Today's Birthday

Happy Birthday to former Altoona Curve owner (limited partner) Mario Lemieux. The hockey great played in the National Hockey League during 17 seasons for the Pittsburgh Penguins and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997.

Credits: Topps Co via the The Trading Card Database

Eastern League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, the Eastern League, or any of its teams. 

Today's Birthday

Happy 75th Birthday to former Eastern League prospect Tony La Russa.

Credits: Topps Co via The Trading Card Database

He played for the Binghamton Triplets during the 1962 season. La Russa went to play in the majors during six seasons for the Kansas City Athletics (1963), Oakland Athletics (1968-71), Atlanta Braves (1971) and Chicago Cubs (1973).

After his playing career, La Russa managed in the majors during 33 seasons with the Chicago White Sox (1979-1986), Oakland Athletics (1986-95) and St. Louis Cardinals (1996-2011).

He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as a manager in 2014.

Source: Baseball Reference


Eastern League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, the Eastern League, or any of its teams. 

Today's Birthday

Happy 70th Birthday to former Eastern League prospect Steve Foucault.

Credits: Topps Co. via The Trading Card Database

Foucault pitched in two games in the Eastern League for the Pittsfield Senators during the 1970 season.

He went on to play in the majors during 6 seasons for the Texas Rangers (1973-76), Detroit Tigers (1977-78) and Kansas City Royals (1978). He pitched in 277 games during his major league career and had a career record of 35-36 with a 3.21 ERA.

He was a minor league pitching coach for several years after he retired as a player.

Source: Baseball Reference

Eastern League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, the Eastern League, or any of its teams.

Today's Twitter Posts

Follow Eastern League History on Twitter at @HistoryEastern

Eastern League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, the Eastern League, or any of its teams.

Today's Birthday

Former Eastern League prospect, the late Jerry Casale was born on this date in 1933.

Casale played in the Eastern League during the 1953 and '54 seasons for the Albany Senators. He pitched in the majors for 5 seasons for the Boston Red Sox (1958-60), Los Angeles Angels (1961), and Detroit Tigers (1961-62).

After his playing days, he owned a restaurant in New York City. Casale died on February 9, 2019 at age of 85.

Source: Baseball Reference

Eastern League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, the Eastern League, or any of its teams.

Today's Birthday

Former Eastern League prospect Steve Arlin was born on this date in 1945.

Credits: Topps Co. via The Trading Card Database

Arlin was the first round draft pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in the secondary phase of the June, 1966 Major League Baseball Draft.

He pitched for the Reading Phillies in 1967 (2-7, 4.46 ERA). He played six seasons in the majors with the San Diego Padres (1969-74) and Cleveland Indians (1974).

Arlin practiced dentistry after he retired from baseball. He died on August 17, 2016 at the age of 70.

Source: Baseball Reference

Eastern League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, the Eastern League, or any of its teams.

Today's Birthday

Happy 73rd Birthday to former Eastern League prospect Lou Camilli.

Credits: Topps Co. via The Trading Card Database

Camilli played in the Eastern League during the 1968 and '69  seasons for the Waterbury Indians. He played in 107 major league games over four seasons with the Cleveland Indians.

Source: Baseball Reference

Eastern League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, the Eastern League, or any of its teams.

Today's Birthday: Marcelino Lopez

Former Eastern League prospect Marcellino Lopez was born on this date in 1943 in Havana, Cuba.

Credits: Topps Co. via The Trading Cards Database

Lopez pitched in the Eastern League for the 1961 Williamsport Grays (10-5, 3.75 ERA). He went on to play in the majors during 8 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies (1963), California Angels (1965-67), Baltimore Orioles (1967, '69-70), Milwaukee Brewers (1971) and Cleveland Indians (1972).

Lopez died on November 29, 2001 at the age of 58.

Source: Baseball Reference

Eastern League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, the Eastern League, or any of its teams.

Today's Birthday

Former Eastern League prospect Bob Lemon was born on this date in 1920.

Credit: Red Man via The Trading Card Database

Lemon pitched in one game in the Eastern League for the Wilkes-Barre Barons in 1941.  After serving in the military during World War II, he played inthe majors for 13 seasons with the Cleveland Indians (1946-1958). He was a 20 games winner 7 times and retired with a career record of 207-128. He was named to the American League All-Star team 7 times and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.

After his playing career, he managed for several years with the Kansas City Royals (1970-72), Chicago White Sox (1977-78), and New York Yankees (1978-79, '81-'82).

Lemon died on January 11, 2000 at the age of 79.

Source: Baseball Reference

Eastern League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, the Eastern League, or any of its teams.

Today's Birthday: Jerry Zimmerman

Former Eastern League prospect Jerry Zimmerman was born on this date in 1934.

Credits: Topps Co. via The Trading Card Database

He played for the Albany Senators in the Eastern League in 1956 (.231/.231/.314). He played 8 seasons in the majors with the Cincinnati Reds (1961) and Minnesota Twins (1962-68), and appeared in two World Series (Reds 1961) and Twins (1965).

In 1969, Zimmerman was one or the original coaches of the Montreal Expos and later coached for the Minnesota Twins. He also scouted for the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles.

Zimmerman died September 9, 1998 at the age of 63.

Sources: Baseball Reference and SABR

Eastern League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, the Eastern League, or any of its teams.

Today's Birthday: Tom Tresh

Former Eastern League prospect Tom Tresh was born on the date in 1938 in Detroit, Michigan.

Credits: Topps Co. via The Trading Card Database

He played in the Eastern League during the 1959 and '60 seasons for the Binghamton Triplets.

Tresh went to a 9 year major league career with the New York Yankees (1961-69) and Detroit Tigers (1969). He was named American League Rookie of the Year in 1962 and was named to the American League All-Star team in 1962 and '63. He was awarded a Gold Glove in 1965.

After he retired from baseball, he worked for several years at Central Michigan University and was an assistant coach on their baseball team.

Tresh died on October 14, 2008 at the age of 70.

Sources: Baseball Reference and SABR 

Eastern League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, the Eastern League, or any of its teams.

Today's Birthday

Happy 59th Birthday to former Eastern League prospect Phil Stephenson (Albany A's, 1983 & Pittsfield Cubs, 1986).

Credits: TCMA via The Trading Cards Database
(1983 Albany A's)

Credits: ProCards via The Trading Cards Database
(1986 Pittsfield Cubs)

Stephenson played four seasons in the majors for the Chicago Cubs (1989) and San Diego Padres (1989-92).

Source:Baseball Reference
  
Eastern League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, the Eastern League, or any of its teams.

Today's Birthday

Former Eastern League prospect and pitching coach Billy Champion was born on this date in 1947.

Credits: Topps via The Trading Card Database

He pitched for the Reading Phillies during the 1970 season (2-1, 4.24 ERA). He pitched 8 seasons in the majors with the Philadelphia Phillies (1969, '70-'72) and Milwaukee Brewers (1973-76).

After he retired as a player, Champion was a minor league pitching coach for several seasons and coached in the Eastern League with the New Haven Ravens (1994) and Binghamton Mets (1997).

He died on January 7, 2017 at the age of 69.

Source:Baseball Reference

Eastern League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, the Eastern League, or any of its teams.

New Blog - Check back soon

New blog about the history of the AA Eastern League (1923-present) under construction.

Check back soon.