Saturday, September 02, 2006 |
Today's Birthdays
Danny Goodwin CAL b. 1953, played 1975, 1977-1978. Twice a first-overall draft pick, the first time by the White Sox in 1971; 10 of their 14 first picks didn't sign that year, making you wonder how that story went down. Goodwin went to Southern University in Louisiana, and this time the Angels tabbed him first overall as a catcher in 1975, making him the only player since the inception of the draft to be drafted first overall twice. He injured his throwing arm early in his career, and had only two good years, playing as a 1B/DH type; the Angels traded him in December, 1978 for one of the heroes of the 1979 season, outfielder Dan Ford. Goodwin now works in the Braves' front office.
Rex Hudler CAL b. 1960, played 1994-1996. It's a little disturbing to discover that Hudler was born in Tempe, AZ, the home of the Angels' spring training facility; it's almost like we're doomed to his dumb broadcasting. But I get ahead of myself. Despite an offer of a full scholarship to Notre Dame as a football player, Hudler chose baseball as a first-round pick (18th overall) by the Yankees in the 1978 draft. ("I'm a football player in a baseball player's body," he once said.)
Unable to hit right-handed pitching, the utility infielder stumbled through the Yankees and Orioles organizations until the Expos figured out he was useful as a right-handed platoon hitter, going against lefties instead of Tom Foley. In 1990 with the Cards, he suddenly learned how to hit righties — and forgot how to hit lefties, but Whitey Herzog, Red Schoendienst, and Joe Torre figured to keep him facing southpaws anyway, with disastrous results.
Released by the Cards two years later, he played for a season with the Yakult Swallows in 1993, where he acquired the nickname "Worm Eater", because, well, he did, and yuck. The Angels picked him up in 1994 for three years of surprising effectiveness that included a career-high 16 homers in his final year with the club. Mainly a platooning infielder with a little outfield sprinkled in with the Halos, he signed as a free agent with the Phillies; after two years of futility there, he retired and became the Angels' color commentator. He has a fan and his own website, rexhudler.com. That's enough.
Harry Shriver BRO b. 1896, played 1922-1923, d. 1970-01-21
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