May 1st - Jose Lind, 1964



The acrobatic Lind is famous for his ability to jump over any teammate from a standing start. In his first full season in 1988 he quickly established himself as one of the best-fielding second basemen in the league and just missed leading NL second basemen in fielding average and putouts. The Pirates traded Johnny Ray near the end of the 1987 season to make room for Lind, who hit .322 in his call-up. In 1988 he hit .262, stole 15 bases, and scored 82 runs.

Lind would go on to play regularly for the Pirates for five more seasons, including the 1990-1992 squads that were the champions of the NL East. He never again equaled his rookie batting average of .322, but he contributed a strong defensive presence, winning a Gold Glove in 1992.

He also acquired a reputation for whimsical behavior, as one might expect from a man nicknamed "Chico" (Spanish for "Boy"). The photo on his 1991 Upper Deck baseball card shows him jumping over the head of 5'11 teammate Mike LaValliere.

While with the Pirates, he appeared in every playoff game they played (1990-92). In the playoffs, he tied a team high with five hits in the National League Championship Series in 1990, while tying a team high in runs (five) and RBIs (five) in the 1992 NLCS. A clutch hitter in the post-season, he also hit the game winning single in Game Five of the 1991 NLCS.

1995 was Lind's last major league season. He finished his career with a .254 batting average, a .295 on-base percentage, and a .316 slugging percentage in 3,677 at bats.



When Bridgeport Bluefish manager Duffy Dyer left to take a position with the New York Mets in February of 2003, Lind (then player/manager) was promoted to fill the vacant position. That year, he led the Bluefish to a playoff appearance with a 73-53 record.


sources: wikipedia, baseballlibrary, mofosports.net haha

i love Eddie Collins...i'm so glad i didn't miss him during my april lapse!

May 2nd – Eddie Collins, 1887



Signed in 1906 at the age of 19, Eddie Collins played 25 seasons in the major leagues - a 20th century record for position players. The fiery second baseman starred in the famous $100,000 infield in Philadelphia and also for the Chicago White Sox. The "choke-grip" batting style Collins used proved fruitful. For 10 seasons, he batted over .340, helping him earn membership in the exclusive 3,000-hit club. An aggressive and confident second baseman, he was also an outstanding baserunner.

Eddie Collins is the only American League player to steal six bases in a single game, a feat he accomplished twice in a span of less than two weeks (September 11 and 22, 1912)

backtrack to teammate Frank Baker and the $100,000 infield

Per Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, 2001 version:

**Top Ten Career Win Shares: #9 Eddie Collins, 572
**Five Best Consecutive Seasons: #10 Tied Eddie Collins 1911-1915 and Stan Musial 1944-1949
**Top 100 Greatest Players of All Time: #18 Eddie Collins
**The Greatest Seasons Ever by a Second Baseman #4 Eddie Collins 1909 and #5 Eddie Collins 1914

"Collins was small, strong, quick, agile, extremely competitive, and extremely smart. He was a nervous, edgy man, like Johnny Evers, couldn't sit still. On the baseball field, he was aggressive to the point of being arrogant. Off the field, he was modest to the point of being shy." –BJ

Bill James again: "Collins was described by various sources as the best bunter in the history of baseball, the best hit-and-run man in the history of baseball, the best defensive second baseman in the history of baseball, the best sign-stealer who ever lived. Kid Gleason, who managed Collins on the White Sox, said that Collins was the greatest team player who ever lived. Connie Mack said that Collins was the greatest team player who ever lived. Billy Evans, who was an umpire for many years while Collins was on the field, later a General Manager, said that Collins was the quickest thinker that he ever saw. It seems unlikely that all of these claims could be true."

maybe, but an impressive list of comments nonetheless...



and finally,

only five views of Eddie Collins? fridays are always so dead...

May 3rd – Red Ruffing, 1904



Red Ruffing overcame adversity to achieve pitching stardom. As a youngster he lost four toes on his left foot in a mine accident, which hastened a transition from the outfield to the mound. After suffering through a 39-96 mark with the Red Sox, his career blossomed when he was traded to the Yankees in 1930. An instrumental part of seven pennant winners, Ruffing won seven of nine World Series decisions. His 273 career victories include a four-year stretch (1936 to 1939) when he won at least 20 games per season.

Ruffing was also one of the best-hitting pitchers of all time, with lifetime marks of .269 (10th among pitchers with 500 at-bats), 36 HR (3rd), 273 RBI, and 58 hits in 228 pinch-hitting appearances. He batted over .300 eight times, his .364 (40-for-110) in 1930 standing as the second-best single-season average for a pitcher (Walter Johnson hit .433 in 1925).

source is the BRS Baseball Museum web site (Bottomley-Ruffing-Schalk) i Downtown Nokomis, Illinois!

May 4th – Jack Tobin 1892

no photo to be found

Tobin was a St. Louis native who began his major league career with his hometown entry in the Federal League. In 1915 he led the league with 625 at-bats and 184 hits. He joined the Browns in 1916 after the Feds folded. A 5'8" 142-lb lefthanded batter, he excelled at dragging a bunt for a base hit. He could also hit away with authority, powering as many as 13 HR and averaging 32 doubles and 12 triples a year from 1920 through 1924. He hit two grand slams off Walter Johnson.

