Baseball History Podcast

Ronald Ray Fairly was born July 12, 1938 in Macon, Georgia. A competitive player and highly disciplined hitter, Fairly had a short and compact swing with occasional power to all fields. He also walked often enough to post good-to-excellent on-base averages. With his glove, he was a competent first baseman and outfielder.

Pedro Guerrero was born June 29, 1956 in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. Dodger management appeared to believe him capable of any athletic feat, and they thought nothing of shifting him to third base in mid-career. Although he gained a reputation for being shaky at third, statistics show that he was about as good as anyone in the league at getting to the ball.

John Joseph Evers, nicknamed “The Human Crab,” was born July 21, 1883 in Troy, New York. An excellent bunter, accomplished base stealer, and pesky hitter who usually had the League’s best walk-to-strikeout ratio after his first few seasons, Johnny Evers was considered one of the Deadball Era’s smartest and best all-around players, but he was just as well known for his fiery disposition.

Herman A. Schaefer, nicknamed “Germany,” was born February 4, 1876 in Chicago, Illinois. An infielder with decent range and an average bat, Schaefer had impeccable timing and was always willing to entertain the crowd. He gained his greatest notoriety for “stealing first base,” a maneuver that led to a rule change.