OnlyBucs

316771656A70606B667143646E626A6F2D60030 wrote: April 2:



Hisanori Takahashi (1975): 2012, LHP, 8.1 IP, 0-0, 8.64



https://www.baseball-reference.com/play ... hi01.shtml



Jon Lieber (1970): 1994-98, RHP,  682.2 IP,  38-47, 4.36



https://www.baseball-reference.com/play ... jo01.shtml



Best player born on April 2: Luke Appling


I read a funny story about Luke Appling.  There were two older ladies who were great fans of his and, one day before a game, they asked him for two autographed baseballs.  I guess back then, players had to get permission for such a request.  So Appling asked the WhiteSox club Secretary for the balls.  The guy refused, saying that, at $2.75, baseball's were too expensive to just hand out to fans.  So during Appling's first at bat that afternoon, he intentionally fouled off 10 pitches into the stands.  He then walked back to the Secretary and said something like, "That's $27.  Shall I keep going or can I have those two baseballs now?"  The guy swallowed hard and promised to give him the balls.




That is a great story.

I don't remember the exact year it changed but I believe until close to 1920 fans returned foul balls and the ball stayed in play.

012726312737440 wrote: April 2:



Hisanori Takahashi (1975): 2012, LHP, 8.1 IP, 0-0, 8.64



https://www.baseball-reference.com/play ... hi01.shtml



Jon Lieber (1970): 1994-98, RHP,  682.2 IP,  38-47, 4.36



https://www.baseball-reference.com/play ... jo01.shtml



Best player born on April 2: Luke Appling


I read a funny story about Luke Appling.  There were two older ladies who were great fans of his and, one day before a game, they asked him for two autographed baseballs.  I guess back then, players had to get permission for such a request.  So Appling asked the WhiteSox club Secretary for the balls.  The guy refused, saying that, at $2.75, baseball's were too expensive to just hand out to fans.  So during Appling's first at bat that afternoon, he intentionally fouled off 10 pitches into the stands.  He then walked back to the Secretary and said something like, "That's $27.  Shall I keep going or can I have those two baseballs now?"  The guy swallowed hard and promised to give him the balls.




That is a great story.

I don't remember the exact year it changed but I believe until close to 1920 fans returned foul balls and the ball stayed in play.


I love that story. It's one of my favorites. I just hope it's true and that I told it accurately.



In its short existence, the Federal League left behind two legacies:  first, the league's owners allowed fans to keep balls that went into the stands.  That tradition was adopted by both the National and American leagues, but I'm not sure what year that happened.  The second leftover from the Federal League is Wrigley Field, which was built for the Chicago Whales of the FL.

4C7F636261695F6279657E796864630D0 wrote: April 2:



Hisanori Takahashi (1975): 2012, LHP, 8.1 IP, 0-0, 8.64



https://www.baseball-reference.com/play ... hi01.shtml



Jon Lieber (1970): 1994-98, RHP,  682.2 IP,  38-47, 4.36



https://www.baseball-reference.com/play ... jo01.shtml



Best player born on April 2: Luke Appling




I was so excited that you started doing this birthday thing! Today was my birthday and I waited all week to see who shared it with me. What a let down! I already knew about Appling. The Pirates names were a bummer.



But seriously, thanks for doing this daily. It is a cool feature. Especially as everyone will, at some point, look to see who has shares their birthday.

485571737D180 wrote: April 2:



Hisanori Takahashi (1975): 2012, LHP, 8.1 IP, 0-0, 8.64



https://www.baseball-reference.com/play ... hi01.shtml



Jon Lieber (1970): 1994-98, RHP,  682.2 IP,  38-47, 4.36



https://www.baseball-reference.com/play ... jo01.shtml



Best player born on April 2: Luke Appling




I was so excited that you started doing this birthday thing!  Today was my birthday and I waited all week to see who shared it with me.  What a let down!  I already knew about Appling.  The Pirates names were a bummer.



But seriously, thanks for doing this daily.  It is a cool feature.  Especially as everyone will, at some point, look to see who has shares their birthday.