Tobin had four straight 200-hit seasons and batted well over .300 each year from 1919 though '23. His career-high .352 came in 1921, when he led the AL with 671 at-bats. He was the leadoff man for the potent 1922 Browns, who finished one game behind the pennant-winning Yankees. In 1922-23, he joined Ken Williams and Baby Doll Jacobson in a .300-hitting outfield. He coached for the Browns from 1944 through 1948 and then scouted for them.

okay, so that's the nice version. the not-so-impressed version follows:

and

ah, spin...

baseballlibary.com

May 5th – Charles "Chief" Bender, 1884



Possessing a solid fastball, excellent curveball and outstanding control, Charles Albert “Chief” Bender also developed a slider to help him win 212 games during his 16-year major league career. He led the American League in winning percentage during three seasons, tossed a no-hitter in 1910. Bender also pitched in five World Series, going 6-4 with an ERA of 2.44. A member of the Chippewa tribe and a graduate of the Carlisle Indian School, Bender overcame subtle discrimination, and a derisive nickname, to become one of the top pitchers of his era.

Recalling the many pitchers who toiled for the Philadelphia Athletics over the years, Connie Mack judged that “Chief” Bender was his “greatest one-game pitcher” and his “greatest money pitcher.”

Bender claimed his first complete game win on April 27th, beating the New York Highlanders (later Yankees) 6-0 at Columbia Park in Philadelphia.

Although Bender lacked abundant stamina and was plagued by poor health during several seasons, Mack never hesitated to pitch him in “must win” games both as a starter and a reliever. In 1905, for example, the A’s needed to win two games against Washington to clinch the American League (AL) pennant. Bender won the first game 8-0 and came on as a reliever in the second game to hold on to a 9-7 victory.


1910 Athletics, World Series Champs - i see Collins, Murray, Baker, that $100,000 infield, no McInnis tho. Bender at bottom left i think
...
Two more AL pennants followed for the A’s in 1911 and 1913. Bender went 17-5 and 21-10, respectively, in those years and led the AL in winning percentage in 1911 (.773). The 1911 World Series was a return engagement between the Athletics and the Giants. Bender again tangled with Mathewson in the first game, and the Giants hurler still worked his magic, downing the A’s 2-1. However, the “Chief” came back to beat Mathewson in the fourth game, winning a 4-2 decision. Bender also won the sixth game, beating Red Ames on a 13-2 score and giving the Athletics their second World Championship along with some highly satisfying revenge against the Giants.
“Chief” Bender finished his Major League career with 212 wins against 127 loses, 1,711 strikeouts, and a 2.46 ERA.

sources: Hall of Fame site, philadelphiaathletics.org

May 6th – Willie Howard Mays, 1931
The Say Hey Kid

Hall of Fame site Video

# All-Star in 1954-73
# Led League in BA 1954
# Led League in HR 1955, 62, 64-65
# Most Valuable Player Award in 1954, 65
# Gold Glove in 1957-68
# Hall Of Fame in 1979

Considered by many the greatest player of all time, Mays was the prototype of the complete player; he hit for average and power, ran the bases with intelligence and speed, played a spectacular centerfield, and possessed a great arm. He was also remarkably durable, playing in at least 150 games for 13 consecutive seasons.

Willie Mays, the "Say Hey Kid," played with enthusiasm and exuberance while excelling in all phases of the game - hitting for average and power, fielding, throwing and baserunning. His staggering career statistics include 3,283 hits and 660 home runs. The Giants' superstar earned National League Rookie of the Year honors in 1951 and two MVP awards. He accumulated 12 Gold Gloves, played in a record-tying 24 All-Star games and participated in four World Series. His catch of Vic Wertz's deep fly in the '54 Series remains one of baseball's most memorable moments.

To a generation of fans, Mays was the greatest ballplayer they had ever seen. He combined power and speed in ways unseen on the diamond before his time. When he retired he ranked third in career home runs and he was the first man to hit 50 home runs and steal 20 bases in a single season.

Mays had a discouraging 0-for-12 start with the struggling Giants when called up in late May 1951. Manager Leo Durocher kept his spirits up by declaring that despite his poor start, Mays was and would remain the Giants' full-time centerfielder that season. His first hit was the first home run of his ML career, off Warren Spahn. It helped Mays to end his slump, and he became one of the sparks that ignited the Giants in their classic, come-from-behind pennant chase, climaxed by Bobby Thomson's dramatic ninth-inning playoff home run that beat Brooklyn for the NL championship. Mays was on deck when Thomson hit it out. His World Series debut saw him play opposite future cross-river rival Mickey Mantle, who was also a rookie. The meeting foreshadowed the debate of nearly a decade about who among Mays, Mantle, and Brooklyn's Duke Snider was the greatest New York centerfielder of the 1950s.

In 1954 (after a 2-year stint in the Army), he returned and led the National League with a .345 batting average with 41 homers and 110 RBI to help the Giants to the NL flag. The 1954 World Series is most often remembered for a marvelous outfield play by Mays in the first game. With the score tied late in the game, Indians first baseman Vic Wertz clubbed a long drive to deep centerfield at the Polo Grounds. At the crack of the bat, Mays turned his back to the plate, raced for the outfield wall, glanced up at the last minute, and pulled the ball in over his shoulder. Nearly 430 feet from the plate, he whirled and threw on a line to the infield. The play killed the Indians' threat, and the Giants won the game and swept the Series.

