In fact, a team of Major League players born on my birthday is a mediocre lot at best:

C – Wiki Gonzalez (b. 1974, .239 avg., 17 HR, 103 RBI from 1999-06)
1B – Carlos Pena (b. 1978, .245, 207, 590 from 2001 to present)
2B – Lou Chiozza (b. 1910, .277, 14, 197 from 1934-39)
SS – Harry Riconda (b. 1897, .247, 4, 70 from 1923-30)
3B – Ozzie Virgil (b. 1932, .231, 14-73 from 1956-69)
LF – May (b. 1948, .274, 90, 536 from 1968-77)
CF – Dick Smith (b. 1939, .218, 0, 7 from 1963-65)
RF – Jose Guillen (b. 1976, .271, 203, 835 from 1997 to present)
DH – Jack Voigt (b. 1966, .235, 20, 83 from 1992-98)
SP – Hal Carlson (b. 1892, 114-120, 3.97 ERA from 1917-30)
RP – Billy Hoeft (b. 1932, 97-101, 33 saves, 3.94 ERA from 1952-66)

Let’s just say that, in my adulthood, the Yankees have more than made up for it.

First came David Wells‘ perfect game on May 17, 1998, which I missed because my friends and I were celebrating something even more important than my birthday – our college friend’s ordination as a Catholic priest.  Then four years later, Jason Giambi had his “welcome to the Yankees” moment, a 14th-inning Grand Slam between the raindrops to beat the Twins.  I was at that game, thought not the 14th inning, having left after 13 to catch the last train to Newark.

Carl Pavano actually pitched a complete-game, five-hit shutout with no walks and seven strikeouts on May 17, 2005, in Seattle, in what must have been his finest performance as a Yankee.  I don’t recall that one at all, and since it was a late-night West Coast game I doubt I saw the finish.

Three straight walkoff wins in a three-game series with the Twins last year culminated in Johnny Damon’s game-winner on May 17.  And on Monday night, Alex Rodriguez and Marcus Thames brought a finish to an exciting win over the Red Sox with two-run home runs in the ninth.

I didn’t even know about two of them, which makes my visit even more enlightening.  The Steinbrenner biography by Bill Madden has gotten some play, and the arc of the Boss’s Yankees ownership begins just before my fandom, so that’s a must read for me.  Bios on Hank Aaron and Reggie Jackson were right next to Big Stein’s — Aaron has always been a huge favorite of mine, so there’s a must.  Reggie will have to wait.

I think it’s interesting that these three would have such prominent spots among the many books of all types — political, humor, cookbooks — that are featured in the most important real estate in the store.  All are famous baseball characters for sure, who transcended sports to everyday life in their time to one degree or another, probably Aaron (the Last Hero, says the subtitle) the most, although I wasn’t aware of his accomplishments and their cultural significance until later, followed by Steinbrenner (the Last Lion), by whom all sports owners are now measured.  But Jackson (the First Hot Dog?), whose impact was inextricably connected to that of the Boss, also changed the way sports stars and celebrities connected with press and the fans, hitting the nascent free agency era while in his prime.

There were actually two other baseball books on the same display, though on the back side, facing into the store.  Satch, Dizzy and Rapid Robert about those 1930s-50s star pitchers looks right up my alley, and a volume about baseball’s unwritten rules that seems well-timed with all the recent silliness regarding A-Rod’s unfortunate path back to first base on future perfect game artist Dallas Braden’s mound in Oakland.

So the Steinbrenner and Aaron tomes made it into my collection.  If I ever actually get through them both before I’ve forgotten how to write, I’ll post some thoughts… I’ve been midway through a quite good biography of Harry Houdini for a couple of months, the beginning of the baseball season and other factors conspiring in its gathering bedside dust.

I could use a Yankees rainout or two, like tonight in Detroit, and perhaps a game ending before midnight to get these cracking.

Only they were produced by a company called O-Pee-Chee, which for a time produced licensed versions of the Topps cards, looking similar except for their own logo and some different info on the reverse.  I found some 1977 cards, the first year that I collected, in pretty good condition, grabbing a Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, Ed Figueroa and some others.

Whenever I come across one of these setups, I hope they are at least organized by year, so I can take a quick look to see if there’s a Miguel Jimenez or Pete Harnisch, the two Fordham entries from my era.  Luckily, I found one of each, including a ‘94 Upper Deck Miguel card.  A quarter well spent, indeed.

If you haven’t seen this site by Josh Wilker, be careful… you might get lost in it.  Josh has a new book out, Cardboard Gods, which will go on my list as soon as the pile of 20 or so unread volumes taunting me on my bedroom shelf is reduced some.

For a well-done piece on baseball cards and how they can help illuminate a life, check out this piece by Jason Fry on his excellent Mets blog Faith and Fear in Flushing.

Curtis Granderson

Here’s the first of a four part series on the best and worst moves in each decade, from the 1970’s through the 2000’s.

The 1970’s:

Best moves:
1. Reggie Jackson (free agent), prior to 1977 season – Reggie helped the Yankees to two World Series titles and electrified the city with his personality and play.
2. Goose Gossage (free agent), 1978 – It not only seemed like Goose came into the seventh inning of every important game, but he also posted 150 saves and a 2.10 ERA from 1978-83 with the Yanks.
3. Sparky Lyle (trade, for Danny Cater and Mario Guerrero), 1972 – Lyle was the Cy Young Award winner in 1977, and when he had just one good year left, was turned around in a deal for Dave Righetti before the 1979 season.
4. Mickey Rivers and Ed Figueroa (trade, for Bobby Bonds), 1976 – two key pieces in the ‘77 and ‘78 champions came in the same deal for the oft-traveled Bonds, who played for six more teams in the next six years.
5. Graig Nettles (trade, with Gerry Moses for John Ellis and three others), 1973 – one of the first great moves that helped build the Yankees dynasty later in the decade, Nettles became one of the premier third basemen in the game, hitting 250 home runs in 11 years in Pinstripes.
Also: Lou Piniella (trade), 1974; Willie Randolph (trade, 1976); Tommy John (free agent), 1979; Bucky Dent (trade, 1977).

Worst moves:
1. Rich McKinney (trade, for Stan Bahnsen), 1972 – Not that many to choose from, almost every deal worked out or was at least neutral.  Bahnsen would have been a nice fit on the mid-70’s Yanks and was still effective later in the decade, while McKinney hit .215 in 37 games and ended up getting sent down to Syracuse then traded at the end of the year.
2. Andy Messersmith (purchased), 1978 – if the Yankees were counting at all on this former two-time 20-game winner, arm trouble ruined any of those thoughts as he went 0-3 in five starts and was released.
3. Jimmy Wynn (purchase), 1977 – too bad the Yanks got ‘The Toy Cannon’ after his good days were over; he terrorized NL pitchers for 14 years but fizzled in N.Y., hitting just one HR in 92 at bats before getting cut.