If Your Birthday is November 26th...

...you share it with a ballplayer whose last name should have belonged to a fireballer. Josh Smoker was a lefty reliever with the 2016 and '17 Mets. But, to be kind he was no Aroldis Chapman (nor the anatomically surnamed Rollie Fingers or Bill Hands). He moved onto the Pirates in 2018 and made one appearance for the '19 Tigers before finishing the year with York (PA) of the independent Atlantic League. With the steady demand for bullpen lefties, don't be surprised if the Georgia native pops up with a franchise near you somewhere down the road.

Also on our November 26th cake and card list:

  • Matt Tracy, a lefthander with the shortest possible big league career. In the midst of an eight-year minor league career, he worked two innings in relief for the Yankees in their April 11th, 2015 game against the Red Sox -- the one and only time he ever pitched in the majors.
  • Sam Militello also had a brief run in the big leagues. The Yankees had high hopes for the Florida-born righthander, who posted a 4-4 record during the early '90s. Injuries and wildness limited him to just a dozen major league appearances.
  • Harold Reynolds spent a dozen years playing 2nd base, the first 10 with the Mariners. The two-time All Star, who stole 60 bases in 1987, has been one of the faces of MLB Network since its 2009 debut.
  • Richie Hebner was a quality 3rd baseman with the Pirates, playing alongside such Hall of Famers as Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell. His next stop was Philadelphia where the Cooperstown-bound Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton were teammates -- and Schmidt's presence turned him into a 1st baseman. He later moved on to Mets, Tigers, Pirates (a second time) and the Cubs.
And we remember a pair of Hall of Famers:

  • Vernon "Lefty" Gomez, the four-time 20-game winner for the Yankees of the 1930s.
  • Hugh Duffy, the 19th century legend whose 1894 season with the Boston Beaneaters (the future Braves) flashed absolutely unreal numbers -- starting with a still-record. 440 batting average! Factor in walks and his on-base percentage was a riduculous .502.

Comments

Ron Juckett said…
Well, it is my birthday. Thanks!
November 26, 2019 at 10:57 AM
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