His unique 1957 performance of 20 or more doubles, triples, homers, and stolen bases established his claim as one of the game's greatest all-around offensive threats.

Along with Mantle and Aaron, Mays was the dominant slugger of the 1950s and 1960s. From 1958 through 1966, he produced eight consecutive seasons of over 100 runs and RBI. He collected four home runs in a game in Milwaukee on April 30, 1961, and he hit three homers in a game on two other occasions. He hammered 52 homers in 1965 to join Ruth, Foxx, Kiner, and Mantle as the only players with more than one 50-home run season. He hit 30 or more homers in each of 11 seasons. On May 4, 1966, Mays passed Mel Ott's 19-year-old record of 511 National League home runs and finished his career with a total of 660, ranking him third on the all-time list behind Henry Aaron's 755 and Babe Ruth's 714.

well, you know, except for that Bonds guy...

ESPN article



Hall of Fame site, TheBaseballPage, BaseballLibrary.com

May 7th – Dick Williams, 1929

The emotional Williams is the only manager to win pennants with three different teams (the Red Sox, A's, and Padres), as well as win titles in all four divisions. But despite his teams's successes, he always alienated management and players alike with his driving, hard-bitten, "my way or the highway" attitude. He managed six different teams in a career that stretched over 21 years and often included clashes with similarly single-minded owners.

check this out about the transformation of a team after eight straight losing seasons:

It soon became apparent that Williams' sarcasm and refusal to tolerate mental mistakes would no longer play with a new generation of ballplayers.


sources: baseballlibrary, wikipedia

May 8th – Mike Cuellar, 1937


Cuban lefty is first Astro to reach 16 wins, 1967


1969 Cy Young Winner (Tied with McClain), 23-11, 2.38 ERA, with our own Stanhouse

Cuellar hurled a no-hitter for Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista's Army team in 1955, at age 18. Allowed to sign with the Havana Sugar Kings of the International League two years later, he struck out seven straight batters in his very first game and had a 2.44 ERA.

Cuellar bounced from team to team in the high minors before he earned a promotion to the Cardinals and helped them win the 1964 pennant. He was on the World Series roster but did not get into a game. Back in the minors, Cuellar perfected a devastating palmball and was 9-1, 2.51 when dealt to Houston. In 1966, his first full year in the major leagues, Cuellar finished second in NL ERA, behind Sandy Koufax. He won a then-club-record 16 games in 1967, fanning 203. After the 1968 season, the Astros swapped Cuellar to Baltimore for Curt Blefary, at that point a highly regarded young power hitter.

Cuellar tied Denny McLain for AL Cy Young honors with a 23-11, 2.38 performance, then in the World Series was the only Oriole to beat the Mets.

Cuellar led the AL with 24 wins and 21 complete games in 1970, capping the year by hitting a wind-blown grand slam off Jim Perry in the LCS against the Twins. He was 20-9 in 1971, as four Oriole starters won at least 20 that year. After winning 18 games in both 1972 and 1973, Cuellar enjoyed his last great season in 1974: 22-10, with a league-leading .688 winning percentage.



[/i]baseballlibrary.com, sportsecyclopedia.com, tickets-mlb-baseball.com (!), mlbcelebrity.com, astrosdaily.com[/i]

May 9th – Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, 1960



Gwynn was often considered the best pure hitter of his era. His remarkable total of eight batting titles (tying him with Honus Wagner for the most in NL history) included five of the top eleven single-season batting averages compiled since the end of World War II. A fan favorite in San Diego, where he played seventeen straight years with the Padres, Gwynn's loyalty was exceeded among his contemporaries only by Cal Ripken's eighteen-year streak in Baltimore.

Hit No. 1: July 19, 1982
Thirteen months after he was drafted in the third round, Gwynn makes his major-league debut and doubles off Sid Monge of the Phillies. Pete Rose, who will get the career record for hits, is backing up on the play. He shakes Gwynn’s hand and offers congratulations, adding, “Don’t catch me in one night.”

Hit No. 228: June 11, 1984
Gwynn singles off Pete Falcone of the Braves and takes over the lead in the National League batting race. He keeps it the rest of the season on his way to the first of his eight NL batting titles. Only Hall of Famer Honus Wagner has as many.

Hit No. 570: April 14, 1986
It was only an eighth-inning single in April. Nothing special. But what preceded it certainly is: Gwynn strikes out three times in one game for the only time in his 2,426-game career. The pitcher? Dodgers righthander Bob Welch.

Hit No. 876: June 30, 1987
A double off Orel Hershiser of the Dodgers completes the best month of Gwynn’s career. He finishes June with 44 hits in 93 at-bats for a .473 average. He has at least three hits in eight games. His analysis: I hit the ball better than I ever have.

Hit No. 1,448: July 1, 1990
A double off Greg Maddux of the Cubs is Gwynn’s third hit of the day. Maddux, a four-time Cy Young Award winner, later calls Gwynn the best pure hitter in the game. Easily. Gwynn finishes with more hits off Maddux than any other pitcher, going 39-for-91 (.429).

