March 1 - Harry Caray, 1920

For well over half a century, the ebullient, colorful style of 1989 Ford C. Frick Award winner Harry Caray personified baseball in the Midwest. Before television blanketed the country and before backyards (and front yards) were overrun with satellite dishes, Caray's outspoken, opinionated, sometimes outrageous and often controversial approach was the public's pipeline from the Great Plains to the Eastern seaboard.

Caray began his major league career behind the mike with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1945. After a quarter-century in St. Louis, he migrated to California where he spent the 1970 season broadcasting the games of Charlie Finley's Oakland Athletics. He then moved on to Chicago, where he announced White Sox games for 11 years, after which he went cross-town to Wrigley Field to work for the Cubs. In his first 41 seasons in the booth, Caray never missed a game, and the fan favorite went on to broadcast over 8,300 games in his 53-year career in the big leagues.

Caray's reputation as a fearless and out-spoken critic frequently led to disenchantment on the part of his various employers. On the other hand, few have been a better salesman for baseball for so long.

listen (and read more) here

baseballhalloffame.org, baseball-almanac.com, cardinalshistory.com

March 2nd - Mel Ott, 1909
Master Melvin


OTT AT BAT | Mel Ott shows his classic foot-in-the-bucket batting form -- bat back, right foot
lifted -- as he awaits a pitch at Wrigley Field in the late ‘30s.

Mel Ott was a New York Giants hero for 22 seasons, during which he emerged as one of the game's leading sluggers and a fan favorite. As a 17-year-old "Boy Wonder" in 1926, his size belied his power. Using an unorthodox batting style in which he lifted his right foot prior to impact, he smashed 511 home runs (at the time a National League record), hitting 30 or more in a season eight times and winning or sharing home run honors on six occasions.

On October 5, 1929, Mel Ott set the National League record for most walks in a doubleheader with six, and then repeated the feat on April 30, 1944.

Ott was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1951, and died in an automobile accident in 1958 at the age of 49.



sources: Baseball Between the Wars (baseballlibrary.com), www.500homerclub.com, baseballhistorian.com, baseballhalloffame.org

March 3rd - William Henry Keeler, 1872
Wee Willie



New York Giants (1892-1893, 1910)
Brooklyn Grooms (1893)
Baltimore Orioles (1894-1898)
Brooklyn Superbas (1899-1902)
New York Highlanders (1903-1909)

"Wee Willie" Keeler's motto of "Hit 'em where they ain't" garnered him two batting titles, eight straight years of 200 or more hits and a 44-game hitting streak in 1897. Gifted with a keen eye and exceptional speed, Keeler's place-hitting prowess resulted in 13 straight seasons batting over .300, and a career mark of .345. Though he began his professional career as a left-handed third baseman, the diminutive Keeler went on to become an outstanding right fielder.

* "Wee Willie" Keeler used the shortest bat in the history of Major League Baseball (30.5 in.), but it weighed 46 ounces.
* He is the only player to hit 200 or more singles in the majors without playing in the minors.
* He fanned just six times in 590 at bats in 1894.
* His 44 game hitting streak remains unsurpassed today in the National League.
* He contributed to five championships and two second place finishes all within a seven year period.
* While playing as an outfielder for the Baltimore Orioles in 1897, Keeler hit .432.

sources: baseball-almanac.com, shortsupport.com (no, i'm not kidding)

March 4th - Francis Joseph "Lefty" O'Doul, 1897



Lefty O'Doul was born in San Francisco, California and came up through the minor leagues as a pitcher with the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League. Lefty had success as a pitcher but developed a sore arm which relegated him to being a reliever. O'Doul returned to the Pacific Coast League where he converted himself to a power-hitting outfielder. The Giants brought him up to the Big Leagues in 1928 where he batted .319 as a platoon player.

Lefty was traded to the Phillies in 1929 and, teaming up with Chuck Klein, had one of the all-time best hitting years in baseball history. O'Doul hit .398 that year with 254 hits, 32 home runs, 122 RBIs and 152 runs scored. He continued to play well for the Philadelphia club but was traded to Brooklyn in 1932, finishing up his playing career in 1934 with the Giants. Lefty then returned to the Pacific Coast League as manager of the San Francisco Seals from 1937 to 1951, later managing several other teams in the circuit and becoming the winningest manager in PCL history. His one great coup while managing the Seals was in developing Joe DiMaggio, who eventually wound up with the New York Yankees.

Later on, O'Doul became an idol in Japan, serving as baseball's goodwill ambassador before and after World War II. In addition, he was a hero in his hometown of San Francisco, where his fame lives on through Lefty O'Doul's Bar.

check out this page for background on a series of interviews done and donated to the HOF. one of them was with O'Doul, who was instrumental in getting baseball started in Japan:

March 5th - Kent Tekulve, 1947

Until Jesse Orosco broke his record in 1999, Tekulve was the all-time major league leader in relief appearances with 1,050. He went 10-1 as a set-up man for Goose Gossage in 1977, and took over as the Pirates' closer after Gossage signed with the Yankees that November. He established himself as one of baseball's most successful relievers, ranking among the all-time leaders in games, saves, and relief wins. With his sidearm delivery, the bespectacled, 6'4", rail-thin Tekulve proved baffling to both lefthanders and righthanders. In 1978, he set a Pirates record with 31 saves, which he matched the following year. He led the NL in appearances in both 1978 and 1979, setting a club record with 94 in 1979. That fall, he recorded a World Series-record three saves, striking out 10 Orioles in 9.1 innings. :(

