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Showing posts from December, 2018

centerfieldmaz TOP ALBUMS of 2018

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HALESTORM - VICIOUS GRETA VAN FLEET - FROM THE FIRES BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (Original Soundtrack) - QUEEN  BEATLES - WHITE ALBUM (50th Anniversary) GHOST - PREQUELLE BURNING WITCHES - BURNING WITCHES JUDAS PRIEST - FIREPOWER GODSMACK - WHEN LEGENDS RISE GRETA VAN FLEET - ANTHEM Of the PEACEFUL ARMY ACE FREHLEY - SPACEMAN VIXEN - LIVE FIRE TRILLIUM - TECTONIC PISTOL ANNIES - INTERSTATE GOSPEL MIDNATTSOL - THE AFTERMATH DORO - FOREVER WARRIORS / FOREVER UNITED LUCIFER - LUCIFER II METAL CHURCH - DAMNED IF YOU DO DISTURBED - EVOLUTION  ELVIS PRESLEY- '68 COMEBACK SPECIAL  (50th Anniversary) BLACK STONE CHERRY - FAMILY TREE ASHLEY MONROE- SPARROW CORROSION OF CONFORMITY - NO CROSS NO CROWN VOLBEAT - LETS BOOGIE (LIVE from Telia Parken) AMANDA SHIRES - TO THE SUNSET

Former Mets Relief Pitcher: Edwin Almonte (2003)

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Edwin Almonte was born on December 17, 1976 in Santiago, Dominican Republic. The six foot three right hander came to New York & attended Seward Park High school on the Lower East side of Manhattan. He got drafted by the Chicago White Sox way down in the 26th round of the 1988 draft. He spent five seasons in the Sox minors as a reliever, before getting traded to the New York Mets along with Royce Ring for Roberto Alomar in August of 2003. He made his debut at Shea Stadium against the Atlanta Braves that month allowing a run over two innings of relief. Overall he allowed 13 earned runs over nine innings into early August when he was demoted to the minors. At AAA Norfolk that summer he was being groomed as a closer, going 1-1 with six saves & a 2.55 ERA in 16 games pitched. He returned in September pitching in just three more career games. He finished the year with a 11.12 ERA, before getting placed on waivers. He was picked by the Boston Red Sox but never made it to th

Three Time New York Giants World Series Outfielder: Jo Jo Moore (1930-1941)

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Joseph Gregg Moore was born on December 25th 1908 in Gause Texas. The five foot eleven left hand hitting outfielder would be nicknamed the Gause Ghost. He would make brief appearances for the New York Giants in 1930 & 1931 while he was tearing up the minor leagues batting .350 or better both years. In 1932 long time manager John McGraw finally retired & the club was taken over by Bill Terry. That year Moore slowly worked his way into a starting outfield job by the end of the year. He hit .305 while having a twenty game hit streak despite playing in just 86 games (361 at bats). In 1933 the Giants went on to win their sixth World Series title, with Moore as their leadoff man. Moore was notorious for swinging at the first pitch, especially starting out a game. Opposing managers were known to fine their pitchers if they threw Moore a strike on the first pitch. Many times pitchers would throw at him right away & try to keep him off the plate. His room mate Hank Lieb

Former Italian / American Player: Gino Cimoli (1956-1965)

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Gino Nicholas Cimoli was born on December 18, 1929, in San Francisco, California. His father Abramo was an Italian immigrant who worked as a night supervisor for Pacific Gas & Electric.  His mother was an Italian American west coast girl who worked at the Chase & Sanborn Coffee Company. The family enjoyed making home made wine & there was many a day Gino showed up at school with purple feet. Cimoli attended Galileo High School playing basketball & baseball there in his senior year. The six foot one right hand hitting outfielder, got signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1949. Cimoli hit over .300 four times in seven seasons in the minor leagues, becoming the star player at the AAA Montreal club in 1955. He hit .306 with 85 RBIs & 73 runs scored making it to Ebbets Field the next year in 1956. That year he appeared mostly as a defensive replacement batting just .111 in 73 games. One of his first thrills was playing in the 1956 World Series that year. He came i

Long Island Born Italian / American Hall of Famer: Craig Biggio (1988-2007)

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Craig Alan Biggio was born on December 14, 1965 in Smithtown, New York. Biggio was a star athlete at Kings Park high school in Long Islands Suffolk County. There he won the Hansen Award which is given to the top football player in Suffolk County. He received a bunch of football offers but chose to play baseball at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. There he was a team mate of future Met Mo Vaughn & John Valentin. He earned All American Honors & was selected first round (22nd pick overall) by the Houston Astros in 1987. Biggio would debut in 1988 for 50 games & by the following season would be an Astro regular for twenty seasons. He began his career as a catcher, then played two seasons as a centerfielder before switching to a full time second baseman in 1992 winning four Gold Gloves at the position. He is the first player to make the All Star team as a catcher then second baseman. Biggio would play in seven All Star Games, lead the league in plate appeara

Former Met Who Came Over In Exchange For Len Dykstra & Roger McDowell: Juan Samuel (1989)

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Juan Milton Samuel was born on November 10, 1960 in the Dominican Republic. The five foot eleven right hand hitting Samuel, was originally signed as an undrafted free agent in 1980 by the Philadelphia Phillies. The free swinging second baseman swung at anything in his direction & struck out quite often. He once said about getting out of his native country & getting into the majors "You don't walk off the Island, You Hit." After hitting .320 at A ball in 1982 he went through the minors in 1983 batting .330 with 15 HRs at AAA ball, playing in 65 games. He got a September call up & saw action in the post season as a pinch runner & one at bat in the World Series (0-1) against the Baltimore Orioles. Samuel was penciled in as the Phillies 1984 second baseman & came flying out of the gate. He became the first player in history to reach double figures in HRs, doubles, triples & stolen bases in his first four seasons. He also would lead the lea