On this day in 1969 Jose Antonio Figueroa Hernandez was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. He was 18 when the Rangers signed him as an amateur free agent in 1987 and was a big leaguer for the first time with Texas in 1991 at the age of 22.
All told Hernandez played 15 seasons in the majors as a member of nine teams, including the 2000-02 Brewers. He was there when he led all of baseball with 185 strikeouts in 2001 and again with 188 in 2002, and he also represented Milwaukee in the 2002 All Star Game in his only Midsummer Classic appearance.
Hernandez played his last major league game in 2006 and has since gone into coaching. He's spending 2012 on the coaching staff of the Carolina League Frederick Keys (High-A, Orioles organization).
Hernandez turns 43 today. With help from the B-Ref Play Index, we'd also like to wish a happy birthday to:
- 2009 Brewer Mike Burns, who turns 34.
- 1995 Brewer Derrick May, who turns 44.
- Seattle Pilot and 1970-71 Brewer Danny Walton, who turns 65.
Today is also the anniversary of the 1999 crane collapse that killed three workers during the construction of Miller Park. We covered that event in this space last year.