Octavio Víctor "Cookie" Rojas Rivas,is a Cuban-American former professional baseball second baseman / outfielder,coach,and manager,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds,Philadelphia Phillies,St. Louis Cardinals,and Kansas City Royals. A five-time All-Star player,Rojas is currently the Miami Marlins' Spanish-language television color commentator. During his playing days,he stood 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall,weighing 160 pounds (73 kg). Rojas batted and threw right-handed.
Luis Ernesto Salazar Garcia is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player,coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball from 1980 to 1992 as a third baseman and outfielder for the San Diego Padres,Chicago White Sox (1985–86),Detroit Tigers (1988),and the Chicago Cubs (1989–92).
Fred E. "Dixie" Walker was an American professional baseball player,coach,scout and minor league manager. He played as a right fielder in Major League Baseball from 1931 to 1949. Although Walker was a five-time All-Star selection,and won a National League batting championship (1944) as well as an RBI championship (1945) as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers,his accomplishments as a player were overshadowed by his attempt to keep Jackie Robinson from joining the Dodgers in 1947. He also played for the New York Yankees,Chicago White Sox,Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1998 throughout the world.
Gary Nathaniel Matthews Sr.,nicknamed Sarge,is an American former professional baseball left fielder,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1972 through 1987 for the San Francisco Giants,Atlanta Braves,Philadelphia Phillies,Chicago Cubs,and Seattle Mariners. After his playing days,Matthews was a color commentator for Phillies broadcasts. He batted and threw right-handed. He is the father of former big league outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. The Matthews are one of seven father/son combinations in Cubs history;another son,Delvon,was a member of Milwaukee's Minor League Baseball (MiLB) system in 2000–2001.
JoséAntonio Hernández Figueroa is a Puerto Rican professional baseball player and coach. Hernández played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an infielder for the Texas Rangers,Cleveland Indians,Chicago Cubs,Atlanta Braves,Milwaukee Brewers,Colorado Rockies,Pittsburgh Pirates,Los Angeles Dodgers,and Philadelphia Phillies from 1991 to 2006. He was an MLB All-Star in 2002. Since 2019,Hernández has been a coach for the Baltimore Orioles of MLB.
James Leroy Thomas was an American first baseman and right fielder,coach and front-office executive in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for six teams from 1961 to 1968,most notably the Los Angeles Angels,then went on to a successful tenure as general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. Traded to the Angels one month after the expansion franchise began play in 1961,he tied for third in Rookie of the Year voting after batting .285 with 24 home runs and 70 runs batted in (RBI),primarily playing in the outfield. The following year,he was named to the American League (AL) All-Star team after shifting to first base,and appeared in both All-Star games played that year as a pinch hitter and late-inning defensive replacement. He finished the year with career highs in batting (.290),home runs (26) and RBI (104),but a sharp decline in 1963 led to his being traded to the Boston Red Sox in mid-1964,the first of four trades before the 1968 season.
Bruce Edwin Benedict is an American former professional baseball player,coach and scout. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Atlanta Braves from 1978 to 1989.
Matthew Stephen Sinatro is an American former professional baseball player,coach and scout. A catcher during his playing days,he appeared in 140 games over ten seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four clubs:the Atlanta Braves (1981–84),Oakland Athletics (1987–88),Detroit Tigers (1989) and Seattle Mariners (1990–92),and had a 15-year career as an MLB coach.
Ralph Allen Garr,nicknamed "Road Runner",is an American former professional baseball player,scout,and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from 1968 through 1980 —most notably as a member of the Atlanta Braves —and eventually with the Chicago White Sox and California Angels.
Kevin Charles Bass is a former American professional baseball right fielder who played in Major League Baseball for the Milwaukee Brewers (1982),Houston Astros,San Francisco Giants (1990–1992),New York Mets (1992),and Baltimore Orioles (1995).
Albert Bluford "Rube" Walker was an American Major League Baseball catcher and longtime pitching coach.
Douglas Craig Dascenzo is an American professional baseball coach. The former Major League Baseball outfielder played for the Chicago Cubs,Texas Rangers,and San Diego Padres,where he began his coaching career. He spent 2014 as a third base coach for the Atlanta Braves,and is currently a coach for the Chicago Cubs affiliate Tennessee Smokies.
Vernon Adair Benson was an infielder/outfielder,coach,scout and interim manager in American Major League Baseball. During his playing career,he stood 5'11" (180 cm) tall,weighed 180 pounds (82 kg),batted left-handed,and threw right-handed.
Philip Anthony Roof is an American former professional baseball player,coach and minor league manager. He played for 15 seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball in 1961 and from 1964 to 1977,most notably for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics and the Minnesota Twins. Although Roof did not produce impressive offensive statistics,he excelled defensively as a catcher which enabled him to sustain a lengthy career in the major leagues due to his valuable defensive abilities. He was the first player acquired by the expansion Toronto Blue Jays.
Irving Arnold Noren was an American professional baseball and basketball player. He was an outfielder in the Major Leagues from 1950 through 1960 for the Washington Senators,New York Yankees,Kansas City Athletics,St. Louis Cardinals,Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers. He also played for the National Basketball League's Chicago American Gears in 1946–47. Later in his baseball career,Noren was a minor league manager and the third-base coach of the 1972–73 World Series champion Oakland Athletics. As a player and coach between 1950 and 1975,Noren was a member of five world championship teams. The last surviving member of the 1952 World Series champion Yankees,he died at his home in Oceanside,California,on November 15,2019,exactly two weeks before his 95th birthday.
Albert Donald Spangler is a retired American Major League Baseball outfielder and coach. Spangler appeared in 912 games in the majors between 1959 and 1971 for the Milwaukee Braves,Houston Colt .45s / Astros,Los Angeles / California Angels,and Chicago Cubs. Born in Philadelphia,he threw and batted left-handed,and was listed as 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and 175 pounds (79 kg).
Henry Adrian Garrett Jr.,nicknamed "Pat" and "Smokey",was an American professional baseball player and coach. A utility man in Major League Baseball,he appeared in 163 total games during eight seasons between 1966 and 1976 for the Atlanta Braves,Chicago Cubs,Oakland Athletics and California Angels. He batted left-handed,threw right-handed,and was listed at 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall and 185 pounds (84 kg).
Joe Mather is an American former professional baseball outfielder and current coach. He is the hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously was a coach for the Cincinnati Reds. He played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals,Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs.
JoséMartínez Azcuis was a Cuban-born professional baseball player,coach,executive and scout. As a player,he appeared in 96 Major League Baseball (MLB) games during 1969 and 1970 for the Pittsburgh Pirates,primarily as a second baseman. Martínez threw and batted right-handed and was listed as 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) and 178 pounds (81 kg).
