ABaseballLife

It is played everywhere. In parks and playgrounds and prison yards. In back alleys and farmers' fields. By small children and old men. Raw amateurs and millionaire professionals. It is a leisurely game that demands blinding speed. The only game in which the defense has the ball. It follows the seasons, beginning each year with the fond expectancy of springtime, and ending with the hard facts of autumn. It is a haunted game, in which every player is measured against the ghosts of all who have gone before. Most of all, it is about time and timelessness. Speed and grace. Failure and loss. Imperishable hope. And coming home.

[abaseballlife]

Happy 41st Birthday to Derek Jeter! In his 20 seasons at Shortstop for the New York Yankees, his numbers spoke for themselves. 

14x All-Star...1998-02, ‘04, ‘06-’12, ‘14

5x World Series champion...1996, ‘98-’00, ‘09

2000 World Series MVP

1996 AL Rookie of the Year

5x Gold Glove Award winner...2004-’06, ‘09-’10

5x Silver Slugger Award winner...2006-’09, ‘12

2x AL Hank Aaron Award winner...2006, 2009

2009 Roberto Clemente Award winner

New York Yankees captain 2003-2014

[abaseballlife]

Happy 82nd birthday Gene Green!  Green played outfield and catcher between  1957 and 1963 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, and Cincinnati Reds.  

.267 batting average

46 home runs

160 RBIs

[abaseballlife]

Happy 95th birthday Jean-Pierre Roy!! (Left) Born in Quebec, Roy pitched 3 games for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946.  He played along side Jackie Robinson in the minors and retained a friendship with his family until Roy’s death in 2014.  He was a television commentator for the Expos between 1968 and 1984. He had 6 career strikeouts.

1995 Expos Hall of Fame inductee

2001 Quebes Baseball Hall of Fame inductee

[abaseballlife]

On this day in 1949, Buck Freeman passed away at the age of 77.  Buck played 11 major league seasons, debuting in 1891 and continuing to play from 1898 to 1907.  He pitched in 1891, but played Right Field for the Washington Statesmen/Senators, Boston Beaneaters, and Boston Americans after.  He famously hit 25 home runs during the 1899 season.

1903 World Series Champion with the Boston Americans

1904 American League Pennant winner with the Boston Americans

1899 NL home run champion

1903 AL home run champion

2x AL RBI champion...1902, 1903

.293 batting average

82 home runs

131 triples

[abaseballlife]

Happy 37th Birthday to Luke Scott!  Scott played Left Field and First Base for 9 seasons with the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, and Tampa Bay Rays before playing in the Korean Baseball Organization for the SK Wyverns in 2014. He is currently in the Toronto Blue Jays’ system with the Buffalo Bisons (AAA).  

.258 Batting Average

135 Home Runs

436 RBI

[jaceagolliwasrobbed]

Happy 37th Birthday to Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez!! The Dominican Republic native is in his 18th season in the MLB.  Aramis has played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs before joining the Brewers (evidently a fan of the NL Central).  

.283 batting average

2,231 hits

377 home runs

1,368 RBI

3x All-Star…2005, 2008, 2014

2008 NL Hank Aaron Award Winner

2011 NL Silver Slugger Award for Third Baseman

Led NL in doubles in 2012

[jaceagolliwasrobbed]

Happy 43rd Birthday Carlos Delgado!  Delgado hold the record for most home runs and RBI by a Puerto Rican born player in MLB history.  He became the 4th of 6 players to ever hit 30 home runs in 10 consecutive seasons.  Delgado played 17 seasons as a first baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays, Florida Marlins and New York Mets.  

After his twelve seasons with the Blue Jays, Delgado had set many team records, including: home runs (336), RBI (1,058), walks (827), SLG % (.556), OPS (.949), runs (889), total bases (2,786), doubles (343), runs created (1,077), extra base hits (690), times on base (2,362), hbp (122), intentional walks (128) and at bats per home run (14.9).

