centerfield maz

Darren Christopher O'Day was born on October 22nd 1982 in Jacksonville, Florida. The six foot four right handed, side armed pitcher attended the University of Florida where he was a top pitcher. In 2006 he was signed by the Anaheim Angels as an amateur free agent. In 2007 he shot through all levels of A ball saving a total of 21 games going 7-4 with a 2.53 ERA. The Angels were impressed and he made the 2008 club out of Spring Training as a reliever. He appeared in thirty games going 0-1 with a 4.47 ERA. In 2008 he was a Rule V draft selection of the New York Mets. O'Day began the year with the Mets making his debut in Cincinnati in the third game of the season relieving Oliver Perez after an eight run outing. O'Day would only pitch in four games with the Mets, three innings of work overall. On April 11th he allowed two runs on three hits to the Marlins in Florida pitching just 1.1 innings. On April 22nd he was placed on waivers & was picked by the Texas Rangers. ...

Charlie Francis Fox was born on October 7th, 1921 in the Bronx, New York. Fox earned the nickname Irish and as a boy sold newspapers in the shadows of the Polo Grounds. He later attended high school at James Monroe High School in the Bronx. This was the same high scholl long time Met Ed Kranepool would also attend. As a young ball player he dreamed of playing for the team he rooted for the New York Giants. Fox got his chance, getting signed by the New York Giants in 1942 & making it right to the big league club. He got to play in three career games going 3-7 giving him a lifetime .429 batting average. From there he went off to serve in the Navy in World War II for the next three years, where he was involved in some very dangerous assignments. Fox returned to baseball but would never play in the big leagues again. He spent 12 seasons in the minor leagues, mostly playing catcher & batting a career high .271. In those years he coached & managed in the Giants minor league...

James Blair Bibby was born on October 29th, 1944 in Franklinton, North Carolina. The six five, right handed pitcher was signed by the New York Mets in 1965. Bibby began his career pitching for the Marion Mets in the Rookie League in 1965, going 2-3 giving up 30 earned runs in 24 innings. He then went off to serve in the military for two years during Vietnam, where he saw actual combat action. When he returned he was assigned to A ball Raleigh Durham in the Carolina League going 7-7. In 1969 as the Amazing Mets were winning the World Series, Bibby started out by going 10-6 at AA Memphis getting promoted to AAA Tidewater. He went 4-4 with the '69 Tides posting a 3.48, on a team that featured 14 game winner; Jon Matlack & 11 game winner; Danny Frisella.  In 1970 he missed the entire season with an injury & returned to have a top year in 1971. In 1971 at AAA Tidewater Bibby led the club in wins (15-6) strike outs (150) innings (176) & starts (26). He was the top p...

Michael Gary Joseph Fiore was born October 11th, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York. The six foot left handed hitter, played first base & outfield. Like so many Brooklyn born baseball players, Fiore attended Lafayette High School in the Bath Gate section. The school has produced John Franco, Sandy Koufax, Pete Falcone, Ken & Bob Aspromonte, Al Ferrara, Luis Lopez & Kevin Baez. Fiore was signed by the New York Mets in 1963, just the teams second year in existence. The new ball club was hungry for some home grown talent, and looking for another local kid like Eddie Kranepool. But in 1963 he was drafted away by the Baltimore Orioles & spent six years in their minor league system. In 1968 he hit 19 HRs & batted .271 but wasn't going anywhere in the talented Orioles system. He played in six games at the MLB level, going 1-17 before getting drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 1968 expansion draft as the 17th pick. He was the fourth place, Royals main fir...

Samuel Harrison Drake was born October 7, 1934 in Little Rock Arkansas. The speedy five foot eleven infielder attended Phlander Smith College at Little Rock. He began his pro career in the Negro Leagues playing with the legendary Kansas City Monarchs. Drake was a team mate of Hall of Famer Ernie Banks under manager Buck O'Neil. Drake seems to have been forgotten throughout the annals of time, but he did make a few ground breaking feats in his career. In 1955 he made history when he & his teammate Ernest Johnson, were the first two black players to play for the AA Macon Peaches. Next, Sammy & his brother Solly Drake became the first African American bothers to play in the major leagues during the 20th century. Solly Drake would play for the Chicago Cubs (1956) Los Angeles Dodgers (1959) & Philadelphia Phillies (1959) in the late fifties batting .232 lifetime in 141 career games. Sammy Drake hit .318 in the Chicago Cubs organization in 1960 & got a cup of co...

One of my favorite bands growing up was Cream, I am still amazed at how three guys could play such powerful music. Each one a master a their instrument, long live Cream & Jack Bruce............ John Symon  Asher Bruce was born on May 14th, 1943 in Bishopbriggs, Lanarkshire located in the central lowlands of Scotland. Bruce was born into a musical family that moved the family around quite often. He began playing the bass as a teenager & was awarded a scholarship to study cello. While being classically trained, he left college to play jazz music which at the time, was not accepted at his school.  Jack Bruce 1960's By the early sixties he was in London & playing in various bands, ,most notably a band called- the Graham Bond Organization, which featured drummer; Ginger Baker. He & Bruce started a musical rhythm unit as well as a hostile relationship that led to some legendary confrontations. The two would sabotage each other's equipment, shout &...

Anthony James Fiore was born on October 12th, 1971 in Oak Park, Illinois. The six foot four, right handed pitcher attended Triton College, getting drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 28th round of the 1992 draft. He spent six years pitching in the minor leagues as a starter, before being converted to a reliever in 1998. In 1999 he was signed by the Minnesota Twins and saved 19 games at AAA Salt Lake. He was still granted free agency & got signed by The Tampa Rays. He made his MLB debut the next year, appearing in 11 games that season going 1-1. In May of 2001 he was released & signed with the Tampa Rays. He had his career best year in 2002, going 10-3 with five holds & a 3.16 ERA in 48 games for the first place Twins. Post Season: He had a rough outing in the ALDS against the Oakland Athletics, giving up three runs, on a two run triple to David Justice & a double to Mark Ellis. Fiore only pitched in 21 games the next season & saw his E...

Walter Anton Berger was born October 10, 1905 in Chicago, Illinois. Berger grew up in San Francisco, California & was a high school team mate of future Hall of Famer Joe Cronin. Beregr played in the PacificCoast Leage with the AA Los Angeles Angels were he was a slugging star. In 1929 he bashed 40 HRs while batting .335, his third straight year of batting over .325. He was signed & brought up to the Boston Braves in 1930 and had a record setting year. He set a rookie record by hitting 38 HRs, a record stood for 58 years until Mark McGwire broke it in 1988. Berger drove in 119 runs, also a rookie record until broken by Albert Pujols in 2001. Berger also hit 27 doubles with 14 triples while batting .310 overall. It was quite a debut but hard to follow up. He hit over .300 over the next three seasons &.290 or better over next five seasons. Berger made thAll Star team for four straight years from 1933-136, gaining votes for the MVP award each year as well. In 1934 he ...