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March 13th

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Mariano Duncan baseball card

Happy ’80s Birthday to Mariano Duncan, who finished 3rd in the 1985 N.L. Rookie of the Year balloting and won rings with the Reds in 1990 and the Yankees in 1996.

Will Clark 1988 baseball card

Happy ’80s Birthday to Will the Thrill, who homered off Nolan Ryan in his first career at-bat.

Doug Harvey 1988 Baseball Card

Doug Harvey was born on this day in 1930. Harvey spent 30 years as an umpire, working 4,673 games, including five World Series and seven All-Star Games, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2010. He passed away in 2018.

Happy ’80s Birthday to Randy Bass, who played parts of six seasons in the big leagues with five different teams, then went to Japan where he was a beast. From 1983 through 1987, Bass averaged 40 homers and 96 RBI per season for the Hanshin Tigers

Terry Leach 1983 Donruss Baseball Card

Happy ’80s Birthday to Terry Leach, who threw a 10-inning one hitter at the Phillies on the last weekend of the 1982 season. 

Happy ’80s Birthday to Luis Aguayo, who spent 10 years in the Big Leagues and won a World Series with the Phillies in 1980. 

After retiring, he managed in the minor leagues for nine seasons/

Tom Funk 1987 minor league baseball card

Happy ’80s Birthday to Tom Funk, who appeared in eight games for the 1986 Astros. 

Don Cooper 1984 minor league baseball card

3/13/84

The Yankees trade minor leaguer Derwin McNealy to the Blue Jays for future White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper.

Don Hood 1980 Cardinals Baseball Card

3/13/80

The Cardinals sign Don Hood as a free agent.

He goes 4-6 with St. Louis, then finishes his career with three seasons in the Royals organization. 

3/13/80

The Giants sign Rudy Meoli as a free agent. 

They release him a few weeks later and his career is over. He finishes with 133 career hits, including one in the famous Phillies/Cubs 23-22 game in 1979. 

Rick Burleson 1981 Topps Update Baseball Card

3/13/81

The Angels make Rick Burleson the highest-paid shortstop in the major leagues when they sign him to a six-year deal worth $4.2 million.

Burleson hits .293 in 1981 but injures his shoulder in 1982 and his career was never the same. 

Lance Parrish 1987 Fleer Update Baseball Card

3/13/87

The Phillies sign free agent catcher Lance Parrish He spends two seasons in Philadelphia and they don’t go well.

He hits a combined .230 with 32 homers and 127 RBI before being dealt to the Angels.

3/13/80

Reggie Jackson cuts off another driver in traffic and they collide. Reggie was in full uniform and gave her his hat as a peace offering but she wasn’t impressed.

“I didn’t want the hat,” she said. “I hate the Yankees and I always have. I like them a lot less now.”

3/13/81

Johnny Bench breaks in his new glove.

(click to enlarge)

3/13/87

Padres manager Larry Bowa tells the media that he thinks Tim Raines’ contract asking price is fair but the Pads aren’t budging. Raines made $1.5 million in 1986 and turned down Montreal’s offer of $5.5 million over three years only to find the Padres were the only team bidding for his services.

San Diego offers a two-year $2.2 million deal. Raines asks for incentives to make up the rest and the Pads say no.

“The money he’s asking for, I don’t think he’s out of line,” says Bowa. “What he’s asking for seems like the fair market price.  

Big Days

Phil Niekro 1980T

3/13/80

Phil Niekro is named the winner of the 1980 Roberto Clemente Award

3/13/85
Former Japanese star Yukata Enatsu makes his spring debut for the Brewers. Enatsu was a star in Japan in the 1960s and ’70s and was trying to catch on in the big leagues. He was one of the Brewers last cuts at the end of Spring Training.

Fights

Jim Rice 1981 fight

3/13/81

Jim Rice gets into a scuffle with Red Sox PR director Bill Crowley during batting practice. A former POW during WWII, Crowley says, “I wish I was 20 years younger.”

Deaths

We lost former player and executive Al Rosen on this day in 2015 

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