Saturday, May 13, 2006 |
Today's Birthdays
Jimmy Archer BRO b. 1883, played 1918, d. 1958-03-29. Have you ever fantasized about saving someone's life? It's supposedly one of the most common fantasies, and Archer did it years after his playing days were over. In 1931, he was in the Chicago stockyards when he resuscitated two men passed out from carbon monoxide in a closed truck cab, earning a National Council of Safety medal. On the field, he was a durable catcher for the glory years of the Tinkers-to-Evers-to-Chance Cubs. His lone 1918 season with Brooklyn was a last hurrah that saw him play for the Cubs, Robins, and Reds.
Juan Beniquez CAL b. 1950, played 1981-1985. "To get the most from the people you manage," Joe Torre once said, "you must put them in the right spot at the right time." Beniquez was an unremarkable hitter against righties (career .256/.311/.350), but he could just crush lefties (.301/.351/.423). Beniquez's solid bat saw him garner his best seasons in the majors as an Angel, hitting better than .300 for four straight years, and this after his age 32 season. Angels fans in 2003 who were "treated" to the futile offense and leaden glove of Eric Owens appreciate just how important a good bench player is.
Mickey Callaway ANA b. 1975, played 2002-2003. One of a chain of middling Angels starters who never quite stuck in the majors, he was drafted in 1996 by the Devil Rays. I remember him for his impressive six-inning shutout of the powerful Texas lineup, followed by an immediate implosion when he saw them again not three weeks later. After a similarly disappointing outing against New York, he spent the rest of the season sucking in the pen, until the Angels released him in late July. If his Baseball Cube page is to believed, he's now out of baseball.
Carden Gillenwater BRO b. 1918, played 1943, d. 2000-05-10
Steve Kealey CAL b. 1947, played 1968-1970
Don LeJohn LAN b. 1934, played 1965, d. 2005-02-25
Johnny Roseboro LAN,BRO b. 1933, played 1957-1967, All-Star: 1958,1961,1962,1969, d. 2002-08-16. If I ever restart my Top 40 Dodgers series, he's sure to be on it. A two-time Gold Glove winner and three-time MVP nominee (he never placed higher than 13th, though), he was notoriously clubbed on the head in an August 22, 1965 game against the Giants by San Francisco pitcher Juan Marichal, in retribution for Roseboro skipping a throw back to the pitcher off Marichal's ear. The brawl that ensued took 14 minutes to clear, with Willie Mays and Sandy Koufax leading the efforts to restore order. I seem to remember reading recently that Roseboro was in fact doing it on purpose, and the two later reconciled and became good friends.
Always an adequate hitter, his biggest hit came in the 1963 World Series when he clubbed a three-run shot off Yankees ace Whitey Ford in Game 1. He also logged a game-winning RBI single in the Game 3 of the 1965 World Series.
Bobby Valentine CAL,LAN b. 1950, played 1969, 1971-1975. His career was ruined when he caught his leg in the chain link fence marking the edge of the new Angels Stadium; his leg was never the same. He went on to a mediocre managerial career (1117-1072, .510 WPCT) in the majors, and a somewhat better one in Japan; his Chiba Lotte Marines won their first Japan Series in 31 years under his guidance.
Leon Wagner LAA b. 1934, played 1961-1963, All-Star: 1962,1963, d. 2004-01-03. A very sad story, already told in the Top 100 Angels of All Time. Rest in peace, Daddy.
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