Tag Archives: citizen days

Happy Birthday–December 22

Connie Mack (1862)
Matty Alou (1938)
Elrod Hendricks (1940)
Steve Carlton (1944)
Hiroyuki Yamazaki (1946)
Charley Taylor (1947)
Steve Garvey (1948)
Tom Underwood (1953)
Ken Landreaux (1954)
Lonnie Smith (1955)
Glenn Wilson (1958)
George Wright (1958)
Jeff A (1958)
Andy Allanson (1961)
Mike Jackson (1964)
Jason Lane (1976)

Second baseman Hiroyuki Yamazaki was a five-time all-star in Japan over a twenty-year career.

Charley Taylor was a minor-league pitching coach for over thirty years in the Houston Astros organization.

Steve Garvey was drafted by Minnesota in the third round in 1966, but did not sign.

There were three players born on this day who made their major league debuts in 2016:  Gavin Cecchini, Jacob Stallings, and Patrick Kivlehan.  I don't think that's a record, but it is unusual.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–December 22

Happy Birthday–December 21

Cy Williams (1887)
Josh Gibson (1911)
Bob Rush (1925)
Howie Reed (1936)
Paul Casanova (1941)
Elliott Maddox (1947)
Dave Kingman (1948)
Joaquin Andujar (1952)
Tom Henke (1957)
Roger McDowell (1960)
Andy Van Slyke (1960)
Dustin Hermanson (1972)
LaTroy Hawkins (1972)
D’Angelo Jimenez (1977)
Freddy Sanchez (1977)
Philip Humber (1982)

Josh Gibson is generally considered to have been the greatest batter in Negro League history.

We would also like to wish a very happy birthday to hungry joe’s wife, peckish jane.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–December 21

Happy Birthday–December 20

Jack Manning (1853)
Harry Stovey (1856)
Jimmy Williams (1876)
Branch Rickey (1881)
Fred Merkle (1888)
Butch Henline (1894)
George Pipgras (1899)
Gabby Hartnett (1900)
Spud Davis (1904)
Eddie Leishman (1910)
Julio Becquer (1931)
Oscar Gamble (1949)
Cecil Cooper (1949)
Jose DeLeon (1960)
Augie Ojeda (1974)
Aubrey Huff (1976)
David De Jesus (1979)
James Shields (1981)
David Wright (1982)

Eddie Leishman was twice the Minor League Executive of the Year.

We would also like to wish a very happy anniversary to spookymilk and mrs. milk.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–December 20

Happy Birthday–December 18

Ty Cobb (1886)
Dick Coffman (1906)
Gino Cimoli (1929)
Moose Skowron (1930)
Zoilo Versalles (1939)
Steve Hovley (1944)
Drew Coble (1947)
Roy Howell (1953)
Jim Clancy (1955)
Scott Bailes (1961)
Willie Blair (1965)
Joe Randa (1969)
Jose Rodriguez (1974)
Byron Buxton (1993)

Drew Coble was an American League umpire from 1982-1999.

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

Continue reading Happy Birthday–December 18

Happy Birthday–December 13

Jack Taylor (1873)
Hank Majeski (1916)
Larry Doby (1923)
Shotgun Shuba (1924)
Carl Erskine (1926)
Billy Loes (1929)
Bubba Morton (1931)
Lindy McDaniel (1935)
J. C. Martin (1936)
Ron Taylor (1937)
Ferguson Jenkins (1942)
Paul Boris (1955)
Dale Berra (1956)
Mike Mordecai (1967)
Matthew LeCroy (1975)
Ricky Nolasco (1982)

We would also like to wish a very happy birthday to spookymilk's mom.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–December 13

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.  For all the accolades Vin Scully has gotten (and they're deserved), it would be nice if Jarrin got a little more attention.

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

Continue reading Happy Birthday–December 10

Happy Birthday–December 8

Jack Rowe (1856)
Jimmy Austin (1879)
Sam Zoldak (1918)
Jim Pagliaroni (1937)
Brant Alyea (1940)
Ed Brinkman (1941)
Ken Roy (1941)
Masahiro Doi (1943)
Alan Foster (1946)
Jeff Grotewold (1965)
Mike Mussina (1968)
Reed Johnson (1976)
Vernon Wells (1978)

Ken Roy was a minor league umpire for two years before becoming a Catholic priest.  He said that his umpiring career helped him in ministry because it gave him more patience with people and made him a better listener.

Masahiro Doi was a fifteen-time all-star in the Japanese Pacific League, playing from 1962-1981.

