April 22, 1998; June 6, 2006 – Selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 62ndround of the 1988 draft, behind 1,389 other hopefuls, Michael Joseph Piazza seemed destined to be just another kid with an unfulfilled dream. Instead, the native of Norristown, Pennsylvania, went on to be widely acknowledged as the greatest offensive catcher…

July 2, 2000; Sept. 1, 2006 – A native of Peoria, Illinois, Joe Girardi was a three-time Academic All-American at Northwestern University and two-time All-Big Ten selection as a catcher. Following his graduation in 1986 with a degree in industrial engineering, the Chicago Cubs selected him in the fifth round of the draft. He went…

May 28, 2005 – Few if any players in big-league history have achieved so much success at a variety of positions as Hall of Famer Craig Biggio. A seven-time All-Star as both a catcher and second baseman, he also spent two seasons as an outfielder. Biggio was also something of a rarity in the era…

September 26, 1999 – An MVP Award recipient and three-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner, third baseman Ken Caminiti was the classic scrappy ballplayer who won the respect and admiration of fans and teammates by refusing to let injuries keep him out of the lineup. But the Hanford, California, native was not always so committed…

May 18-19, 2016 – In 11 big league seasons between 1986 and 1996, Sacramento native Chris Bosio, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound right-hander, posted a 94-93 record with a 3.96 ERA in 309 games. With the Milwaukee Brewers for the first seven years, he won 14 or more games three times, was named their Most Valuable Pitcher…

September 26, 1999 – Brooklyn native Matt Galante was a student at St. John’s University when he was selected by the Yankees in the 1966 amateur draft. The 5-foot-6, 157-pound infielder played for eight years in the minor-league systems of the Yankees and Brewers. Between 1973 and 1984, he spent 12 seasons as a minor-league…

Dec. 14, 2016 – Chicago native Ned Colletti was a blue-collar guy who made it to the highest levels of Major League Baseball’s front offices. After working as a sports reporter, in 1982 he began his major- league career in the Chicago Cubs’ media relations department before moving into baseball operations. In 1990 he won…

April 29, 1998; May 13, 2016 – In his long major league career Mike Scioscia has had success both as a player and as a manager. A native of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, he was selected out of high school by the Dodgers in the first round of the 1976 draft. He became the Dodgers regular…

May 31, 2017 – Larry Lucchino is among the most influential executives in major-league history, but he himself describes his entry into the world of baseball as fortuitous. A star high school athlete in Pittsburgh, Lucchino was a reserve guard on the Princeton basketball team that Bill Bradley led to the 1965 Final Four. Then,…

April 25, 2016 – For San Jose, California, native Dave Righetti, baseball has been part of his life as long as he can remember. His father, Leo, was signed by the Yankees while a junior in high school and played professional ball for 13 years, the last three (1953–55) as a shortstop with the San…