If Your Birthday is December 16th...

...you share it with shortstop Alcides Escobar. The durable Venezuelan has played all 162 games in three of the last four seasons and is one of several Royals mainstays who've entered free agency this winter.

He shares December 16th with:

  • Bill Ripken, the MLB Network analyst and younger brother of baseball's ironman. 
  • Tyler Chatwood, the pitcher who jumped from the Rockies to the Cubs as a free agent.
  • Hector Santiago, the New Jersey-born lefthander who has pitched for several American League teams -- most recently, the Twins (see right).
  • Adolfo Phillips, the 1960s Panamanian outfielder whose best years came with the Cubs.
And 50 years ago today, the Phillies traded their ace Jim Bunning to the Pirates for Woody Fryman and Don Money.

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