Happy Birthday–December 10

Jimmy Johnston (1889)
Rudy Hernandez (1931)
Jaime Jarrin (1935)
Doc Edwards (1936)
Bob Priddy (1939)
Dalton Jones (1943)
Steve Renko (1944)
Paul Assenmacher (1960)
Doug Henry (1963)
Luis Polonia (1963)
Mel Rojas (1966)
Joe Mays (1975)
Dan Wheeler (1977)
Pedro Florimon (1986)

Pitcher Rudy Hernandez was a member of the old Washington franchise in 1960, but was chosen by the new Washington franchise in the expansion draft in December of 1960.

Jaime Jarrin has been the Dodgers' Spanish-language broadcaster since 1959.

We would also like to wish a happy birthday to Moss' son.

Right-hander Joseph Emerson Mays played for the Twins from 1999-2003 and again in 2005. He really only had one good major league season, but he turned it into some substantial money. A cousin of Carl Mays, he was born in Flint, Michigan, went to Southeast High School in Bradenton, Florida, and was drafted by Seattle in the sixth round in 1994. He pitched well in the minors, but took a long time to advance, spending three and a half years combined in rookie and A ball. The first three of those years were in the Mariners organization; at the end of the 1997 season, he was traded to Minnesota as the player to be named later in the deal that sent Roberto Kelly to Seattle. He advanced to AA in 1998, then was jumped to the big leagues in 1999. For a 23-year-old who had never pitched above AA, he didn't do too badly. In 2000, however, he stumbled, going 7-15 with a 5.56 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP in 160 innings. Then, in 2001, he had by far his best season, going 17-13 with a 3.16 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. He led the league in ERA+ that year with 145 and made his only all-star appearance. The Twins rewarded him with a long-term contract, but unfortunately, Mays almost immediately started to have arm trouble, and never had a good year again. He struggled through sub-par seasons with the Twins in 2002 and 2003, did not pitch at all in 2004, and continued to struggle in 2005. He made 64 starts for Minnesota in those years, posting an ERA well over five. A free agent after 2005, he bounced around, as teams kept hoping he would regain his 2001 form. Mays started 2006 with Kansas City, was released in May, finished the season with Cincinnati, signed with the Dodgers for 2007, went to the minors, and was released in May again, his career over. At last report, Joe Mays had returned to live in the Bradenton area.

Shortstop Pedro Alexander Florimon, Jr. has played for the Twins since the last six weeks of 2012.  He was born in La Romana, Dominican Republic and signed with Baltimore as a free agent in 2004.  He must have played somewhere that season and in 2005, but his stats at b-r.com begin in 2006.  He hit .333 in 120 at-bats for Rookie-level Bluefield that season, but struggled at bat since then.  With the exception of seven games in 2009, he did not get above Class A until half-way through the 2010 season, when he finally went to AA Bowie.  He struggled there that season, but in 2011 had his best batting season since rookie ball, hitting .267/.344/.396.  The Orioles were impressed enough to give him a September call-up, in which he went 1-for-8.  They weren't impressed enough to keep him around, though, placing him on waivers in early December.  The Twins claimed him and sent him to New Britain.  When he hit for a decent average in a little over a month there, he was promoted to AAA, and in mid-August he made his debut in Minnesota.  He was the starting shortstop the rest of the season, hitting .219/.269/.303.  He was the Twins' regular shortstop in 2013 and hit about the same.  He started 2014 as the Twins' regular shortstop, but his offense fell apart completely and he was sent to AAA in early May.  The Twins waived him in September and he was claimed by Washington, but the Nationals waived him in November.  He was claimed by Pittsburgh.   He's 28 today, his career minor league OPS is .679, and his major league career OPS is .565, so it seems unlikely that he'll ever hit.  He can play defense, though, so it's possible someone will give him a chance to be a utility player.