Tuesday, January 20, 2015

1/20: Josh Gibson, Carl Taylor, Adam LaRoche, DJ Carrasco, Brian Giles...

Josh Gibson, Carl Taylor, Adam LaRoche, DJ Carrasco, Brian Giles...
  • 1947 - Homestead Gray and Pittsburgh Crawfords C Josh Gibson, the “black Babe Ruth,” died of a stroke at the age of 35. The future Hall of Fame catcher was put to rest in an unmarked grave in Allegheny Cemetery. In 1975, Negro League teammate Ted Page and Commissioner Bowie Kuhn paid for a granite marker as a memorial.
Josh Gibson's Tombstone via Baseball Think Factory
  • 1944 - UT Carl Taylor was born in Sarasota, Florida. He caught, played first and pinch hit for the Bucs in 1968-69, and again in September of 1971 for their pennant drive. His best season far and away was 1969, when he hit .348/4/33 in just 221 at-bats. 
  • 2009 - 1B Adam LaRoche signed a one-year, $7.05M contract and avoided arbitration. he lasted until July 22, when he was shipped to Boston for RHP Hunter Strickland and SS Argenis Diaz. 
  • 2010 - RHP DJ Carrasco was signed to a one year, $950K contract. The reliever lasted until the deadline, and was packaged as part of a deal with Arizona. Carrasco was a part of the Pirate organization way back in 2002, before KC took him in that year’s Rule 5 draft from Pittsburgh’s High A Carolina League club, Lynchburg. 
DJ Carrasco photo from Getty Images
  • 1971 - RF Brian Giles was born in El Cajon, California. In five years with Pittsburgh, he put up a line of .308/.426/.591 with 165 HR/506 RBI and three All-Star berths. He retired in 2010 after a couple of rough seasons with San Diego, trying to play through an arthritic knee.

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