Tag Archives: citizen days

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–December 5

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Billy Shindle (1860)
Patsy Tebeau (1864)
Frank Bowerman (1868)
Pink Hawley (1872)
Gus Mancuso (1905)
Bobby Mattick (1915)
Chico Ruiz (1938)
Yoshiharu Wakana (1953)
Gary Roenicke (1954)
Luis Casanova (1956)
Alan Cockrell (1962)
Cliff Floyd (1972)
Hanley Frias (1973)
Justin Smoak (1986)
A. J. Pollock (1987)
Christian Yelich (1991)
Trevor Megill (1993)

Yoshiharu Wakana was a six-time all-star in Japan, playing from 1974-1991.

Luis Casanova was a star slugger in Cuba, playing from 1978-1994.

We also want to wish a Happy Birthday to CarterHayes’ mother.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–December 5 →

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–December 3

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Billy McLean (1835)
Bennie Tate (1901)
Joe Collins (1922)
Harry Simpson (1925)
Ray Bellino (1932)
Minnie Mendoza (1934)
Clay Dalrymple (1936)
Chico Salmon (1940)
Jerry Johnson (1943)
Wayne Garrett (1947)
Pat Putnam (1953)
Gene Nelson (1960)
Damon Berryhill (1963)
Darryl Hamilton (1964)
Paul Byrd (1970)
Chad Durbin (1977)
Andy Oliver (1987)
J. T. Chargois (1990)

Billy McLean was the umpire in the first National League game ever, April 22, 1876.  He umpired in the National League through 1890.

Shortstop Ray Bellino played and managed in the Twins minor league system and also was a scout for them.

If I ever write a novel, I think I'll call one of the characters "Dalrymple".

Andy Oliver was drafted by Minnesota in the seventeenth round in 2006, but did not sign.

We would also like to wish a happy birthday to DK.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–December 3 →

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–November 28

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Heinie Pietz (1870)
Frank O'Rourke (1894)
Johnny Wright (1916)
Jerry Gardner (1920)
Wes Westrum (1922)
Sixto Lezcano (1953)
Dave Righetti (1958)
Walt Weiss (1963)
John Burkett (1964)
Matt Williams (1965)
Pedro Astacio (1969)
Robb Nen (1969)
Jose Parra (1972)
Carlos Villaneuva (1983)
Miguel Diaz (1994)

Jerry Gardner spent most of his life in baseball as a minor-league player and manager and as a scout.

We would like to wish a very happy birthday to Mom Runner.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–November 28 →

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–November 15

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Tom Loftus (1856)
Pat Ragan (1883)
Mickey Livingston (1914)
Gus Bell (1928)
Big Brother A (1951)
Randy Niemann (1955)
Pedro Borbon (1967)
Dylan Bundy (1992)

Tom Loftus managed Cincinnati, Chicago, and Washington around the turn of the (twentieth) century.

Big Brother A is one of the two people–Dad A being the other–from whom I got a love of baseball and a love of the Twins.  I don’t know how it’s possible that I have a brother who’s seventy-three years old when I’m still so young, but happy birthday, Big Brother.

We also wish a happy birthday to spookymilk’s brother.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–November 15 →

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–November 4

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Bobby Wallace (1873)
Tommy Leach (1877)
Skeeter Webb (1909)
Carl Sawatski (1927)
Dick Groat (1930)
Tito Francona (1933)
Dick Selma (1943)
Doug Corbett (1952)
Jon Shave (1967)
Eric Karros (1967)
Carlos Baerga (1968)
Kevin Frederick (1976)
Carmen Cali (1978)
Chih-Wei Hu (1993)

We would also like to wish a very happy birthday to davidwatts, yickit/eschapp, and kalarson.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–November 4 →

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–November 3

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Jim McCormick (1856)
Larry Kopf (1890)
Homer Summa (1898)
Johnny Keane (1911)
Bob Feller (1918)
Ken Holtzman (1945)
Dwight Evans (1951)
Larry Herndon (1953)
Bob Welch (1956)
Paul Quantrill (1968)
Armando Benitez (1972)
Kyle Seager (1987)

Johnny Keane managed the St. Louis Cardinals from 1961-1964 and the New York Yankees from 1965-1966.

