If Your Birthday is February 13th...

...you share it with a pitcher who'll be one of the most scrutinized Yankees this coming season. Traded by the Marlins to New York over the winter, Nathan Eovaldi steps into a Yankee rotation loaded with question marks. Masahiro Tanaka's fragile elbow tendon, CC Sabathia's creaky knees, Michael Pineda's litany of media issues, Hiroki Kuroda's return to Japan, and the trade of the promising Shane Greene for shortstop Didi Gregorious put a spotlight on this newcomer from the NL. I first caught him in action during Spring Training two years ago in Jupiter.
There are a few other notable baseball birthdays on this day-before-Valentine's: Hal Chase, a sweet-swinging 1st baseman who spent most of his career with the Yankees' predecessors, the New York Highlanders, and Sal Bando, the standout 3rd baseman on the Oakland A's early-'70s dynasty. And then, there's Drew Henson, someone considered a can't miss player in both football and baseball -- who succeeded in neither sport. If you recall his story, you'll enjoy reading the recent column on him by Hall of Fame sportswriter Peter Gammons.

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