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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Top Birthday WARs

Who’s the top player on your day? Mine is Big Ed Walsh.

God mocks those born on November 15.

Dag Nabbit: formerly tolerant of lactose Posted: October 28, 2009 at 01:11 PM | 60 comment(s)
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1. Juan V has had a good baseball year Posted: October 28, 2009 at 12:49 PM (#3368597)

My mom should have tried to hold me in her womb for three or four more days.

2. flournoy Posted: October 28, 2009 at 12:57 PM (#3368607)

Mine is Terry Puhl.

3. gef the talking mongoose Posted: October 28, 2009 at 01:01 PM (#3368613)

Orlando Cepeda, which I can certainly live with. That spares me John Franco.

In the meantime, Dan Haren isn't looking too bad for the future ...

4. jmurph Posted: October 28, 2009 at 01:11 PM (#3368629)

Considering I have both Johnny Bench and Larry Bird, I think we can go ahead and shut this thread down.

5. Hang down your head, Tom Foley Posted: October 28, 2009 at 01:13 PM (#3368633)

Kevin Millwood. Try and beat that.

February 5 and 6 did pretty well.

6. beefshower Posted: October 28, 2009 at 01:30 PM (#3368657)

Mine is Fred Clarke, which I found kind of surprising as I always thought Dennis Eckersley and Dave Winfield were the two best players born on my birthday. I guess I'll have to brush up on my turn of the century baseball because Clarke is kind of a blind spot for me. Thank god I have those three though because the drop off for October 3rd is pretty steep and I would be stuck wading through Wil Cordero and Darrin Fletcher territory.

7. STEROIDS!!!!! Posted: October 28, 2009 at 01:31 PM (#3368658)

February 5 and 6 did pretty well.

Meet the guy born on February 4. Dan Plesac? God damn it.

8. Superunknown Gary Geiger Counter Posted: October 28, 2009 at 01:32 PM (#3368660)

Mike Schmidt is 5 wins better than Joe Morgan?

9. Gold Star 4 Robot Boy Posted: October 28, 2009 at 01:34 PM (#3368662)

Curt Simmons? Yawn.

10. scotto Posted: October 28, 2009 at 01:35 PM (#3368664)

Hank Aaron. Also Adlai Stevenson, Roger Staubach, Christopher Haden-Guest, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Fr. Andrew Greeley, William Burroughs, and Red Buttons.

That's not bad, but as mentioned the 6th has the Babe, the Gipper, Bob Marley, Rip Torn, Tom Brokaw, Axl Rose, Fabian and Rick Astley.

My friend Beth was born on the 6th.

11. Al Kaline Trio Posted: October 28, 2009 at 01:36 PM (#3368666)

Javier Vasquez... lame

12. puck Posted: October 28, 2009 at 01:40 PM (#3368675)

Too bad the spreadsheet doesn't have a top 5 or top 10.

feb 5: also has Alomar (63.6) and Roger Peckinpaugh (40.4)
feb 6: also has Smokey Burgess (31.9) and Richie Zisk (23.6)
july 24: Barry Bonds and Tommy McCarthy
may 27: Bagwell (79.9), Thomas (75.9), Gary Nolan (27.4), Pinky Higgins (21.6), Terry Moore (19.9) Todd Hundley (12.3), Frank Snyder (11.8) don't quite make it

13. SOLockwood Posted: October 28, 2009 at 01:42 PM (#3368679)

Hmm, mine is Robin Ventura and my wife's is Nolan Ryan. Don't think I'll charge the mound.

14. gef the talking mongoose Posted: October 28, 2009 at 01:43 PM (#3368681)

Don't think I'll charge the mound.

So to speak.

15. Hang down your head, Tom Foley Posted: October 28, 2009 at 01:43 PM (#3368682)

There's a cluster of post-war babies at the end of March. No, not that war.

16. gef the talking mongoose Posted: October 28, 2009 at 01:48 PM (#3368691)

Also Adlai Stevenson, Roger Staubach, Christopher Haden-Guest, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Fr. Andrew Greeley, William Burroughs, and Red Buttons.

I'll raise you Hank Williams (along with his brother, William Carlos), Rube Foster, Anne Bancroft, Roddy McDowall, Ken Kesey, Warren Burger & David Souter, Edgar G. Ulmer, George Blanda, John Ritter & -- for the win, surely -- Doug E. Fresh.

Also Phil Jackson. Unfortunately.

17. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: October 28, 2009 at 02:04 PM (#3368716)

I get Rabbit Maranville--but also George Patton, Pat O'Brien, Alger Hiss, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Jonathan Winters, Demi Moore, Calista Flockhart, and Leonardo DiCaprio

(an eclectic group to say the least)

18. Young Blasarius yonder

Posted: October 28, 2009 at 02:05 PM (#3368717)

Learn something new every day, I share a birthday with Roger Connor, a Hall of Famer I've never heard of before.

