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December 22nd

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Happy ’80s Birthday to Steven Norman Carlton. Four Cy Young Awards 329 Wins 4,136 strikeouts Six 20-win seasons 5,217 Innings Pitched 254 Complete Games Last guy to throw 300 innings in a season World’s filthiest slide piece.

Happy ‘80s Birthday to Steve Garvey, who won a ring, an MVP, a World Series, four Gold Gloves, and mashed on Fantasy Island

Garvey also saved the day when the bad guys tried to ruin everything in Masquerade.

lonnie smith 1984 baseball card

Happy ’80s Birthday to Lonnie “Skates” Smith, who showed up in the playoffs every year. He ended up playing in 63 career postseason games with the Phillies, Cardinals, Royals, and Braves and won three rings.

Tom Underwood 1984 Fleer Update Baseball Card

Tom Underwood was born on this day in 1953. Tom won 13 games for the Yankees in 1980 as part of a lefty-heavy staff. He passed away in 2010

Ken Landreaux 1980 baseball card

Happy ’80s Birthday to Ken Landreaux, who recorded the longest hitting streak of 1980. Here is the story

Glenn Wilson 1985 Donruss Baseball Card

Happy ’80s Birthday to Glenn Wilson, who spent 10 years in the bigs with the Tigers, Phillies, Pirates, Astros, and Mariners and also hit the first two dingers given up by a wild young lefty named Randy Johnson.

Happy ’80s Birthday to Sheldon Burnside, who went 2-1 for the Tigers and Reds between 1978 and 1980

Gary Cooper 1981 minor league baseball card

Happy ’80s Birthday to Gary Cooper, who appeared in 21 games for the 1980 Braves, primarily as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement.

George Wright 1983 Fleer Baseball Card

Happy ’80s Birthday to George Wright, who spent five years in the bigs, primarily with Texas, and played in all 162 games in 1983, batting .276 with 18 homers and 80 RBI.

Happy ’80s Birthday to Orlando Isales, who played in three games for the 1980 Phillies and went 2-for-5 at the plate with three RBI.

Happy ’80s Birthday to Andy Allanson, who spent eight years in the bigs with five teams. He was a defensive specialist who hit .240 over the course of his career.

Happy ’80s Birthday to Michael Jackson, who pitched in the big leagues for 17 years, winning 62 games and recording 142 saves

12/22/82

The Yankees trade Lee Mazzilli to the Pirates for four minor leaguers, including pitcher Tim Burke. It’s the third time in ten months that Mazzilli gets traded. He went from the Mets to the Rangers, Rangers to Yankees, and then to Pittsburgh.

12/22/87

The Yankees trade Steve Trout and Henry Cotto to the Mariners for Lee Guetterman, Clay Parker, and minor leaguer Wade Taylor.

Roy Howell 1981 Topps Baseball Card

12/22/80

The Brewers sign Roy Howell as a free agent. He spends the final four years of his big-league career in Milwaukee and retires in 1985 after being released by the Giants.

Vern Ruhle 1985 Fleer Baseball Card

12/22/84

The Indians sign Vern Ruhle as a free agent. He wins two games in Cleveland and signs with the Angels for 1986.

Transactions

12/22/80

The Yomiuri Giants purchase the contract of Gary Thomasson from the Dodgers. Thomasson hits 20 homers in his first year in Japan where he is reunited with former Yankees teammate Roy White.

Bobby Bonds 1981 baseball card

12/22/80

The Cardinals release Bobby Bonds. He signs with the Cubs for 1981.

12/22/84

The Blue Jays purchase Jeff Burroughs from Oakland. Burroughs hits .257 with six homers for Toronto in 1985 and retires.

Dennis Leonard 1986 Topps Baseball Card

12/22/86

The Royals release Dennis Leonard and his career is over. Dude was way underrated. From 1975 through 1980, he averaged 262 innings and 18 wins per year

12/22/88

The Hanshin Tigers buy a slugging 1B from the Blue Jays. He returns to the States a few years later and hits bombs. 

Deaths

Doug Ault 1981 Fleer Baseball Card

We lost Doug Ault OTD in 2004. Doug hit the first homer in #BlueJays history and spent parts of four seasons in the bigs.

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