Baseball History Podcast

Henry Emmett Manush nicknamed “Heinie,” was born July 20, 1901 in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Mastering the art of the line drive but unable to master his own temper, Heinie Manush burst onto the major league scene with the Detroit Tigers and quickly became one of the fiercest and most feared hitters in the game.

William Walker Cooper was born January 8, 1915 in Atherton, Missouri. Cooper was a solid defensive catcher as well as a strong hitter, making the National League All-Star team every year from 1942 to 1950.

John Alexander “Andy” Messersmith was born August 6, 1945 in Toms River, New Jersey. Messersmith was a good pitcher who spent more than a decade in the majors, but his mound performances will forever be overshadowed by the role he played in the advent of free agency.

William Henry Davis, nicknamed “Three Dog,” was born April 15, 1940 in Mineral Springs, Arkansas. Widely considered to be one of the fastest players of the 1960s, Davis had 20 or more stolen bases in eleven consecutive seasons. Along with Maury Wills, he provided speed at the top of Los Angeles lineup, being part of three pennant-winning Dodgers teams.

William Robert “Bob” Allison was born July 11, 1934 in Raytown, Missouri. A gifted all-around athlete Allison hit 30 or more home runs three times and 20 or more in eight different seasons. He wasn’t an especially fast player, but was among the most feared baserunners of his time in hustling out numerous doubles and triples. At the three outfield positions he showed good range, and his strong arm was rated as one of the best in the league.

Virgil Oliver Trucks, nicknamed “Fire”, was born April 26, 1917 in Birmingham, Alabama. While with the Tigers in 1952, this burly Southerner tossed a pair of no-hitters against the Senators and the Yankees, joining such luminaries as Johnny Vander Meer, Allie Reynolds, and Nolan Ryan as the only pitchers to accomplish this feat in a single season.

José Canseco Capas, Jr. was born July 2, 1964 in Havana, Cuba. Canseco was a baseball giant in size, potential, and gossip, and became the first member of the 40-40 club when he was a mere 23 years old, winning the Most Valuable Player award that year in a landslide. But arrogance and injuries, some inadvertently caused by the bulging muscles that gave him such exceptional power, ended up wreaking havoc with his career.

Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes, nicknamed “The Baby Bull” or “Cha Cha”, was born September 17, 1937 in Ponce, Puerto Rico. A powerful slugger during his 17-year Major League career, he withstood a series of knee injuries to become a seven-time National League All-Star.