The best baseball players born on New Year’s Eve

Here’s a subjective rating of the highest 5 for New Year’s Eve:

1. King Kelly (1857)
The solely Hall of Famer born on today, Michael Joseph Kelly performed from 1878-93 and was, in line with his SABR biography, “baseball’s first matinee idol.” A drawing card for the Chicago White Stockings (at present’s Cubs) for seven seasons, Kelly was bought to the Boston Beaneaters (now the Braves) for $10,000 in what is taken into account baseball’s first “big-money” deal. An aggressive baserunner who stole at the least 50 bases in 5 consecutive seasons, he was often called the “King of Baseball,” resulting in his royal moniker. His exploits on the bases made him the topic of successful music, “Slide, Kelly, Slide,” and he was the primary ballplayer to creator an autobiography.

2. Rick Aguilera (1961)
Aguilera thought he had misplaced the 1986 World Series after giving up two runs within the tenth inning of Game 6. But after all, the Mets rallied and Aguilera gained the primary of his two World Series rings after they took Game 7. New York used him principally as a starter till 1989, when he pitched solely out of the bullpen earlier than being shipped to the Twins on the Trade Deadline as a part of the bundle that despatched 1988 AL Cy Young Award winner Frank Viola to New York. In 1990 he grew to become the Twins’ nearer, and over the subsequent 5 seasons (which included one other ring in ’91), he saved 172 video games and made three All-Star groups, probably the most of anybody born on this date. Aguilera’s 254 saves for Minnesota have been practically 150 greater than anybody else in franchise historical past when he retired and are nonetheless second to Joe Nathan’s 260.

3. Syl Johnson (1900)
Despite being often called “the most unlucky pitcher in baseball history,” as he stated in an interview late in life, Sylvester Johnson nonetheless managed to pitch for 19 seasons, beginning nearly 40 p.c of the 542 video games through which he appeared. Along the way in which, his proper wrist, left eye and a toe have been damaged by line drives again to the mound; he broke an elbow pitching batting observe; tore ligaments in his left arm; and had a hand damaged by a teammate’s BP line drive. Johnson gained two World Series rings with the Cardinals, first in 1926 (although he didn’t pitch within the Series as a result of, nicely, he was injured) and once more in ’31, when he pitched 9 innings over three video games.

And relying on one’s view of when a brand new century begins – in 1900 or 1901? – both Johnson or Negro Leaguer Willie Spearman, born in 1899, is the one Major Leaguer born on the final day of the nineteenth century.

4. Esteban Loaiza (1971)
The solely 20-game winner born on New Year’s Eve, Loaiza went 21-9 for the White Sox in 2003, the primary of his two successive All-Star seasons. In 34 begins that 12 months, he posted a 2.90 ERA, 3.05 FIP and 159 ERA+ and struck out an AL-leading 207 batters and walked 56. He completed second in AL Cy Young Award voting to Roy Halladay.

5. Bobby Byrne (1884)
The third baseman for the 1909 world champion Pirates, Byrne was not solely born on New Year’s Eve, however died on his birthday 80 years later. A brief participant (listed at 5-foot-7) who performed solely within the Dead Ball Era, Byrne hit solely 10 profession house runs. He led the National League with 178 hits and 43 doubles in 1910 and likewise scored 101 runs in what was his greatest season. In one recreation in 1911, he stole second, third and residential in the identical inning.

Tommy Byrne (1919)
No relation to Bobby, Tommy Byrne pitched for 13 years regardless of strolling 1,037 batters and hanging out 766. Three occasions he led the Major Leagues in walks (179 in 1949, 160 in 1950 and 150 in 1951) and 5 occasions in hit batters.

Alex Colomé (1988)
With 159 saves by means of the 2022 season, Colomé is midway to Rick Aguilera’s profession whole of 318. But Colomé has performed one thing Aguilera by no means did in his 16 years: lead MLB in saves, which he did with 47 for the Rays in 2017.