If Your Birthday is August 26th...
...you share it with Elvis Andrus, who finally "left the building" after 12 seasons in Arlington and is now the A's everyday shortstop. While never posting the eye-catching numbers of a Seager, Lindor or Correia, the runner up for 2009 AL Rookie of the Year provides speed and reliable defense. A skilled bunter, he's led the league in sacrifices three times.
The best known major league player sharing his first name with the King of Rock and Roll isn't the first with that distinction. That honor belongs to little known infielder Elvis Peña, who played 25 games with Rockies and Brewers in 2000 and 2001.
Ranger Suarez appears to have a bright future in the Phillies rotation. After being one of Joe Girardi's most reliable bullpen arms, the Venezuelan lefthander made several impressive starts this month -- I caught him holding the Dodgers in check at Citizens Bank Park on August 12th.David Price, the talented lefthander who's starred mainly for the Rays and Red Sox -- winning 15 or more games six times -- but until 2018, had struggled mightily in the post-season. Sent from Boston to the Dodgers as a salary dump in the Mookie Betts deal, he's been a versatile member of Dave Roberts' staff this season, both as a starter and reliever.
Maikel Franco flashes power, doesn't strike out much (only once topping 100 in a year), but never quite became the player the Phillies expected when he graduated from their farm system. Inconsistent fielding and questions about his attitude lingered. Even with three seasons of 22 or more homers on the back of his card, the Phillies ran out of patience in 2019. After improving his numbers with the Royals during the 60-game season, he moved on to the Orioles who DFA'd him earlier this month.
Morgan Ensburg was one of the Astros' power hitters during the decade of the 2000s. The California native put up his best numbers in 2005, when his 36 homers and 101 RBI helped him finished fourth for NL MVP.
We've got a couple of players-turned-broadcasters:
Ricky Bottalico, best known for spending seven of his 12 big league seasons in the Phillies bullpen. These days, he's a member of the Phils pre- and post-game TV crew.
Alex Trevino played parts of 13 seasons in the major leagues, but was only a regular with the 1982 Reds. Slugging was not his niche -- he holds the Mets franchise record for the most at bats without a home run (733). Alex has built a far more prolific second career -- he's now in his 25th season on the Astros' Spanish-language broadcast team. That work has earned him a spot on the club's Wall of Honor.
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