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.
Phenomenal Smith (1864)
Tully Sparks (1874)
Buzzie Bavasi (1915)
Clyde Kluttz (1917)
Ralph Garr (1945)
Gorman Thomas (1950)
Steve Farr (1956)
Alonzo Powell (1964)
Orlando Hudson (1977)
Ervin Santana (1982)
Emil "Buzzie" Bavasi was the general manager of the Dodgers from 1951-1968, San Diego from 1969-1972, and the Angels from 1977-1984.
Old Hoss Radbourn (1854)
Art Wilson (1885)
Fred Toney (1888)
Swish Nicholson (1914)
Hal Brown (1924)
Lee Maye (1934)
Mike Henneman (1961)
Thomas Howard (1964)
Jay Bell (1965)
Derek Bell (1968)
Frankie Rodriguez (1972)
Joe Blanton (1980)
Dalton Pompey (1992)
In 2014, Dalton Pompey became the first big leaguer ever to have the given first name "Dalton". In case anyone remember Dalton Jones (whose birthday was yesterday), his given first name was James.
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.
Joe Kelley (1871)
Cy Seymour (1872)
Adam Comorosky (1905)
Billy Klaus (1928)
Joe DeMaestri (1928)
Darold Knowles (1941)
Jim Merritt (1943)
Del Unser (1944)
Jerry Cram (1947)
Doc Medich (1948)
Steve Christmas (1957)
Ed Romero (1957)
Juan Samuel (1960)
Tony Tarasco (1970)
Todd Van Poppel (1971)
Tony Batista (1973)
Outfielder Del Unser was drafted by Minnesota in the second round in 1965, but did not sign. Catcher Steve Christmas was drafted by Minnesota in the thirty-third round in 1975, but did not sign.
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.
Denny Galehouse (1911)
Dick Donovan (1927)
Hal Smith (1930)
Don Cardwell (1935)
Bo Belinsky (1936)
Alex Johnson (1942)
Johnny Bench (1947)
Ozzie Virgil (1956)
Shane Mack (1963)
Tino Martinez (1967)
Eric Chavez (1977)
Saul Rivera (1977)
Yasiel Puig (1990)
Jocko Conlan (1899)
Tony Lazzeri (1903)
Stan Hack (1909)
Dan Dobbek (1934)
Tony Horton (1944)
Larry Bowa (1945)
Tim Foli (1950)
Chuck Baker (1952)
Gary Ward (1953)
Juan Carlos Oliva (1954)
Steve Bedrosian (1957)
Larry Sheets (1959)
Kevin Campbell (1964)
Kevin Appier (1967)
Jose Contreras (1971)
Chris Basak (1978)
Jason Bulger (1978)
Jocko Conlan played two seasons of major league baseball, but is best known as a National League umpire from 1941-1965.
The younger brother of Tony Oliva, Juan Carlos Oliva was a star pitcher in Cuba and later became a successful pitching coach there.
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.
Jesse Burkett (1868)
Shano Collins (1885)
Bob Shawkey (1890)
Harvey Kuenn (1930)
Mike Couchee (1957)
Lee Smith (1957)
Stan Jefferson (1962)
Bernardo Brito (1963)
Jerome Williams (1981)
Matt Fox (1982)
Carlos Gomez (1985)
Mike Couchee was drafted by Minnesota in the second round of the January Secondary draft in 1978, but did not sign.
