BB On this Date ~ Events & Birthdays #2

Happy Friday the 13th - Watch out for any black cats crossing your path! (Chicago #Cubs star Ron Santo standing in the on-deck circle at Shea Stadium in 1969!)
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Steve Sax. Ryne Sandberg. Wrigley Field
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Today In 1947: View of the first night game at Fenway Park! Ted Williams goes 2-for-4 with 2 RBI to help the Boston #RedSox defeat the Chicago White Sox by a score of 5-3!

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“His legacy keeps growing and growing and growing. New generations want to know more about him. His reach is international. He deserves every adulation. He saw things differently than the rest of us. Roberto Clemente had his eye on more than just the ball.”
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"Willie Mays is the finest player in baseball. No one can play with that kid. Mays does everything well." Jackie Robinson Frank Finch in the June 6, 1965 edition of the Times, reports what Jackie Robinson told him during the telecast of a baseball game he was commentating: "Sam Jethroe and I worked out with the Boston Red Sox in 1945 while we were with the Kansas City Monarchs. They took our names and phone numbers, but we never heard from them. I signed with Mr. Branch Rickey later that year." Jackie says the Dodgers blew a chance to land Willie Mays when he was a 16-year-old phenom with the Birmingham Black Barons. "The Dodger players were much impressed with Willie Mays when we played an exhibition game with the Black Barons. The front office in Brooklyn was contacted, but Wid Mathews, Mr. Rickey’s assistant, turned down Willie Mays because Wid said he couldn’t hit a curve ball."
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"Everybody says Rod Carew was the best left-handed American League hitter in the 1960's and 1970's. But Tony Oliva could hit like Rod Carew and Oliva did it with power." Bill Melton "I come from Cuba. Taxes for me are no big thing"
Tony Oliva and Daughter, Anita 1970 Father-Kids


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FSU baseball's Alex Lodise named Dick Howser Trophy winner

 

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RHP Liam Peterson and RHP Aidan King chosen for USA Collegiate National Team training camp this summer.
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D1Baseball@d1baseball
With near plus-plus raw power and the most of any of the top middle infielders in this class, Colby Shelton is expected to be a top 50 overall pick.

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Florida baseball transfer tracker: Who UF has added, lost following 2025 season
Kevin Brockway
Gainesville Sun

--Florida baseball fell short of its goal to each the College World Series in Omaha for the third straight season.
The Florida Gators finished the 2025 season 39-22 after getting knocked out of the Conway, S.C., Regional by East Carolina on June 2. The silver inning is it allowed UF to get a jump on recruiting the transfer portal, which opened June 2.

Florida has added four players from the portal, while losing five. More additions and subtractions could come as the portal will remain open until July 1. Players can't enter the portal after July 1, but unsigned players can join new teams from the portal after that date.

Florida could have a number of position holes to fill, depending on if catcher Luke Heyman, second baseman Cade Kurland and shortstop Colby Shelton enter the MLB. In addition, UF is looking to shore up a pitching staff that ranks 12th in the SEC in ERA at 4.89.

Here's a look at players who have entered the portal from UF, and players inside the portal who have committed to UF from other schools:

Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Florida baseball transfers added
Ricky Reeth, RHP, Notre Dame
Reeth went 4-2 with a 4.31 ERA and three saves in 22 appearances for Notre Dame, all in relief. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound Reeth, from Windemere and West Orange High, has one year of eligibility remaining as a fifth-year senior entering the 2026 season. In 48.0 innings pitched last season, Reeth walked just 12 batters while striking out 43.

Russell Sandefer, RHP, UCF
Sandefer appeared in 18 games with six starts for UCF in 2025, going 2-3 with a 3.38 ERA and one save. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Sandefer, from Robinson High in Tampa, will enter the 2026 season a junior with two seasons of eligibility remaining. Over 50 2/3 innings last season, Sandefer walked 19 batters and struck out 49.

AJ Malzone, C/DH, Wabash Valley College
A lefty-hitting catcher, Malzone batted .372 in his freshman year at Wabash with 8 home runs, 32 RBIs and 5 steals. He'll enter UF as a sophomore with three years of eligibility remaining.

Jaden Bastian, OF, Jacksonville
A righty hitting outfielder, Bastian is a five-tool talent who batted .302 with 11 home runs, 33 RBIs and 36 steals in 40 attempts. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Bastian will enter UF as a junior with two years of eligibility remaining.

Florida baseball transfers lost
RHP Alex Philpott
Philpott began the year as UF's closer before losing the job to Jake Clemente. He finished the 2025 season 3-4 with a 7.30 ERA and two saves.

LHP Jacob Gomberg
Gomberg made just three appearances for UF in 2025, giving up seven earned runs in one inning for an ERA of 63.00.

RHP Carson Montsdeoca
Montsdeoca made eight appearances for the Gators, all in relief, going 0-0 with a 7.27 ERA. He gave up 11 hits and one walk in 8 2/3 innings pitched while striking out six.

RHP Felix Ong
Ong, from Key West, went 0-0 with a 10.30 ERA in three apprances. In 3 1/3 innings pitched, Ong surrendered four earned runs.

LHP Niko Janssens
Janssens went 0-1 with 12.96 ERA in nine appearances for UF, all in relief. He allowed 12 earned runs on 11 hits in 8 1/3 innings pitched, with eight walks and 10 strikeouts.

Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com.

 

BASEBALL BIRTHDAYS 6/16/25
1933 Ken Johnson, American baseball pitcher (only pitcher to lose a complete game 9-inning no-hitter 1964), born in West Palm Beach, Florida (d. 2015)

1948 Ron LeFlore, American baseball player (Detroit Tigers)

1971 Chris Gomez, American baseball infielder (San Diego Padres)

1977 Kerry Wood, American baseball player (Chicago Cubs

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1989 All-Star Game Julio Franco and Cal Ripken


The Boston Red Sox absolutely pulled off a modern day heist in acquiring any level of talent for Rafael Devers. At a minimum there will be $150 million of dead weight in the back half of that contract

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