Tekulve led the NL in appearances (85) and relief wins (12) in 1982. He was the Pirates' all-time leader in saves (158 ) and was second to Roy Face in games (722) when he was traded to Philadelphia in 1985. On September 16, 1986 he broke Face's NL record of 846 games pitched. Back in the set-up role, in 1987 he became the first NL pitcher to have three 90-appearance seasons and, at age 40, the oldest pitcher to lead the NL in appearances. He broke Sparky Lyle's ML record for career games pitched without a start (finishing the season at 943), and helped closer Steve Bedrosian win the Cy Young Award. Let go after 1988, he signed with the Reds and broke Hoyt Wilhelm's record for relief appearances. Midway through the season, with the Reds sinking in the standings, he retired rather than hang on just for the sake of topping Wilhelm's record for total appearances.


named #38 on the list of 50 Biggest Nerds, quite a distinction:

sources: baseballlibrary.com...can't find the nerd quote anymore

March 6th - Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove, 1900



"Lefty" Grove began his brilliant 17-season Major League pitching career with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1925. As a rookie, Lefty led the league with 116 strikeouts, which would prove to be the first of seven straight strikeout titles. He was also busy collecting American League pitching titles, winning four during his career.

While with the Athletics, Lefty won four World Series games for the city of "Brotherly Love." In 1931, American League MVP honors were bestowed upon him. Ten years later, he amassed his 300th career victory which would solidify his place in baseball history. His date with the Hall of Fame was inevitable, and in 1947, the Hall of Fame came knocking on Lefty's door.

# His only losing season of his career was his first. That year, he still led the American League in strikeouts. That year was the first of 7 straight years as the American League strikeout leader.
# He had 20 or more wins 7 consecutive years from 1927 to 1933. During those years, he led the American League in wins and ERA four times.
# He tied the American League record for consecutive wins in 1931 with 16.
# He led the American League in ERA nine times.
# He led the American League in winning percentage five times.
# His career winning percentage of .680 is fourth on the all time list.
# Had a career record of 300 wins and 141 losses.

High-strung Grove was the backbone of the Philadelphia Athletics' dynasty of 1929 to 1931, with an astonishing 79-15 record over those three Triple Crown seasons. He topped the American League in wins four times, winning percentage five times and strikeouts seven consecutive times. Most impressive are his nine ERA titles, easily the greatest total in history. He won 112 games for the minor-league Baltimore Orioles, in addition to his 300 major-league victories.

sources: leftygrove.com, baseballhalloffame.org, answers.com(?)

March 7th - Joe Carter, 1960


isn't this a great photo?

Possibly the most popular player in Blue Jays' history, Joe Carter helped Toronto to the post-season in his first three seasons with the team. In Game Six of the 1993 World Series at the Skydome, Carter blasted a three-run home run to deliver Toronto's second straight World Series championship. A consistent run-producer, he drove in 100 or more runs ten times, reached 30 homers six times, and became baseball's highest paid player.

Carter set a major league record in April of 1994 with 31 RBI... In 1994, Carter became just the 10th player to reach 300 homers and 200 steals in his career.

In his 16 years career of playing major league baseball Joe hit .259 with 432 doubles, 396 home runs and 1,445 RBIs while playing for the Chicago Cubs (1983), the Cleveland Indians (1984-89), the San Diego Padres (1990), the Blue Jays (1991-97), the Baltimore Orioles (1998) and the San Francisco Giants (1998).

source: thebaseballpage.com

March 8th - Dick Allen, 1942


SportsIllustrated:
"Chicago's Dick Allen Juggles His Image"

Talented, controversial, charming, and abusive, Allen put in 15 major league seasons, hitting prodigious homers and paying prodigious fines. Called "Richie" at first, in mid-career he became, adamantly, "Dick." He was praised as a money player and condemned as a loafer. He made 41 errors at third base (which he had not played in the minors) for the Phillies in 1964, but his 29 home runs, 91 RBI, 201 hits, and .318 BA earned him Rookie of the Year honors. A deep cut on his right hand, which he reported having suffered while pushing a stalled car, affected his throwing and the Phillies made him a first baseman/outfielder in 1967. He hit 40 home runs in 1966 and 177 through 1969, but off-the-field behavior brought him a 28-day suspension, a $500-a-day fine, and a trade to the Cardinals at the end of '69. The swap proved doubly controversial when Curt Flood refused to report to the Phillies and challenged the reserve clause in court, forcing St. Louis to substitute Willie Montanez. The Cardinals passed Allen on to the Dodgers after one year, and they traded him to the White Sox a year later. Each trade added to Allen's reputation as an unmanageable loner.

In 1972, with easygoing Chuck Tanner as his White Sox manager, he led the AL in homers (37), RBI (113), walks (99), and slugging percentage (.603) and was named MVP. In 1974, he was on his way to a similar year when he retired with a month left to play, giving no reason. Despite his vacation, he led the AL with 32 home runs. The Sox traded him to Atlanta for cash and a player to be named later in December 1974, but before he could play for the Braves they sent him to the Phillies in May 1975 for Barry Bonnell, Jim Essian, and cash. When Essian was turned over to Chicago as Atlanta's player to be named later, he'd been swapped for Allen twice in less than half a year.

After two sub-par years in Philadelphia and one in Oakland, Allen retired for good, still an enigma.

