while hitting 30 doubles and nine triples.  Then, in 128 games for AA Arkansas in 2013, he knocked 22 home runs to go along with 27 doubles and eight triples while batting .256.  Grichuk will turn 23 in August and will likely start the season at AAA Memphis.  
Free Agent Signings
Mets agreed to terms with Chris Young (12 HR, 40 RBI, .200 AVG, 10 SB, 2014 age: 30) on a one year, $7.25 million deal.
Nationals resigned Chris Young (spent 2013 in minors, 3.79 career ERA, 2014 age: 35) to a minor league deal (not the same person as above).
Nationals signed Daniel Stange (0-1, 16.20 ERA, 2.40 WHIP, 2014 age: 28) to a minor league deal.
Indians signed Mike Zagurski (0-0, 17.05 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, 2014 age: 31) to a minor league deal.

The signing of Daniel Stange will likely have zero impact on the Nationals.  However, since Stange is the first new National of the offseason, I am compelled to write about him.  Coming out of Wildomar, California, he has made seven major league appearances and 308 minor league appearances.  He holds a 4.23 minor league ERA, most recently posting a 4.52 mark in 52 appearances for AAA Tucson (Padres) and AAA Salt Lake City (Angels) while recording five saves, all with Salt Lake City.  Stange's first major league experience came in 2010, when he made four appearances for the Diamondbacks.  He allowed six runs in four innings.  He didn't get another shot until 2013, when he pitched in three games for the Angels.  He allowed three earned runs in one and two thirds innings.

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Teams followed in this update: Washington Nationals, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers
If your team is not included, please leave a comment.
HR: home runs.  RBI: runs batted in.  AVG: batting average.  SB: stolen bases.  ERA: earned run average. WHIP: walks/hits per innings pitched.  K's: strikeouts. WPCT: winning percentage
Zack Silverman