Baseball History Podcast

John Joseph Murphy was born July 14, 1908 in New York City. A righthanded, curveballing control pitcher, Murphy began his career as a starter with the Yankees, starting 20 games as a rookie in 1934. After being switched to the bullpen the following season, he started only 20 more games in his 13-year career.

Alvin Neill Jackson, nicknamed “Little Al”, was born December 25, 1935 in Waco, Texas. Jackson was a gutty left-handed pitcher that Reds outfielder Vada Pinson described as “Very competitive, small, big heart – he knew how to pitch. He fought you every kind of way to help beat you.”

Wesley Noreen Westrum was born November 28, 1922 Clearbrook, Minnesota. He was known as a superb defensive catcher. In 1950 he set a National League record for catchers with a .999 fielding average. He later served as the second manager in the history of the New York Mets, replacing Casey Stengel.

Gerald Wayne Grote was born on October 6, 1942 in San Antonio, Texas. Grote become a key ingredient on Met teams for a dozen years. Lou Brock once said that Grote was the toughest catcher in the league to steal against. He was regarded as one of the best defensive catchers of his era.

Albert John Weis was born April 2, 1938 in Franklin Square, New York. Weis, a light-hitting utility infielder, was a switch hitter until the end of the 1968 season, after which he batted exclusively right-handed. He was the most improbable of heroes in the 1969 Miracle Mets’ World Series. His ninth-inning single won Game Two and his seventh-inning homer tied Game Five, making the final Met victory possible; prior to the World Series had hit just six career homers.

Derrel McKinley Harrelson, nicknamed “Bud”, was born on June 6, 1944 in Niles, California. Harrelson was typical of shortstops of his era: good fielder, poor hitter. His excellent fielding kept him in the lineup no matter what his average, but he also contributed with his speed on the basepaths and by drawing more than his share of walks.

Frank Joseph Thomas was born June 11, 1929 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A strapping slugger and dead-pull hitter who crowded the plate, Thomas was considered the successor of Ralph Kiner. He was considered a rebel and much of his career was spent bickering with management over his monetary value.

David Joseph Magadan was born September 30, 1962 in Tampa, Florida. Magadan, a lefthanded line-drive hitter, was the offensive hero of the Mets’ division-clinching game in 1986 during a late-season call-up.

Dwight Eugene Gooden, nicknamed “Doc” or “Dr. K”, was born November 16, 1964 in Tampa, Florida. Gooden’s career must be thought of as a “what could have been” story. When he was just 25 years old, he had won 100 games, and had his eyes set not on the 300-mark, but 400. Unfortunately, his bouts with substance abuse ruined what would have been a Cooperstown career, and by the mid-1990s, he was battling just to stay in organized baseball.

David Christopher Justice was born April 14, 1966 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The left-handed Justice showed over his career that he could hit for average and power, run the bases and occasionally save a game with a leaping catch over the wall. He used his big bat to win over fans in Atlanta, Cleveland and then New York.