<— JUNE 07     JUNE 09 —>

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1859 John A. (Cub) Stricker
1862 Tom Lee

Thomas Frank Lee pitched for both the Chicago White Stockings (National League) and the Baltimore Monumentals (Union Assocation) in 1884. From what I can tell, he didn’t pitch successfully but he also didn’t pitch that badly. Toward the end of the season, he was asked to umpire an exhibition game in Milwaukee between a local professional club and the Washington Unions. That means he was either trustworthy or available (or both).

The fourth child (out of seven) born to Irish imports John and Judy (Donnelly) Lee, Tom was working as a blacksmith in his hometown of when he contracted tuberculosis, which killed him before his 24th birthday. (His WI Death Certificate says he was 22, not 23.)

1870, 1880 US Census
WI Birth and Death Records
“Other Games,” Chicago Inter Ocean, October 1, 1884: 2.

1870 Tim Donahue
1877 John Stein (Tacks) Neuer
1887 Del Paddock
1891 Henry Frederick (Buck) Danner
1892 Chance Cummings
1895 Sam McConnell
1895 Bill Drake
1901 Leo Tankersley
1911 Van Lingle Mungo
1912 Lew Krausse
1913 Art Mahan
1913 Earl Reid
1919 Dee Phillips
1919 Charley Schanz
1923 Hal Kleine
1925 Del Ennis
1925 Eddie Gaedel

Famous for his height (or, rather, lack of it) and his pinch hitting exploit. His demise, however, was sad and tragic.

Gaedel was only 36 when found dead by his mother in his Chicago apartment. However, bruises were found on the left side of his face and on his knees, leading to a police inquest into his death. (It was later determined that he died of a heart attack, but it’s possible that a mugging or fight that occurred after he left a local bowling alley could have contributed to that.)

Only weeks earlier, Gaedel and a handful of other midgets were hired to be vendors on Opening Day – a stunt that came about because fans thought that vendors blocked their view of the games.

“Remember Bill Veeck’s Midget?”, San Antonio Express, 20 June 1961, Page 20.

1927 Jose Pereira
1928 Webbo Clarke
1928 Alex Konikowski
1929 Jerry Dahlke
1930 Phil Paine
1934 Bill Smith
1935 George Brunet
1937 Joe Grzenda
1942 Larry Colton
1942 Pete Magrini
1944 Mark Belanger
1946 Jack Lind
1953 Jack Kucek
1954 Lenn Sakata
1957 Don Robinson
1958 Carmelo Castillo
1959 Britt Burns
1961 Kevin Gross
1962 John Gibbons
1963 Scott Ruskin
1965 Kevin Ritz
1967 Steve Chitren
1968 Dave Mlicki
1971 Matt Whisenant
1975 Matt Perisho
1976 Kenji Johjima
1979 Pete Orr
1981 Kevin Mahar
1986 Angel Salome
1989 T. J. McFarland
1991 R. J. Alvarez
1991 Terrance Gore
1995 Chad Smith
2000 Connor Norby
2001 Blade Tidwell
2001 Victor Mederos

OBITUARIES:

1893 Bill Collins
1930 Robert Poindexter
1931 Ed Ford

A heart attack sent the former American Association player to the next league.

1935 Jay Parker
1939 Pat Paige
1945 Bill Kemmer
1950 Cannonball Titcomb
1953 Rip Ragan
1954 Tom O’Hara
1963 Earl Smith
1965 Pep Clark
1966 Jake Munch
1967 Art Jacobs
1971 Ed Rile
1974 Fred Wiley
1975 Ownie Carroll
1982 Irv Jeffries
1982 Satchel Paige
1988 Walt Chipple
1989 Bibb Falk
1989 Glenn McQuillen
1989 Emil Verban
1990 Neb Stewart
1990 Rafael Cabrera
1993 Roy Henshaw
1997 Ken Hunt
2004 Mack Jones
2009 Frank Dasso
2011 Jim Northrup
2013 Jose Sosa
2014 Billy McCool

YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!!!