Batted average of .280

2,038 hits

473 home runs

1,512 RBI

2x All-star (2000, 2003)

3x Silver Slugger Award (1999, 2000, 2003)

AL Hank Aaron Award in 2000

Roberto Clemente Award in 2006

AL RBI Champ in 2003

Hit 4 home runs in one game on September 25, 2003 (only player to do so with only 4 at-bats in a game)

2013 World Baseball Classic Silver Medalist for Puerto Rico

Member of the Toronto Blue Jays Level of Excellence

2015 inductee into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

[abaseballlife]

Happy 44th Birthday, Michael Tucker!!! Tucker played 12 seasons of outfield and first base for the Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals (again), San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and New York Mets.

Batting average of .256

125 home runs

528 RBI

[abaseballlife]

Happy 45th Birthday, Aaron Sele! Sele is a former 1st round draft pick (23rd pick in 1991) who is currently a special assistant for player personnel and scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Aaron played 15 seasons in the majors between 1993 and 2007 as a starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, Anaheim Angels, Seattle Mariners (again), Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Mets.

Record of 148-112

ERA of 4.61

1,407 strikeouts

2x All-Star (1998, 2000)

[abaseballlife]

Jean Geissinger was born today in 1934.  She played 4 seasons in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.  From 1951 to 1954 she played infield and outfield for the Fort Wayne Daisies, with a short stopover with the Grand Rapids Chicks at the end of the 1952 season. She passed away in 2014, 17 days before her 80th birthday.

2x All-Star...1953, ‘54

2x RBI leader...1953, ‘54

Third All-Time in batting average for the AAGPBL (.306)

Fourth All-Time in home runs for the AAGPBL (41)

2005 Northeast Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame inductee

Featured permanently in the AAGPBL display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

[abaseballlife]

Happy 34th Birthday, A.J. Ellis!  Ellis is in his 8th season catching for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

.242 Batting Average

28 Home Runs

157 RBI

[abaseballlife]

Happy 39th Birthday, Kyle Peterson! Peterson pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1999 and 2001.  He now works for ESPN.

5-9 record

4.71 ERA

46 Strikeouts

[abaseballlife]

Happy 54th Birthday, Kirk McCaskill!  McCaskill pitched 11 seasons for the California Angels and Chicago White Sox and also played professional hockey in 1983-84 in the Winnipeg Jets’ system.  He is believed to be the only individual to ever play professional ice hockey and Major League Baseball.

106-108 record

4.12 ERA

1,003 Strikeouts

2003 Inductee to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

[abaseballlife]

Happy 69th Birthday, Nate Colbert!  Colbert played from 1966 to 1976 at first base for the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Montreal Expos, and Oakland Athletics.

Posted a .243 batting average

Hit 173 home runs

520 RBIs

3x All-Star 1971-1973

[jaceagolliwasrobbed]

Happy 71st birthday, Joe Brinkman! Joe Brinkman was an AL and MLB umpire from 1972 to 2006.  He was famously the Crew Chief for the George Brett Pine Tar Game and is seen above restraining Brett.  

His 35 years of umpiring AL games surpassed the record set by Larry Barnett. He is fifth all time in number of games worked in the Major Leagues. Three of the four ahead of him are in the Hall of Fame. 

Umpired World Series 3x: 1978, 1986, 1995

Umpired ALCS 3x

Umpired All-Star Game 3x 

Worked A.J. Burnett’s no-hitter 5/12/2001

[abaseballlife]

On this date in 1965, the Astrodome opened its doors for the first indoor baseball game. It hosted the Houston Astros until 1999.

[micdotcom]

There’s a reasonable scientific explanation for the fire sky seen at the Cincinnati Reds game

The sky above the Cincinnati Reds’ stadium on Monday night looked like it had been lit on fire.

Fans were absolutely amazed with the beauty.

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