Bob "Death to Flying Things" Ferguson (1845)
George Burns (1893)
Pinky Hargrave (1896)
Jackie Robinson (1919)
Ernie Banks (1931)
Hank Aguirre (1931)
Nolan Ryan (1947)
Fred Kendall (1949)
Ted Power (1955)
Rafael Santana (1958)
Francisco Oliveras (1963)
Right-hander Francisco Oliveras began his major league career with Minnesota. He was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico and signed with Baltimore as a free agent in 1980. He played his first full season at AA in 1982 at age 19 and did quite well, posting a 3.55 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. He struggled after that, however, not posting another ERA below four until 1987, when he again spent most of the season at AA. He became a minor league free agent after the 1987 season and signed with Minnesota. Most of his time in the Twins' organization was spent in AAA, but he was in the majors for the months of May and June of 1989. He pitched about like you'd expect someone with his track record to pitch: in 12 games, eight of them starts, he went 3-4, 4.53 with a WHIP of 1.42 and an ERA+ of 92. Oliveras began 1990 with AAA Portland, but was traded to San Francisco at the end of May for a player to be named later, who turned out to be Ed Gustafson. He played for the Giants most of the rest of 1990, nearly all of 1991, and most of 1992, working primarily as a reliever. He did a good job for them, posting an ERA in the mid-threes and WHIPs around 1.2. He became a free agent after the 1992 season and signed with Texas. Things did not go well for him there: he failed to make the team, had a poor year in AAA, and was released after the season. He showed up in 1998, playing for Nashua in the independent Atlantic League, but other than that he was done as an active player. No information about Francisco Oliveras since then was readily available.
okay, is this really his mustache, or did someone draw it onto the card later?
he should be smoking a big cigar.
Death to flying things?
He got the nickname for his prowess at catching balls hit in the air. It's one of my all-time favorite nicknames.