On this day in 1953, Sixto Joaquin Curras Lezcano was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. He was 17 years old when the Brewers signed him as an amateur free agent in 1970 and made his big league debut as a 20 year old September callup in 1974.
For most of the next six seasons Lezcano was a fixture in right field, averaging 128 games per season and hitting .275/.354/.452. Easily his best season as a Brewer came in 1979, when Lezcano won a Gold Glove and received the only MVP votes of his career while hitting .321/.414/.573. Among players who qualified for the batting title, Lezcano's .987 OPS was the fifth highest in franchise history:
| Player | Season | OPS |
| Prince Fielder | 2009 | 1.014 |
| Prince Fielder | 2007 | 1.013 |
| Paul Molitor | 1987 | 1.003 |
| Ryan Braun | 2011 | .994 |
| Sixto Lezcano | 1979 | .987 |
Of course, Lezcano's Brewer departure was also notable. Following the 1980 season he was the primary player sent to St. Louis in a seven player deal that netted the Brewers future AL Cy Young and MVP Rollie Fingers, future Cy Young Award winner Pete Vuckovich and should-be Hall of Famer Ted Simmons. Lezcano played five more major league seasons, but just one of them came as a Cardinal.
Lezcano, currently working as a minor league coach in the Braves organization, turns 58 today. With help from the B-Ref Play Index, we'd also like to wish a happy birthday to:
- 2006-10 Brewer Carlos Villanueva, who turns 28.
- 1996 Brewer Terry Burrows, who turns 43.