BR Bullpen:Did You Know Archive/MiLB

This is an archive of articles under the scope of minor league baseball that were featured on the Main Page as part of Did You Know?.

Did you know...[edit]

...that Brian Dayett set the Columbus Clippers home run record one year after being the Southern League MVP?
...that Andre Keene was once traded for a Muddy Waters album and cash?
...that Andy Green was the Pacific Coast League MVP in 2005?
...that Eddie Locke pitched complete games in both ends of a doubleheader four times in 1953 - and won all 8 games?
...that Johnny Davis was only allowed to play games in New York State for two years due to his being on probation?
...that former independent league infielder Bo Durkac was a Baseball America contributor before writing two books?
...that Jack Wilson is in the Hall of Fame of a team he never played on?
...that Mike Birkbeck just missed two pitching Triple Crowns in the minor leagues?
...that Tatsuya Ozeki lost his chance to play in the Milwaukee Brewers system when they botched the immigration paperwork?
...that there was once a minor league player whose actual name was Ten Million?
...that the Prince William Pirates were Barry Bonds' first professional club?
...that John E. Olerud (the father of John Olerud) studied medicine while playing baseball and then retired to become a doctor?
...that Chuck Connors retired after four games in the minors before resuming his career two years later?
...that Ronald Williamson is the subject of a new book by John Grisham?
...that Gary W. Jones led his league in walks at least five times?
...that Skeeter Ebnet was killed by a pitch in a 1938 game?
...that Zach Duke had a 1.46 ERA in the minor leagues in 2004?
...how Jack McKeon almost lost his life in 1950?
...that Ntema Ndungidi was the first African native to play for an affiliated minor league team and almost the first Canadian drafted in the first round of major league baseball's amateur draft?
...that pitching prospect Erik Walker recently lost his life in a tragic boating accident?
...that Fernando Seguignol led the minor leagues in slugging in 2003?
...that Bill Kazmierczak was the first Carolina League pitcher to throw a no-hitter twice in a season?
...that minor league infielder Joe Rovner had a bit part in a 1950s movie?
...that Jeromy Burnitz was the first 30-30 player in Eastern League history?
...that Tony Freitas once was let out of jail to pitch in a game, then returned to complete his sentence?
...that Devern Hansack worked as a lobsterman in between his first and second stints in the minor leagues?
...how Greg Minton discovered his best pitch?
...that the Eastern League stolen base leader one year was Wonderful Terrific Monds III?
...that Demond Smith has stolen over 500 bases in the minor leagues?
...that Salomon Torres worked as a minor league baseball coach for a couple seasons before returning to the major leagues as a pitcher?
...that Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams spent four seasons as an outfielder in the Philadelphia Phillies farm system?
...that Dennis Holmberg's wife has been in a vegetative state for over two decades
...that minor league pitcher Jon Hooker recently died in a plane crash one day after his wedding?
...why Jake Atz quit his job as manager of the Fort Worth Panthers only to return the next year?
...that Gil Patterson was working as a valet when he was first offered a job as a pitching coach?
...that Aaron Pointer, the last man to hit .400 in a full season, US-based minor league, is the brother of the famous Pointer Sisters? Or that his most recent challenger was Rick Short?
...that Mark Merchant was taken second overall in the 1987 amateur draft, right after Ken Griffey Jr., but barely even played in AAA, never making the majors?
...that Angel Moreno has won over 420 games in 31 seasons in professional baseball?
...that minor league umpire Larry Smith died at age 21 in the Vietnam War?
...that Matt Stairs was signed off of the Canadian national team after being undrafted out of high school, then was the Eastern League MVP a short two years later?
...that the Tennessee Tomahawks went 33-1 in the second half of the 1997 Heartland League season?
...that Sam Jethroe led his leagues at least eight times in stolen bases, multiple times in runs, average, doubles, triples, outfield put-outsand at least once (possibly more given limited data) in hits, walks, OBP and times hit by pitch?
...that Mike Easler spent 10 years in the minors, winning two batting titles, before he was able to win a bench job with the Pittsburgh Pirates...then almost lost that job in favor of a pinch-runner?
...that Tom Maggard, the 1969 Red Sox first-round pick, had his life cut short by an insect bite?
...that Chris Duffy sat out almost a month of the 2006 season for reasons that are unclear?
...that Jorge Cortes reached base in 55 consecutive Texas League games in 2006?
...that Lyle Overbay led the minor leagues in doubles in 2001?
...that Val Pascucci holds the modern Harrisburg Senators record for walks in a season?
...that Harold Danielson never homered six times in a season as a pro but hit two grand slams in one day in 1949?
...that the Muncie Reds once had a future 40-home-slugger, Wally Post, as their star pitcher?
...that Joe Burke was a one-eyed Giants minor leaguer who went on to live the high life?
...that Brian Horwitz was undrafted out of college yet won batting titles his first two years in the minor leagues?
...that Bill Sarni was the youngest player in the history of the Pacific Coast League?
...that Jimmy Claxton was the first black player featured on a baseball card?
...that Reggie Otero led the Canadian-American League in batting average in 1942 and won a record seven titles in the Venezuelan League?
...that Art Shamsky was a roommate of Pete Rose when they were in the New York-Penn League and that Shamsky later homered four times in four at-bats?
...that Teo Acosta won five minor league batting titles but never played a day in the major leagues?
...that while Mac Suzuki was the Salinas Spurs' clubhouse boy in 1992 he pitched one inning for club.
...that Morgan Burkhart won the Frontier League's MVP and Triple Crown winner in 1998, with a .404 average, 36 homers and 98 RBI and was named as the Independent League Player of the Year by Baseball America.
...that Moe Hill won five consecutive home run titles in the Midwest League in the 1970s.

Search

Namespaces

Views

BR Bullpen:Did You Know Archive/MiLB

Did you know...[edit]

Full Site Menu

FAQs, Tip & Tricks