Here’s a subjective ranking of the top five for Feb. 12:
1) Chet Lemon (1955)
You might be wondering how Lemon could top this list. Or, you might even be wondering who Lemon is. Well, this sweet-swinging, graceful center fielder has the most career WAR of anyone born on this date, 55.6, which also happens to be more than, oh, David Ortiz, Joe Mauer and Hall of Famers Hank Greenberg and George Sisler. After a brief callup in 1975, Lemon played 15 more seasons with the White Sox and Tigers, surpassing 100 games played in 14 of them. He was a three-time All-Star and his best season statistically was 1979, when he hit .318 with an AL-leading 44 doubles. But the pinnacle of his career came in 1984, when he was the starting center fielder for the historically great Tigers team that won the World Series. Lemon made a catch in Game 3 against the Padres that actually drew comparisons to Willie Mays. Finally, Lemon recorded at least 400 outfield putouts five times, which remains an AL record.
2) Dom DiMaggio (1917)
The youngest of three brothers who formed one of the great families in baseball history, DiMaggio spent 11 seasons in the bigs, all with the Red Sox in the 1940s and ’50s, albeit interrupted by a three-year stint in the Navy during World War II. The center fielder/leadoff hitter was a seven-time All-Star who exceeded 700 plate appearances four times. His best season was 1950, when he hit .328 and led the AL in runs (131), triples (11) and stolen bases (15). DiMaggio, nicknamed “The Little Professor,” always played in the shadow of big brother Joe with the Yankees (Vince was the third brother). But Red Sox teammate Johnny Pesky called Dom “the almost perfect ballplayer, so smart and so talented.”
3) Chick Hafey (1903)
Hafey is noteworthy not only for being a Hall of Famer but for getting the first hit in All-Star Game history, as the cleanup hitter for the National League in the inaugural 1933 Midsummer Classic. The left fielder played 13 seasons with the Cardinals and Reds in the 1920s and ’30s, winning two World Series with St. Louis. Hafey hit at least .330 four straight seasons with the Cardinals and won the NL batting title at .349 in 1931, when he finished fifth in MVP voting.
4) Todd Frazier (1986)
The “Toddfather” has spent more than a decade as a Major League third baseman with six teams, mostly with the Reds. But he might be most known for winning the 1998 Little League World Series and what followed soon after. Frazier finished third in 2012 NL Rookie of the Year voting won by Bryce Harper and was a two-time All-Star with Cincinnati. He also won the 2015 Home Run Derby in front of his home fans at Great American Ball Park.
5) Don Wilson (1945)
The right-hander played his entire nine-year career with the Astros in the 1960s and ’70s and won more than 100 games (104). Wilson’s best season was 1971, when he went 16-10 with a 2.45 ERA and made his lone All-Star team.
Others of note:
Joe Garagiola (1926)
The longtime catcher, notably with the Cardinals in the late 1940s, is known more for his career as a broadcaster and show-business personality. Garagiola was the analyst for years alongside Curt Gowdy on NBC’s Saturday “Game of the Week,” then ventured beyond baseball with stints on “The Today Show.” and as co-host of the annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, and so much more. His son Joe Jr. formerly was the D-backs’ general manager and is still in the team’s front office.
Pat Dobson (1942)
Dobson was part of the famed 1971 Orioles rotation in which all four starters won 20 games. He was an All-Star for the only time the next season. The right-hander played for six teams across 11 seasons and won 122 games.