centerfield maz

 Melvin Thomas Ott (Known as “Master Melvin”) was born on March 2, 1909 in Gretna, Louisiana. He was born into a family of Dutch ancestry and semi pro ball players. A young Ott worked in a lumber yard 90 miles outside of New Orleans, eventually going to play for their semi pro baseball team. The millionaire lumber company owner went to New York to tell New York Giants manager John McGraw about his star player, Ott.  McGraw signed Ott as soon as he saw him belt line drive HRs during the try out, he was only 16 years old.  He was not built like your typical HR hitter, standing only 5’ 9” at 170 lbs. Ott had an unusual swing, lifting his forward leg just before hitting the ball. This helped his power swing and he would go on to become one of the game’s best all time HR hitters.  McGraw was afraid minor league managers would ruin his swing, so he brought Ott right up to the big league club. He sat on the bench all year studying the game. By 1928 he ...

Robert Dale Johnson was born April 25th, 1943, in Aurora Illinois. The six-foot four left-handed hitter threw right-handed & was signed by the New York Mets as an amateur free agent in 1964. Johnson went 10-9 in the New York Penn. League in 1964 & then had a great 7-1 start to the 1965 season before getting promoted to AA Williamsport. In 1966 he was 8-3 at Williamsport getting promoted to AAA Jacksonville where he fell to 1-3.  In 1967 he was back at Williamsport having a good year, going 301 with a 1.02 ERA in just 13 games.  Motorcycle Accident: While riding a motorcycle in Virginia, his bike skidded on a sheet of gravel, Johnson fell & broke his leg pretty badly where doctors first recommended amputation for part of the limb. A third doctor suggested surgery which saved his career. After missing the 1968 season, he returned to pitch at AA Memphis in 1969, where he was the clubs top pitcher. He went 13-4 with a 1.48 ERA striking out...

Robert Wallace Johnson was born March 4th, 1936, in Omaha Nebraska. His father was a hardware salesman who would move the family to Minneapolis when Bob was 11.  His father Wally & Mother Lillian had two children, Bob & his sister Janet.  A star baseball player in high school, he also played basketball & football due to the urging of his baseball coach who also coached the football team & needed a tail back. He & his friend George Walters were both signed together.  The five-foot ten infielder began his career in the Detroit Tigers organization but was drafted away (Rule V) by the Kansas City A's. MLB Debut: In 1960 he played 76 games for the Kansas City A's batting .205. Bob hit his first career HR in the last week of the season against the Tigers Frank Lary. He was then chosen by the Washington Senators in the 1960 expansion draft & spent two years there in D.C. In 1961 he batted .295 playing in 61 games. Johnson was the Sena...

Chico Fernandez was born on March 2nd, 1932 in Havana Cuba. The six-foot, right-handed shortstop was originally signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1951. For a short time, Fernandez was actually considered to be the heir to Pee Wee Reese at short sop in Ebbets Field. In the Dodgers farm system at AAA Montreal, he hit .300, as well as being considered an outstanding defensive shortstop. MLB Career: Fernandez made his MLB debut appearing in 34 games for the 1956 Dodger pennant team, hitting .227 in 66 at bats. His Dodger days were soon over by April 1957 when he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies along with Elmer Valo for future Met Tim Harkness & cash. Fernandez spent three years in Philadelphia coming in the top ten in stolen bases (1957 & 1958) as well as sac hits (1958). In 1958 he posted the league's second-best fielding % at short (.975) coming in second in put outs (296) third in games played (148) & fifth in as...

Alberto Terrero Castillo was Born on February 10, 1970, in the Dominican Republic. The tall six-foot catcher was signed out of high school by the New York Mets as an amateur free agent in 1987. Catillo would spend eleven years in the Mets minor leagues, making brief appearances in the big leagues with New York four different seasons.  MLB Debut: Castillo debuted in the big leagues on May 28th, 1995, catching Dave Mlicki at Shea Stadium going 0-3 against the Giants. He hit just .103 in 13 games with the Mets that season but showed good abilities behind the plate, even throwing out 4 of 5 base stealers. He saw action in six MLB games the next year & 35 games in 1997. 1998: Castillo was with the club out of Spring Training & had his shining Mets moment on Opening Day. Walk Off Hit: In an exciting pitcher's duel between the Mets & Phillies at Shea Stadium, Bobby Jones blanked the Phillies for six innings. Greg McMichael & Dennis Cook he...

Jerry Lee May was born on December 14, 1943 at Staunton, Virginia. May was originally a pitcher & outfielder playing in American Legion ball back in 1961. The six foot two right-handed hitting May, was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1961. He hit 21 HRs batting .284 in the A ball NY Penn League in 1962. He never hit that well again, playing three more seasons in the minors. MLB Career:  Jerry May would play behind Pirates main backstop Jim Pagliaroni with the Pirates for the 1964-1966 seasons. May had a strong throwing arm and was excellent at gunning down base stealers. In 41 games in 1966 he threw out 63% of would-be base stealers.  Over the next five years he would throw out over 40% of base stealers attempting to steal.  He became the Pirate regular catcher in 1967 batting .271 with 3 HRs 13 doubles & 22 RBIs in 110 games. In 1968 he played a career high 137 games but fell off to a .219 average with 15 doubles, one HR & 33 RBIs. In 1...

Luther Haden Taylor was known in the politically incorrect time of the early 20th century as Dummy Taylor. Taylor was a deaf mute who was born February 21, 1875 in Oskaloosa, Kansas. He attended the Kansas School of the Deaf in Olathe Kansas, just outside of Kansas City, Missouri.  He began playing semi pro ball in the Mid West, before breaking through in organized ball in Albany, New York. From there he was signed by the New York Giants and played with New York from 1900-1908.  He would communicate with the other players on the field through sign language and has been credited with helping expand the use of signs in baseball. He & his team mates would raise their fingers to show how many outs there were and do the same for pitch counts.  Taylor was a fan favorite with the Polo Grounds faithful at the turn of the century. He was also popular with his team mates & manager John McGraw, possibly because he couldn’t answer back.  In any event McGraw lear...