We would also like to wish a happy ninth birthday to AMR’s son, HPR.

Outfielder Garrabrant Ryerson Alyea played for the Twins from 1970-1971, the first of which was the best season of his career. Born in Passaic, New Jersey, he attended Rutherford High School in Rutherford, New Jersey. He then went to Hofstra, and was signed by Cincinnati as a free agent in 1962. He had a tremendous year for Class D Geneva, hitting .319 with 32 home runs. After the 1962 season, Alyea was drafted by Washington in the first-year draft. He jumped to Class A in 1963, and advanced a level per season after that. He reached AAA in 1965, hitting 27 homers for Hawaii, earning a September callup. In 1966, however, he fell to .218 with 21 homers for Hawaii, and the next year, 1967, he found himself back in AA. Alyea rebounded in 1968, hitting .253 with 31 home runs for AAA Buffalo, and was back in the big-leagues by late July, this time to stay a while. He had a mediocre season in 1969 as a part-time outfielder for the Senators, and was traded to Minnesota in March of 1970 for Joe Grzenda and Charlie Walters. He went on to have his best season in 1970, setting career highs in batting average (.291), home runs (16), doubles (12), and RBIs (61), and at-bats (258). The next year, however, he fell on his face, hitting only .177 with two homers. Left unprotected, he was chosen by Oakland in that winter's rule 5 draft. He did little for Oakland, was traded to St. Louis in May, did little there, and was returned to the Athletics in July. He was traded to Texas in the off-season, didn't make the team, went to AAA Pawtucket in the Boston organization, and then retired. After baseball, Alyea went into bartending, the insurance business, worked for a casino in Atlantic City, then worked for a Volvo dealership in Huntington, Pennsylvania. At last report, Brant Alyea was living in Pleasantville, New Jersey.  His son, Brant Jose Alyea, born in Nicaragua, played in the minor leagues from 1985-1990, briefly reaching AAA.

Catcher/first baseman Jeffrey Scott Grotewold, who shares his first two names with your author, did not play for the Twins, but was in their minor league system in 1993. He was born in Madera, California, went to the University of San Diego, and was signed by Philadelphia as a free agent in 1986. He rose slowly through the Phillies’ system, reaching AA in 1989 and AAA in 1991. Nothing about his minor league record is particularly noteworthy, either for good or for bad. His best season was probably 1990, when he hit .269 with 15 homers and an OPS of .827. He reached the majors in 1992, spent nearly the entire season there, and was used almost exclusively as a pinch-hitter, playing 72 games but making just 75 plate appearances.  In July of that year, he hit three pinch-hit home runs in three consecutive days, setting a record.  He hit only four home runs in his major league career. In late March of 1993, the Phillies traded Grotewald to Minnesota for minor league infielder Mica Lewis. The Twins sent him to AAA Portland, where he did okay as a reserve, hitting .252/.370/.450 in 151 at-bats. He signed with Detroit for 1994, was released late in spring training, and played in independent ball that year. He then signed with Kansas City and spent two years playing in AAA Omaha, getting about one month in the majors in 1995. His playing career ended after the 1996 season. He then went into business, and has successfully started Grotewold Construction, Inc., Carpet Station, Inc., and Motocinch, Inc. in the Los Angeles area.

Happy Birthday–December 5

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)
Felix Rodriguez (1972)
Hanley Frias (1973)

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

Happy Birthday–December 3

Billy McLean (1835)
Bennie Tate (1901)
Joe Collins (1922)
Ray Bellino (1932)
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.

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

Happy Birthday–December 1

Ed Reulbach (1882)
Willie Mitchell (1889)
Walter Alston (1911)
Calvin Griffith (1911)
Cookie Lavagetto (1912)
Marty Marion (1917)
Cal McLish (1925)
George Foster (1948)
Dan Schatzeder (1954)
Greg Harris (1963)
Larry Walker (1966)
Reggie Sanders (1967)
Kirk Rueter (1970)

As everyone reading this knows, Calvin Griffith was the long-time owner of the Minnesota Twins.  He had served in a variety of positions for the Washington Senators, including batboy, minor league player-manager, and working in the front office.  His managing career lasted from 1937-1941.  He also played for Class B Charlotte from 1939-1941.  No records of his playing career are available from 1939-1940, but in 1941 he got a hit in his only at-bat.

We would also like to wish a happy birthday to SBG’s father, Butch.

Continue reading Happy Birthday–December 1