Hit No. 2,204: Aug. 11, 1994
A single off Dave Powell of the Astros lifts Gwynn’s average to .394. But his bid to hit .400 ends when the season is canceled in a labor dispute. Says Gwynn seven years later: I honestly thought I could do it. All we can do now is sit back and talk about it.

Hit No. 2,560: Sept. 28, 1996
Gwynn’s two-run single through his patented 5.5 hole —- between third and short -- breaks a 2-2 tie in the eighth at Dodger Stadium and clinches the Padres’ first spot in the playoffs in 12 years. He calls it his most memorable regular-season hit this side of 3,000. It sets up one of only three trips to the postseason during Gwynn’s 20-year career with the Padres.

Hit No. 2,696: July 11, 1997
Gwynn’s home run off Curtis Laskanic of the Rockies is his second of the game and gives him a career-high 15 homers. It is one of only two times that Gwynn hits two homers in a game. He finished that season with 17 of his 135 career homers.

Hit No. 3,000: August 6, 1999
When he returns to the dugout after the celebration for his first-inning single off Dan Smith of the Expos, what does Gwynn do? "He went in the tunnel and cried like a baby," says Padres pitching coach Dave Smith. Then he goes out and collects three more hits.

#Eight-time National League batting champion, leading the league in 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997, which ties him with the Pittsburgh Pirates' Honus Wagner for the league record.

#15-time All-Star, and was voted as a starter by the fans in 11 of the games.

#Although he has 135 career home runs, Gwynn described himself as a contact hitter who could hit to all fields. He rarely struck out (just 434 times,) and his goal was to put the ball in play and move baserunners over. He was also an outstanding bunter.

#In 1999, ranked Number 49 on "The Sporting News'' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

Gwynn retired in 2001 with a total of 3,141 hits and a lifetime batting average of .338. He played his entire career with the Padres, a rarity in the 1980s and 1990s, and is considered by many to be the best player to ever wear a Padres jersey.

Gwynn was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007 alongside our own Cal Ripken, Jr.

sources: baseballlibrary.com, sportingnews.com, wikipedia.com

May 18th – Brooks Robinson, 1937

American League Most Valuable Player 1964
Gold Glove: 1960, '61, '62, '63, '64, '65, '66, '67, '68, '69, '70, '71, '72, '73, '74, '75
World Series MVP 1970

Hall of Fame site Video

"Mr. Oriole" spent 23 seasons with the Orioles and started 20 consecutive opening day games. He won the AL Most Valuable Player Award in 1964 and shares the record (with former pitcher Jim Kaat) for most Gold Gloves with 16. His election to baseball's Hall of Fame (his first year of eligibility in 1983) was cemented with his performance against the Cincinnati Reds in the 1970 World Series, when he was named MVP and earned the nickname "Hoover" (as in vacuum cleaners) for his play in the field. Brooks played in 18 All-Star games. He trails only Cal Ripken among the Orioles' all-time leaders in games, at-bats, hits, doubles, RBI, runs, total bases and extra-base hits. In addition to his AL MVP Award in '64 and his World Series MVP Award in '70, he was the All-Star Game MVP in 1966 and was voted the Most Valuable Oriole in '60, '62, '64 and co-winner in '71 with Frank Robinson. He also earned the Commissioner's Trophy (now the Roberto Clemente Award) for exemplifying the game of baseball in 1972 and the Joe Cronin Award for significant achievement by an AL player in 1977. Brooks holds 10 major league fielding records and 3 American League records for third basemen, including highest lifetime fielding percentage (.971). He is 12th on the all-time list of games played, 4th in the AL and 5th in games played with one franchise. A native of Little Rock, AR, Brooks and his wife, Connie, have four children. They split their time living in the northern Baltimore suburbs and in Southern California.

"He can throw his glove out there and it will start ten double plays by itself." - Sparky Anderson

"He charged everything. He reacted as the ball was coming off the bat, sometimes as it was coming to the bat!" - George Brett

"He didn't look fast, in fact he was kinda slow, but he was always there. On double plays when he had to come a long way, he had this way of just rolling across the bag and flipping the ball under his arm. He was the best second baseman (Cuban Winter League) I have ever seen." - Orlanda Pena

"He's not at his locker yet, but four guys are over there interviewing his glove." - Rex Barney to reporters looking to interview Brooks Robinson after the 1970 World Series

"He was the best defensive player at any position. I used to stand in the outfield like a fan and watch him make play after play. I used to think WOW, I can't believe this." - Frank Robinson

"How many interviews, how many questions - how many times you approached him and got only courtesy and decency in return. A true gentleman who never took himself seriously. I always had the idea he didn't know he was Brooks Robinson." - Joe Falls of the Detroit News

"I don't see why you reporters keep confusing Brooks and me. Can't you see that we wear different numbers?" - Frank Robinson

"I don't think, in all the years I managed them, I ever spoke more than thirty words to Frank and Brooks Robinson." - Earl Weaver

"I hope the car they (Sport Magazine who awarded it to the World Series MVP) give him has an extra large glove box." - Sparky Anderson

"I'm beginning to see Brooks in my sleep. If I dropped a paper plate, he'd pick it up on one hop and throw me out at first." - Sparky Anderson

