Birthdays: 3/14

[chicoruiz]

Reds:

Bill "Lefty" Kennedy -Pitched for 16 seasons in the minors and spent three years in the army, so that didn't leave much time for a big league career, but he was a Red in '56 and '57. In 1946 he had one of the great stat lines: 28-3, 1.03 in the Coastal Plains League.

Billy Rhines -Led the league twice in ERA as a Red, in 1890 and 1896. His middle name was "Pearl".

Others:

Kevin Brown (47) -Signer of baseball's first 100-million dollar contract. He's mentioned as a habitual steroid user in the Mitchell Report, leading to speculation that his notoriously nasty disposition might have been affected by 'roid rage.

Kirby Puckett -You all know Kirby's story; I prefer to think of him in his playing days, when he was a beloved figure.

Butch Wynegar (56) -Jumped directly form single-A to the majors in 1976, and made the all-star team in his first two seasons. After that he began to slide downhill; eventually he was traded to the New York, a city that he hated, and he lost his zest for the game.

Marty McManus -2B-3B type who led the league in doubles once. After his playing days he managed in a number of places, including the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

[Bob Borkowski]

Reds:

Bill "Lefty" Kennedy -Pitched for 16 seasons in the minors and spent three years in the army, so that didn't leave much time for a big league career, but he was a Red in '56 and '57. In 1946 he had one of the great stat lines: 28-3, 1.03 in the Coastal Plains League.

I wondered why I didn't remember Bill Kennedy as a Red. I checked his stats and I find that he only appeared in 1 game in '56 and 8 games (12.2 innings) in '57. This stint with the Reds closed out his big league career.