:!:

source: baseballlibrary.com

March 9th - Arky Vaughan, 1912



Elected to Hall of Fame by Veterans Committee in 1985.

Among Hall of Fame shortstops, Arky Vaughan's .318 lifetime batting average ranks second only to Honus Wagner's .329 mark. Vaughan batted a league-leading .385 in 1935 - a 20th century record for National League shortstops - and averaged .300 or better every one of his 10 seasons with the Bucs.

Vaughan was a perennial All-Star named to the National League team nine successive years. In 1941 he hit two All-Star home runs. His best years were spent in Pittsburgh, where his mentor, Honus Wagner, roomed with Vaughan while a Pirate coach.

Vaughan's 1935 marks, a .385 batting average and .607 slugging average, remain team records. In addition to those league-leading numbers, his performance that year included 19 HR, 99 RBI, 108 runs, and only 18 strikeouts in 499 at-bats plus a league-high 97 walks. Unsurprisingly, he also led in on-base average (.491); from 1934 to 1936 he led in both walks and on-base average. His 1935 season earned him third place in the MVP voting, and he won TSN NL Player of the Year honors, at the time as prestigious as the more recently-introduced MVP award.

Playing in spacious Forbes Field, Vaughan was in double figures in triples in all but one of his first nine seasons, and he led the league three times; he reached the 40-double plateau twice. He led in runs three times and topped 100 runs five times. First-place Brooklyn traded four players after the 1941 season to acquire Vaughan. After an off-year (.277, 82 runs) in 1942 while playing third base, he rebounded in 1943 to lead the NL with a career-high 20 stolen bases (at the age of thirty-one) and with 112 runs. He also had the best of his many excellent strikeout ratios, fanning just 13 times in 610 at-bats plus 60 walks, and hit .305.

source: baseballhalloffame.org

March 10th - Steve Howe, 1958

Steve Howe was a promising young reliever when he broke in with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1980. But although he had the presence and poise to become a star in the Big Leagues, his quick success with the Dodgers was tempered by his even quicker spiral into the world of substance abuse. Howe ended up battling his inner demons as much as opposing batters, and at the end of his career, his most impressive statistic was his record-number of drug-related suspensions (seven).

While playing for the University of Michigan, Howe was named the left-handed pitcher on The Sporting News college All-American team in 1979. He was chosen by the NL's Los Angeles Dodgers in the free agent draft that year and joined the team in 1980.

It was the beginning of a checkered career. Howe became a relief pitcher for the Dodgers and had 56 during the next four seasons. However, he was suspended on September 23, 1983, for cocaine use. Howe missed the entire 1984 season.

He returned to the Dodgers in 1985 but was ineffective. They released him in July. The Minnesota Twins picked him up but released him in September.

In 1986, Howe began the season with a minor league team before being suspended for a relapse in July. He pitched in the Mexican League early in 1987 before joining the AL's Texas Rangers for 24 appearances.

Howe was out of baseball in 1988 and 1989, reappeared in 10 minor league games in 1990, and joined the New York Yankees in 1991. He spent a month of that season on the disabled list and was suspended once more in June of 1992, but he returned to the Yankees in 1993.

He remained with the Yankees until he was released in 1996. However, he was effective in only two of those seasons.


Los Angeles dodgers pitcher Steve Howe listens to
the national anthem in this July 1, 1983 file photo in
San Diego. Howe had methamphetamine in his system
when his pickup truck drifted off a desert highway
and was killed, a coroner's autopsy showed. Howe,
48, died of injuries sustained in the April 28, 2006
single-vehicle crash on Interstate 10 in Coachella,
about 150 miles east of Los Angeles.
(AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi, file)

March 11th - Dock Ellis, 1945



Flamboyant righthander Dock Ellis was among the most controversial players on the tempestuous Pirate teams of the early 1970s. An outspoken and political Afro-American, he antagonized the Pittsburgh front office by dressing colorfully and sometimes wearing his hair in curlers in the clubhouse.

On June 12, 1970 in San Diego, he threw a no-hitter while under the influence of a hallucinogen, according to his autobiography (with Donald Hall) Dock Ellis in the Country of Baseball.

And on May 1, 1974, in what he claimed was an attempt to rouse his teammates from lethargy, Ellis tied a major league record by bouncing baseballs off the first three Cincinnati batters he faced.

Unfortunately, the perception of Dock Ellis as a hostile ballplayer overshadowed many of the largely unpublicized acts of charity and conscience which were the hallmarks of his career. Ellis worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, helping to rehabilitate black prisoners. In 1971, he and a group of black athletes started the Black Athletes Foundation for Sickle Cell Research, an organization whose purpose was to lobby and raise money for research and treatment of sickle cell anemia.

Ellis was traded to the Yankees with Willie Randolph and Ken Brett for Doc Medich after the 1975 season, and in 1976 he won Comeback Player of the Year honors with a 17-8, 3.19 record for the AL champions. He also won Game Three of the LCS against the Royals.

source: baseballreliquary.org

March 12th - Dale Murphy, 1956


# All-Star in 1980, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87
# Led League in HR 1984, 85
# Led League in RBI 1978, 80, 82, 83
# Most Valuable Player Award in 1982, 83
# Gold Glove in 1982, 83, 84, 85, 86

"Murph" was one of the most consistent and productive players in baseball during his career. A fan favorite in Atlanta and across America, Murphy played in seven All-Star Games and was elected to start five times by the fans. He began his career as a catcher, but after a few seasons began playing in the outfield, where he won five consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1982-1986. He was also awarded the Silver Stick Award four straight seasons, from 1982-1985, and was named NL Player of the Month a record 6 times during his career. Murphy won the Most Valuable Player in 1982 and 1983, and led the NL in home runs in 1984 and 1985.

