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On this day in 1976 the Brewers signed longtime major league outfielder Vada Pinson. Pinson had debuted in the majors as a 19-year-old with the 1958 Reds and appeared in 2469 games over 18 seasons with five teams, making two All Star teams, twice leading the NL in hits and finishing third in the 1961 NL MVP voting.
Pinson still ranks 52nd on baseball's all-time list with 2757 career hits, and 22nd all time with 1681 games played in center field. He didn't add to either of those numbers as a Brewer, though, as the team released him at the end of spring training and ended his major league career.
With help from the B-Ref Play Index, happy birthday today to:
- Terry Forster, 2002 inductee into the Appleton Baseball Hall of Fame. He turns 61.
- Seattle Pilot and 1972 Brewer Ron Clark, who turns 70.
Today is also the 13th anniversary of the end of outfielder Alex Ochoa's first tenure with the Brewers as he was traded to the Reds in 2000. We covered that event in this space last year.