If Your Birthday is July 14th...

...you share it with Jack Leathersich. Jack WHO?? This lefty reliever appeared in 17 games for the 2015 Mets, before a mid-season injury led to Tommy John Surgery. After the Mets released him last winter, he signed with the Cubs. He's been rehabbing his arm, and recently appeared in seven Arizona rookie league games as he tries to regain his form. He turns 26 today.
Jack shares July 14th with a revered name in New York baseball history. Born in 1908, Johnny Murphy was the Yankees "Fireman," the ace relief pitcher on their great teams of the 1930s and early '40s. Moving behind the scenes after World War II, he ran the Red Sox minor league system before George Weiss brought him back to New York as part of the Mets front office. Murphy succeeded Bing Devine as the club's general manager in 1968. A year later, with their young players developing and a key mid-season trade for Donn Clendennon, the Mets who stunned the baseball world. Sadly, Johnny died of a heart attack just three months after the World Series victory over the Orioles.

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