Birthdays: 12/19

[chicoruiz]

Reds:

Russell Branyan (36) -The Reds were the second team in his odyssey around the majors. He had one good year (including a three-HR game) followed by one bad one and then it was off to the next stop. Has a son named Cash, after Johnny Cash.

Tom Lawless (55) -The only player ever traded for Pete Rose, he's now a successful minor league manager.

Others:

Walt Williams (86) -Nicknamed "No-Neck"; any picture of him will tell you why. Listed at 5'6"; if he had a neck he'd have been 5'10".

Tony Taylor (76) -A classy guy who held the Phillies career record for games played at 2B until very recently.

Al Kaline (77) -Speaking of classy guys... Went directly from high school to the majors and never looked back. Very similar player to Clemente. Still active and an avid golfer, he had a hole in one a couple of years ago.

Rex Barney -Flamethrowing Dodger bonus baby with only a general idea of the location of home plate. Later the longtime beloved P.A. announcer for the Orioles.

Paul Krichell -Not much of a player, but possibly the greatest scout of all time. Signed Gehrig, Greenberg, Whitey Ford, Lazzeri, and so on and so on...

[gilpdawg]

Don't like correcting you, because these posts rule, but Walt "No Neck" Williams is 68, not 86.

[chicoruiz]

Oopsie....typo. Thanks for the correction.

[cumberlandreds]

I thought that was awfully old for ole No Neck.

Al Kaline is one of the most overlooked great living players. He had a great career for the Tigers that has largely been unnoticed.

[Bob Borkowski]

Rex Barney -Flamethrowing Dodger bonus baby with only a general idea of the location of home plate. Later the longtime beloved P.A. announcer for the Orioles.

He was the P.A. announcer from 1974 until his death on August 12, 1997. In tribute to him, the Orioles game that day was held without a public address announcer.

[marcshoe]

Al Kaline played out of position as an outfielder. He should have been part of the battery.