RIP Thomas Bolyn Brothers -- sorry mom didn't like you as much
(2 votes, average: 8.50 out of 10)
Loading... Count Sensenderfer (1847)
Ted Lyons (1900)
Tommy Bridges (1906)
Bill Lee (1946)
Aurelio Rodriguez (1947)
John Milner (1949)
Ray Knight (1952)
Zane Smith (1960)
Carl Willis (1960)
Benny Agbayani (1971)
Melvin Nieves (1971)
Einar Diaz (1972)
B. J. Ryan (1975)
Bill Hall (1979)
Count Sensenderfer (given name John Phillips Jenkins Sensenderfer) played for the Philadelphia Athletics in the National Association from 1871-1874. He holds the record for most at-bats without drawing a walk, 234.
I was in the back of a liquor store checking out their selection of Minnesota beers to bring some home with me. From the back, I heard what sounded like someone, a boss or something, really laying into an employee.
"What are you doing? How could you do something so stupid? What were you thinking!?"
I made my selection and approached the front with a little apprehension. Turns out it was just the lone worker watching the Gophers game.
Marlin Carter (1912)
Bob Evans (1912)
Jim Tobin (1912)
Connie Johnson (1922)
Phil Gagliano (1941)
Roy White (1943)
Craig Reynolds (1952)
Jim Leyritz (1963)
Dean Palmer (1968)
Jeff D’Amico (1975)
Jason Repko (1980)
David Aardsma (1981)
Michael Bourn (1982)
Chris Gimenez (1982)
Cole Hamels (1983)
Rick Porcello (1988)
Addison Reed (1988)
Tyler Duffey (1990)
Stuart Turner (1991)
It was an unusually strong year for music. Several new (to me) artists that quickly became favorites, as well as a number of excellent releases from artists I already dug. Some years it’s tough to come up with a top 10. This year the competition was fierce and some really fine music was relegated to the honorable mentions.
Best of 2023 (in order)
Wednesday Rat Saw God. Album of the year. Great from start to finish. Also picked up all their earlier releases after realizing that Rat Saw God was their fourth album—-all of them terrific, I might add. Throw in Lenderman’s solo stuff and these youngsters from Asheville, NC were far and away my most listened to act(s) of 2023.
Hotline TNT Cartwheel. Plays like a classic from the first wave of shoegaze, yet completely contemporary. A heavy Ride influence with some Swervedriver and a pinch of Sugar thrown in for good measure. Fantastic album.
Squirrel Flower Tomorrow’s Fire. Muscular, brooding indie rock from Chicago transplant Ella Williams. (fwiw, Jake Lenderman plays in her studio band for Tomorrow's Fire, so you know the guitars are on point.)
Laurel Halo Atlas. Instrumental music that is simultaneously dreamy, yet slightly disorienting. Found it to be a great soundtrack for both painting and cooking. She is a frequent collaborator with Bootsy favorite Julia Holter.
Blonde Redhead Sit Down for Dinner. After nearly a decade on the sidelines, BRH return with a lovely, mellow release that grows and grows with repeated listens.
dusk Glass Pastures. Alt-country band from 'Sconi with more than a little late-60’s San Fran, rough-neck/hippy vibe. (Think Moby Grape, right down to the 3 guitar attack and multiple lead vocalists.)
MJ Lenderman and The Wind Live and Loose. Jake Lenderman and his crackerjack band blaze through 14 originals and close with a fabulous cover of “Long Black Veil.” Dude is only 24 years old. He is definitely one to watch.
Deerhoof Miracle Level. What can I say? These guys continue to deliver the goods. Entirely sung in Japanese.
Cory Hanson Western Cum. Like Foxygen covering the Eagles. lol Seriously, an axe-wielding tour de force from the Wand dude. Ridiculously horrible album title, though. (shout-out to Zach for turning me onto Pale Horse Rider a few years back in these same year-end best of's.)
Angel Olsen Forever Means EP. Two of the four songs rate amongst her finest work. I’m on board for whatever Angel wants to do
Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)
Ratboys The Window
Lana Del Rey Did You Know There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd?
Sufjan Stevens Javelin
Slow Pulp Yard
Mitski The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We
Feist Multitudes
feeble little horse Girl with Fish
(2 votes, average: 9.00 out of 10)Loading...
nothing queued up, so here you go
(0 votes, average: 0.00 out of 10)Loading... Still don’t know what Boxing Day is but I’m okay with that.
Morgan Bulkeley (1837)
Judy Johnson (1899)
Dad A (1922)
Stu Miller (1927)
Al Jackson (1935)
Wayne Causey (1936)
Ray Sadecki (1940)
Carlton Fisk (1947)
Chris Chambliss (1948)
Dave Rader (1948)
Mario Mendoza (1950)
Ozzie Smith (1954)
Mike Sodders (1958)
Storm Davis (1961)
Jeff King (1964)
Esteban Beltre (1967)
Omar Infante (1981)
Yohan Pino (1983)
Mike Minor (1987)
Morgan Bulkeley was the first president of the National League.
Mike Sodders was a first-round draft choice for the Twins in 1981. A star third baseman at Arizona State, he never could adjust to wooden bats, never hit, and never made the major leagues.
Dad A was a Twins fan since the team started, and was a baseball fan before that. He coached, he ran the public address system, and he was on the board of the local baseball association. One of the many gifts he gave me is a love of baseball. He would have been one hundred one years old today. Rest in peace, Dad.
Hope everyone stayed off of the Naughty List.
Pud Galvin (1856)
Barry McCormick (1874)
Walter Holke (1892)
Lloyd Brown (1904)
Ben Chapman (1908)
Jo-Jo Moore (1908)
Quincy Trouppe (1912)
Ned Garver (1925)
Nellie Fox (1927)
Gene Lamont (1946)
Manny Trillo (1950)
Luis Quintana (1951)
Jeff Little (1954)
Wallace Johnson (1956)
Charlie Lea (1956)
Rickey Henderson (1958)
Rich Renteria (1961)
Marty Pevey (1962)
There have been 35 major league players with the first name “Jesus”, including ex-Twins Jesus Vega and Jesus “Bombo” Rivera and one whose birthday is today, Manny Trillo. There have been no major league players with the last name “Christ", although there have been two minor leaguers with that last name: John Christ, who was in the Cleveland organization from 1999-2001, and Mike Christ, who was in the Seattle organization from 1984-1988. There have been 24 players whose first name was “Christian” (honorable mention to Cristian Guzman), 24 players whose middle name was “Christian” (including ex-Twins Marcus Jensen, David Lamb, and Kevin Maas), and two players whose last name was “Christian”. We would be remiss if we did not also mention 1980s journeyman catcher Steve Christmas, as well as Matt Holliday. Radaris.com says there are at least 280 people in the United States named Mary Christmas.
The staff of Happy Birthday would like to wish everyone a very merry and blessed Christmas.