A complete player, Murphy won five straight Gold Glove awards and joined the elite 30-homer, 30-stolen-bases club in 1983.

CAREER STATISTICS
(1976-1993)
G = 2180
AB = 7960
R = 1197
H = 2111
2B = 350
3B = 39
HR = 398
RBI = 1266
AVG = .265

wow

sources: this site

March 13th - Frank "Home Run" Baker, 1886

Born: March 13, 1886, in Trappe, Maryland
Died: June 28, 1963, in Trappe, Maryland

A Maryland farm boy, Baker was a powerful slugger in the 'dead-ball era,' leading or tying for the league lead in homers four consecutive seasons (1911-14), although 12 was his top total. Baker earned his memorable nickname in the 1911 World Series, when he hit game-winning home runs on successive days against the Giants' future Hall of Fame pitchers Rube Marquard and Christy Mathewson.

The lefthanded hitter was the third baseman in Connie Mack's fabled Philadelphia A's "$100,000 Infield," together in the years 1911-14. Teamed with him were Stuffy McInnis, Eddie Collins, and Jack Barry. Connie Mack broke his team up rather than pay the higher salaries brought on by Federal League competition, and after Baker sat out 1915 in protest, Mack sold him to the Yankees in 1916 for $35,000.


Stuffy McInnis, Murphy, Frank Baker, Jack Barry, Eddie Collins

Over his 13-year major league career, Frank Baker developed a reputation as a slugger when he hit 11 home runs in 1911, plus two more during the World Series for the Philadelphia Athletics. Earning the nickname “Home Run,” Baker would lead the American League in homers during four seasons, but with never more than 12 in any one year. Baker was a .307 lifetime hitter, twice led the American League in RBI and batted .363 in six World Series.

Over his 13-year major league career, Frank Baker never played a single big league inning at any position other than third base.

"(Frank) Baker used a bat antiquated even in his time. The handle was almost the size of the barrel. It was short, but almost like a piece of lead because it weighed over fifty ounces. There was no flex. It really was a wagon tongue." - Hillerich & Bradsby in the 50th Anniversary Hall of Fame Yearbook

Baker managed in the Eastern Shore League in 1924-25 and discovered Jimmie Foxx, delivering him to Connie Mack after the 1924 season. He lived a quiet life on his farm near Trappe, MD, where he was born, making appearances at Old Timers' Games in New York and Philadelphia until his death in 1963.

source: baseballlibrary.com, baseball-almanac.com

March 14th - Kirby Puckett, 1961
"Kiiirrrrbyyyyyyyyy Puckett!!!"

from my original post in 2006:
i must've heard them replay the "...touch em all, Kirby Puckett!" call 50 times while in Arizona last week. XM just kept playing that 6th game home run over and over. i listened to Rob Dibble and Kevin Kennedy on interview replays, to Charlie Steiner in between games, to Chuck Wilson's tribute program while in the airport. i heard all about his rise from the Robert Taylor Homes in Chicago, about being way too small for the game and making a point of doing it anyway. i heard about how great he was to fans. about how he was such a great role model for kids growing up at the time. i heard women who you'd never think would have a clue talking about how sad it was when he woke up and his vision was impaired by glaucoma, and how sad that his career was cut short. and then here and there, a smattering of talk about how "things went bad" off the field.

then i stumble upon the Sports Illustrated article from 2002 and get this whole different picture.

i'm going to choose to pay tribute here with some of the positives, now that i've at least mentioned the other stuff for balance. God knows i live in a glass house. as Frank Deford said, "A fascinating aspect of this story reflects on how fans get so carried away with their heroes." and 4 years later upon his death, how quickly that stuff is shoved aside in favor of the fonder memories.

Video from Hall of Fame Website

such a great smile...

Awards:
# All-Star (10): 1986-1995;
# All-Star Game MVP 1993;
# Led American League in Batting Average, 1989
# Led American League in Hits 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992
# Led American League in RBIs 1994
# Gold Glove (6): 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992;
# 1991 ALCS Most Valuable Player

One of the most popular players of his (or any) time, Kirby Puckett radiated an effervescent joy both on and off the field that endeared him to fans, media and players alike. Built like a cross between a fireplug and a bowling ball, the 5'8" 210-lb Puckett collected more hits in his first 10 years than (2,040) than any player in the 20th century. When glaucoma prematurely ended his career before the 1996 season, his .318 lifetime batting average ranked as the highest for any right-handed batter since World War II.

Puckett was Baseball America's Appalachian League Player of the Year in 1982, California League Rookie of the Year in 1983, and Minnesota's Rookie of the Year in 1984, becoming the ninth player in major league history to debut with four hits in a nine-inning game and leading AL outfielders with 16 assists.

In 1989 he hit only eight HR but led the AL with a .339 batting average -- only the second right-handed batter to do so in 20 years -- and also topped the league in hits for the third straight season.