"I will become a left-handed hitter to keep the ball away from that guy." - Johnny Bench

"There's not a man who knows him who wouldn't swear for his integrity and honesty and give testimony to his consideration of others. He's an extraordinary human being, which is important, and the world's greatest third baseman of all time, which is incidental." - John Steadman of The News American

"Very nice (play) . . . where do they plug Mr. Hoover in?" - Lee May

"You know it's a crime for anybody to have as much fun as Robby's having . . . and making money for it." - Robin Roberts

from Cornerstone at third base

May 19th – Gil McDougald, 1928



A year after winning the 1950 Texas League MVP, McDougald was named the American League Rookie of the Year in 1951, beating out a teammate, fella by the name of Mickey Mantle. He used an open batting stance with his feet far apart, and dangled the head of his bat below the plane of his hands. On May 3, he tied a major league record with six RBI in one inning. He batted .306 that year, and became the first rookie to hit a World Series grand slam, leading the Yankees with seven RBI in the series.

An All-Star in 1952, playing mostly third base, McDougald shifted to second in 1954 when Billy Martin was drafted. When Martin returned, McDougald replaced 37-year-old Phil Rizzuto in 1956 to become an All-Star shortstop. He was successful at whichever infield position the Yankees needed him to play.

He batted a career-high .311 in 1956 and led the AL with nine triples in 1957. His pinch single won the 1958 All-Star Game. A member of eight Yankee pennant-winners, McDougald ranks among the leaders with 53 WS games and 190 WS at-bats, with with 45 hits, seven homers and 24 RBI.

Baseballsavvy.com

May 20th – Hal Newhouser, 1921



* Pitched in six all-star games
* Led the league in wins four times (1944-29, 1945-25, 1946-26 1958-21)
* Led the league in Strikeouts twice (1944-187, 1945-212)
* Won the pitching triple crown in 1945
* Last pitcher to win 80 games over a 3 year span (1944-1946)
* Only pitcher to win back to back MVP awards.
* Was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1992.

"Prince Hal" Newhouser won back-to-back Most Valuable Player awards (1944-1945), and with his blazing fastball, he became a strikeout king. Over 17 campaigns, 15 with Detroit, he won 207 games. From 1944 to 1946, he recorded win totals of 29, 25, and 26, consecutively, with annual ERAs of 2.22, 1.81, and 1.94, respectively. Newhouser hurled the pennant clincher for the Tigers in 1945 and followed with two World Series victories over the Chicago Cubs.

excerpts from "Hal Newhouser Not Just a Wartime Pitcher":

May 21st – Earl Averill, 1902

love that glove

The first American League player to hit a home run in his initial major league at-bat, Earl Averill would become a nimble fielder and outstanding offensive performer during his 13-year playing career, primarily with the Cleveland Indians. He hit over .300 during eight seasons and finished with a lifetime average of .318. A fan favorite, “The Earl of Snohomish” also smacked 238 home runs and was elected to the American League All-Star team six times.

His 18 HRs (then a team record) and .331 BA in his rookie season (1929) helped establish him as one of the Indian's most popular players. A graceful but unspectacular centerfielder, he led all AL outfielders that year with 388 putouts, but his arm, injured in high school, was not strong.

In 1930, Averill hit .339, and on September 17 walloped three home runs in the first game of a doubleheader and another in the second game (four HR in five AB) to become the first ML player to hit four homers in a twin bill. His 11 RBI that day set an AL record. A dead pull hitter, he slammed 32 homers in both 1931 and '32. He became one of the most feared hitters in the league; on August 29, 1932, Red Sox pitchers walked him five consecutive times.

His son, Earl Douglas Averill, knocked about the Majors from 1956 until 1963. Little Earl was mainly a catcher but also played left field and a few games at third, second, and first.

Hall of Fame site, wikipedia, HickokSports, baseballlibrary.com, sportscyclopedia

May 22nd – Al Simmons, 1902

usually don't do this, but i really liked the information in this particular BaseballLibrary.com entry...so i 've decided to just lift my favorite snippets from it...they're all Jack Kavanagh, by the way:

as noted, Jack Kavanagh, BaseballLibrary.com

May 23rd – Zachary Davis Wheat, 1888
"Buck" :D


[dohtml]<ul>
<li>Compiled a lifetime .317 batting average
<li>Won the NL batting title in 1918 (.335)
<li>Ranks first among Dodgers of all-time (Brooklyn and Los Angeles) for career hits with 2,884
<li>Batted over .300 14 times
<li>Participated in two World Series (1916, 1920)
<li>Once described as 165 pounds of scrap iron, rawhide, and guts </ul>[/dohtml]

For 18 years, Zack Wheat was a fixture in left field at the famous Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. In his first year with the Dodgers in 1909, this hard-hitting outfielder batted .304. This would be the first of 14 seasons with a batting average over .300. He won the NL batting title with a batting average of .335 in 1918. Wheat compiled all these awards during the now infamous dead-ball era. He also holds the Dodgers all-time club record for most games (2,322), most at-bats (8,859) and most hits (2,884). This long-time Dodger is now a Hall of Famer, invited to the land of the legendary in 1959.

A model of consistency, Zack Wheat collected 2,884 hits over 19 seasons and still holds Dodger franchise records for career hits, doubles, triples, and total bases. His hit totals exploded with the advent of the lively ball in 1920, as he collected 200 hits three times and batted over .350 three consecutive years.

