The best baseball players born on Sept. 13
Who are the best players born on each day of the year? We have a list for every day on the calendar.
Here’s a subjective ranking of the top five for Sept. 13.
1) Bernie Williams (1968)
Beloved by Yankees fans as a key contributor to the dynasty clubs that won four World Series titles from 1996-2000, Williams spent his entire 16-year career with New York and had his No. 51 retired by the franchise in 2015. A five-time AL All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner and one-time Silver Slugger Award recipient, Williams won the 1998 AL batting title with a .339 average (he hit over .300 for eight straight seasons, from 1995-2002). Williams is the Yanks' all-time postseason leader in homers (22) and RBIs (80) and was the MVP of the 1996 ALCS. Williams, who’s become quite the guitarist, also inspired one of Yankees broadcaster John Sterling’s top home run calls: “Bern, baby, Bern!”
2) Eddie Rommel (1897)
The right-hander, who spent his entire 13-year career with the Philadelphia Athletics, is considered to be the “first moundsman to make extensive use of the knuckleball.” His final big league win, which took place on July 10, 1932, is completely absurd as it came during an appearance in which he allowed 14 runs (13 earned) while pitching 17 innings … in relief! After his playing career was over, Rommel became an umpire, and in 1956, Rommel and Frank Umont "broke a long-standing taboo by becoming the first umpires to wear eyeglasses on the field."
3) Rick Wise (1945)
A two-time All-Star, the right-hander’s most notable moment came on June 23, 1971, when he not only threw a no-hitter for the Phillies against the Reds, he also homered twice in the same game! Wise is the only player to pull off that amazing feat. Wise also was the winning pitcher in one of the most iconic games in MLB history, as he held the Reds scoreless in the top of the 12th inning during Game 6 of the 1975 World Series before Carlton Fisk led off the bottom half of the frame with his legendary home run for the Red Sox.
4) Rick Dempsey (1949)
The 1983 World Series MVP is one of the most beloved Orioles in the history of the franchise. Dempsey’s big league career started in 1969 and didn’t end until 1992, making him one of three catchers to play in four decades (along with Carlton Fisk and Tim McCarver). Dempsey also was a showman known for his “rain delay theater,” with his greatest performance coming at Fenway Park in 1977 when he “pantomimed Babe Ruth, dashed around the tarp-covered diamond and ultimately plunged headfirst into home plate.”
5) Daisuke Matsuzaka (1980)
Dice-K was a star pitcher in Japan before joining the Red Sox after Boston paid the Seibu Lions $51.1 million for the right to negotiate with Matsuzaka, then signed him to a six-year, $52 million contract in December 2006. While he didn’t live up to the hype in MLB (and his mythical “gyroball” pitch apparently didn’t actually exist), the right-hander won a World Series with Boston in 2007 and had his best season in ‘08, when he went 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 29 starts. Dice-K’s final MLB appearance came with the Mets in 2014.
Others of note:
Thornton Lee (1906)
The big left-hander went 22-11 with a 2.37 ERA and an MLB-leading 30 complete games for the White Sox in 1941.
Rickie Weeks Jr. (1982)
An All-Star in 2011, Weeks -- the No. 2 overall pick in the '03 Draft -- is a member of the Brewers Wall of Honor.
Want to see more baseball birthdays for Sept. 13? Find the complete list on Baseball Reference.