Today's New York-Penn League Birthday: Tippy Martinez, Oneonta Yankees (1972)

Credits: Baltimore Orioles & Trading Card Database

Happy 71st birthday to former New York-Penn League prospect Tippy Martinez. Martinez played in two games for the 1972 Oneonta Yankees (1-0, 2.00 ERA).

He went on to play in the majors for 14 seasons with the New York Yankees (1974-76), Baltimore Orioles (1976-86) and Minnesota Twins (1988). He was a 1983 All-Star and appeared in two World Series (1979, '83).

Source: Baseball Reference

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, or any of its teams.

 

Today's New York-Penn League Birthday: John Felske, Newark Co-Pilots Manager (1974)

Credits: Tastykake & Trading Card Database

Happy 79th birthday to former New York-Penn League manager John Felske. He managed the 1974 Newark (New York) Co-Pilots to a 30-36 record and a 5th place finish.

Felske played in the major leagues during three seasons (Chicago Cubs, 1968 and Milwaukee Brewers, 1972-73) and later managed the Philadelphia Phillies for three seasons (1985-87).

Source: Baseball Reference

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, or any of its teams.

 

Today's PONY (New York-Penn) League Birthday: John Baumgartner (1950 Jamestown Falcons)

Credits: John Baumgartner and OTM Journal

Happy 90th Birthday to former PONY League prospect John Baumgartner. He played for the Jamestown Falcons in 1950.

Baumgartner played in 7 games for the 1953 Detroit Tigers. 

For more information about go to link at the Over the Mountain Journal and see article dated December 12, 2018 by Rubin E. Grant 'Shining Time': John Baumgartner Relished His Professional Baseball Career.

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, or any of its teams.   

Today's Birthday: Buddy Booker, Batavia Pirates (1961)

Credit: 1966 ACEO card

Happy 79th Birthday to former New York-Penn League prospect Buddy Booker. He played for the 1961 Batavia Pirates.

Booker played for the Cleveland Indians in 1966 and Chicago White Sox in 1968, appearing in a total of 23 major league games. 

Source: Baseball Reference

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, or any of its teams.  

News from the New York-Penn League: May 27, 1960

 

Source: Sayre (PA) Evening Times via Newspapers.com

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, or any of its teams.  

 

Today's PONY League Birthday: Jim Mahoney, Bradford Phillies (1953) & Corning Red Sox (1954)

Credits: Washington Senators and Trading Card Database

Happy 87th Birthday to former PONY League prospect Jim Mahoney. He played two seasons in the PONY League for the Bradford Phillies (1953) and Corning Red Sox (1954).

He went on to play in 120 games in the major leagues over four seasons with the Boston Red Sox (1959), Washington Senators (1961), Cleveland Indians (1962), and Houston Astros (1965).

Following his playing career, Mahoney managed for several years in the minor leagues and coached for the Chicago White Sox and Seattle Mariners.

Source: Baseball Reference

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, or any of its teams. 

Today's Birthday - May 24: Milt Jordan (Jamestown Falcons, 1948)

Credits: Clearfield Progress & Newspaper.com

Former PONY (New York-Penn) League prospect Milt Jordan was born on this date in 1927.

Jordan pitched for the Jamestown Falcons in 1948 (14-6, 3.10 ERA) and played in 8 games for the 1953 Detroit Tigers.

 

He died on May 10, 1953, at the age of 65.

Source: Baseball Reference

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball or any of its teams.

 

PONY League News - May 23, 1950

Source: Wilmington Journal via Newspapers.com

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, or any of its teams.  

 

New York-Penn League News - May 22, 1958

Source: Wellsville Daily Reporter via Newspapers.com

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, or any of its teams.  

Today's New York-Penn League Birthday: Billy Murphy, Binghamton Triplets (1965)

Credits: Topps Co. & Trading Card Database

Happy 77th Birthday to former New York-Penn League prospect Billy Murphy. He played for the 1965 Binghamton Triplets.

Murphy played in 84 games for the 1966 New York Mets.

Source: Baseball Reference

New York-Penn League News History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball or any of its teams.

Today's Birthday: Russ Gibson, Corning Red Sox (1957)

Credits: Topps Co. & Trading Card Database

Former New York-Penn League and Eastern League prospect Russ Gibson was born on this date in 1939, in Fall River, Massachusetts.

He was signed by the Boston Red Sox in 1957 and assigned to the Corning Red Sox in the New York-Penn League. He appeared in just two games (9 at bats, 4 hits, .444 batting average) before being reassigned to Lafayette (Indiana) in the Midwest League. He played in the Eastern League for the York White Roses (1962) and Pittsfield Red Sox (1967).

Gibson played in the major leagues during six seasons with the Boston Red Sox (1967-69) and San Francisco Giants (1970-72).

Following his playing career, he worked for the Massachusetts State Lottery for several years. He died of a heart attack on July 27, 2008, at the age of 69.

Source: Baseball Reference

New York-Penn League News History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball or any of its teams.
 

Today's Birthday: Johnny Rutherford, Olean Oilers (1947-48)

Originally posted on May 5, 2019....

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, or any of its teams.

Today's Birthday: Howie Koplitz, Jametown Falcons (1956)

Credits: Topps Co. & Trading Card Database

Former PONY (New York-Penn) League prospect Howie Koplitz was born on this date in 1938. He pitched in 10 games for the 1956 Jamestown Falcons (1-7, 5.82 ERA, 65 IP, 1.523 WHIP). 

Koplitz was the Minor League Player of the Year and Southern Association Most Valuable Player with the Birmingham Barons in 1961.

He made his major league debut in 1961 with Detroit and pitched in 54 games (9-7, 4.21 ERA) over 5 seasons with the Tigers (1961-62) and the Washington Senators (1964-66).

Koplitz died on January 2, 2012, at the age of 73.

Source: Baseball Reference 

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, or any of its teams. 

News from the PONY League on May 3, 1944

Opening Day!

Source: Bradford Evening Star and Daily Record  via Newspapers.com

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, or any of its teams. 

Today's Birthday: Larry Gowell (1967 Oneonta Yankees)

 

 

Source: Baseball Reference and Twitter

Photo: The Wiz and Trading Card Database

New York-Penn League History is not affiliated in any way with Minor League Baseball, or any of its teams.