Wheat was a graceful, lefthanded line-drive hitter who could handle the curveball so well that Giants manager John McGraw forbade his pitchers to throw him any.

Hall of Fame site, Jack Kavanagh again, and "The Official Site of Zack Wheat"

May 23rd - elmerpudd, 196?


look out....hal's headed to the warehouse - will he blow up the FO or just blow up the team?


at least his hobby can soothe him?...well perhaps not...

my favorite quote:

hee hee

happy birthday, hal

May 24th – Bartolo Colon, 1975

from Angels biography page:

2005 Career Highlights:
#AL Cy Young Award Winner
#Finished 21-8 with two complete games and a 3.48 ERA (222.2 IP - 86 ER) in 33 starts
#Ranked 1st in AL with 21 wins, 4th in winning percentage (.714), 8th in ERA with 3.48, 7th with 222.2 IP, T8th with 157 strikeouts and tied for T7th in fewest walks per 9 IP with 1.7
#Along with Chone Figgins, was named Gene Autry Trophy recipient as Angels MVP as voted by teammates
#Won career-best eight straight decisions (10 starts), July 21-Sept. 10
#Pitched 222.2 innings, marking fifth straight season and seventh time in career with 200-plus innings...
#Pitched into 10th inning for first time in career and marked first Angel to do so since Langston, Sept. 27, 1992 at Chicago - 10 IP (ND in Angels' 3-2 loss)
#Named AL Pitcher of the Month for August
#Was 5-0 with a 1.72 ERA (47 IP - 9 ER) in six starts in August
#Named to AL All-Star Team for second time in career (also 1998, earned win at Colorado in relief)

yeah, i need to update this one...okay, back later

May 25th – Martin Magdaleno (Llanos) Dihigo, 1905


my best translation: The final Scorpions team note is that they signed "El Maestro" Martin Diego to pilot the team. and i may be way off here...if so, forgive me

Martín Dihigo Llanos was perhaps the most versatile player in baseball history. Known as "El Maestro," he played all nine positions skillfully. (Dihigo often showed his versatility in Negro League competition by playing all nine positions in the course of a single game.) Dihigo became a national institution in his native Cuba, but also starred in many other countries, including Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, also spending 12 seasons in the Negro leagues. Playing in the Mexican League in 1938, he went 18-2 and led the league with a 0.90 ERA, while also winning the batting crown with a .387 mark.

He threw the first no-hitter in Mexican League history, and also had no-hitters in Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

Combining his Dominican, American, Cuban and Mexican statistics results in a lifetime .302 batting average with 130 home runs (11 seasons worth of home run totals are missing) and a 218-106 (.673) pitching mark. His incredible skills gained him the unique honor of being elected to the Mexican, Cuban, and American Halls of Fame.

source: Hall of Fame Site

May 26th – Darrell Evans, 1947

Evans became the first player to hit 40 home runs in both leagues, and at 38 became the oldest player ever to lead the league in home runs. Darrell hit over 20 homeruns in 10 different seasons and drew over 100 walks 5 times, with a career high 126 in 1974. In 1988 he hit his 400th home run, becoming the 22nd player to reach that milestone. He retired after having joined Reggie Jackson in becoming only the second player to hit 100 home runs with three different teams, and ranking in 11th place among all-time walks leaders.

sources: Bill James; "The Fields of Green Team" (fieldsofgreenteam.com)

May 27th – Frank Thomas, 1968



Frank Thomas became one of baseball's biggest stars in the 1990s, playing solely for the Chicago White Sox. He was given the nickname The Big Hurt by broadcaster Ken Harrelson. Thomas is one of several notable baseball players who played college baseball at Auburn University. Frank Thomas shares a birthday and practically the same statistics as of October 2005 as his contemporary, Jeff Bagwell.

Thomas's defense performance at first base is not particularly impressive; rather, he is known for his offense performance, being one of the best pure hitters in baseball's history. He has been compared to being as close to a right-handed version of Ted Williams as there is. The Big Hurt is the only player in major league history to have seven consecutive seasons of a .300 average, and at least 100 walks, 100 runs, 100 runs batted in, and 20 home runs. The only other player to have more than five consecutive seasons accomplishing this feat was Ted Williams (6).

Thomas is also one of only two first basemen in history to win consecutive Most Valuable Player awards in the major leagues (Hall-of-Famer Jimmie Foxx is the other, in 1932–33). Thomas accomplished this feat in the 1993–94 seasons.

May 27th – Jeff Bagwell, 1968



Drafted in 1989 by the Boston Red Sox, the next year he was traded to the Houston Astros for aging relief pitcher Larry Andersen. That trade is often regarded as one of the most one-sided of all time. Bagwell has been with Houston ever since and, along with teammate Craig Biggio, has been virtually synonymous with the Astros in the 1990s and into the 2000s.

from "Worst Deadline Trades, ESPN Page 2"

Bagwell hits and throws right-handed. Developed as a third baseman, he was shifted to first base during 1991 spring training as the Astros already had an established third baseman in Ken Caminiti. Bagwell made his Major League debut that opening day and was named the 1991 National League Rookie of the Year.

