If Your Birthday is December 16th...


...you share it with Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar. He set the tone for Kansas City's World Series victory with his inside-the-park homer on the first pitch of game one. I caught him in action against the Yankees on May 26th.
Who else gets cake and candles nine days before Christmas?
Hector Santiago, the Angels' New Jersey-born lefty. When L.A. made its only visit to Yankee Stadium this past summer, he was greeted by a large continent of family and friends. Santiago broke into the majors with White Sox, where on May 7th, 2013, he went head-to-head with Matt Harvey with seven innings of shutout ball.
Some other current players join them in our December 16th birthday party:
Bryan Anderson -- with a "y": The veteran minor league catcher (as opposed to the ex-pitcher who now does Rays TV; the outfielder who has played for the White Sox and Red Sox; or the Brewers play-by-play voice, who also calls games for TBS) who has had just a few "cups of coffee" -- playing in just 40 major league games over his 11 year career.
Tom Wilhelmsen: the 6-foot-6 relief pitcher recently traded from the Mariners to the Rangers, in the Leonys Martin deal.

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