Monday, December 24, 2012

December 24

Henry Mathewson (1886)
Chico Garcia (1924)
Frank Taveras (1949)
John D'Acquisto (1951)
Tim Drummond (1964)
Mo Sanford (1966)
Kevin Millwood (1974)
Jamey Wright (1974)

Henry Mathewson is the younger brother of Christy Mathewson.

Right-hander Timothy Darnell Drummond was with the Twins from 1989-1990. Born in LaPlata, Maryland, he was drafted by Pittsburgh in the twelfth round in 1983. Drummond was in the Pirates' system for five years, the first three as a starter, the last two as a reliever. His numbers in both roles were decent, but not particularly impressive. He did get a September call-up in 1987, pitching six innings for the Pirates. In March of 1988, Drummond was traded to the Mets. The change seemed to help him, or maybe it was just maturity and experience. In any event, he did better at AAA Tidewater, although his numbers were still not eye-popping. At the end of July, 1989, Drummond was traded to Minnesota with Rick Aguilera, Kevin Tapani, David West, and a player to be named later (Jack Savage) for Frank Viola. He did well in ten outings for Portland, came to Minnesota at the end of August, and made the Twins out of spring training in 1990. It was his first full season in the majors. He made 39 appearances, four of them starts, and went 3-5 with a 4.35 ERA. Unfortunately, it was also his last full season in the majors, and in fact was his season in the majors at all. Drummond was back in Portland in 1991, went to the Baltimore and Cincinnati organizations for 1992, and then his playing career was over. As a Twin, Tim Drummond was 3-5, 4.28 with a WHIP of 1.53 in 43 games, four of them starts. At last report, Tim Drummond was the sports League Director for Charles County, Maryland and located in LaPlata. 

Right-hander Meredith Leroy "Mo" Sanford was with the Twins for about six weeks in 1995. A big man (6'6", 220), Sanford was born in Americus, Georgia, attended high school in Starkville, Mississippi and then went to the University of Alabama. He was drafted by Cincinnati in the 32nd round in 1988. He pitched quite well in his first four years in the minors, and did okay in five starts with the Reds in August of 1991, posting a 3.86 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in 28 innings. He had a poor year for AAA Nashville in 1992, however, and was left off the Reds' forty-man roster. Colorado selected him in the Rule 5 draft. Some arrangement must have been worked out with Cincinnati, because Sanford started the season at AAA Colorado Springs, not coming up to the Rockies until the end of July. He did not have a very good year with either team, and became a free agent after the season. The Twins signed him and sent him to AAA Salt Lake for 1994, where he had another poor year. He wasn't pitching any better at the start of 1995, but the Twins brought him up to the majors at the end of April. Sanford made 11 relief appearances for Minnesota, pitching 18.2 innings, and did about what they should have expected: no record, a 5.30 ERA, and a 1.71 WHIP. The Twins let him go, and he went on to Texas for 1996. He did better in AAA for the Rangers, but not well enough to convince them to give him another shot at the majors. Sanford kept trying, pitching in Taiwan in 1997, in Mexico in 1998, and for independent teams in the United States in 1999 and 2000 before ending his playing career. Mo Sanford was an assistant to the general manager for the Kansas City Royals. At last report, he was living in Cincinnati and was an instructor for SWOBAT, a baseball instructional and training facility in West Chester, Ohio.

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