The Baseball Buffet for 12/26/2025

OF/1B Stan Musial - Cardinals (1941-63)

OF Al Kaline - Tigers (1954-74)

3B Sal Bando - Athletics (1966-76), Brewers (1977-81)

2B Joe Gordon - Yankees (1938-43, 46)

OF Tony Oliva - Twins (1964-76)

1B Steve Garvey - Dodgers (1969-82), Padres (1983-87)

3B Stan Hack - Cubs (1937-42, 45-47)

OF Roy White - Yankees (1969-79)

OF Willie Wilson - Royals (1978-90)

OF Starling Marte - Pirates (2012-19), Marlins (2020-21), Mets (2022-25)

SS/3B Rico Petrocelli - Red Sox (1966-76)

OF Johnny Callison - Phillies (1960-69), Cubs (1970-71)

OF Lorenzo Cain - Royals (2011-17), Brewers (2018-22)

OF Paul Blair - Orioles (1965-76)

OF Carl Furillo - Dodgers (1946-60)

1906: An interesting batter’s box idea. “National League umpire Hank O'Day suggests that the batter's box be outlined with white rubber strips rather than chalk, making it impossible for hitters to erase the lines. But the rule will never be implemented.”

1919: Red Sox owner sells Babe Ruth to the Yankees. “Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee makes a secret agreement to sell Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for $100,000 (one-fourth cash, plus $25,000 a year at 6 percent) plus guaranteeing a $300,000 loan with Fenway Park as collateral. The transaction will be announced publicly in one week.”

1934: Japan goes pro. “Matsutaro Shoriki, head of Yomiuri Newspapers, announces the official formation of Japan's first professional team, the Tokyo-based "Dai Nihon Tokyo Yakyu Club" (the future Yomiuri Giants). The team is made up of players signed to compete against the American All-Star team. Professional league play, with six teams, will not begin until 1936.”

2008: The Giants sign Randy Johnson for his final season. “44-year-old Randy Johnson, a five-time Cy Young Award winner, signs with his hometown San Francisco Giants for $8 million (with $5 million in incentives) for one season. Johnson is five wins shy of 300 for his career.”

Hall of Famer

19-year major league career, spanning from 1978-1996, with his first four seasons with Padres and the rest with the Cardinals

15-time All-Star, and winner of 13 Gold Glove Awards at SS. Widely considered the greatest defensive SS of all-time.

Interestingly, other than pinch-hitting and pinch-running, he never played any other position on the field besides SS.

Was a good base-stealer with 25+ SB in 14 seasons, including highs of 57 in SB in 1980 and 1988. He also had a solid 79.6% stolen base success rate too.

A switch-hitter, Smith didn’t provide much offense early in his career, but then later hit a modest .275+ seven times. Though still not providing much power with only 28 HR in 10,778 plate appearances, one exception came when he hit a game-winning, walk-off HR in game five of the 1985 NLCS (his first HR ever while batting left-handed.)

Overall had 2,460 hits, 1,257 runs, 580 SB, a .262 average, and a .337 OBP

Hall of Famer

24-year major league career, spanning from 1969-1993, all with the Red Sox and White Sox

Was AL Rookie of the Year in 1972 after batting .293, with 22 HR, an AL-leading 9 triples, and taking home a Gold Glove Award as a catcher

11-time All-Star

Had 20+ HR eight times, with a career-high of 37 HR in 1985

Could steal some bases, with 10+ SB four times, including 17 in his age-37 season in 1985

Remains second in all-time games as a catcher with 2,226, surpassed only by Iván Rodríguez (2,427)

Overall had 376 HR, 1,330 RBI, a .269/.341/.457 slash line, and a 117 OPS+

Hall of Famer

11-year major league career in the Negro Leagues, spanning from 1923-1936, playing with four different clubs

Considered one of the best defensive 3B in the Negro Leagues, Johnson also was a high-average hitter with top marks of .389 in 70 games in 1925 and .367 in 82 games in 1929

He didn't hit for much power, but could run some and led his league in hits twice

According to the data available at baseball-reference.com, overall he had a career .304/.350/.419 slash line and 104 OPS+, while regularly leading his league in many 3B fielding statistics

16-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1952-1968, mostly with the Cardinals, Giants, and Orioles

Was a mixed starter/reliever early in his career, and won the NL ERA title with a 2.47 mark in 1958 after starting 20 games with four complete games, but also pitching in relief 21 times

Was mostly a reliever from 1959 onward, with six consecutive seasons with 15+ saves

Was an All-Star in 1961 when he had a 14-5 record, 17 saves, and a 2.66 ERA over 122 IP and 63 relief appearances

Overall had a 105-103 record, 153 saves, a 3.24 ERA, and a 115 ERA+

17-year major league career, spanning from 1971-1988, with the Indians, Yankees and Braves

Was AL Rookie of the Year in 1971 for the Indians after batting .275 with a .341 OBP and a modest 9 HR

Was an All-Star in 1976 for the Yankees and hit .293 with 17 HR and a career-high 96 RBI

Played 1B and took home a Gold Glove Award in 1978

Overall had 185 HR, 972 RBI, a .279/.334/.415 slash line, and a 109 OPS+

First overall draft pick in 1986, taken by the Pirates

11-year major league career, spanning from 1989-1999, with the Pirates and Royals

Played a mix of 3B and 1B, with a little time spent at 2B

Developed more power in his early 30s, with 18-30 HR each year from 1995-1998, and had 111 RBI in 1996 for the Pirates and 112 RBI in 1997 for the Royals

Overall had 154 HR, a .256/.324/.425 slash line, and a 99 OPS+

2,709 - Omar Vizquel

2,674 - Derek Jeter

2,581 - Luis Aparicio

These were the best Minor League promos of 2025 -- one from every farm system, by Benjamin Hill at MLB, 12/24/2025

A year of mashed taters: Each team's longest HR of 2025, by Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru at MLB, 12/25/2025

3 things that could make Horton a 2026 Cy contender, by Theo DeRosa at MLB, 12/24/2025

Every team's largest contracts by total value, by Sarah Langs at MLB, 12/25/2025

Remembering Rickey, all-time steals king and 1 of 1, by Manny Randhawa at MLB, 12/25/2025

50 years of MLB closers, by Mark Kolier at Almost Cooperstown, 12/26/2025