Giants Manager : Bruce Bochy

Bruce Bochy is the manager of the defending champions, the San francisco Giants. This is his 5th season in San Francisco. The Giants signed him in 2007 following 12 seasons as the skipper of the Padres. 

Bochy spent most of his playing career as a back up catcher for the Mets, Padres and Astros. In 1979 he was teamed up with Jesus Alou on the Houston Astros.

In 1964 Jesus was on the San Francisco Giants along with his brother Matty Alou. 

In 1961 Matty played with another Alou in San Francisco, his other brother Felipe.

In 1965 Felipe played for the Milwaukee Braves along with knuckleballer, Phil Niekro.

Phil shared the mound in Atlanta with his brother Joe Niekro in 1974.

Joe Niekro played for the 1969 Cubs along with Ron Santo.

From Bruce Bochy to Ron Santo in 6 Degrees and 5 brothers.

Braves Manager : Fredi Gonzalez

The Braves have a new manager this year. Fredi Gonzalez has taken the helm after 21 years with Bobby Cox. Gonzalez was the manager of the Florida Marlins from 2007-2010

Fredi Gonzalez doesn't have a MLB card as he never made it past AA. He appeared on a regional card for the Greensboro Hornets in 1983 where he played with future big leaguer Roberto Kelly.

 

In 1992 Kelly was an All Star for the New York Yankees. Also in 1992 fellow Yankee, Steve Howe was banned for life (only to be reinstated) for substance abuse.

 

Coming off his Rookie of the Year season, Howe and bullpen mate Jerry Reuss were part of the 1981 World Series Champion Dodgers.

Ten years earlier Reuss pitched for the 1971 St. Louis Cardinals where Joe Torre was having an MVP season.

In 1962 a young Joe Torre caught for the veteran pitcher Lew Burdette on the Milwaukee Braves.

In 1965 Burdette made 7 appearances for the Cubs before being dealt to the Phillies. During that time he was teammates with Ron Santo.

From Fredi Gonzalez to Ron Santo in 6 degrees after a short stint in the minors.

D-Day 1944, MLB Cancels All Games

67 years ago today, Allied Forces invaded Normandy and Major League Baseball Cancelled all games. Yogi Berra served in the US Navy during WW II and was a gunners's mate during the D-Day invasion in 1944. In 1965 he served as player-coach on the New York Mets with a fellow veteran and future Hall of Famer, Warren Spahn who also served as player-coach.

Spahn earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for bravery during WWII.  In 1955 he was teammates with Bobby Thomson on the Milwaukee Braves.

Thomson was best known for the "shot heard 'round the world" but trained as a bombardier with the US Army Air Forces. In 1952 he guarded the left side of the Polo Grounds at 3rd base with Monte Irvin behind him in left field.

Monte spent three years during WWII with the Army Corps of Engineers.  In 1956 he joined a young Ernie Banks on the Chicago Cubs.

Banks served in the US Army for 2 years during the Korean War. He was teammates with Ron Santo on the Chicago Cubs for most of their careers.

From Yogi to Santo in 5 military maneuvers.  

Sparky Anderson and George Anderson

I read a nice article yesterday about the passing of Hall of Fame Manger, Sparking Anderson. Click Here  The article talks about 2 sides of the same person, the family man George Anderson and the manager, Sparky Anderson. I decided to treat George, the ballplayer and Sparky the Hall of Fame Manager as separate people and try to find links from George through Sparky and eventually to Ron Santo, within 6 degrees, of course.

The 1959 Philadelphia Phillies contained a young George Anderson and the veteran Robin Roberts.

In the twilight of his career Roberts pitched for the 1966 Houston Astros where Joe Morgan was emerging as a star.

Morgan was managed by Sparky Anderson on the 1974 Cincinatti Reds.

Sparky managed the World Series Champion 1984 Detroit Tigers which included Johnny Grubb.

Grubb played alongside Glenn Beckert on the 1974 San Diego Padres (or was it the 1974 Washington "Nat'l Lea."?).

Beckert roamed the 1965 Chicago Cubs infield with Ron Santo.

 From George Anderson, through Sparky Anderson all the way to Ron Santo in 6 degrees.