April 9, 2017; April 18, 2017 – At the relatively young age of 27, Anthony Rizzo was acknowledged as the leader of the Chicago Cubs team that won the 2016 World Series, ending 108 years of frustration for the franchise and its fans. That season the 6-foot-3, 240-pound left-handed first baseman hit .292 with 32…

May 10, 2017 – Pitching prodigies are rare in big-league baseball, with good reason. Given the rigors of the game at that level, even the most promising prospects usually require a few years of apprenticeship in the minors. This is especially true for pitchers, who tend to mature more slowly than position players. Rick Porcello…

Feb. 7, 2017 – Illinois native Dan Bellino was in his second year at the John Marshall Law School when he decided to become a professional umpire. Given the long odds of making it to the major leagues, this would seem to have been a curious career change, especially since he admits that he didn’t…

April 24-25, 2017 – In his first 11 seasons (2007–16), Joey Votto’s statistics placed him among the elite hitters in the history of Major League Baseball. According to the March 27, 2017 issue of Sports Illustrated, his career “slash line” of .313/.425/.536 (batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage) had been equaled or surpassed by only…

August 20, 2004; April 29, 2016 – A star pitcher-outfielder, as well as valedictorian, at Cathedral High School in Springfield, MA, Chris Capuano was drafted out of high school by the Pirates but chose to go to Duke University on a baseball scholarship. Following his junior year, he was signed by the Diamondbacks, but before…

Feb. 1, 2017 – Jason Grilli was remarkably resilient throughout his long major-league career. A top pitching prospect and the fourth overall draft pick at the age of 20, the 6-foot-5, 235-pound right-hander seemed destined for a stellar career. But a series of injuries intervened, forcing him to reinvent himself again and again. In his…

June 19, 2007 – After being coached incessantly from an early age by his father, Joe, Barry Zito was selected by Oakland out of the University of Southern California in the first round of the 1999 draft. By mid-season the following year, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound lefty with a paralysis-inducing curveball was in the A’s starting…

Feb. 6, 2017 – Frank Catalanotto was a high school senior in Smithtown, New York, by the time he drew the attention of pro scouts who had come to watch some of his teammates. He impressed them enough to be selected by the Tigers in the tenth round of the 1992 draft. Following six years…

March 14, 1999 – Like his childhood friend and neighbor, Yogi Berra, Joe Garagiola Sr. grew up to be a major-league catcher. After five-plus years with his hometown St. Louis Cardinals (1946–51), he spent the last three-plus years of his career with three other teams before going on to an award-winning career as a popular…

March 15, 1999 – A native of Chicago Heights, Illinois, Jerry Colangelo earned All-Big Ten honors as captain of the University of Illinois basketball team. Named general manager of the expansion Phoenix Suns in 1968 at the age of 28, he remained involved with the NBA franchise until 2012 in various roles, including head coach…