Happy Birthday Cal Ripken Jr

Born in 1960 on August 24th, Cal Ripken Jr turns 50 today. The second "Iron Man" of major league baseball, Ripken deserves to have a special birthday.

Ripken's baseball feats are almost endless. Not withstanding the record that never will be broken of playing in 2632 consecutive games. The 1982 Rookie of the year who actually began his career as a third baseman was shifted to shortstop, played in 19, yes nineteen, consecutive all-star games, has one world series ring (1983), a member of the 3000 hit club and played his entire career in Baltimore, naturally having his # 8 uniform retired and inducted into Baseballs Hall of Fame as a first ballot inductee in 2007.

This 1982 Topps Future Stars Card #21 was one of my very first "big" purchases in 1984 when I bought five of these. If my memory serves me correctly they were less than $ 5.00 each at the time. I have since donated (gave away) two of them over the years, holding onto three of them for no apparent reason. If anyone out there is interested in a trade for one of them - let me know. I am still more of a Cubs fan !

Originally listed as a third baseman and sharing future star status with Bob Bonner and Jeff Schneider (each of whom had incredibly short stints in the major leagues), Ripken certainly made up for it.

Happy 50th Birthday wishes go out to Ripken. Being a fellow 1960 baby, I feel slightly embarrassed in even having one thing in common with the "Iron Man".

Born in 1960: Dave Valle

since I have not written a post in a couple of days (no good reason or excuse plugged in here) I have been reading plenty and thought I would revert back to an "irregular special feature" of mine I have neglected: players born in the year I was born - 1960.

Today I present Dave Valle (pronounced "valley"); a 1978 2nd round draft choice held onto a thirteen year big league career who played the majority of his games in Seattle (1984-1993) and had short stays with the Red Sox, Brewers and Rangers until he called it quits in 1996.

Primarily a catcher though Valle did play a bit at first base. He caught over 100 games in only four big league seasons having played catcher in only 902 career games. Valle hit 77 HR's, drove in 350 runs had a career BA of .237 and would you believe also had 5 stolen bases (ok he got caught stealing seven times too).

Valle's biggest "claim to fame" might have been in 1993 when he led the league in being hit by a pitch with 17. Another story I read about Valle that in Seattle in the early 90's bars around Seattle would price beer based on his batting average - today that sounds like a great deal.

When Valle left baseball he became a color commentator for the Mariners and probably most importantly in 1995 he founded a non-profit organization called Espernza. Valle and his wife have strong ties to the Christian community (Valle is a strong student of the bible as well) and helps families in severe need in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Valle organizes golf outings, fund raisers and makes numerous trips to this area every year.

A not-so-spectacular major league career has brought Valle into a rather super-spectacular after baseball career.

Congratulations to Dave Valle . . . for being born in the same year as me and giving back more than baseball gave him.

Born in 1960: Mike Marshall

for some of you (probably those over 40) I am speaking of the "other" Mike Marshall; not the 1974 Cy Young award winning relief pitcher for the Dodgers. This "other" Mike Marshall, born in 1960, was also a Dodger but throughout the eighties.

This Marshall spent the majority of his playing days in LA (1981-1989), was a one time all-star (1984) as well as earning a world series ring with the 1988 club.

Being born in 1960 is one thing he and I have in common. He was born in Libertyville Illinois and went to the local high school in Buffalo Grove, a town I moved to in 1987. No I never met him nor have anything else in common with him (kind of).

A career .270 hitter with 148 HR's, Marshall "greatest" accomplishment might have been in 1981 as a minor leaguer. He actually won the triple crown for the Albuquerque Dukes, the triple A team in the PCL; hitting .373, blasting 34 HR's and 137 RBI's. From there his promising career turned into a respectable utility role and 11 year MLB career.

A couple of footnotes to his career were:

a) he gained much unwanted "fame" for dating then rock-star Belinda Carlisle of The Go-Go's (most currently of Dancing with the Stars)

b) when Harry Caray said that Marshall needed to get "back to LA to get some cocaine for his foot" . . . quickly corrected by booth partner Steve Stone saying "Harry, that's Novocaine"

c) and, in his very first at bat in September of 1981, he hit a rocket towards (over) the right field wall at Dodger Stadium. Being hit so hard, it bounced off the stairwell and right back onto the playing field where Jack Clark (of the S F Giants) scooped it up, threw it towards the infield and Marshall had a double. Not sure if it was days or years later but Clark did admit to Marshall that his first hit should have been called a homerun !

d) he also is included in my "duplicate initial" archive: M M

So there you have it . . . born in the same year as I, lived in the same town, dated a rock star (my wife was in high school and college theatre !) and hit a "homerun" in his first major league at bat. Not so bad for being the "other" Mike Marshall.