Puckett's star burned brightest during Game Six of the 1991 World Series, which pitted the Twins against the Atlanta Braves in an unlikely matchup of teams that finished last in their division the season before. With the Twins trailing three games to two, Puckett collected three hits, three RBIs and two runs scored. He made a spectacular leaping catch against the Metrodome's center field plexiglass to rob Ron Gant of extra bases, and then led off the bottom of the 11th inning with a game-winning home run. The Twins claimed their second championship in four years the next day as ace Jack Morris tossed 10 shutout innings in a dramatic 1-0 win.

March 15th - Bobby Bonds, 1946


AP photo, mlb.com

# 1968 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
# 3-time All-Star (1971, 1973 & 1975)
# 1973 All-Star Game MVP
# 3-time Gold Glove Winner (1971/NL, 1973/NL & 1974/AL)
# 2-time NL Runs Scored Leader (1969 & 1973)
# NL Total Bases Leader (1973)
# 20-Home Run Seasons: 10 (1969-1975 & 1977-1979)
# 30-Home Run Seasons: 6 (1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977 & 1978)
# 100 RBI Seasons: 2 (1971 & 1977)
# 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 6 (1969-1973 & 1977)
# 200 Hits Seasons: 1 (1970)

Bonds was remarkable during his era for his combination of power and speed, but also for his propensity to strike out. He was a five-time member of the 30-30 club, a three-time Gold Glove Award winner (1971, 1973-74), and a three-time All-Star (1971, 1973 & 1975, winning the All Star Game MVP award in 1973). In 1973, he placed third in the National League MVP award voting. In 1971, he placed fourth.

Bobby was named the NL Player of the Year by The Sporting News in 1973 and was also named an Outfielder on the NL All-Star Team in 1973 and the AL All-Star Team in 1977 by The Sporting News. In 1970 he set a Major League record with 187 strikeouts, and broke his own record a year later with 189. That record lasted until 2004, when Adam Dunn broke it by striking out 195 times.

When Bonds retired, he was third in lifetime strikeouts with 1,757, behind Willie Stargell's 1,912 and Reggie Jackson's 1,810. Bonds was the first player in the history of Major League Baseball to surpass both 300 home runs and 400 stolen bases. His son Barry Bonds is the only other player to accomplish this feat. Bonds is sixth on the career list of home runs for the Giants franchise with 186.

He hit a grand slam in his first major league game, June 25, 1968, being one of three players in major league history to do it. The others are Bill Duggleby (1898) and Jeremy Hermida (2005).

Born in Riverside, California, Bonds signed with the Giants in 1964 out of high school. As a player, coach, scout and front-office employee, he was with the franchise for 23 seasons. Bonds' brother Robert played in the National Football League, and his sister Rosie was an Olympic sprinter.

a bit of a different perspective on his career:

Card:

March 16th - Lloyd James Waner, 1906
Little Poison

The younger half of one of baseball's most famous brother combinations, Lloyd Waner joined the Pirates in 1927 and settled in centerfield, next to brother Paul in right. Paul was known as Big Poison and Lloyd as Little Poison. While Paul captured most of the headlines by winning the 1927 National League batting crown (.380), Lloyd finished third (.355). The Waners led Pittsburgh to the 1927 NL pennant; Lloyd had six hits in 15 at-bats in his first and only World Series, which the Yankees took in four games.



Although Lloyd Waner weighed only 150 pounds, he was an all-round player who could hit, field, throw, steal and beat opponents in countless ways. Waner batted .355 in his National League debut while garnering 223 hits, the latter figure establishing a National League rookie record that would not be broken until the 21st century trivia question: by whom?. His 133 runs scored led the league. The Pirate legend hit over .300 in 10 of his first 12 seasons, compiled a career mark of .316 and accumulated 2,459 hits, striking out just 173 times in 18 seasons. A pesky slap hitter, Waner was one of the fastest runners of his era in going from home to first.

From April 24 through September 16, 1941, Lloyd Waner set a National League record by playing in 77 straight games without striking out.

He was named to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1967.

source: baseballhalloffame.org

March 17th - Harold Patrick "Pete" Reiser, 1919
Pistol Pete Reiser



Harold Patrick Reiser was born in 1919 in St. Louis, and by 1941 had become the National League's batting champ with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He's not in the Hall of Fame, but at least one of our country's most prominent sportswriters, W.C. Heinz, says Pete is his “all time guy,” a man who is “what professionalism is all about.” Heinz said, “A professional is someone who makes every play. There's no compromise.” For Reiser, there was no compromise. Carried off the field on a stretcher at least 11 times, given his last rites at least once while playing, concussions, dislocated shoulders, torn muscles, bruises, and scars were all a part of the Pistol's game. He ran a 9.8 second 100-yard dash, he sprinted down the first base line no matter what he hit, he flew into second base blocking out double plays, no matter what big lug was there, he was among the very best in his league in stolen bases, he dove for balls in the outfield, and he crashed into those outfield walls more times than anyone has dared count. As Pete might say, I'm gonna catch that ball no matter what.

In 1941, Pete Reiser, in his first full season with the Dodgers, became the National League's youngest batting champion ever, hitting .343. He tied for the league lead with 39 doubles and led with 17 triples, 117 runs scored, and a .558 slugging percentage. The feeling about him in 1942 was that he was as great a star as there ever was in the game, said the Braves' Tommy Holmes. Leo Durocher, who managed Willie Mays and played with Babe Ruth, thought that Reiser just might have been the best ballplayer I ever saw, but that he had everything but luck.
Reiser played too recklessly to have luck. He was hitting .383 on July 2, 1942, when he smashed into the centerfield wall in St. Louis. It was one of 11 times, according to writer Red Smith, that Reiser had to be carried off the field. He suffered a severe concussion and a shoulder separation and finished the season batting just .310. He still won the NL stolen-base title with 20.