1940 Harry Craft’s five for five day includes completing the cycle and six RBI.

1961 The Braves combine to hit four consecutive homers in the seventh inning against the Reds. Eddie Mathews and Hank Aaron hit homers off of Jim Maloney while Joe Adcock and Frank Thomas hit a pair off of Marshall Bridges.

1965 Rick Monday is the first pick of the first ever major league draft.

1968 Don Drysdale is finally reached for a run when Howie Bedell hits a sacrifice fly to score Tony Taylor. It was Bedell’s only RBI of the season.

1977 Nolan Ryan fans 19 batters in a ten inning stint for the Angels. The Angels win in 13 innings, beating the Blue Jays, 2 – 1.

2001 Detroit’s Damion Easley collects four hits in five trips, completing the cycle.

2004 Geoff Jenkins has a rough day – seven at bats and six strikeouts – the eighth time a player has had six Ks in a game.

2012 Starter Kevin Millwood had to leave with an injury, so five other Mariner pitchers pitched perfect relief to complete a no-hitter, beating the Dodgers, 1 – 0.

TRANSACTION WIRE:

1907 St. Louis sent Beany Jacobson and cash to the Red Sox for Bill Dinneen.

1957 The Cubs pick up Chuck Tanner off the waiver wire.

1959 St. Louis signs amateur free agent catcher Tim McCarver – who gets in a few games that season…

1961 Kansas City sends Marv Throneberry to Baltimore for Gene Stephens.

1964 Kansas City signs free agent pitcher Jim (Catfish) Hunter.

1965 Draft Day!!! Rick Monday went #1 to the Athletics. Other first rounders? Ray Fosse (7, Indians), Bernie Carbo (16, Reds). Later picks included: Johnny Bench (2, Reds), Larry Hisle (2, Phillies), Ken Rudolph (2, Cubs), Stan Bahnsen (4, Yankees), Ken Holtzman (4, Cubs), Graig Nettles (4, Twins), Amos Otis (5, Red Sox), Sal Bando (6, Athletics), Hal McRae (6, Reds), Marty Pattin (7, Angels), Nolan Ryan (12, Mets), Bob Moose (18, Pirates), Gene Garber (20, Pirates), Gene Tenace (20, Athletics), Freddie Patek (22, Pirates), Steve Renko (24, Mets).

1971 Draft Day!!! Pete Broberg was #1, taken by the Senators. Other first rounders? Burt Hooten (2 – Secondary, Cubs), Steve Rogers (4, Expos), Frank Tanana (13, Angels), Jim Rice (15, Red Sox), Rick Rhoden (20, Dodgers). Later picks included: George Brett (2, Royals), Steve Busby (2, Royals), Mike Schmidt (2, Phillies), Ron Guidry (3, Yankees), Keith Hernandez (41, Cardinals).

1976 Draft Day!!! Houston takes Floyd Bannister #1. Other first rounders? Ken Landreaux (6, Angels), Steve Trout (8, White Sox), Leon Durham (15, Cardinals), Mike Scioscia (19, Dodgers), Bruce Hurst (22, Red Sox). Later picks included: Joe Charboneau (2, Indians), Mike Scott (2, Mets), Alan Trammell (2, Tigers), Bob Walk (3, Phillies), Rickey Henderson (4, Athletics), Jack Morris (5, Tigers), Wade Boggs (7, Red Sox).

1981 Draft Day!!! Seattle took Mike Moore with the #1 pick. Other first rounders? Joe Carter (2, Cubs), Matt Williams (5, Blue Jays), Ron Darling (9, Rangers). Later picks included: Mark Gubicza (2, Royals), Mark Langston (2, Mariners), Frank Viola (2, Twins), Phil Bradley (3, Mariners), David Cone (3, Royals), Sid Fernandez (3, Dodgers), Tony Gwynn (3, Padres), Paul O’Neill (4, Reds), John Franco (5, Dodgers), Lenny Dykstra (13, Mets), Matt Nokes (21, Giants).

2010 Draft – Day #2: Andrelton Simmons (2, Braves), Kole Calhoun (8, Angels), Adam Duvall (11, Giants),