"The Heater"

That was the nickname for Neal Heaton during his days at the University of Miami (1979-1981). Heaton was drafted 2nd by the Cleveland Indians (39th overall) in the 1981 draft and played for seven teams from 1982 until 1993. While his major league career record of 80-96, 4.37 era and 699 strikeouts do not accurately reflect his "heat" or potential; Heaton was actually the first UM player ever to be selected to a Major League All-Star game, 1990 (though did not play).
It was in college that Heaton was known to throw fire. The two-time All American won 42 games as a Hurricane and had 23 strikeouts in one game against Indiana State on March 10, 1981. He has had his #26 retired by the UM baseball team and elected to the UM Hall of Fame in 1992. With Coach Ron Fraser running the team like a "minor league show", attendance at Mark Light Stadium on the campus of UM was packed every night, especially when "the Heater" was on the mound.

At 6'1" and 200 lbs, Heaton was the "stud", "the sure thing", "a can't miss", a left handed fireballer who threw 93 mph. Originally drafted by the N Y Mets in 1979, they offered him a insultingly low signing bonus of only $ 35,000, and after rejecting it flat out, Heaton opted to attend Oklahoma State University in Stillwater OK. It was not very long until Ron Fraser (UM Coach) picked up the phone and coaxed Heaton into coming to Coral Gables.

Just one year prior to that unrelated event, in March 1978, I had visited the U and decided that is where I was going to spend "the best four years of my life". Living on fraternity row, which was right across the street from Mark Light Stadium, home games were "party time" in and out of the stadium. Many times we would sneak in during the between inning commotions (orchestrated by head coach Fraser, termed the P T Barnum of college baseball by Sports Illustrated in 1977) and watch our Hurricanes win day in and day out.

Back then . . . baseball was king in Coral Gables, Heaton was the stud on the mound and I did my best to survive the "best four years of my life".

Born in 1960: Mel Hall

. . . such promise never attained . . . not fast (only 31 career stolen bases and 25 career triples), limited power (134 homeruns in over 11 years) and now under investigation for sexual assault.

Mel Hall made some spectacular catches in the outfield, mostly because of his slow start at the ball, playing out of position or his desire to be flashy. Talk about someone who played baseball for all the wrong reasons . . .

This 1984 Topps card # 508 shows Hall running . . . probably from the law . . . take the cap off and his mugshot is right there too.

Hall did have a solid minor league career; hitting 32 HR's, driving in 125 runs and batting .325 in 1981 for the Cubs minor league affiliate in Iowa . . . that was his career highlight . . .

Played for the Cubs (1981 - 84), the Indians (1984-86), Yankees (1989-1992), two teams in Japan and retired in a San Fransisco Giant uniform in 1996.

Not much else to say except; he was a disappointing Cub and born in 1960 (being that is a "special irregular feature of mine). Next player presented will be of more notable worthiness.

Born in 1960: Joe Carter

As my first real post for my "irregular special feature" called, Born in 1960, I wanted to highlight a Chicago Cub so here goes . . .

Joe Carter . . . ok, I know he really was not a Cub for very long; albeit only 23 games but nonetheless a Rated Rookie as a Cubbie ! Carter was the Sporting News College Player of the Year in 1981 and the Cubs made him the second pick overall in the amateur draft that year. Speed and power were his trademarks and he produced admirably in the minors winning the AAA Rookie of the Year award in 1983.

By June of 1984 he was sent to the Cleveland Indians (for Rick Sutcliff as part of a six player swap) in a deal that would catapult the Cubs to their division win. Sutcliff went on to go 16 - 1 and win the Cy Young award.

Carter on the other hand was belting HR's and striking out at a torrid pace. He ended his career with 396 career homeruns and 1387 strikeouts. Interesting enough, he had zero, none, nadda, zip, nil and no homeruns as a Cub but he did have 21 strikeouts. In the next fifteen years, Carter would go on to play in five all-star games, win two silver slugger awards and land in the top 20 for MVP voting eight times.

His career highlight will always be that game 6, ninth inning walk-off HR in the 1993 World Series in the dome of Toronto.

. . . a Chicago Cub . . . a World Series Trophy . . . and Born in 1960 . . .

Born in 1960

In this first post of a new "irregular special feature" I will be highlighting players who were born in 1960. Why 1960 ? Well, that is the year I was born and that is as good a reason as I could came up with.

So for starters I will acknowledge the career leaders in some statistics:

Homeruns: Cal Ripken Jr - 431

RBI's: Cal Ripken Jr - 1695

Batting Average: Tony Gwynn - .338 (more than 100 games played)

Stolen Bases: Steve Sax - 444

Triples: Juan Samuel - 102

Wins: Mark Langston - 179

Saves: John Franco - 424

Strikeouts: Mark Langston - 2474

Other notable players that were born in 1960 are:

Sid Bream

Ron Darling

Kirby Puckett

Fernando Valenzuela

Andy Van Slyke

Harold Reynolds

Kent Hrbek

Chili Davis

Tom Brunansky and many many others

In the weeks and months ahead I will scan some cards and share some insight about those players that were born in 1960. Hope you enjoy . . .