19. RMc is the Commissioner of Baseball Posted: October 28, 2009 at 02:07 PM (#3368724)

You'd assume the worst would be February 29th. You'd be wrong.

20. vortex of dissipation Posted: October 28, 2009 at 02:09 PM (#3368727)

Mickey Mantle, along with Juan Marichal and Keith Hernandez. Plus Tom Petty, Bela Lugosi, and Dr. Joyce Brothers.

21. The Most Interesting Man In The World Posted: October 28, 2009 at 02:11 PM (#3368729)

Wakefield! I should have known.

22. SouthSideRyan Posted: October 28, 2009 at 02:15 PM (#3368735)

Koufax, to go along with Lebron James in the NBA(Who's exactly 1 year older than me, which is awful)

23. flournoy Posted: October 28, 2009 at 02:24 PM (#3368750)

#18, you've never heard of Roger Connor? He held the home run record before Ruth.

24. The Mighty Quintana Posted: October 28, 2009 at 02:32 PM (#3368756)

I'm only four days older than Manny! After slogging through my 2009 summer hoops league, I can totally understand why he needed a little extra help....

25. Watch out for the door, Omar...(Met Fan Charlie) Posted: October 28, 2009 at 02:33 PM (#3368757)

Mine's Cy Young. Doesn't get too much better'n that!

26. battlekow Posted: October 28, 2009 at 02:37 PM (#3368761)

Meet the guy born on February 4. Dan Plesac? God damn it.

Plesac's tied for third-lowest.

You'd assume the worst would be February 29th. You'd be wrong.

Indeed, but February does have three of the lowest four. Gus Bell on November 15 is the worst, but the next three are Steve Barber (2/22), Plesac, and Connie Ryan (2/27).

27. Dr. Leo Spaceman Posted: October 28, 2009 at 02:55 PM (#3368786)

Gary Sheffield. Not bad. And we share so much in common!

28. Proo Posted: October 28, 2009 at 03:23 PM (#3368815)

Mark Kotsay. Heh.

29. Masa Kobayashi Maru (loungehead) Posted: October 28, 2009 at 03:27 PM (#3368819)

#27; same here, though I prefer to think of it as sharing a birthday with David Ortiz.

30. Ride On King Felix Posted: October 28, 2009 at 03:41 PM (#3368839)

Wally Joyner. Woohoo. Mere days from Wade Boggs or Lou Gehrig.

31. Elisabeth R�hm and Walter Haas Posted: October 28, 2009 at 03:45 PM (#3368849)

Ryno. One day away from Joe Morgan. There's some kind of second base cluster there, eh?

32. Latnam's first name is Bob Lemon's middle name. Posted: October 28, 2009 at 03:46 PM (#3368853)

Mike Flanagan? Two days from Ty Cobb. I knew those astrologers were onto something.

33. Lassus Posted: October 28, 2009 at 03:51 PM (#3368863)

I already knew mine destroyed everyone else's.

Babe Ruth, baby.

34. Let the bears pay the bear tax, I pay the Homer ta

Posted: October 28, 2009 at 04:13 PM (#3368889)

Tris Speaker.

Not bad. Not quite Lassus territory, but not bad.

35. TomH Posted: October 28, 2009 at 04:23 PM (#3368894)

I was hoping Van Slyke was listed for Dec 21. I share the day and year with him.

36. Bob Dernier Cri

Posted: October 28, 2009 at 04:31 PM (#3368898)

Mine is Hardy Richardson. Actually the most famous person born on my birthday was Charlotte Brontë, who died three weeks before Hardy Richardson was born.

And no, I had absolutely no idea who Hardy Richardson was before I looked him up.

37. the Tuque of Flatbush

Posted: October 28, 2009 at 04:47 PM (#3368916)

I feel bad for whoever has November 15th. I think that's the worst, with Gus Bell at 14.3 WAR.

I have Sal Bando. Could be worse - better than Jim Rice, at least.

38. Bob Dernier Cri

Posted: October 28, 2009 at 04:52 PM (#3368923)

Gus Bell was a hell of a ballplayer, though. How does he get so few WAR?

39. Fred Lynn Nolan Ryan Sweeney Agonistes Posted: October 28, 2009 at 04:55 PM (#3368926)

Looie Aparicio -- guessed right!
Could be worse. Could be Charley Jones.

I am precisely the same age as Andre Agassi and Uma Thurman. Although I don't pay much attention to tennis, all that talk a couple of years ago about how old & slow & tired Agassi was made me kind of cranky (according to his recent book, Agassi could get a little CRANK-y himself, amirite?).

Also: Duke Ellington. Which is good, because the Duke was awesome.

40. BubbaCouch Posted: October 28, 2009 at 05:02 PM (#3368929)

Happy Jack Stivetts? i feel like someone just made up this B-ref page for chuckles. Jack Stivetts????

