Darrell Ray Porter was an American professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1971 to 1987 for the Milwaukee Brewers,Kansas City Royals,St. Louis Cardinals,and Texas Rangers. The four-time All-Star was known for his excellent defensive skills and power hitting ability. He struggled but was never able to overcome a substance abuse problem,yet went on to become the most valuable player of the 1982 World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. Porter died from accidental drug toxicity in 2002 at the age of 50.
Thurman Lee Munson was an American professional baseball catcher who played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the New York Yankees,from 1969 until his death in 1979. A seven-time All-Star,Munson had a career batting average of .292 with 113 home runs and 701 runs batted in (RBIs). Known for his outstanding fielding,he won the Gold Glove Award in three consecutive years (1973–75).
Larry Kenneth Robert Walker is a Canadian former professional baseball right fielder. During his 17-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career,he played with the Montreal Expos,Colorado Rockies,and St. Louis Cardinals. In 1997,he became the only player in major league history to register both a .700 slugging percentage (SLG) and 30 stolen bases in the same season,on his way to winning the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player Award (MVP). The first player in more than 60 years to record a batting average of .360 in three consecutive seasons from 1997 to 1999,Walker also won three NL batting championships. He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2007,and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2009,and was named the 13th-greatest sporting figure from Canada by Sports Illustrated in 1999. In 2020,he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
George Arthur Foster is an American former professional baseball player and scout. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1969 through 1986,most notably as an integral member of the Cincinnati Reds,with whom he won two World Series championships,in 1975 and 1976. He also played for the San Francisco Giants,New York Mets and the Chicago White Sox.
Don Edward Baylor,nicknamed "Groove," was an American professional baseball player,coach and manager. During his 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB),Baylor was a power hitter known for standing very close to home plate and was a first baseman,left fielder,and designated hitter. He played for six different American League (AL) teams,primarily the Baltimore Orioles and California Angels,but he also played for the Oakland Athletics,New York Yankees,Minnesota Twins,and Boston Red Sox. In 1979,Baylor was an All-Star and won the AL Most Valuable Player Award. He won three Silver Slugger Awards,the Roberto Clemente Award,and was a member of the 1987 World Series champion Minnesota Twins.
Albert Fred "Red" Schoendienst was an American professional baseball second baseman,coach,and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB),and is largely known for his coaching,managing,and playing years with the St. Louis Cardinals. He played for 19 years with the Cardinals,New York Giants (1956–1957) and Milwaukee Braves (1957–1960),and was named to 10 All Star teams. He then managed the Cardinals from 1965 through 1976 –the second-longest managerial tenure in the team's history. Under his direction,St. Louis won the 1967 and 1968 National League pennants and the 1967 World Series,and he was named National League Manager of the Year in 1967 and 1968. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. At the time of his death,he had worn a Major League uniform for 74 consecutive years as a player,coach,or manager,and had served 67 of his 76 years in baseball with the Cardinals.
Dominic Paul DiMaggio,nicknamed "the Little Professor",was an American Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 11-year baseball career for the Boston Red Sox (1940–1953). DiMaggio was the youngest of three brothers who each became major league center fielders,the others being Joe and Vince.
The following are the baseball events of the year 2004 throughout the world.
Duane Eugene Kuiper,nicknamed "Kuip",is an American sportscaster and former professional baseball player. As a player,he was a second baseman for the Cleveland Indians and San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). Save for one year,Kuiper has been a television and radio broadcaster for the Giants since 1986,and is one half of the popular "Kruk and Kuip" duo alongside his friend and former teammate Mike Krukow. He briefly left the Giants in 1993 to work for the expansion Colorado Rockies,but returned in 1994.
The following are the baseball events of the year 2001 throughout the world.
Andrew James Van Slyke is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder and coach.
Fury Gene Tenace,better known as Gene Tenace,is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher and first baseman in Major League Baseball from 1969 through 1983,most notably as a member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won three consecutive World Series championships between 1972 and 1974.
Stephen Charles Balboni is an American former Major League Baseball player,who played for the New York Yankees,Seattle Mariners,Kansas City Royals,and Texas Rangers. He was a player with home run power and a tendency to strike out. He was nicknamed "Bye Bye" because of his home run hitting prowess. He was also known by the nickname "Bones",which is a malapropism for Balboni. He is also known for the "Curse of the Balboni",an idea written about by Rany Jazayerli which said no baseball team with a player hitting more than 36 home runs for that team could win the World Series. Since Balboni was the last player to hit 36 home runs and win a World Series,,the curse bore his name. The curse ran from 1985 until Luis Gonzalez and the Arizona Diamondbacks won the 2001 World Series.
Justin Ernest George Morneau is a Canadian former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins,Pittsburgh Pirates,Colorado Rockies,and Chicago White Sox. At 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and 220 pounds (100 kg),Morneau was drafted as a catcher by the Twins in 1999. He converted to first base in the minor leagues and made his MLB debut in 2003. Morneau held that position throughout his career and in 2007 became the first Twin since Gary Gaetti in 1987–1988 to hit 30 home runs in consecutive seasons.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1997 throughout the world.
Bill "Mad Dog" Madlock,Jr. is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from 1973 to 1987. Madlock is notable for being a four-time National League batting champion. His four batting titles as a third baseman was a record until Wade Boggs attained his fifth in 1988. Since 1970,only Tony Gwynn has won more National League batting titles (eight). Madlock is also one of only three right-handed hitters to have won multiple National League batting titles since 1960,Roberto Clemente having also won four and Tommy Davis having won back-to-back titles in 1962 and 1963.
The 1995 Major League Baseball season was the first season to be played under the expanded postseason format,as the League Division Series (LDS) was played in both the American and National leagues for the first time,since the 1981 strike-split season. However,due to the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike which carried into the 1995 season,a shortened 144-game schedule commenced on April 25,when the Florida Marlins played host to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 1979 Major League Baseball season concluded with the Pittsburgh Pirates defeating the Baltimore Orioles in seven games in the 1979 World Series. None of the post-season teams of 1977 or 1978 returned to this year's postseason.
Rene Michael Tosoni is a Canadian former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins in 2011 and has also played in International competitions with the Canada national baseball team. He is 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and weighs 194 pounds (88 kg). He bats left-handed,yet plays his position right-handed.
Roger Vernon Freed,was an American professional baseball outfielder,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles,Philadelphia Phillies,Cincinnati Reds,Montreal Expos,and St. Louis Cardinals,from 1970 to 1979.
