February 20 in Baseball History — Milestones, Debuts, Births & Deaths

This day in baseball ● On this day

February 20

The record for February 20 in baseball history — 1 milestone, 58 births and 35 deaths.

Featured event · 1952

Emmett Ashford Breaks Umpiring's Color Line

Emmett Ashford becomes the first Black umpire in organized professional baseball when he is authorized to work as a substitute umpire in the Southwestern International League.

Feb 20, 1952

Milestones · February 20

1952

Emmett Ashford Breaks Umpiring's Color Line

Emmett Ashford becomes the first Black umpire in organized professional baseball when he is authorized to work as a substitute umpire in the Southwestern International League.

Born on this day

Harry Raymond

b. February 20, 1862 · Third baseman who batted .235 across three clubs, 1888 to 1892.

Charlie Babb

b. February 20, 1873 · Shortstop who batted .243 across two clubs, 1903 to 1905.

Jack Rafter

b. February 20, 1875 · Catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, 1904 to 1904.

Carroll Brown

b. February 20, 1889 · Pitcher across two clubs, 1911 to 1915.

Sam Rice

b. February 20, 1890 · Stopped thirteen hits short of 3,000 in an era that was not counting, and left a sealed letter about a disputed World Series catch.

Dave Davenport

b. February 20, 1890 · Pitcher across three clubs, 1914 to 1919.

Muddy Ruel

b. February 20, 1896 · Catcher for Washington's 1924 champions who was behind the plate when Ray Chapman was struck by the pitch that killed him.

Al Williamson

b. February 20, 1900 · Pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, 1928 to 1928.

Billy Horne

b. February 20, 1916 · Second baseman who batted .231 across four clubs, 1938 to 1946.

Jack Bolling

b. February 20, 1917 · First baseman across two clubs, 1939 to 1944.

Frankie Gustine

b. February 20, 1920 · Second baseman who batted .265 across three clubs, 1939 to 1950.

Jack Robinson

b. February 20, 1921 · Pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, 1949 to 1949.

Bill Reeder

b. February 20, 1922 · Pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, 1949 to 1949.

Roy Face

b. February 20, 1928 · Went 18-1 in relief in 1959, which only one other pitcher has matched.

Brian Snyder

b. February 20, 1958 · Pitcher across two clubs, 1985 to 1989.

Bill Gullickson

b. February 20, 1959 · Struck out 18 men in a game as a rookie, pitched with diabetes for fourteen years, and won 20 games at thirty-two.

Derek Lilliquist

b. February 20, 1966 · Pitcher across five clubs, 1989 to 1996.

Liván Hernández

b. February 20, 1975 · Defected from Cuba at twenty and was the World Series MVP two years later.

Donzell McDonald

b. February 20, 1975 · Center fielder across two clubs, 2001 to 2002.

Jason Hirsh

b. February 20, 1982 · Pitcher across two clubs, 2006 to 2008.

Justin Verlander

b. February 20, 1983 · Three Cy Young Awards eleven years apart, three no-hitters, and 3,553 strikeouts across twenty seasons.

Brian McCann

b. February 20, 1984 · Won six Silver Sluggers as a catcher and policed how the game was played.

Buck Farmer

b. February 20, 1991 · Pitcher across two clubs, 2014 to 2024.

Clarke Schmidt

b. February 20, 1996 · Pitcher for the New York Yankees, 2020 to 2025.

58 players were born on February 20; these are the 24 best known.

Died on this day

Blondie Purcell

d. February 20, 1912 · Right fielder who batted .267 across eight clubs, 1879 to 1890.

George Mappes

d. February 20, 1934 · Second baseman across two clubs, 1885 to 1886.

Harry Wilhelm

d. February 20, 1944 · Pitcher for the Louisville Colonels, 1899 to 1899.

Charlie Heard

d. February 20, 1945 · Pitcher for the Pittsburg Alleghenys, 1890 to 1890.

Don Hammond

d. February 20, 1954 · Shortstop across two clubs, 1924 to 1926.

Gorham Leverett

d. February 20, 1957 · Pitcher across two clubs, 1922 to 1929.

George Leitner

d. February 20, 1960 · Pitcher across four clubs, 1901 to 1902.

Bill Hinchman

d. February 20, 1963 · Collected 352 hits across 1915 and 1916, leading the National League with 16 triples in the second year.

Irv Porter

d. February 20, 1971 · Right fielder for the Chicago White Sox, 1914 to 1914.

Bob Christian

d. February 20, 1974 · Left fielder across two clubs, 1968 to 1970.

Cleo Benson

d. February 20, 1978 · Catcher for the Chicago American Giants, 1942 to 1942.

Dale Matthewson

d. February 20, 1984 · Pitcher for the Philadelphia Blue Jays, 1943 to 1944.

Syl Johnson

d. February 20, 1985 · Pitched in nineteen seasons across three decades and won 112 games without a winning record.

Bob Rice

d. February 20, 1986 · Third baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies, 1926 to 1926.

Bob O'Farrell

d. February 20, 1988 · Catcher who was National League Most Valuable Player in 1926 and threw out Babe Ruth attempting to steal for the final out of that World Series.

Cecil Garriott

d. February 20, 1990 · Baseball figure for the Chicago Cubs, 1946 to 1946.

Buck Rogers

d. February 20, 1999 · Pitcher for the Washington Senators, 1935 to 1935.

Bill Rigney

d. February 20, 2001 · Second baseman who batted .259 for the New York Giants, 1946 to 1953.

Bob Malloy

d. February 20, 2007 · Pitcher across two clubs, 1943 to 1949.

Casey Wise

d. February 20, 2007 · Second baseman across three clubs, 1957 to 1960.

Fenton Mole

d. February 20, 2017 · First baseman for the New York Yankees, 1949 to 1949.