March 18th - Nixey Callahan, 1874



OF-RHP-3B-2B-SS 1894, 1897-1905

Player-manager Callahan alternated among the mound, outfield, and infield. A two-time 20-game winner with the Cubs, he could hit, field, and run, and was a crowd-pleaser. He continued as an outfielder after turning over the White Sox leadership to Fielder Jones in 1904, but he quit pitching.

other than that, there just isn't much out there on this guy. so i went to the baseball history guru to see what he had to say and found this interesting one-pager highlighting the trend, pre WWII, to have players switch around from pitching to batting. Callahan ends up on the top ten list:

sources: BasballLibrary.com, the Bill James Historical Abstract

March 19th - Richie Ashburn, 1927


Ashburn sliding home, by Jurinko

Hall of Fame 1995 by Veterans Committee

Among the most consistent lead-off hitters in major league history, Richie Ashburn was a solid outfielder and clutch hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies. Ashburn hit over .300 during nine of his 15 seasons, twice capturing the National League batting title and concluded his career with a .308 lifetime average. The five-time All-Star selection quickly moved to the broadcast booth following his playing days and called Phillies game for more than three decades.

baseballhalloffame.org, and http://www.users.qwest.net/~yarnspnr/baseb...urn/ashburn.htm

March 20th - Pat Corrales, 1941



from 2005 Braves website - which i think means this will be his 50th year in baseball, now with the Nationals:

Now in his 47th season in professional baseball, Pat Corrales is working his seventh season as the Braves bench coach in 2005. Corrales spent the previous nine years as the Braves first base coach, after joining the team as an advance and special assignments scout in September of 1989. He was named to Atlanta's coaching staff on June 25, 1990, two days after Bobby Cox took over as manager.

In his nine years as a major league manager, Corrales compiled an overall record of 572-634 (.474) with Texas, Philadelphia and Cleveland. His first job as a big league pilot came with the Rangers in 1978, when he replaced Billy Hunter with one game remaining in the season. Corrales went on to guide the Rangers to third and fourth place finishes in 1979 and 1980, respectively. He was named manager of the Phillies in 1982, leading them to a second-place finish; he was replaced in 1983 just after the All-Star break, despite leading the NL East with a 43-42 mark. Less than two weeks later, Corrales found himself back in the dugout as the skipper of the Indians, becoming only the fourth manager in major league history to manage in both the American and National leagues in the same season.

He remained with the Tribe until midway through the 1987 campaign. In 1986, he led the Indians to an 84-78 record (their most wins since 1968) and finished 11-1/2 games out of first place (their closest finish since 1959). That club became only the 10th team in major league history to lose 100 games one year and finish .500 or better the next, and he was recognized for his work by placing fourth in the AL Manager of the Year balloting by the BBWAA.

Corrales played in the majors for eight seasons as a catcher for the Phillies, Cards, Reds and Padres.

cool story on a day in the life of a bench coach, Corrales, 1999


oh yeah. justin was born today too...

happy birthday to Chris Hoiles, who for some reason i decided not to bio back in 2006...

March 21st - Shawon Dunston, 1963

here's a great example of what can happen to a hot prospect:
The Cubs made Dunston the first pick in the nation in the 1982 June draft after he batted .790 as a senior at Brooklyn's Thomas Jefferson High. A raw talent with a rifle arm, he was Chicago's Opening Day shortstop in 1985, but hit .194 before being sent down on May 15; he was obviously unprepared as a fielder, and made glaring baserunning mistakes. Some felt the Cubs had rushed the wild-swinging youngster.
But Dunston was handed back his job when Larry Bowa was released in August.

In 1986, he led NL shortstops in putouts, assists, double plays, errors, and home runs (17). But his wild swing limited him to just 21 walks in more than 600 plate appearances. Injuries kept him out two months of 1987, but he was hitting .287 in mid-1988 and won an All-Star spot. He was pulled out of the last game before the break by manager Don Zimmer for reportedly missing three hit-and-run signs.

Despite streakiness, Dunston slowly matured into one of the top shortstops in the National League. He joined double-play partner Ryne Sandberg as an All-Star in 1988 and 1990 and was a key contributor to the Cubs' NL East division title in 1989.

Ignoring Dunston's overly aggressive nature at the plate, Cubs manager Jim Lefebvre toyed with the idea of using him in the leadoff spot in 1992. But while Dunston hit .315, he drew just three walks in seventy-three at-bats, and the experiment ended when he underwent season-ending back surgery in early May. Dunston was lost for the season and was out of commission for virtually all of the 1993 campaign as well.

Dunston returned as the Cubs' everyday shortstop in 1994, but his bad back prevented him from playing too much on artificial turf. 1995 saw him return to form -- his .340 average in late July was second-best in the NL -- but a late slump decreased his value on the free-agent market.

He moved to the Giants in 1996, but a brief return to Chicago in 1997 signaled the beginning of a nomadic second career that saw him drift to Pittsburgh, Cleveland, St. Louis and New York.

