Frank Grant (1865)
Joe Shaute (1899)
George Sisler, Jr. (1917)
George Bamberger (1923)
Masaichi Kaneda (1933)
Pedro Cisneros (1939)
Tony Muser (1947)
Milt May (1950)
Pete Mackanin (1951)
Greg Gross (1952)
Dave Anderson (1960)
Gregg Jefferies (1967)
Shigetoshi Hasegawa (1968)
Brian Bohanon (1968)
Kevin Jarvis (1969)
Adam Jones (1985)
Frank Grant is considered by some to be the greatest African-American player of the nineteenth century.
The son of the Hall of Famer, George Sisler, Jr. was a long-time minor league executive, winning the Minor League Executive of the Year award three times. He served as International League president from 1965-1976 and is a member of the International League Hall of Fame.
Left-hander Masaichi Kineda won four hundred games in Japan.
Pedro Cisneros was commissioner of the Mexican League from 1982-1999 and edited the first Mexican League encyclopedia.
We would also like to wish a happy birthday to brianS’ sister-in-law.
Infielder Peter Mackanin played for the Twins from 1980-1981. Born and raised in Chicago, he was drafted by Washington in the fourth round in 1969. He did not do much in the minors until 1973, when out of nowhere he hit .302 at AAA Spokane. He spent two months with Texas that year, used mostly as a reserve shortstop behind Toby Harrah. He showed that 1973 was no fluke by hitting .291 at Spokane in 1974, getting a September call-up. The Rangers traded him to Montreal after the 1974 season. That turned out to be a break for Mackanin, as he got a chance to play regularly for the Expos. He was their starting second baseman for two seasons, but did not hit, batting in the .220s both years. He lost his starting job in 1977 and spent most of 1978 in AAA before being chosen off waivers by Philadelphia in September. He was apparently injured most of the 1979 campaign, as he played in only thirteen games in the majors and none in the minors. After that season, Mackanin was traded to Minnesota for Paul Thormodsgaard. In 1980 he shared second base with Rob Wilfong, although he also played a little shortstop. He took more of a utility role in 1981. As a Twin, he hit .252/.279/.346 in 544 at-bats. He became a free agent after the 1981 season and signed with the White Sox, but was released in spring training of 1982. He signed with Texas and spent the next three seasons in AAA, two of them in the Rangers’ organization and one in the Cubs’ chain. He remained in baseball after his playing career ended. He coached and managed in the minors for several years, then became the third base coach for Montreal from 1997-2001. He was back in the minors for a couple of years, then became the bench coach for Pittsburgh. He was their interim manager for about a month in 2005, then went back to the minors. He became an advance scout for Cincinnati in 2007 and was their interim manager for half of that season. He scouted for the Yankees in 2008, then became bench coach for Philadelphia in 2009-2012. At last report, he was once again a scout for the New York Yankees.
Right-hander Kevin Thomas Jarvis appeared in six games for the Twins in 1997. He was born in Lexington, Kentucky, went to high school in Tates Creek, Kentucky, and attended Wake Forest. He was drafted by Cincinnati in the twenty-first round in 1991. He did very well in the minors, going 10-2 with a 3.54 ERA in AAA Indianapolis in 1994. He was on a shuttle between Indianapolis and Cincinnati that year, making four brief appearances with the big club. Things went downhill from there, though. He split 1995 between the majors and AAA, not pitching particularly well in either league. He was in the Reds’ rotation for much of 1996, but did not fare any better. He began 1997 in the Cincinnati bullpen, was waived on May 2 and chosen by Detroit, was waived again on May 9 and selected by Minnesota. He appeared in six games for the Twins, two of them starts. In thirteen innings, he was 0-0, 12.46, 2.39 WHIP, allowing 18 runs on 23 hits and 8 walks. The Twins waived him on June 17 and he was chosen by Detroit, where he finished the season. He spent much of 1998 in Japan, but signed with Cincinnati for about two weeks in late August-early September. He moved on to the Oakland organization in 1999 and to the Rockies’ chain in 2000. He pitched well at AAA in those years, but did nothing in the majors. He signed with San Diego in 2001 and got his only full season in the majors, going 12-11, 4.79 and leading the league in home runs allowed. He battled injuries in 2002-2003, but was in the Padres’ rotation when healthy, with similar results. He was traded to Seattle after the 2003 season. The Mariners released him May 6, he signed with Colorado May 11, was released by the Rockies on July 6, and signed with Pittsburgh July 16, spending the rest of the season in AAA. He signed with St. Louis for 2005, making four appearances for the Cardinals, moved on to Arizona for 2006 (appearing in five big league games), went to Boston at the end of August, appeared in four more, and then his career was over. He had a career ERA of over six, yet appeared in parts of twelve major league seasons, made 118 starts and 69 relief appearances, and pitched 780.2 major league innings. His lowest season ERA was 4.37, even including seasons where he pitched very few major league innings. He holds the record with six seasons with an ERA above seven. When you look at all the guys who pitch well in the minors year after year and can’t get a shot, it’s amazing that Kevin Jarvis got as many chances as he did. At last report, he was a scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks.