<— JUNE 04     JUNE 06 —>

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1849 Jim Britt

Britt was involved in one of the earliest gambling scandals in MLB history.

1852 John Dyler
1865 Jim Andrews
1869 George Ulrich
1870 Fred Zahner
1873 Irv Hach
1874 Jack Chesbro
1874 Frank Huelsman
1876 Offa Neal
1878 Billy Maloney
1878 Fred Mitchell
1881 Beany Jacobson
1887 Allan Collamore
1889 Truck Hannah
1890 Larry Douglas
1890 Gene Madden
1891 Irvin Brooks
1893 Herb Hall
1895 Ray Rohwer
1895 Sandy Thompson
1896 Ray Richmond
1896 Wade Lefler
1900 John Cavanaugh
1902 Charlie Gooch
1903 Billy Urbanski
1903 John Barnes
1905 Heliodoro Diaz
1905 Harry Williams
1913 Joe Ware
1916 Eddie Joost
1918 Dave Odom
1918 Al Javery
1924 Lou Brissie
1941 Duke Sims
1945 Chip Coulter
1948 Mark Schaeffer
1951 Randy Elliott
1951 Darryl Jones
1953 Paul Siebert
1954 Dennis Blair
1966 Bill Spiers
1967 Ray Lankford
1970 Gene Schall
1972 Mike Coolbaugh
1974 Russ Ortiz
1975 Jason Green
1978 Travis Chapman
1983 Bill Bray
1984 Robinson Chirinos
1987 Manny Pina
1988 Jake Petricka
1989 Layne Somsen
1989 Jimmy Nelson
1991 Andrew Heaney
1992 Dereck Rodriguez
1995 Phoenix Sanders
1996 Daniel Nunez
1996 Joe Ryan
1997 Hunter Feduccia
1998 Chris Murphy
1999 Royce Lewis
1999 Stewart Berroa
2000 Jack Neely
2001 Logan Evans

OBITUARIES:

1913 Chris Von Der Ahe

The one-time owner of the St. Louis Browns, and the one who gave us Sportsman’s Park, died of cirhossis of the liver leading to dropsy.

1919 John McCloskey

McCloskey’s baseball career over, he was working in a coal mine in Wilkes-Barre.  A train carrying a crew of workers and kegs of explosives was heading into the mine when a low hanging live trolley wire connected with a keg of gunpowder, causing a massive explosion that killed scores of miners in the Black Diamond Tunnel.  Wilkes-Barre Evening News, June 5, 1919: 1,3.

1921 George Rettger
1924 Bill Reynolds
1924 John Sullivan
1925 Sam Trott
1930 Lou Say
1933 Sam LaRocque
1941 Bill Coyle
1944 Phil Knell
1945 Fred Lewis
1948 Jack McCarthy
1952 Bruno Haas
1957 Pete Wilson
1960 Rip Jordan
1961 Syd Smith
1975 Drew Rader
1976 Otis Lambeth
1980 Jimmie Keenan
1980 Johnny Jones
1986 Joe Mulligan
1986 Jesse Winters
1988 Daniel Webster
1991 Luis Suarez
2000 Don Liddle
2004 Wilmer Fields
2005 Clyde Williams
2012 Hal Keller
2017 Hector Wagner
2018 Chuck Taylor
2019 Aubrey Gatewood
2020 John Miller

YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!!!

1884 Barely a week after his teammate Ed Morris turned the trick, Columbus pitcher Frank Mountain tosses a no-hitter. Mountain beat Washington, 11 – 0, and included his own homer. (Be batted seventh in the lineup that day.)

1997 Alex Rodriguez goes 4 – 6 and completes the cycle.

2015 Pat Venditte becomes the first “switch-pitcher” in the majors, throwing two scoreless innings for Oakland against the Red Sox.

TRANSACTION WIRE:

1899 St. Louis sends Ossee Schrecongost and Frank Yates to the Cleveland Spiders for Lave Cross and Willie Sudhoff. It was less a trade than a reassignment of players on teams owned by the same guy.

1969 Draft Day!!! Jeff Burroughs is the first taken by the Senators. Other first rounders: J. R. Richard (2, Astros), Don Gullett (14, Reds), Gorman Thomas (21, Pilots). Later picks included: Larry Gura (2, Cubs), Mickey Rivers (2, Braves), Alan Ashby (3, Indians), Dwight Evans (5, Red Sox), Bob Boone (6, Phillies), Billy North (12, Cubs), Mike Easler (14, Astros), Buddy Bell (16, Indians), Ken Griffey (29, Reds), Al Cowens (75, Royals).

1973 Draft Day!!! David Clyde went #1 to the Rangers – and into the rotation right out of high school. Other first rounders? Robin Yount (3, Brewers), Dave Winfield (4, Padres), Warren Cromartie (5, Expos). Later picks? Mike Heath (2, Yankees), Fred Lynn (2, Red Sox), Len Barker (3, Rangers), Eddie Murran (3, Orioles), LaMarr Hoyt (5, Yankees), Mike Flanagan (7, Orioles), Mike Krukow (8, Cubs), Dwayne Murphy (15, As).

1974 Draft Day!!! Billy Almon went #1 to the Padres. Other first rounders: Lonnie Smith (3, Phillies), Dale Murphy (5, Braves), Garry Templeton (13, Cardinals), Lance Parrish (16, Tigers), Willie Wilson (18, Royals), Rick Sutcliffe (21, Dodgers). Later picks included: Butch Wynegar (2, Twins), Pete Vuckovich (3, White Sox), Rick Camp (7, Braves), Mark Fidrych (10, Tigers), Jim Gantner (12, Brewers).

1979 Draft Day!!! Al Chambers was the first player taken by the Mariners. Other first rounders? Andy Van Slyke (6, Cardinals), Tim Wallach (10, Expos), Gary Gaetti (11, Twins), Steve Howe (16, Dodgers), Atlee Hammaker (21 Royals). Later picks included: Jose DeLeon (3, Pirates), Jim Presley (4, Mariners), Greg Gagne (5, Yankees), Billy Doran (6, Astros), Johnny Ray (12, Astros), Pete O’Brien (15, Rangers), Orel Hershiser (17, Dodgers), Don Mattingly (19, Yankees).

1989 Draft Day!!! Ben McDonald, college world series star, went #1 to the Orioles. Other first rounders? Frank Thomas (7, White Sox), Mo Vaughn (23, Red Sox), Chuck Knoblauch (25, Twins). Later picks included: Denny Neagle (3, Twins), Jeff Bagwell (4, Red Sox), Ryan Klesko (5, Braves), J.T. Snow (5, Yankees), Trevor Hoffman (11, Reds), Jim Thome (13, Indians), Brian Giles (17, Indians), Jeff Kent (20, Blue Jays).

2000 Draft Day!!! Adrian Gonzalez was taken right out of high school at 16 years old by the Marlins at #1. Other first rounders? Chase Utley (15, Phillies), Adam Wainwright (29, Braves). Later picks included: Grady Sizemore (3, Expos), Yadier Molina (4, Cardinals), Dontrelle Willis (8, Cubs), Edwin Encarnacion (9, Rangers), Freddy Sanchez (11, Red Sox), James Shields (16, Rays), Jose Bautista (20, Pirates), Jason Bay (22, Expos), Adam LaRoche (29, Braves).

2001 Draft Day!!! Joe Mauer was the top pick of the Twins. Other first rounders: Mark Prior (2, Cubs), Mark Teixeira (5, Rangers), David Wright (38, Mets). Later picks included: Dan Haren (2, As), J.J. Hardy (2, Brewers), Ryan Howard (5, Phillies), C.J. Wilson (5, Rangers), Kevin Youkilis (8, Red Sox), Dan Uggla (11, Diamondbacks).

2008 Draft Day!!! Tim Beckham went to the Rays with the #1 pick. Pedro Alvarez (2, Pirates), Eric Hosmer (3, Royals), Buster Posey (5, Giants) joined him in the first round… Later picks who have made good: Charlie Blackmon (2, Rockies), Craig Kimbrel (3, Braves), Dee Gordon (4, Dodgers), Josh Harrison (6, Cubs), Pat Venditte (20, Yankees), Tanner Roark (25, Rangers).

2012 Draft Day!!! These were the guys who didn’t get taken in the first round… Kyle Barraclaugh (7, Cardinals), Matt Duffy (18, Giants).

2014 Draft Day!!! It’s still early (2017) but a few have made it to the top – Kyle Schwarber (4, Cubs), Trea Turner (13, Padres) – and contributed right away.