centerfield maz

Brian Wesley McRae was born August 27, 1967 in Avon Park, Florida. He is the son of former MLB player  Hal McRae.  As a young kid Brian McRae became a big fan of his dad’s teammate, during his years in Cincinnati,  Pete Rose.  Brian was a good athlete in high school, playing football as well as baseball. McRae made the decision, if he wasn’t chosen as a first-round draft pick, he would go to college.  He was shocked when he got a phone call on draft day, telling him he was indeed chosen in the first round, by the Kansas City Royals,  the 17th pick overall. He was originally a second baseman getting converted to an outfielder in the minor leagues. His MLB career certainly wasn’t as good as his father’s career. The switch-hitting Brian McRae never made the playoffs & was predominantly a singles hitter. He became the Royals everyday centerfielder from 1990-1994, playing for his father, Hal McRae  who was the teams manager. On July 14t...

Michael Augustine Torrez was born on August 28th, 1946, in Topeka Kansas. He was one of eight children to Juan & Mary Torrez, who were of Mexican decent. His father worked for the Railroad & managed local little leagues. The tall six-foot five right hander was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964 at age 17. Torrez went 10-10 at AAA Tulsa & would make his MLB debut as a September call up for the 1967 World Champion Cardinals. MLB Career: On September 10th, he pitched to one batter & struck him out in a 8-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The next year he began the year with the Cardinals & went 2-1 but was sent down to AAA Tulsa in late May. There he went 8-2 as the Cards went on to win another pennant, losing to the Detroit Tigers in the World Series. In 1969 the Cards fell to fourth place & Torrez filled in on a staff of Bob Gibson (20-13) Steve Carlton (17-11) & Nelson Briles (15-13) going 10-4 with the best winning percentage on the staff. In...

Isaac Bernard Hampton was born August 22, 1951, in Camden, South Carolina. In 1970 on his 19th birthday, he signed a contract with the New York Mets. Hampton appeared regularly to us young Mets fans as being a future star in the early 1970's yearbooks.  A Catcher with Glasses: Ike was a seen in many early photographs sporting glasses, which was rare in those days, especially for a catcher. At A ball in beautiful Pompano Beach, Florida he showed power early on hitting 11 HRs with 71 RBIs in 1971. The next year he was promoted to AA Visalia at where he continued to hit for power; 21 HRs with 77 RBIs although he struck out 134 times & only batted .252.  In 1973 & 1974, h is numbers dropped significantly off when he got to AAA Tidewater  In 303 at bats for the Tides in 1974, he only hit six HRs (although it was good enough to be tied for second on a weak hitting club) 8 doubles & 29 RBIs while striking out 82 times & batting .241.  MLB Debut...

Michael Jorgensen was born on August 16, 1948, in Passaic, New Jersey.  Trivia: Jorgensen is the only MLB player to be born on the same day that Babe Ruth died.  The Jorgensen family shortly moved to Bayside Queens where Mike would grow up.  He attended high school in the shadows of the new Shea Stadium, at Francis Lewis High School in Fresh Meadows, Queens. In 1966  Jorgensen  was selected in the fourth round of that year’s draft by the hometown New York Mets. He hit .315 in the Rookie league his first season & then .295 at A ball Winter Haven in the Florida State League in 1967. Mets Career:  O n September 10th, Jorgensen  made his MLB debut, going 0-1 as a pinch hitter at Wrigley Field in an 8-1 Mets loss to the Chicago Cubs.  Jorgensen played in eight games going 2-14 (.143) that September.  1969 Mets Championship Season:   Jorgensen  spent the 1969 Amazing Mets season at AAA Tidewater, hitting .290 with 15 dou...