On this day in 1967, Cal Eldred was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He went to the University of Iowa and was 21 when the Brewers selected him with the 17th overall pick in the 1989 draft. Two years later he was a big leaguer for the first time, making three starts as a September call up in 1991.
Eldred pitched in nine seasons as a Brewer, but his best Brewer moments came early in his career. He went 11-2 with a 1.79 ERA as a midseason callup for the 1992 team that narrowly missed the playoffs. He then led the American League in starts (36) and innings (258) in 1993. Likely because of that heavy workload early in his career, he broke down in 1995 and only averaged 105 innings per season over his final five years in Milwaukee.
Eldred was sent to the White Sox in an ill-fated trade that brought Jaime Navarro back to the Brewers for the 2000 season. He went on to have a pretty good finish to his major league career, becoming a reliever and appearing in 145 games for the 2003-05 Cardinals.
Eldred turns 44 today. With help from Brewerfan.net and the B-Ref Play Index, we'd also like to wish a happy birthday to:
- 2011 Brewer 18th round pick Chris McFarland, who turns 19.
- 1996-97 Brewer Ben McDonald, who turns 44.