Birthday cards

Today is my wife's birthday. So this is probably the only chance I'll get to post. And posting (as well as viewing other blogs) will be sporadic through the weekend.

But I thought I'd acknowledge the tolerance my wife shows for my baseball fanaticism by showing some players who were born on the same day she was. All thanks to baseball-reference.com

This is for you, sweetheart:

Erik Bedard. Born March 6, 1979. Bedard made everyone in Baltimore happy while making everyone in Seattle sad.

Wife: Everyone?

Yeah, Because Bedard had a horrible season last year, injury issues and all. And the Orioles got Adam Jones in the trade for Bedard.

Wife: No, I mean "everyone"? Everyone isn't a baseball fan you know.

Yeah, I know. But I meant "everyone" as in "a lot of people." It was a big trade.

Wife: Well, you should use a different word.

Fine.

Ted Abernathy. Born: March 6, 1933. I saw this card for the first time when I was a kid. On the back it lists when the player's first game in pro ball was. Abernathy's card said his first game was in 1952. I thought he was older than Moses.

You can probably see that Abernathy is wearing a Cubs uniform. So his cap must be airbrushed. Although it's a pretty good job. I don't know why they didn't do that for everyone instead of all the cap black-outs in the '71 set.

Wife: Why is he in a Cubs uniform if it says he plays for the Royals?

He was traded to the Royals. But he wasn't traded to the Royals by the Cubs. The Cubs traded him to the Cardinals on May 29, 1970. Then the Cardinals traded him to the Cubs on July 1, 1970. So this photo is likely from spring training 1970.

Wife: That's just sloppy.

Yeah, I guess it is.

Marcus Thames. Born: March 6, 1977. This is an OK card, but it's not as good as his Upper Deck cards. He has some sweet UD cards.

Wife: Why did you call him "Tims"?

That's how you pronounce his last name, which is different than the river in England, the Thames, pronounced "Tems."

Wife: Cool. And I think that's a pretty good card. At least he's smiling.

Well, there are some bloggers in New Mexico who will love you for saying that.

Scott Stahoviak. Born March 6, 1970. Remember when I had that fantasy league team in the mid-90s? Stahoviak was on my team. That explains why I was never very good in fantasy leagues.

Wife: Was that when all those guys I didn't know were calling the house?

Yeah. That was before people had the internet. They were calling to make fantasy league trades.

Wife: That was annoying.

Cookie Rojas. Born March 6, 1939. I love this card for a variety of reasons. The action, the scoreboard, the fact that a Yankee is being retired.

Wife: Why is his name "Cookie"?

That's a nickname. His real name is "Octavio." But I had to look that up. Everyone knows him as "Cookie."

Wife: But why did they call him "Cookie"? Did he like cookies?

I don't know. Maybe. There was "Cookie" Lavagetto, "Cookie" Gilchrist. Maybe it was a club. You did something and then they named you "Cookie." Why do you always ask me questions I can't answer?

Bud Podbielan. Born: March 6, 1924. As much as I love the 1956 Topps set, I think I might prefer the card below even more, which is from the 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers set TCMA issued in 1974:

He pitched in only three games in 1952 (2 innings, 3 walks, 1 strikeout, 18.00 ERA), but TCMA gave him a card.

Wife: Another guy with a nickname.

His real name was "Clarence."

Wife: Ah.

Willie Stargell. Born: March 6, 1940. (The 1971 set says he was born in 1941). "Pops" was the hero of the 1979 season. The "We Are Family" team.

Wife: I like that song.

They played it ALL THE TIME. And it was the first World Series I remember where television would constantly show the players' wives in the stands. It drove us nuts as kids.

Wife: Did they show them because they were pretty or because their husband was batting?

I think a little of both, but probably mostly because they were pretty.

Wife: Figures.

Lefty Grove. Born: March 6, 1900. Wow, you're lucky. You have two Hall of Famers born on your birthday. Stargell AND Grove.

Wife: Whoopee.

It's a big deal! The only guy born on my birthday that has Hall of Fame credentials is Shoeless Joe Jackson and he's BANNED from the Hall.

Wife: "Lefty"? "Shoeless Joe"? Doesn't anyone in baseball go by their real names?

But that's one of the great things about baseball. The nicknames.

Wife: Ohhhhh---Kay.

Francisco Cervelli. Born: March 6, 1986. Cervelli is probably best known for getting bowled over at home plate by the Rays' Elliot Johnson during spring training last year. He broke his wrist and the Yankees were a little peeved.

Wife: He broke his wrist?

Yeah, but he held onto the ball for the out.

Wife: That's not much of a trade-off.

Take a look at the year Cervelli was born. 1986. That's the year before we started going out. We were in college in '86.

Wife: I don't want to do this anymore.

Me either.

Happy birthday, sweetie!

(Apologies to Terry Adams, Clint Barmes, Karl Best, Eduardo Rodriguez, Roger Salkeld and Anthony Telford, who all were born on March 6. I didn't get your cards scanned. I have presents to wrap!)