The best baseball players born on Sept. 6
Who are the best players born on each day of the year? We have a list for every day on the calendar.
Here is a subjective ranking of the top five for Sept. 6.
1) Red Faber (1888)
The only Hall of Famer born on this date, Faber was one of the last pitchers to legally throw the spitball regularly. The right-hander won at least 20 games four times, led the Majors in ERA in 1921 and the American League in ’22, and he captured a World Series title in 1917 with the White Sox.
2) Derrek Lee (1975)
An excellent all-around first baseman of the 2000s, Lee paced the National League in hits, doubles, hitting, slugging and OPS in 2005, when he became the only Cub since 1981 to win a batting title. The two-time All-Star was also a three-time Gold Glove winner and was a key contributor on the 2003 champion Marlins.
3) Vince DiMaggio (1912)
The youngest of the three DiMaggio brothers to play in the Majors, Vince did not enjoy as decorated of a career as his more famous family members. But he did make two All-Star teams in the early 1940s and was considered an elite defensive center fielder during his 10-year playing career. He also led the NL in strikeouts six times.
4) Mitch Moreland (1985)
Moreland helped the Red Sox defeat the Dodgers in the 2018 World Series, when his three-run homer off Ryan Madson in the seventh inning of Game 4 marked a turning point in the series. He also earned a Gold Glove with the Rangers in 2016 and All-Star recognition with Boston in ’18. He’s hit at least 20 home runs in a season four times.
5) Harry Danning (1911)
Danning was a four-time All-Star who played 10 seasons (1933-42) with the New York Giants. He twice compiled double-digit home runs in a season and appeared in two World Series with New York.
Others of note:
Fran Healy (1946)
One of the most successful players to transition to the broadcast booth, Healy was a useful backup catcher for three teams before embarking on a two-decade career calling Mets games. He was on the call for both the Mets’ 1986 World Series championship and their emotional victory over the Braves after the 2001 September 11th attacks.
Mark Teahen (1981)
The productive third baseman was a top prospect when he was part of the 2004 three-team trade that sent Carlos Beltran to the Astros, before Beltran set all sorts of records in the ’04 postseason. Teahen compiled double-digit homers in three seasons for the Royals as part of a seven-year career.
Jerry Blevins (1983)
The well-traveled reliever was one of the most effective left-handed specialists of the 2010s, holding left-handed hitters to a career .213 average against. All told, he made 609 appearances across 13 seasons, for four teams.
Jordan Hicks (1996)
Hicks jumped from Class A to make the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster as a 21-year-old in 2018, when he briefly became the Majors’ hardest thrower. He is the only pitcher in baseball history besides Aroldis Chapman and Ben Joyce to eclipse 105 mph, and he signed a four-year deal with the Giants before the 2024 season.
Want to see more baseball birthdays for Sept. 6? Find the complete list on Baseball Reference.