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May 16th

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Jack Morris 1980 baseball card

Happy ’80s Birthday to Hall of Famer Jack Morris, who won 254 games and three rings.

Rick Rhoden 1982 baseball card

Happy ’80s Birthday to Rick Rhoden, who beat you on the links or the mound. 

Rhoden spent 16 years in the big leagues, finished in the Top-5 in the 1986 Cy Young race, and won three Silver Slugger awards. 

He also started a game as a DH. 

Billy Martin 1981 baseball card

Billy Martin was born on this day in 1928.

Depending on your point of view, he was a horrible person or a flawed genius. One thing is for sure though, he could manage.

Billy won 90+ games in six different seasons for three different teams. He was also never boring.

Rick Reuschel 1989 baseball card

Happy ’80s Birthday to Rick Reuschel, who just won ballgames for 19 years in the big leagues for the Cubs, Giants, Pirates, and Yankees.

Dude threw 208 innings in his age 40 season.

Mitch Webster 1986 baseball card

Happy ’80s Birthday to Mitch Webster, a 23rd-round draft pick who spent 13 years in the big leagues and led the league in triples. 

Never give up!

Happy ’80s Birthday to Bob Patterson, who spent 13 seasons in the big leagues, won 39 games, and saved 28 more

Mark Funderburk 1985 baseball card

Happy ’80s Birthday to Mark Funderburk, who played 31 games for the Twins in 1981 and 1985. 

Steve Farr 1984 baseball card

5/16/84

Steve Farr strikes out six in 5.2 innings in his big league debut but also allows four runs to the Red Sox and takes the loss. 

He’d win three games in his rookie season. 

Bryan Harvey 1987 baseball card

5/16/87

Angels reliever Bryan Harvey throws a scoreless 9th inning in his big league debut.

He’d led the league in saves in 1991 and finish with 177 saves in 322 career games.  

5/16/87

Jeff Innis throws two innings in his big league debut and strikes out three against the Giants. 

5/16/89

Mark Gardner throws two scoreless innings in his big league debut for the Expos. 

He spends 13 years in the bogs and wins 99 games. 

Marty Pevey 1989 baseball card

5/16/89

Marty Pevey goes 0 for 4 in his big league debut for the Expos. 

He collects his first hit eight days later and finishes his bug league career with 9 hits in 41 at bats. 

Big Days

Craig Reynolds 1981 baseball card

5/16/81

Craig Reynolds hits 3 triples in a game against the Cubs.

He becomes just the 29th player since 1920 to have accomplished the feat. 

Fred Lynn 1982 baseball card

5/16/82

Fred Lynn hits his first homer since May 1st of 1981.

Not only did the homer help the Angels beat the Indians, it also made Don Baylor $150 richer. Baylor selected May 16th in the Angels pool.

5/16/83

Darryl Strawberry hits the first home run of his career in front of the smallest crowd in Three Rivers Stadium history to that point. The announced attendance was just 1,970.

5/16/84

Lefty beats the Dodgers 7-2 and hits a slam off Fernando because Lefty was The Man.

Carlton Fisk 1984 baseball card

5/16/84

Carlton Fisk hits for the cycle against the Royals.

It’s his only triple of the season. 

5/16/86

Tony Phillips becomes the first member of the Oakland A’s to hit for the cycle when he goes 5 for 5 against the Orioles

5/16/87

Don Carman records his first big league hit. The knock snaps an 0-48 skid to begin his career.

Transactions

Jim Palmer 1984 baseball card

5/16/84

The Orioles release Jim Palmer after he refuses to retire. He finished his career with 268 wins, three Cy Young Awards, three rings and many underwear ads.

Deaths

Rufino Linares 1982 baseball card

Former Braves infielder Rufino Linares passed away OTD in 1998 after a car crash in the Dominican Republic. 

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