Bagwell, in his prime, was also a great fielder, winning a Gold Glove award. He also had good speed, stealing more than 20 bases in three different seasons.

As of the end of the 2005 regular season, Bagwell's career batting average is .297 in over 9,000 plate appearances and he has 488 doubles, 449 home runs, 1,401 walks, 202 stolen bases, 1,517 runs scored, 1,529 runs batted in and a slugging percentage of .540. Bagwell's best seasons took place in the pitcher-friendly Astrodome, making his numbers even more impressive. Baseball writer Bill James, in the "New Historical Baseball Abstract," listed Bagwell as the fourth best first baseman of all time (but disappointed Astros fans everywhere by literally passing on doing a detailed analysis of Bagwell's career). Most statistical analyses confirm James's opinion.

Including the 2005 World Series, Bagwell has played in nine playoff series, with 24 hits including two home runs, driving in 13 runs, and compiling a .226 batting average in 106 plate appearances.

Coincidentally, Bagwell happens to have been born on the same day as Athletics player Frank Thomas, and the two star players have had very similar careers.

sources unknown, to be added later

May 28th – James Francis "Jim" Thorpe, 1887


check out that glove


• College Football Hall of Fame - 1951
• Charter Enshrinee in the Pro Football Hall of Fame - 1963
• All-America - 1911, 1912
• Olympic Decathlon and Pentathlon Champion - 1912
• AP Most Outstanding Athlete of the First Half of the 20th Century - 1950
• America's Greatest Football Player of the half-century - 1950
• ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Century - 2001
• Track and Field Hall of Fame
• In 1950, the nation's press selected Jim Thorpe as the most outstanding athlete of the first half of the 20th Century

Jim Thorpe played major and minor league baseball for 20 years, starting with the New York Giants in 1913 and later playing a number of other teams, including the Boston Braves and the Cincinnati Reds. Thorpe was .252 in his six seasons (1913-15, 1917-19) as an outfielder with the Giants, Reds and Braves. Thorpe's best baseball season was his last, when he batted .327 in 60 games for Boston.

He signed with the New York Giants in 1913 and played sporadically there as an outfielder for three seasons. After missing the 1916 season completely, he came back to play again for the Giants in 1917, but was sold to the Cincinnati Reds early in the season. Late in the season, he was sold back to the Giants. Again, he played sporadically for the Giants in 1918 and was traded to the Boston Braves on May 21, 1919 for Pat Ragan. In his lackluster career, he amassed but 91 runs scored, 82 runs batted in and a .252 batting average over 289 games. He continued to play baseball with teams in minor leagues until 1922.

During much of his baseball years, Thorpe was also immersed in professional football. He played for the Canton (Ohio) Bulldogs from 1915 until 1920 and the Cleveland Indians in 1921. In the years following, he organized, coached and played with the Oorang Indians, a professional football team comprised completely of American Indians. Additionally, he was instrumental in forming the American Professional Football Association, and eventually became the president of the group. Through the years, the association evolved into today’s NFL. In all, Thorpe played with six different teams during his career in pro football, ending with a stint with the Chicago Cardinals in 1929.

When Thorpe won both the pentathlon and the decathlon at the 1912 Olympics, King Gustav of Sweden, the host country, said, "Sir, you are the greatest athlete in the world." Sadly, Thorpe had to return his Olympic medals when it was discovered he'd played professional baseball in a low minor league for about $60 a month in 1909. (They were restored in 1983, 30 years after his death.)

baseballlibrary.com, www.cmgww.com/sports/thorpe (The Official Site of Jim Thorpe)

May 29th – Eric Davis, 1962



When Davis first appeared in 1984, his physical talents gave him the potential to be one of the most exciting players in the game. He was a rare five-tool player with home-run power as well as sheer speed on the basepaths. He made a habit of robbing home runs and elicited comparisons to Willie Mays.

Unfortunately, he was also highly injury-prone, never playing more than 135 games in any season.

Featuring one of baseball's most explosive combinations of power and speed since the days of Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle, Eric Davis burst onto the major league landscape with unlimited potential when he joined the Cincinnati Reds in 1984. Sadly, a series of health problems robbed him of the chance to be remembered as one of the game's all-time greats; injuries so enervated his body in the latter half of his career that he was forced to take an entire year off from baseball to recover. After a successful comeback, Davis was diagnosed with colon cancer in early 1997 but made a remarkable return the same year with the Baltimore Orioles.

If 1986 was the season that demonstrated the raw possibilities of his talents, 1987 was the year that he came closest to realizing that frightening talent. Few players could put together hot streaks like Eric the Red , and that season he began the year on a scorching tear. He won the National League Player of the Month award for both April and May (an honor he received in July of 1986 and would win again in August of 1988). In May he set a National League record with three grand slams in one month. In July he made his first National League All-Star team, and on August 2nd he became the seventh player to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases in the same year -- a mark he reached earlier in the season than anyone in history. In 129 games he batted .293, hit 37 home runs, drove in 100 runs, stole 50 bases (against just six caught stealing), and scored 120 times.

Even in those prime years of his career, Davis had never managed to play more than 135 games in any season, but injuries would exact a far greater toll in his career after the 1990 season. After playing in just 89 games for Cincinnati in 1991, the Reds traded him to Los Angeles for pitchers Tim Belcher and John Wetteland, where he was reunited with his childhood friend Darryl Strawberry.

