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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 has the talking pillow Posted: October 28, 2009 at 05:11 PM | 60 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: general

Reader Comments and Retorts

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1. Juan V Posted: October 28, 2009 at 05:49 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 05:57 PM (#3368607)

Mine is Terry Puhl.

3. gef the talking mongoose Posted: October 28, 2009 at 06:01 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 06:11 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 06:13 PM (#3368633)

Kevin Millwood. Try and beat that.

February 5 and 6 did pretty well.

6. beefshower Posted: October 28, 2009 at 06:30 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. Shock Posted: October 28, 2009 at 06:31 PM (#3368658)

February 5 and 6 did pretty well.

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

8. GGC don't think it can get longer than a novella Posted: October 28, 2009 at 06:32 PM (#3368660)

Mike Schmidt is 5 wins better than Joe Morgan?

9. Gold Star - just Gold Star Posted: October 28, 2009 at 06:34 PM (#3368662)

Curt Simmons? Yawn.

10. scotto Posted: October 28, 2009 at 06:35 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. Willie Mayspedes Posted: October 28, 2009 at 06:36 PM (#3368666)

Javier Vasquez... lame

12. puck Posted: October 28, 2009 at 06:40 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 06:42 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 06:43 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 06:43 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 06:48 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 07:04 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 07:05 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 and His Roster of Rubbish Posted: October 28, 2009 at 07:07 PM (#3368724)

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

20. vortex of dissipation Posted: October 28, 2009 at 07:09 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 07:11 PM (#3368729)

Wakefield! I should have known.

22. SouthSideRyan Posted: October 28, 2009 at 07:15 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 07:24 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 07:32 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. There are no words... (Met Fan Charlie) Posted: October 28, 2009 at 07:33 PM (#3368757)

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

26. The Keith Law Blog Blah Blah (battlekow) Posted: October 28, 2009 at 07:37 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. Enrico Pallazzo Posted: October 28, 2009 at 07:55 PM (#3368786)

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

28. Proo Posted: October 28, 2009 at 08:23 PM (#3368815)

Mark Kotsay. Heh.

29. The Well-Tempered Javier Vasquez (loungehead) Posted: October 28, 2009 at 08:27 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 08:41 PM (#3368839)

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

31. The importance of being Ernest Riles Posted: October 28, 2009 at 08:45 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 08:46 PM (#3368853)

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

33. Lassus Posted: October 28, 2009 at 08:51 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 09:13 PM (#3368889)

Tris Speaker.

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

35. TomH Posted: October 28, 2009 at 09:23 PM (#3368894)

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

36. BDC

Posted: October 28, 2009 at 09:31 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. Tuque

Posted: October 28, 2009 at 09:47 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. BDC

Posted: October 28, 2009 at 09:52 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 09:55 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 10:02 PM (#3368929)

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

41. Jarrod HypnerotomachiaPoliphili(Teddy F. Ballgame) Posted: October 28, 2009 at 10:53 PM (#3368965)

Pink Hawley?

42. Jarrod HypnerotomachiaPoliphili(Teddy F. Ballgame) Posted: October 28, 2009 at 10:56 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, vassal of the Harpsburg Empire Posted: October 28, 2009 at 11:30 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 11:45 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 and His Roster of Rubbish Posted: October 28, 2009 at 11:48 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 29, 2009 at 01:03 AM (#3369195)

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

47. Karl from NY Posted: October 29, 2009 at 02:07 AM (#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 29, 2009 at 02:18 AM (#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. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: October 29, 2009 at 02:28 AM (#3369485)

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

50. Rafael Bellylard: Built like a Fielder Posted: October 29, 2009 at 02:40 AM (#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. Tom Cervo, backup catcher Posted: October 29, 2009 at 02:42 AM (#3369542)

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

52. Eraser-X is emphatically dominating teh site!!! Posted: October 29, 2009 at 02:45 AM (#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. The Well-Tempered Javier Vasquez (loungehead) Posted: October 29, 2009 at 02:50 AM (#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 29, 2009 at 02:52 AM (#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 29, 2009 at 03:35 AM (#3369775)

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

56. Infinite Joost (Voxter)

Posted: October 29, 2009 at 03:49 AM (#3369790)

Hippo Vaughn! Middling WAR, hilarious name.

57. Morty Causa Posted: October 29, 2009 at 03:56 AM (#3369798)

already knew mine destroyed everyone else's.

Babe Ruth, baby.

Me, too, even down to the year.

58. Biff, highly-regarded young guy Posted: October 29, 2009 at 04:35 AM (#3369830)

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

59. The Keith Law Blog Blah Blah (battlekow) Posted: October 29, 2009 at 04:52 AM (#3369842)

Hippo Vaughn! Middling WAR, hilarious name.

Famous for...

60. jwb Posted: October 30, 2009 at 12:58 AM (#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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