Just browsed a list of today's famous birthdays (courtesy of
www.famousbirthdays.com) and found it interesting that there are no interesting birthday's today. This prompted me to google "today's sports birthdays" and although I have yet to view the results, I'd imagine I can round up some pertinent information on at least 1 or 2 of these athletes.
1. Happy Birthday to Joliet, IL native
Jesse Barfield. 51 years young today, he was once a featured gun out in right field, known predominantly for a cannon otherwise knows as his right arm. He led all outfielders in assists from 1985 to 1987 - surprisingly, people kept trying to take an extra base on him. He finished his career with 162 outfield assists - well short of Tris Speakers 449 career assists, but still a huge number for a 12 year career.
Some of his on-field accomplishments included making the 1986 AL All-Star team (0-3, 2K), winning 2 Gold Glove Awards (1986, 1987) as well as a Silver Slugger Award (1986). For his After 8+ seasons north of the border, he was traded to the NY Yankees for left-handed pitcher Al Leiter. He remained with the Yankees until after the 1992 season, when he took his game overseas and played for the Yomiuri Giants for a season in 1993.
Barfield can still be found at Yankee Stadium for the yearly Old Timer's Day - throwing old dudes out at home with regularity.
Over his 12-year MLB career, he amassed 241 HR, 716 RBI's, and 1,234 strikeouts (in 1,428 games). He wasn't so much known for his bat, but he had an arm that base runners of his era will not soon forget.
2. Former NY Islander defenceman
Denis Potvin turns 57 today. He was the 1st overall pick in the 1973 NHL Draft and was inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame in 1991. Although he is currently one of the voices of the Florida Panthers, it might best be remembered when the Islanders and Rangers played at the Garden, Ranger fans chanting, "beat your wife Potvin, beat your wife." over and over and over again. Unless you've been to a Rangers game, you don't know the tempo or cadence of that chant, but you get the picture. Another favorite of Ranger fans, albeit less original, were the "Potvin Sucks!" chants that bellowed from the rafters of MSG. They were all jealous of his beard.
I was brought up an Islanders fan (it gets harder and harder to root for them) but I will stick by them. They play in a dump, so the end product really is no surprise. He and Brian Trottier are the only two players Islanders to play 1,000 games for the team, a list that isn't likely to grow anytime soon.
Let's Go Islanders! Let's Go Islanders! Potvin helped lead the Islanders to an unprecedented 4 consecutive Stanley Cup victories from 1979-80 to 1982-83. (even though on the 1980-81 Cup, it reads "Ilanders").
3. NY Mets right handed knuckle-baller RA Dickey is 36 today.
4. Former Ohio State standout RB and current criminal Maurice Clarett turns 27 today.
5. Puerto Rican boxing great Wilfredo "Bazooka" Gomez (44-3-1) turns 54 today.
SF Giants are two wins away folks. SUCKA! All you Rangers fans with that stupid air high five or magic fist or claw, whatever you wanna call it. Doesn't seem to be working thus far. Still a ways to go, but it's a good start for the renegade Giants.