I'm pretty sure that I share mine with Steve Blass. (different years)

April 3:



Ryan Doumit (1981): 2005-11; C; 2175 AB; 67-266-.271

Bobby Hill (1978): 2003-05; INF; 329 AB; 2-38-.267

Miguel Garcia (1967): 1987-89; RHP; 18.2 IP; 0-2, 7.71

Dick Conger (1921): 1941-42; RHP; 12.1 IP; 0-0, 1.46

Guy Hecker (1856): 1890; RHP; 119.2 IP; 2-9, 5.11; 1B; 340 AB; 0-38-.226



Larry Shepherd (1919): manager 1968-69, 164-155

Alex Grammas (1926): 3B coach 1965-69; manager 1969, 4-1

Guy Hecker (1856): manager 1890, 23-113-2



Jim Pagliaroni, RIP April 3, 2010



Best player born on April 3: Guy Hecker

4E7D6160636B5D607B677C7B6A66610F0 wrote: April 3:



Ryan Doumit (1981): 2005-11; C; 2175 AB; 67-266-.271

Bobby Hill (1978): 2003-05; INF; 329 AB; 2-38-.267

Miguel Garcia (1967): 1987-89; RHP; 18.2 IP; 0-2, 7.71

Dick Conger (1921): 1941-42; RHP; 12.1 IP; 0-0, 1.46

Guy Hecker (1856): 1890; RHP; 119.2 IP; 2-9, 5.11; 1B; 340 AB; 0-38-.226



Larry Shepherd (1919): manager 1968-69, 164-155

Alex Grammas (1926): 3B coach 1965-69; manager 1969, 4-1

Guy Hecker (1856): manager 1890, 23-113-2



Jim Pagliaroni, RIP April 3, 2010



Best player born on April 3: Guy Hecker




Not sure I had ever heard of Guy Hecker before. Had to look up his stats. From now on, I will refer to him as former 52 game winner Guy Hecker.

Hecker has to be way up there for worst season ever: 2-9 as a pitcher, .226 as a hitter, 23-113 as a manager.



I remember when Alex Grammas was third base coach with Johnny Pesky at first, the two old infielders would field any foul ball grounded to them, no matter how hard hit.

April 4:



Mitch Keller (1996)

John Bormann (1993): 2017; C; 1 AB; 0-0-.000

Jim Fregosi (1942): 1977-77; 1B; 76 AB; 3-17-.263

Les Bartholomew (1903): 1928; P; 22.2 IP; 0-0-7.15

Bill Hinchman (1883): 1915-20; RF; 1503 AB; 11-196-.284



It looks like Bormann "retired" toward the end of last year. Hinchman would have attracted steroid allegations if he came along 80 years later. He had topped out as a .250 hitter with the Indians, was sold to Columbus and played there for five years. In the last of those, he broke lose with a .366 average at age 31. The Pirates acquired him for 1915, and for two years he hit over .300 and was among the league leaders in many categories. He broke his leg in 1917, and doesn't seem to have recovered from that.



Best player born on April 4: Tris Speaker

April 5:



Jung Ho Kang (1987)

Lastings Milledge (1985): 2009-10; OF; 599 AB; 8-54-.282

Rennie Stennett (1951): 1971-79; 2B; 4037 AB; 38-388-.278

Wid Conroy (1877): 1902; SS; 365 AB; 1-47-.244

Chuck Lauer (1865): 1884, 1889; OF, C; 60 AB; 0-1-.133



My favorite Milledge moment was when he lined a ball off the wall, the home run fireworks mistakenly went off, and he was tagged out trotting into second. 



Best player born on April 5: Bill Dinneen. 

April 6:



Alex McRae (1993)

Bert Blyleven (1951): 1978-80; RHP; 697.2 IP; 34-28, 3.47

Sonny Senerchia (1931): 1952; 3B; 100 AB; 3-11-.220



Senerchia seems to have had an interesting life after baseball:



http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Obi ... .Obit.html



Smokey Joe Williams (1885): Hall of Famer, pitched for the Homestead Grays 1925-34



Best player born on April 6: Blyleven or Williams, or Mickey Cochrane