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Famous Mormons in Baseball Page 2
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“This summer (1841) I played my first game of ball with the Prophet Joseph Smith. We took turns knocking and chasing the ball, and when the game was over the Prophet said, ‘Brethren, hitch up your teams,’ which we did, and we all drove to the woods to gather firewood for the poor. Autobiography of Mosiah Hancock, typescript, BYU |
 Photo: Grandstand Sports |
Kelly Downs pitcher San Francisco Giants Oakland Athletics |
Drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 26th round of the 1979 amateur draft. A tall control specialist, he spent six full seasons in the minors before reaching the Giants in 1986. He played for 8 seasons on 2 teams and ended his big league playing career in 1993. | CNN |
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Jacoby Ellsbury Boston Red Sox |
Jacoby McCabe Ellsbury (born September 11, 1983)
Ellsbury is half-Navajo and was raised a Mormon. He took batting practice during college with a wooden bat. He tied a franchise mark with 4 stolen bases in one game. Sets Pawtucket Red Sox record by getting a hit in 25 straight games (8/30/07) Native American Heritage |
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Shawn Estes pitcher San Francisco Giants New York Mets Cincinnati Reds Chicago Cubs |
He was born in San Bernadino, California. He was drafted by the
Seattle Mariners in the 1st round (11th pick) of the 1991 amateur draft.
He began his Major League baseball career four years later, with the
Giants in 1995
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Baseball Almanac |
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Kyle Farnsworth pitcher Chicago Cubs |
He was born in Wichita, Kansas.
He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 47th round of the 1994 amateur
draft.
He began his Major League baseball career five years later, with the Chicago
Cubs.
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Baseball
Almanac
"Sports: Batter's Off, Pitchers Steal Show" by Kent Larsen, Mormon News, 07 Aug 2001 |
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Mike Fetters relief pitcher California Brewers Milwaukee Brewers Oakland Athletics Anaheim Angels Baltimore Orioles Los Angeles Dodgers Pittsburg Pirates Arizona Diamondbacks Minnesota Twins |
He was born in Van Nuys, California. He played college ball for
Pepperdine University. He was drafted by the California Angels in
the 1st round (27th pick) of the 1986 amateur draft. He began his
major league career three years later.
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Baseball Reference |
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Jerry Garvin Toronto Blue Jays |
Theodore
Jerry Garvin
was born on
October 21, 1955, in Oakland, California.
He was the Blue Jays starter for their 1978 opener, and was clearly the
team’s best pitcher in 1980 with a 2.29 ERA (189 ERA+ in 82 2/3 IP). He
did well the year before, but didn’t pitch much. Jerry was a
bishop in the Folsom 4th ward in
the Folsom California Stake.
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Luis "Louie" Gomez shortstop Minnesota Twins Toronto Blue Jays Atlanta Braves |
He was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 7th round of the 1973 amateur draft. He began his Major League baseball career one year later. He joined the Church shortly after he met Dale Murphy and other LDS athletes such as Alan Ashby. He played for played for 8 seasons on 3 different teams and ended his big league playing career in 1981. | Baseball Almanac |
Photo: Canadian Baseball News |
Jim Gott pitcher Toronto Blue Jays San Francisco Giants Pittsburg Pirates Los Angeles Dodgers |
He was born in Hollywood, California. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 4th round of the 1977 amateur draft. He began his Major League baseball career in 1982 with the Toronto Blue Jays. He played 14 seasons with 4 different teams and ended his big league playing career in 1995. In 2002, he worked as a pitching coach for Dennis Quaid, who plays Jim Morris in the film The Rookie. | Baseball Reference |
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Photo cleveland.indians.mlb.com |
Jeremy Guthrie Cleveland Indians Baltimore Orioles
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Jeremy Served a mission in Spain. Guthrie said serving a mission has had a "tremendous" effect on his career. "My beliefs are deeper and stronger than they were before my mission. There are situations that aren't conducive to the spirit, so it's good to have that foundation," he said. Deseret News |
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Roy Halladay pitcher Toronto Blue Jays Philadelphia Phillies |
He was born in Denver, Colorado.
He was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1st round (17th pick) of the 1995 amateur draft.
He made his major league debut three years later.
He had more wins than any other major league pitcher in 2002 & 2003.On October 6, 2010 Roy Halladay threw the second no-hitter in post season history (Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series being the first) against the Cincinnati Reds in game one of the NLDS. It was his second no-hitter of the year (the perfect game on May 29 being the first) |
Baseball Reference |
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Bryce Harper No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 baseball draft by The Nationals |
The Nationals selected the Bryce Harper, a 17-year-old
with prodigious power from the College of Southern Nevada, with the No.
1 overall pick in 2010 draft. Harper hit .443 with 31 homers and 98 RBIs
in his first college season in a wood bat league, after skipping his
final two years of high school and getting his GED. He has hit the longest home run in the history of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, and his blast of 502 feet would have gone farther if it hadn't hit the back wall of the dome. As a catcher, he picks off runners from his knees and he throws a 96 mph fastball. He will start with the nationals in right field. |
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Chad Hermansen Pittsburg Pirates Chicago Cubs Los Angeles Dodgers |
He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah.
He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1st round (10th pick) of the 1995 amateur draft.
He made his major league debut four years later. LDS Athlete List by Kelly Martinez, Meridian Magazine, 05 Dec 2003 |
Baseball Reference |
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Ken Hubbs (1941-1964) Chicago Cubs |
Born in Riverside, California. Signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent in 1959. He began his Major League baseball career two years later. In 1962, he was rookie of the year. He set a major-league record with 78 consecutive errorless games. "Hubbs of the Cubs" was the first rookie to win a Gold Glove. He played for three seasons and ended his big league playing career in 1964 when a private plane he was piloting crashed in Utah, killing him. | Baseball Reference |
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Ken Hunt pitcher Cincinnati Reds |
Born in Ogden, Utah. (December
14, 1938 - January 27, 2008)
He signed a contract with the Cincinnati Reds where he played
professional baseball for 8 years. He was selected as the 1961 National League
Rookie Pitcher of the Year. That same year the Reds won the National League
Championship Pennant and he pitched in the 5th game of the 1961 World Series
against the New York Yankees.
Ken and Carol settled in Morgan Utah where Ken taught English and coached at Morgan High School for 30 years, retiring in 2003. In 2004, Ken felt honored to be inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame. |
Baseball Reference |
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Bruce Hurst pitcher Boston Red Sox San Diego Padres Colorado Rockies Texas Rangers |
Bruce Hurst was born in St. George, Utah.
He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 1st round (22nd pick) of the
1976 amateur draft.
He began his Major League baseball career four years later.
He played 15 seasons on 4 teams and ended his big league playing career in
1994.
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CNN |
