Gene Brabender

Born on today's date, Gene Brabender.

"We were talking about what to call (new teammate) Brabender when he gets here. He looks rather like Lurch of the Addams Family, so we thought we might call him that, or Monster, or Animal which is what they called him in Baltimore last year. Then Larry Haney told us how Brabender used to take those thick metal spikes that are used to hold the bases down and bend them with his bare hands. 'In that case,' said Gary Bell, 'we better call him Sir.'" - Jim Bouton, Ball Four