On this day in 1939 Ricardo Adolfo Jacobo "Rico" Carty was born in San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic. He was 19 years old when the Milwaukee Braves signed him as an amateur free agent in 1959 and 24 when he made his major league debut as a September callup in 1963.
Carty's first full major league season was a good one, as the corner outfielder hit .330/.388/.554 for the 1964 Braves and finished second to Dick Allen in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. Carty played one more partial season in Milwaukee before following the Braves to Atlanta in 1966.
Carty was with the Braves in Atlanta when he won the 1970 batting title (hitting .366) and made his only All Star appearance. He retired following the 1979 season, when he was one of the last remaining Milwaukee Braves still active in the majors.
Carty also has a minor tie to the Brewers: His nephew Julio Santana pitched briefly for the Crew in 2006.
Thanks to the B-Ref Play Index for informing me that Carty turns 73 today.
Today is also the 25th anniversary of Teddy Higuera's one-hitter against the Royals in 1987. We covered that event in this space last year.