The Dodgers' dream of a fearsome Strawberry/Davis outfield were little realized, though, as both endured injury-plagued campaigns and combined to play in just 119 games. That year, Davis suffered a fractured left wrist, a sprained left shoulder and a herniated disc in his neck. The following season, split between the Dodgers and the Detroit Tigers, he managed to play in 131 games and hit 20 home runs. In 1994, however, his career hit bottom as problems with a disc in his neck limited him to just 37 appearances.

Davis decided to retire from the game after the 1994 season, believing that his body was too damaged and fragile to effectively play baseball again. But during that year off Davis recovered more completely than he thought possible and felt stronger than he had in years. The Reds were willing to give their former star another shot. Playing in 129 games,Davis batted .287 with 26 home runs and 83 runs batted in. He also showed he could still run the bases, swiping 23 for the year. In one torrid five-game stretch in early May, Davis drove in 16 runs; on May 24th he became the 45th player to homer into the left field upper deck at Phildelphia's Veterans Stadium.

His career resurrected, Davis once again left the Reds, and signed as a free agent with the Baltimore Orioles prior to the 1997 season. With Davis in right field, batting third, the Orioles began the season on a roll. Davis cranked seven home runs in his first 21 games, driving in six runs on April 23rd and belting his ninth career grand slam. A 4-for-4 game on May 6th raised his average to a league-leading .388. As the Orioles got off to their best start in almost 30 years, Davis had become immensely popular with the fans. The marriage of the affable outfielder to the Camden Yards crowd seemed like a match made in heaven.

On May 24th, however, Davis' season -- and life -- took a dramatic turn when he was forced to leave a game with severe stomach cramps. Shortly thereafter Davis was diagnosed with colon cancer. From the start, Davis vowed that he would return to the Orioles that season.

During an inspirational comeback attempt, Davis avidly embraced his role as a messenger of hope to others afflicted with cancer. On August 22nd he began working out with the Orioles for the first time since the diagnosis, and was given a standing ovation by the Baltimore fans as he sat in the dugout in uniform for the game that day. Two weeks later, the Orioles activated him from the disabled list. From that point on, Davis tried to work himself back into form while still undergoing chemotherapy treatments. Although they sometimes left him too tired to play, Davis gradually recovered his swing. On September 27th he collected four hits, including his first home run since May 6th.

And in Game 5 of the League Championship Series vs. Cleveland, Davis slammed a dramatic pinch-hit home run in the top of the ninth inning which proved to be the decisive run in Baltimore's 4-2 victory.

After the season, Davis was honored for his fight against cancer with several awards, including baseball's prestigious Roberto Clemente Award.

baseballlibrary.com

May 30th – Amos Rusie, 1871



Amos Rusie used an overpowering fastball and hard-breaking curve to pitch successfully, both before and after the distance to home plate from the mound was increased from 50 feet to 60-feet-6-inches.

In just 10 big league seasons (the 10th lasting only three games), Rusie posted 248 victories, topping the 30-win mark on five straight occasions.

"The Hoosier Thunderbolt" led the league in strikeouts five times and eclipsed the 300-strikeout mark three years in a row.

The durable righthander finished 393 of 427 games started.

After a bitter contract dispute with Giants' owner Andrew Freedman, Rusie responded by publicly thumbing his nose at Mr. Freeman, which was the 19th century variant of the middle finger. He was fined $200 (he made only $2,500). Rusie refused to play until Freedman returned his money and ended up holding out for the entire 1896 season. It was a fiasco for baseball; fans boycotted and the press railed against the owners. Owners implored Rusie and Freedman to compromise; neither would budge. The holdout was finally settled just prior to the 1897 season, as the owners collaborated for recoupment of the garnished wages, as well as a $5,000 settlement. This was partially out of respect for Mr. Rusie. However, the primary motivator was the threat of legal action against the reserve clause had his case gone to court.

In 1977 the Veterans Committee elected Amos Rusie to the Hall of Fame. It was a fitting tribute to not only a winning pitcher but a man who was at the center of a labor dispute that foreshadowed the free-agency era of the 1970s and whose prowess forced the rule change that gave us baseball as we now know it.

The Baseball Biography Project, wikipedia, Hall of Fame site, baseballlibrary

May 31st – Kenny Lofton, 1967



* 6-time All-Star (1994-99)
* 4-time Gold Glove Award (1993-96)
* Top 10 MVP (4th, 1994)
* 5-time led league in stolen bases (1992-96)
* Led league in hits (1994)
* Led league in triples (1995)
* Led league in at-bats (1996)
* Led league center fielders in assists (14, 1992)
* Set majors record for a rookie in stolen bases (66, 1992)
* Tied a majors record by scoring in the first inning (18, 2000)

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Lofton was one of the most dominant players of the 1990's and appeared in six all-star games. Through the 2005 season, Lofton has been a .299 hitter with 120 home runs and 702 RBI in 1838 games. In 81 postseason games he hit .250 with six home runs and 28 RBI. His 567 stolen bases (as of end of season 2005) ranks him first among active players and 23rd in the all-time list.

from a fan page, end of 1997 season in Atlanta: