Tag Archives: Happy Birthday

Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–November 7

Chris Von der Ahe (1851)
Ed "The Only" Nolan (1857)
Bill Brubaker (1910)
Dick Stuart (1932)
Jake Gibbs (1938)
Jim Kaat (1938)
Joe Niekro (1944)
Buck Martinez (1948)
Willie Norwood (1950)
Guy Sularz (1955)
Orlando Mercado (1961)
Russ Springer (1968)
Todd Ritchie (1971)
Glendon Rusch (1974)
Esmerling Vasquez (1983)
Sonny Gray (1989)
Danny Santana (1990)

Promoter/entrepreneur Chris von der Ahe, referred to as "Bill Veeck with a handlebar mustache", owned the St. Louis franchise from 1882-1899.

November 7 ties for the most Twins birthdays, with nine.

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Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–November 6

Walter Johnson (1887)
Mack Jones (1938)
Jim Gosger (1942)
John Candelaria (1953)
Stine Poole (1958)
Chad Curtis (1968)
Don Wengert (1969)
Bubba Trammell (1971)
Deivi Cruz (1972)
Justin Speier (1973)
Adam LaRoche (1979)
James Paxton (1988)
Gus Varland (1996)

Walter Johnson, of course, was a star for the franchise when it was in Washington, pitching from 1907 to 1927.

Justin Speier is the son of ex-Twin Chris Speier.

Stine Poole was traded by Detroit to the Twins for Sal Butera and played in the Twins minor league system for two seasons.

Gus Varland is the brother of Twins pitcher Louie Varland.

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

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Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–November 4

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.

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Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–November 3

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–November 2

Dutch Zwilling (1888)
Chief Hogsett (1903)
Travis Jackson (1903)
Johnny Vander Meer (1914)
Al Campanis (1916)
Ron Reed (1942)
Tom Paciorek (1946)
Scott Boras (1952)
Paul Hartzell (1953)
Greg Harris (1955)
Willie McGee (1958)
Sam Horn (1963)
Orlando Merced (1966)
Travis Miller (1972)
Orlando Cabrera (1974)
Sidney Ponson (1976)
Wilson Betamit (1981)
Yunel Escobar (1982)
Daryl Thompson (1985)

Dutch Zwilling held the record for last major leaguer in alphabetical order until Tony Zych came along.

Al Campanis was the general manager of the Dodgers from 1969-1987.

Scott Boras has been a player agent for many years.

The Twins have had three players named "Orlando".  Two of them were born on this day.

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Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–October 31

Harry Smith (1874)
Cal Hubbard (1900)
Ken Keltner (1916)
Jim Donohue (1938)
Ed Stroud (1939)
Ed Spiezio (1941)
Dave McNally (1942)
Dave Trembley (1951)
Mike Gallego (1960)
Matt Nokes (1963)
Fred McGriff (1963)
Eddie Taubensee (1968)
Steve Trachsel (1970)
Tim Byrdak (1973)
David Dellucci (1973)
Mike Napoli (1981)
Javy Guerra (1985)

Cal Hubbard was an American League umpire from 1936-1951.  He is in the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the College Football Hall of Fame.

Dave Trembley was the manager of the Baltimore Orioles from 2007-2010.

David Dellucci was drafted by Minnesota in the eleventh round in 1994, but did not sign.

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Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–October 30

Ed Delahanty (1867)
Buck Freeman (1871)
Charlie Deal (1891)
Clyde Manion (1896)
Bill Terry (1898)
Dave Barnhill (1914)
Leon Day (1916)
Bobby Bragan (1917)
Joe Adcock (1927)
Jim Perry (1935)
Jim Ray Hart (1941)
Mickey Rivers (1948)
Houston Jimenez (1957)
Dave Leeper (1959)
Gerald Perry (1960)
Lee Tunnell (1960)
Dave Valle (1960)
Scott Garrelts (1961)
Mark Portugal (1962)
Danny Tartabull (1962)
Marco Scutaro (1975)
Jason Bartlett (1979)
Laynce Nix (1980)
Shane Robinson (1984)

Pitcher Dave Barnhill was a four-time all-star in the Negro Leagues.

Pitcher Leon Day was a star in the Negro Leagues, primarily with the Newark Eagles.

Dave Leeper was drafted by Minnesota in the third round in 1978, but did not sign.

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Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–October 29

Charlie Ebbets (1859)
Solly Hofman (1882)
Pete Richert (1939)
Jim Bibby (1944)
Darrell Brown (1955)
Terry Felton (1957)
Jesse Barfield (1959)
R. A. Dickey (1974)
Karim Garcia (1975)
Scott Randall (1975)
Dana Eveland (1983)
Jose Mijares (1984)
Shaun Anderson (1994)

Charlie Ebbets was the president of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1898-1925.  Ebbets Field was named after him.

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Keeping Track

Happy Birthday–October 28

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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