4th The Texas Rangers (formerly the Washington Senators) trade 2-time Cy Young award winner Denny McLain to the A’s for 2 pitchers.
9th Players on the White Sox vote 31-0 in favor of a strike, if necessary, during negotiations between players and owners. The dispute centers around health and pension benefits for players. This is the first of a series of landmark team votes. In two weeks the Sox will release vet pitcher Joel Horlen, the Sox player rep, and he will sign with Oakland.
17th The Reds and Pirates play the first of a 3-game series in Caracas, Venezuela.
22nd In what ranks as one of New York’s best trades, They send 1B/OF Danny Cater to the Red Sox for relief P Sparky Lyle. In 7 years with the Yanks, Lyle will post a 57-40 record with 141 saves and a 2.41 ERA, win a Cy Young award, and help the team to 3 WS. The deal is completed when the Yanks toss in SS Mario Guerrero.
Nick Mileti, owner of the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers, heads a group that purchases the Cleveland Indians from Vernon Stouffer for an estimated $9 million. Stouffer had turned down an offer from George Steinbrenner to buy the team, but when the AL owners reject his proposal to have the Indians play some of their games in the New Orleans Superdome, Stouffer decides to sell the team.
24th The Reds send P Tony Cloninger to the Cards for veteran Julian Javier.
30th Marvin Miller, executive director of the Players’ Association, completes his canvass of players on the strike issue: 663 vote in favor of a strike, 10 against, and there are 2 abstentions.
