Saturday, September 28, 2019

September 28

Lou Bierbauer (1865)
Wilbur Good (1885)
Jack Fournier (1889)
Whitey Witt (1895)
Al Evans (1916)
Dick Gernert (1928)
Grant Jackson (1942)
Pete Filson (1958)
Jerry Layne (1958)
Todd Worrell (1959)
Ed Vosberg (1961)
Charlie Kerfeld (1963)
Matt Vasgersian (1967)
Mike DeJean (1970)
Ryan Zimmerman (1984)
Nick Greenwood (1987)
Eddie Rosario (1991)


Jerry Layne has been a major league umpire since 1989.
Matt Vasgersian has been a major league baseball broadcaster since 1997.
Left-hander William Peter Filson played for the Twins from 1982-1986. He was born in Darby, Pennsylvania, attended Temple University, and was drafted by the Yankees in the ninth round in 1979. He pitched very well in the low minors, going 17-3 with a 1.89 ERA in a 1981 season split between Class A Fort Lauderdale and AA Nashville. In May of 1982, Filson was traded to the Twins with Larry Milbourne and John Pacella for Roger Erickson and Butch Wynegar. Filson was immediately placed in the Twins’ starting rotation, but after getting knocked around a few times was first sent to the bullpen and then to AAA Toledo. He had a mediocre year in Toledo. We’re talking about the early ’80s Twins, however, when having a mediocre year in AAA was good enough to get you on the big club. Sure enough, in 1983, Filson was on the big club. He stayed there the next three years, and actually pitched fairly well. He had ERAs from 3.4 to 4.1, and WHIPs consistenly around 1.3. Filson was used mostly in relief in those years, making an occasional spot start. In 1986, however, he got off to a poor start and spent most of the year in AAA. In September, he was traded to the White Sox for Kurt Walker, and was sent to the Yankees the following January. Filson had a fine 1987 at AAA Columbus, and finished the year with the Yankees, doing well in seven appearances. Unfortunately, he tore his rotator cuff, and missed all of 1988. Filson became a free agent after the season, and signed at the end of May, 1989 with Kansas City. He had a very good year with AAA Omaha in 1990, and made it back to the big leagues for a month and a half after a two-and-a-half year absence. He did not pitch well for the Royals, however. Filson was released after the 1990 season, and his career came to an end. He became a coach after his playing days, and has served as the pitching coach of the North Shore Spirit and the Newark Bears. As a Twin, Pete Filson pitched 323 innings in 130 games, 24 of them starts. He was 14-13 with an ERA of 3.98 and a WHIP of 1.36. He is currently an instructor at AFC Baseball, which is part of AFC Fitness of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.
Left-hander Nicholas Richard Greenwood did not play for the Twins, but was in their farm system in 2016.  He was born in Farmington, Connecticut, attended the University of Rhode Island, and was drafted by San Diego in the fourteenth round in 2009.  He was traded to St. Louis at the July trade deadline in 2010 in a three-team trade that included Corey Kluber and Jake Westbrook.  He had both started and relieved for the Padres, but went to the bullpen full time with St. Louis.  He reached AAA in 2012 but didn't do much there until 2014, when he got off to an excellent start and was promoted to the majors for most of the season.  He pitched in long relief (or at least what passes for long relief these days) and had an up-and-down year, mixing excellent appearances with very bad ones.  He went back to starting in 2015 and did poorly, despite which he made one appearance with the Cardinals in July.  He became a free agent after the season and signed with the Cubs, but was released during spring training.  He began 2016 with independent New Britain, but signed with the Twins in early May.  He made five starts in AA and eleven starts (sixteen appearances) in AAA and did well.  He signed with the Twins for 2017, but was injured and released on May 10 without playing for them.  He went back to independent New Britain and made fifteen starts for them, but did not pitch very well. He played a few games of winter ball after that, but then his playing career came to an end.  No information about what Nick Greenwood has been doing more recently was readily available.
Oufielder Eddie Manuel Rosario has played for the Twins since 2015.  Born and raised in Guayama, Puerto Rico, he was drafted by Minnesota in the fourth round in 2010.  He hit well throughout the low minors but did not do as well when he reached AA in 2013.  He had a poor year in AA in 2014, although he was still only 22.  He hit very well in the Arizona Fall League after that season, though, and started 2015 in AAA.  He didn't have a particularly strong April there, but was still called up to the majors in early May and stayed the rest of the season, hitting double digits in doubles, triples and homers while leading the league in triples.  He also showed a good arm in the outfield.  He got off to a slow start in 2016 and went to the minors for a month and a half in mid-May.  Some were already starting to write him off, but he came back to have a solid second half of the season.  He has had his best season so far in 2017, batting .292/.332/.516 with 27 home runs, but the next two seasons have not been far off.  He still strikes out a lot, although he has cut them down a little, and he still doesn't walk much, but in 2591 plate appearances he's batted .280/.310/.480 with 106 home runs.  He turns twenty-eight today.  The high strikeout/low walk method is not recommended, but there have been guys who were successful doing it.  Barring unforeseen circumstances, Eddie Rosario should remain a starting outfielder for the Twins for at least the next few seasons.

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