On this day in 1943 Steve Whitaker was born in Tacoma, Washington. The Yankees signed him as an amateur free agent in 1962 and gave him his first major league opportunity in 1966, but the outfielder got a chance to go home when the Seattle Pilots picked him up in a trade just days before the 1969 season. He was acquired in exchange for future Rookie of the Year Lou Piniella.
Whitaker was in uniform but started the game on the bench when the Pilots played the first game in franchise history on April 8 of that year. He didn't have to wait long for his first opportunity, though: He came into the game as a defensive replacement in the second inning after Mike Hegan injured himself on a ball hit to right field. Whitaker went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts as the first substitution in franchise history.
Whitaker appeared in 69 games in his lone season with Seattle, hitting .250/.323/.440 with six home runs. Following the season he was traded to the Giants, where he appeared in 16 games in 1970 before calling it a career.
Thanks to the B-Ref Play Index for reminding me that Whitaker turns 70 today. We'd also like to wish a happy birthday to 2003 Brewer Mark Smith, who turns 43.
Today is also the second anniversary of Yovani Gallardo carrying a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Cardinals, which we covered in this space last year and Carlos Gomez hitting for the cycle as a 2008 Twin, which we covered in this space two years ago.