Today in Baseball History: December 25th

1989 On December 25, 1989, former New York Yankees and Oakland A's manager Billy Martin dies in a car accident at the age of 51. Martin, a five-time Yankee manager under owner George Steinbrenner, was rumored to be a candidate to replace current Yankee skipper Lou Piniella. During a 16-year career, Martin forged a record of 1253-1013, led his teams to five divisional titles, and guided the Yankees to the 1977 World Championship.

1958 On December 25, 1958, Rickey Henderson is born in Chicago, Illinois. Henderson will break into the major leagues with the Oakland A's in 1979, and will go on to become one of the greatest leadoff men in history,setting all-time records for walks, stolen bases and runs scored.

1953 On December 25, 1953, Patrick Joseph "Patsy" Donovan, one of the most succesful Irish-born big leaguers, died at the age of 88 in Lawrence, MA. Donovan batted .300 eleven times and was a star outfielder from 1890 to 1907, most notably with the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals.

1888 On December 25, 1888, baseball's first-ever indoor game takes place. The Downtowners defeat the Uptowners, 6-1, before a crowd of 2,000 at the Philadelphia state fairgrounds.