There do not appear to be any players with connections to the Twins born on this day. It should be noted that, while Homer Summa is a great name for a ballplayer, he didn't homer very much.  He had only 18 career home runs in ten major league seasons.  He did, however, have a lifetime batting average of .302.  Maybe he should've been named Single Summa.

We also want to wish a happy anniversary to the Dread Pirate and Mrs. Pirate.

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–October 28

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Tommy Tucker (1863)
Frank Smith (1879)
Hurley McNair (1888)
Doc Lavan (1890)
Johnny Neun (1900)
Lloyd Davenport (1911)
Joe Page (1917)
Bob Veale (1935)
Sammy Stewart (1954)
Bob Melvin (1961)
Lenny Harris (1964)
Larry Casian (1965)
Juan Guzman (1966)
Braden Looper (1974)
Nate McLouth (1981)
Jeremy Bonderman (1983)
Daniel Palka (1991)
Diego Castillo (1997)
Spencer Strider (1998)

This is my thirty-fifth wedding anniversary.  Coincidentally, it's Mrs. A's thirty-fifth wedding anniversary, too.  She has announced that she is picking up my option for another year, for which I am most grateful.

Johnny Neun managed two major league teams, the Yankees in 1946 and Cincinnati from 1947-1948. Each time, he was replaced by someone who was nicknamed “Bucky”.

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Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–October 26

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Frank Selee (1859)
Kid Gleason (1866)
Lee Tannehill (1880)
Dick Hoblitzel (1888)
Tommy Griffith (1889)
Judy Johnson (1900)
Snuffy Stirnweiss (1918)
Bud Byerly (1920)
Toby Harrah (1948)
Mike Hargrove (1949)
Steve Rogers (1949)
Dave Coleman (1950)
Harry Chappas (1957)
Gil Heredia (1965)
Mark Sweeney (1969)
Francisco Liriano (1983)
Danny Coloumbe (1989)
Dominic Leone (1991)

Frank Selee was the manager of the Boston Beaneaters from 1890-1901, winning the National League pennant five times.  He also managed the Cubs from 1902-1905 until his health forced him to retire.

William Julius "Judy" Johnson was a star third baseman in the Negro Leagues.  Some sources list today as his birthday, but some list it as December 26.

We would like to wish a very happy birthday to AuntieWalt.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–October 26 →

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–October 24

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Ned Williamson (1857)
Bill Kuehne (1858)
Lou Sockalexis (1871)
Ossie Bluege (1900)
Jack Russell (1905)
Jim Brosnan (1929)
Rawly Eastwick (1950)
Omar Moreno (1952)
Gary Serum (1956)
Ron Gardenhire (1957)
Junior Ortiz (1959)
Danny Clay (1961)
Rafael Belliard (1961)
Gene Larkin (1962)
Arthur Rhodes (1969)
Rafael Furcal (1977)
Chris Colabello (1983)
Eric Hosmer (1989)
Nick Gordon (1995)

Third baseman Ossie Bluege played for the franchise in Washington for eighteen years and remained in the organization for many years after that. He is credited as being the first third baseman to guard the lines in the late innings. He is also credited as the scout who discovered Harmon Killebrew.

We would like to wish a very happy anniversary to Mr. and Mrs. zooomx.2.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–October 24 →

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–October 22

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Kid Carsey (1870)
Bill Carrigan (1883)
Johnny Morrison (1895)
Jumbo Elliott (1900)
Jimmie Foxx (1907)
Wilbur Wood (1941)
Jamie Quirk (1954)
Frank DiPino (1956)
Keith Osik (1968)
Hector Carrasco (1969)
Ichiro Suzuki (1973)
Michael Barrett (1976)
Brad Thomas (1977)
Eli Whiteside (1979)
Robinson Cano (1982)
Darren O'Day (1982)
Carlos Torres (1982)

We would also like to wish very happy anniversary to Daneeka's Ghost and Mrs. Ghost.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–October 22 →