If Your Birthday is September 27th...

...you share it with the greatest all-around 3rd baseman ever.  Over 18 seasons, all with the Phillies, Mike Schmidt won 10 Gold Gloves and two Most Valuable Player awards -- including 1980 when the club won its first Worlds Championship and he was named Series MVP.  This is my favorite photo of Schmitty -- outside the batting cage during Spring Training 1985 at Clearwater, hanging with teammates Tim Corcoran and Len Matuszek -- who also celebrates today.  (Thanks to reader Todd Shafer for tipping me to that cool coincidence.)

Matuszek's bat caught fire in September 1983, as the Phillies "Wheeze Kids" went 23-8 down the stretch to capture the NL East. But he never again hit with such authority and bounced to the Dodgers and Blue Jays before his MLB career ended in '87.

Also getting cake and cards on Friday:  Luis Guillorme, the longtime Mets utilityman who saw time this season with the Diamondbacks, Angels and Braves.  I was in the right spot to snap this dugout shot at Citi Field in 2018.

Saturday's spotlight shines on Danny Mendick.  After splitting 2023 between the Mets and AAA Syracuse (where this photo was snapped), he returned to the White Sox organization this year, just in time to see Chicago chase the Mets modern-era record for mediocrity. (In 47 games, he's batted .197)

Celebrating on Sunday the 29th: Jake Reed, who made only nine appearances with the Mets between the '21 and '22 seasons.  Luckily, I was at Citi Field to see him pitch against the Cardinals on September 14th, 2021.  The Tucson native, who relieved in one game for the '23 Dodgers, was out of organized ball this year.




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