<— MARCH 22     MARCH 24 —>

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1863  Joe Gunson
1864  Willie Murphy
1864  Charlie Hilsey
1865  Farmer Weaver
1865  Dan Shannon
1867  Tom Murray
1868  Mike Smith
1870  Rudy Kling
1877  Ed Taylor
1877  Peaches Graham
1878  Homer Smoot
1878  Pete Loos
1881  Gavvy Cravath

Cravath had an inside out swing – so his right-handed whallop went out to right field – which worked well for him in Minneapolis and later Philadelphia as a Phillie. He struggled in his first go round in the majors, but in Minneapolis he turned into a monster hitter – doubles and triples and homers – and the Millers were the dominant team of the American Association. I would love to look into this – just to see if someone didn’t like his approach to hitting – because starting in 1909 he was free to pound pitchers.

1885  Danny Moeller
1886  Cy Slapnicka

One of the great scouts. Why aren’t scouts in the Hall of Fame?

1895  Ray Kremer
1895  Frank Parkinson
1895  Leo Birdine
1902  Johnny Moore
1908  Bill Harvey
1909  Chile Gomez
1911  Sig Broskie
1912  Louis Dula
1915  Tommy Johnson
1917  Joe Echols
1918  Lou Lucier
1923  Barney Koch
1926  Johnny Logan
1928  Jim Lemon
1931  Stan Pitula
1932  Jack Meyer
1938  Sam Bowens
1942  Danny Coombs
1943  Lee May

When I became a baseball fan, Lee May was into his 30s. Nobody talked about him, really, the way they talked about other stars. The only video anyone sees with Lee May in it happens to be that play where Brooks Robinson goes into foul territory to throw May out in the 1970 World Series.

But he hit 354 career homers, drove in more than 1200 runs, and had more than 2000 hits. He was about 16% better than his peers as a hitter. Lee May had a heck of a career.

1943  Bruce Howard
1944  George Scott

Fun player of the 1970s. Hit like Lee May, but a shade less power and a better command of the strike zone. Oh – and Scott was the better fielder.

1947  Pat Bourque

One of the many swaps between the Oakland Athletics and the Chicago Cubs during my first decade of baseball fandom. He had one year where he hit, like, 9 homers in 180 at bats. That wasn’t really like him. Spent at least four seasons playing Mexico.

1949  Jim Geddes
1953  Bo Diaz
1956  Mike Darr
1956  Ron Johnson
1966  Mike Remlinger
1967  Jerry Brooks
1969  Chris Turner
1976  Joel Peralta
1979  Mark Buehrle

Such a good show… Worked quickly, threw strikes, won games no matter where he played. Fielded his position well and all that. Two no-hitters and one of those was a remarkable perfect game. Baseball needs more guys like Mark Buerhle. Who is the next one?

1981  Tony Pena
1981  Anderson Garcia
1984  Jon Link
1988  Dellin Betances
1993  Art Warren
1995  Isiah Kiner-Falefa
1999 Austin Martin

OBITUARIES:

1916  Frank Graves
1917  Art Weaver
1928  Jake Kafora

Frank Jacob Kafora was a catcher for the Pirates (one game in 1913, 21 games in 1914), but he was equally successful as an American Bowling Congress tournament level bowler. His nickname was “Pickles” and he was a clown of sorts on the lanes; very popular in bowling circles. He died after a short illness at just 39.

“Well-Known Bowler Dies,” Kansas City Times, March 24, 1928: 19.

1929  Denny Williams
1935  John Flynn
1948  Dutch Meier
1952  Steve Sundra
1958  Harry Kelley
1966  Fred Long
1969  Oris Hockett
1972  Red Bird
1976  Walter Murphy
1979  Wilson Redus
1985  Ralph Mellix
1993  Tim Crews
1994  Roger Wolff
1998  Gentry Jessup
2002  Minnie Rojas
2007  Ed Bailey
2013  Virgil Trucks
2016  Joe Garagiola
2019  Hal King

YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!!!

1963 Steve Dalkowski, perhaps the hardest thrower in baseball history (at least until Nolan Ryan, but many believe Dalkowski is still at the top of the list), feels a pop in his elbow during a spring training game against the Yankees.  That pop ruins his career and he never makes the majors.

Jim Elliot, “Unearned Run Wins For Birds,” Baltimore Sun, March 23, 1963: 15, 19.

“Dalkowski Idled By Lame Elbow,” Salisbury Daily Times, April 4, 1963: 19.

TRANSACTION WIRE:

1942  Cleveland signs free agent pitcher Mel Harder.

1977  The White Sox send Clay Carroll to St. Louis for Lerrin LaGrow.

1998  The Yankees sign undrafted free agent Orlando Hernandez.

2004  Chicago resigns free agent Greg Maddux.  Tampa signs Fred McGriff.