Monday, October 09, 2006 |
Today's Birthdays
Brian Downing CAL b. 1950, played 1978-1990, All-Star: 1979. A Top 100 Angel at #3, Downing was a converted catcher who discovered power relatively late in his career, power some attribute to a weightlifting program that was at the time uncommon. Moving to the outfield in 1981, he spent most of his time there until 1988, when he DH'd full-time through the rest of his Angels career, one that saw him as a core contributor to the Angels' three division titles prior to the 2002 season. The Angels released him after 1990, and he spent the last two years of his career with Texas.
Ray Krawczyk CAL b. 1959, played 1988
Rube Marquard BRO b. 1886, played 1915-1920, Hall of Fame: 1971 (Veterans), d. 1980-06-01. What kind of a fruit was he? When the Giants bought his contract from Indianapolis for $11,000, the largest sum every bestowed upon any player, he was known as the "$11,000 Peach", but three years later, when he had yet to post ten wins in his career, the papers called him the "$11,000 Lemon". Nicknamed Rube because of his resemblance to another Hall of Famer, Rube Waddell, he proceeded to pitch three straight seasons as a 20-game winner, anchoring the staff through three straight pennants. Traded to the Dodgers in 1915, he helped them win two pennants starting the very next year. Bill James considered him to be one of the Hall's worst inductees, thanks to a won-loss mark of 201-177, not a particularly compelling figure.
Al Maul BRO b. 1865, played 1899, d. 1958-05-03
Freddie Patek CAL b. 1944, played 1980-1981, All-Star: 1972, 1976, 1978. Nicknamed "The Flea" for his diminutive stature (at 5'5" and 148 lbs, he was the shortest player in baseball of his era), he spent most of his career with the Pirates and Royals, the last two as an Angel; the highlight of his career with the Halos has to be his three-homer game against Boston, in a 20-2 romp on June 20, 1980.
Bill Reidy BRO b. 1873, played 1899, 1903-1904, d. 1915-10-14
Gordon Slade BRO b. 1904, played 1930-1932, d. 1974-01-02
Alex Taveras LAN b. 1955, played 1982-1983
Jim Winford BRO b. 1909, played 1938, d. 1970-12-16
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