If Your Birthday is December 13th...

 ...you share it with Gleyber Torres.  The Yankees sweet-swinging 2nd baseman has established himself as an offensive force in the middle of the infield.  But defensive issues -- especially during a year-and-a-half experiment at shortstop -- and inconsistent baserunning have held him back from reaching superstardom.  After spending too much of 2023 hitting cleanup, he'll bat lower in the order this coming season, thanks to the addition of Juan Soto and the expected return to health of Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton.

Also in our December 13th birthday circle:
  • Dale Berra, Yogi's son who played 11 seasons in the majors, including the first 16 games of the '85 season when his dad managed the Yankees.
  • Carl Erskine, the beloved "Oisk" of Brooklyn Dodgers fans, who tossed a pair of no hitters, and was also the starter and winner in the franchise's first game at the L.A. Coliseum.
  • Ron Taylor, the Canadian-born reliever who pitched for a pair of World Champions: the 1964 Cardinals and the 1969 Mets (he's seen below alongside New York teammates Ed Kranepool and Ron Swoboda).

We've got a pair of Hall of Famers with 12/13 birthdays:
  • Ferguson Jenkins, who won 284 games en route to becoming the first Canadian inducted into the Hall of Fame.  He's also the first pitcher from Canada to win the Cy Young Award (1971 Cubs).
  • The late Larry Doby, who broke the color barrier in the American League and was a seven time All Star with the Indians.



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