By the turn of the century Dunston was being used mainly as a fourth outfielder and a role player off the bench -- still preferring to don his usual #12, worn in honor of former Met second baseman Ken Boswell.

interesting draft results:

check out this fan's (Kasey Ignarski) page - i wonder how *he* feels about the impending(?) roberts trade?
http://ignarski.tripod.com/shawon1.html

March 22nd - Marv Owen, 1906



Owen was the Tigers' anchor at third base for five years in the 1930s. He hit .317 and knocked in 96 runs in 1934, when his four infield mates each topped 100 RBI. During the 1934 World Series, he was involved in a celebrated scrap at third with the Cardinals' Ducky Medwick, who slid into the base unnecessarily hard on a triple when the Cardinals already had the game sewn up.

Owen added a career-high 105 RBI in 1936. He managed Portland to the Pacific Coast League pennant in 1945.

March 23rd - George Scott, 1944
Boomer



Scott was a 3-time All-Star in the American League in 1966, 1975 & 1977, starting the 1966 Mid-Summer Classic and homering in 1977. Scott hit over 20 homeruns 6 times in his career, tying Reggie Jackson for the American League lead in 1975 with a career-high 36 and pacing the league in RBI that same season with 109. Known for his glovework at 1B, Scott was awarded the Gold Glove for fielding excellence in the American League for 8 seasons (1967-68 and 1971-1976).

and on a personal note:
George Scott was a terrific lover of kids. During Boston's racial troubles, a boy named Daryl Williams was shot and paralyzed while in the huddle of a high school football game between Jamaica Plain (mostly African-American) and Charlestown (mostly white). Scott - without fanfare - quietly showed up at the next Jamaica Plain practice to encourage the kids on the team. Although they had been traumatized by the shooting, the team was buoyed by the attention of a sports star. Scott understood what his presence would mean to them, and went to the practices and games for the rest of the season.

hmmm. looks like i've been a bit distracted....

March 24th - George Sisler, 189

Elected to Hall of Fame by Baseball Writers in 1939
235 votes on 274 ballots (85.77%)



A sharp batting eye and extraordinary fielding ability at first base led Ty Cobb to call George Sisler "the nearest thing to a perfect ballplayer." The owner of an engineering degree, Sisler was one of baseball's most intelligent and graceful players, starring predominantly for the St. Louis Browns. He won two batting titles, hitting over .400 both times, and amassed an astounding total of 257 hits in 1920, a record that stood for 84 years until surpassed by Ichiro Suzuki in 2004. He had a 41-game hitting streak in 1922, hit .300 or better 13 times and had a sizzling .340 lifetime batting average.

March 25th - Lee Mazzilli, 1955

i'll go ahead and include some serious stuff below, but this early stuff was something i had no idea about– HA

okay, here's the more serious stuff....

The ambidextrous son of pro welterweight boxer Libero Mazzilli, Lee was an all-around athlete, winning eight national speed-skating championships. The Mets' first-round draft selection in June 1973, he set what is believed to be a professional record when he stole seven bases in a seven-inning game for Visalia against San Jose on June 8, 1975.

He broke into the majors with a splash in a September 1976 call-up, pinch hitting a three-run homer off the Cubs' Darold Knowles in his second plate appearance and hitting a game-winning two-run off Kent Tekulve with two out in the ninth inning twelve days later to knock the Pirates out of contention. In 1978 he became the first Met to hit home runs from both sides of the plate in one game.



But after being compared by the Mets public relations department to the earlier New York centerfield trio of Mays, Mantle, and Snider, Mazzilli was bound to disappoint.

With speed and a good batting eye, Mazzilli might have been an ideal leadoff batter, but the Mets needed him to drive in runs from the middle of the lineup. Surrounded by a weak offense in his first stint in New York, he had more walks than RBI every season. His best season came in 1979, when he had a 19-game hitting streak and hit .303 with 16 HR, 34 doubles, 79 RBI, 78 runs, and 34 steals. He tied a Mets record with five runs scored in a game against the Braves on August 18, and was the hero of the All-Star Game, tying the score in the eighth inning with a two-run pinch homer and then walking with the bases loaded in the ninth to drive in the winning run.

When the Pirates released him in 1986, the Mets reacquired him for their pennant drive and he hit .276 for the eventual World Champions. Mazzilli's five pinch-hit at-bats set an LCS record. In the World Series, he led off the eighth inning of Game Six with a pinch single off Cal Schiraldi and scored the tying run, permitting the Mets to win in extra innings. In Game Seven he again started a tying rally with a sixth-inning pinch single off Bruce Hurst.

March 26th - Kevin Seitzer, 1962



Seitzer batted .318 over four minor league seasons and facilitated the Royals' move of George Brett. Seitzer would have been a certain Rookie of the Year in most seasons, but in 1987, Mark McGwire hit 49 home runs and Seitzer settled for second. He led the AL in hits, and was only the 13th rookie in history to collect 200. Seitzer had good speed, and although not known for power in the minors, he muscled up for 15 home runs and 83 RBI his first full season. A good batting eye enabled him to draw numerous walks, keeping his on-base percentage near .400. With Kurt Stillwell joining Seitzer in 1988, the Royals had a young, exciting, and productive left side of the infield. His finest game came August 1, 1987, when he clobbered Red Sox pitching for six hits and seven RBI.

from http://eyetrack.morris.com/story_pages/4_a/07.shtml

the weirdest thing about this odd blurb is that the author knew the name at all, because there's really nothing much at all on this guy online...except of course you can always find a fan site somewhere like this one:
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/2393/seitzer.html

March 27th - Miller Huggins, 1879


Miller Huggins on the left, Babe Ruth in the center. some dugout, eh?
source of the image is here (a lot of cool photos in that thread):
http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?p=1118808

Elected to Hall of Fame by Veterans Committee in 1964 as a Manager

During a 13-year big league career as a second baseman, Miller Huggins developed the leadership qualities that helped him become one of the game's top managers. The 5-foot, 6-inch Huggins, known as "The Mighty Mite," started out as a player-manager with the Cardinals before heading to the Yankees in 1918. He led New York to six pennants and three World Series titles, and his 1927 "Murderers' Row" club, which won 110 games before sweeping the World Series, is considered one of baseball's greatest teams.

