If Your Birthday is March 4th...


...you share it with one of baseball's under-the-radar stars, Nicholas Castellanos. The Tigers 3rd baseman-turned-outfielder provides power and speed -- take note of his leading the American League in triples two years ago. Entering his walk year at age 27, it'll be interesting to see if Detroit, under GM Al Avila, tries to extend him as the core of their next winning team, or cashes him in on the mid-season trade market before his chance next winter to leave as a free agent.

Only three players born on this date played more than 1000 major league games.


  • Infielder Cass Michaels played for several American League teams in the decade after World War Two.
  • Outfielder Red Murray attended Notre Dame and played for several National League teams, including the pennant winning 1911, '12 and '13 New York Giants.
  • Clyde McCullough caught for the Cubs and Pirates, but likely left his greatest mark as a member of the Mets organization. A coach for Casey Stengel on the 1963 club that said goodbye to the Polo Grounds, he managed several Mets minor league teams during the '60s. There, he worked and helped shape future big leaguers such as Jerry Koosman, Gary Gentry, Danny Frisella, Amos Otis, Ken Singleton, Tug McGraw and Jim McAndrew.

And we remember the one and only Hall of Famer born on March 4th. Dazzy Vance had a remarkably unique career -- he didn't stick into the majors until he was 31 -- the age most players are expected to begin their decline. Instead, he went onto lead the National League in strikeouts for seven consecutive seasons from 1922-'28. If there'd been a Cy Young Award in the 1920s, Mr. Young could easily have presented this Brooklyn Dodger legend the trophy himself  in 1924, when he went 28-6... and led the NL in strikeouts, complete games and ERA. Perhaps his being elected to Cooperstown was a good omen -- he was voted in during the winter of 1955 -- months before Brooklyn won its only World Series title.


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