41. Teddy F. Ballgame Posted: October 28, 2009 at 05:53 PM (#3368965)

Pink Hawley?

42. Teddy F. Ballgame Posted: October 28, 2009 at 05:56 PM (#3368968)

The more interesting player born on Pink's birthday and mine is Ed Porray, of course. He's a great answer to a hard-to-formulate trivia question.

43. BourbonSamurai Posted: October 28, 2009 at 06:30 PM (#3368988)

Gaylord perry. Glad we did not play this game when I was in middle school.

44. Ned Garvin: Male Prostitute Posted: October 28, 2009 at 06:45 PM (#3369002)

Wow, February sucks. My birthday has Charlie Getzien, and there are 3 worse birthdays in the month. And it is a short month! I have never even heard of Getzien before, and I have heard of most guys, though he is early even for me (born 1864). What a boring birthday, baseball-wise.

45. RMc is the Commissioner of Baseball Posted: October 28, 2009 at 06:48 PM (#3369009)

Fun fact: Dan Shannon and Farmer Weaver were both born exactly 100 years before RMc.
Even funner fact: If I live as long as Weaver, I'll die in 2043.
Scary fact: If I live as long as Shannon, I'll die...four years from last Sunday...which will also be my 16th wedding anniversary! YIKES!

Imagine having your spouse DIE on your anniversary!

46. Hugh Jorgan Posted: October 28, 2009 at 08:03 PM (#3369195)

Yep, I knew this one...Steve Carlton.

47. Karl from NY Posted: October 28, 2009 at 09:07 PM (#3369396)

George Sisler is a HOFer, but my best from the modern era is Garry Templeton.

Peyton Manning blows away everybody, though.

48. vortex of dissipation Posted: October 28, 2009 at 09:18 PM (#3369437)

The more interesting player born on Pink's birthday and mine is Ed Porray, of course. He's a great answer to a hard-to-formulate trivia question.

I'm trying to think what the trivia question would be, but I'm lost at sea on that one.

49. Dayton Moore is a Big Fat Idiot (AG#1F) Posted: October 28, 2009 at 09:28 PM (#3369485)

Charlie Buffinton. I don't even believe that's a real player.

50. Rafael Bellylard has become a Mets fan! Posted: October 28, 2009 at 09:40 PM (#3369535)

Mine is Doug DeCinces, who may be surpassed someday by Roy Oswalt. I also get Michael Jackson, Robin Leach and Mr. Blackwell.

I don't like this game.

51. Kyle C welcomes back our OBP Savior Posted: October 28, 2009 at 09:42 PM (#3369542)

Mine is Lou Whitaker, which surprises me because Yogi also shares my birthday.

52. Eraser-X is emphatically dominating teh site!!! Posted: October 28, 2009 at 09:45 PM (#3369555)

Three HoFers: Ed Delahanty, Bill Terry and possibly the best of all, Leon Day.

Also: Adams Sr., Dostoevsky, Pound, Maradona, Otis Williams, Grace Slick, Jun Ji-hyun, Nastia Liukin and Joanna Shimkus. And Stalin being exhumed.

53. Masa Kobayashi Maru (loungehead) Posted: October 28, 2009 at 09:50 PM (#3369584)

#50, if it helps, the Jonestown Massacre occurred the day I was born.

I'm told there was no correlation.

54. Kiko Sakata

Posted: October 28, 2009 at 09:52 PM (#3369593)

Mine is Lou Whitaker, which surprises me because Yogi also shares my birthday.

Catchers tend to be a little low on the career WAR list - short careers, relatively fewer games per season. My top WAR guy is Bill Dickey, the only HOFer born on my birthday. But my sons, for example, both have higher-WAR guys who I wouldn't have thought would be higher than Dickey: Jim Edmonds and Rick Reuschel.

55. bookbook Posted: October 28, 2009 at 10:35 PM (#3369775)

Alex Rodriguez. Unlike the Yanks, I'll take it.

56. Joshua Gibsons Ruth (Voxter) Posted: October 28, 2009 at 10:49 PM (#3369790)

Hippo Vaughn! Middling WAR, hilarious name.

57. Morty Causa Posted: October 28, 2009 at 10:56 PM (#3369798)

already knew mine destroyed everyone else's.

Babe Ruth, baby.

Me, too, even down to the year.

58. Biff uses the power of mental thinking Posted: October 28, 2009 at 11:35 PM (#3369830)

I get Fred McGriff, but I pretty much knew that one going in.

59. battlekow Posted: October 28, 2009 at 11:52 PM (#3369842)

Hippo Vaughn! Middling WAR, hilarious name.

Famous for...

60. jwb Posted: October 29, 2009 at 07:58 PM (#3370935)

Learn something new every day, I share a birthday with Roger Connor, a Hall of Famer I've never heard of before.

The New York Giants were named after a group of particularly large players. Roger Connor was the best of them. Sort of like a 19th century version of The Bash Brothers, except the name stuck.

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