Category Archives: Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–September 20

Chuck Dressen (1898)
Zeke Bonura (1908)
Tom Tresh (1937)
Rich Morales (1943)
Roric Harrison (1946)
Pete Hamm (1947)
Mickey Klutts (1954)
Pat Bangtson (1964)
Jason Bay (1978)
Steve Lombardozzi (1988)

Jason Bay is the first player born on this date to play in ten major league seasons.  This is the only date on which there is only one player to have been in the big leagues for ten seasons.

Pat Bangtson was drafted by the Twins in 1987 and was in their system through 1991, reaching as high as AAA. He then worked as an assistant coach at Ohio State from 1992-2005, when he became the head coach at the University of Akron.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–September 20

Happy Birthday–September 19

Yank Robinson (1859)
Stuffy McInnis (1890)
Roger Angell (1920)
Epitacio Torres (1921)
Bob Murphy (1924)
Duke Snider (1926)
Bob Turley (1930)
Bill Williams (1930)
Chris Short (1937)
Joe Morgan (1943)
Joe Ferguson (1946)
Masaji Hiramatsu (1947)
Joe Maddon (1954)
Charlie Reliford (1955)
Randy Myers (1962)
Jim Abbott (1967)
Pedro Munoz (1968)
Javier Valentin (1975)
Mike Smith (1977)
Nick Johnson (1978)
Scott Baker (1981)
Danny Valencia (1984)

Continue reading Happy Birthday–September 19

Happy Birthday–September 18

Heinie Groh (1889)
George Uhle (1898)
Harvey Haddix (1925)
Lorn Brown (1938)
Dick Dietz (1941)
Ken Brett (1948)
Tony Scott (1951)
Ray Smith (1955)
Ryne Sandberg (1959)
Jeff Bronkey (1965)
Kevin Thompson (1979)
Joe Bisenius (1982)

Kevin Thompson was drafted by Minnesota in the eighteenth round in 1998, but did not sign.

We would also like to wish a very happy birthday to nibbish.

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Happy Birthday–September 12

Nick Young (1840)
Bob Groom (1884)
Fred Luderus (1885)
Spud Chandler (1907)
Charlie Keller (1916)
Andy Seminick (1920)
Stan Lopata (1925)
Albie Pearson (1934)
Mickey Lolich (1940)
John Montague (1947)
Scotti Madison (1959)
Thom Brennaman (1963)
Keith Hughes (1963)
Luis Castillo (1975)
Sean Burroughs (1980)
Carmen Pignatiello (1982)

And a happy birthday as well to CarterHayes.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–September 12

Happy Birthday–September 11

Con Daily (1864)
James Dunn (1866)
Steve Brodie (1868)
Frank Kitson (1869)
Ellis Clary (1916)
Eddie Miksis (1926)
Luis Garcia (1929)
Jackie Hernandez (1940)
Larry Bearnarth (1941)
Dave Roberts (1944)
Larry Cox (1947)
Jeff Newman (1948)
Yoshinori Soto (1954)
Brad Lesley (1958)
Scott Patterson (1958)
Don Slaught (1958)
Ellis Burks (1964)
Quinn Mack (1965)
Eduardo Perez (1969)
Toby Gardenhire (1982)

Infielder Ellis Clary was a scout for the Twins for over two decades.

Actor Scott Patterson, best known for his role on The Gilmore Girls, was a minor league pitcher for seven seasons, pitching 373 AAA innings but not reaching the majors. He was in the Yankees and Braves systems.

Quinn Mack is Shane Mack’s brother and got 21 at-bats with Seattle in 1994.

Brad Lesley was drafted by the Twins in seventh round in the 1977 January draft, but did not sign.

Toby Gardenhire, of course, is the son of the current Twins’ manager.  He was a player in the Twins’ minor league system, reaching AAA, and is currently the baseball coach of the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

We also want to wish a very happy birthday to Rhubarb_Runner.

Additionally, it seems appropriate on this day to mention former minor league players Marty Boryczewski and Brent Woodall, both of whom were killed in the terrorist attacks of 2001.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–September 11