March 28th - Victor John Angelo 'Vic' Raschi, 1919
Springfield Rifle

Raschi was already 28 when he broke into the Yankees' starting rotation for good in 1948. He then ran off consecutive records of 19-8, 21 10, 21-8, and 21-10. The Springfield, Massachusetts native had tremendous determination and a blazing fastball. His size (6'1 205 lbs.) and the menacing scowl on his dark, unshaven face were helpful, too. He never missed an assignment although his knees deteriorated painfully.

With the Yankees, Raschi was a big-game winner. He won the 1948 All-Star Game, driving in the winning run. And he beat Boston on the final day of the 1949 season to break a first-place tie with the Red Sox, then won the WS clincher against Brooklyn, a feat he duplicated against the Giants in 1951. He two-hit the Phillies 1-0 in the 1950 WS, and won twice more against the Dodgers in the 1952 WS. Raschi was a fair hitter (.184 career average). On August 3, 1953 his seven RBI set an AL single-game record for pitchers.

» August 4, 1953: Yankees hurler Vic Raschi sets the record for RBI by a pitcher with seven, as the Yanks roll over Detroit 15-0. Raschi singles in 2 in the 2nd, doubles home three in the third, and singles home the last two in the eighth. His teammates fill his locker with bats after the game.

a bit of trivia:
» April 23, 1954: At Sportsman's Park, Henry Aaron hits the first of his 755 ML home runs, a solo shot off Vic Raschi of St. Louis. The Braves win in 14 innings 7–5 on an error by Hemus. Card rookie Wally Moon is 5-for-5.

March 29th - Denton True "Cy[-clone]" Young, 1867
"One of the fellows called me Cyclone, but finally shortened it to 'Cy' and its been that ever since."


Achievements:

"All us Youngs could throw, I use to kill squirrels with a stone when I was a kid, and my granddad once killed a turkey buzzard on the fly with a rock."

During a 22-year career that produced 511 triumphs, Cy reached or topped the 20-victory mark sixteen times and exceeded the 30-win plateau five times. Three of his victories were no-hitters, the first a 6-0 decision over Cincinnati in 1897 in which Young walked one batter. Cy's second no-hitter was a masterpiece. In 1904, he defeated Rube Waddell and the Philadelphia A's, 3-0, without permitting a base runner. The right-hander concentrated so intently on the job at hand that he did not realize he had pitched the perfect game until outfielder Chick Stahl presented him the last ball of the game. Young was 41 in 1908, when he hurled his third gem in an 8-0 triumph over New York. Young, who aided his own cause with three hits, allowed only one baserunner on a walk."

I thought I had to show all my stuff and I almost tore the boards of the grandstand with my fastball.

Young had already established a pitching record in the NL that might have earned him a place in the Hall of Fame when, in 1901, he joined the new American League and started phase two of his fabulous career. He led the league in victories its first three seasons. He also pitched in the first World Series, in 1903, and won two games for the victorious Red Sox. Young's career spanned more than just 22 seasons; he bridged the time from when the pitcher's box was 50' from home plate until the introduction of the present distance, 60' 6", with the ball thrown from a mound, was introduced. He pitched against superstars such as Cap Anson, who was an established player when the National League was formed in 1876, and against Eddie Collins, who played in 1930. Young was born just after the Civil War and was still alert and in good physical condition at the time of the Korean War.

He set some pitching records that may never be broken: most wins (511), complete games (751) and innings pitched (7,356).

March 30th - James Anthony "Ripper" Collins, 1904



Though the 5'9" 165-lb Collins was small for a first baseman, he was the most dangerous slugger on the Cardinal Gas House Gang, hammering 35 HR for the NL title in 1934. He was a fun-maker off the field, but he was relentlessly serious on it. He broke up four no-hitters in late innings. A one-time coal miner from Altoona, PA, a strike freed Collins to try pro ball.

a little something about the coal leagues

He spent 30 years as a player, coach, minor league manager, and sporting goods rep. A facile talker, he became a broadcaster. He said he got his nickname when, as a boy, he once hit the team's only ball and snagged it on a fence nail, ripping its cover.

about the Gas House Gang's WS appearance, 1934:

March 31st - Carson Bigbee, 1895



A reliable contact hitter, Bigbee peaked in 1922, when he scored 113 runs and hit .350 with 215 hits. Illness and poor vision handicapped the University of Oregon alumnus for the rest of his career. His brother Lyle played briefly in the ML.

On August 22, 1917, the Pittsburgh Pirates play 4th straight extra inning game, Carson Bigbee sets record of 11 at-bats, they lose in 22 innings to Dodgers.

so that's it for Carson Bigbee...he made 124 out of 125 all time left fielders in Bill James' 2002 book. otherwise, there ain't no more to be found. well, except for this story. it's long, but it's such a great read, i think...