Today is the 64th day of the year. This means that today is the birthday of Brian Hunter, a veteran outfielder who was in the Philadelphia Phillies' 2001 training camp in Clearwater, FL, and who was born on the 64th day of the year.
But wait a minute! The Phillies had two veteran outfielders named Brian Hunter in training camp that year! Which one do I mean?
Well, it can be either one, depending on whether it is leap year or not.
Brian Raynold Hunter was born on March 4, 1968, the 64th day of that year, since it was a leap year. So today really is his birthday, since it's also a leap year. He debuted in the majors on May 31, 1991, for the Atlanta Braves. I used to see him on Braves games on TBS when he was with the team from 1991-1993 and again in 1999-2000. In between those two stints, he played for four other teams, although he did not play in the majors at all in 1997. He was claimed off waivers from the Braves by the Phillies in 2000. He went to spring training with them the following year but was released. That was the end of his major league career. Brian Raynold Hunter batted righthanded and threw lefthanded, which is not that common among non-pitchers.
Brian Lee Hunter was born on March 5, 1971, the 64th day of that year, since it was not a leap year. So his birthday is really tomorrow. He debuted in the majors on June 27, 1994, with the Houston Astros. (No Hall of Famers have been born on June 27, and there is no chance for one any time soon unless Jim Edmonds somehow convinces some veterans voters or Yordan Alvarez overcomes the Astros' issues and continues the promise he showed as the AL Rookie of the Year last year). Brian Lee Hunter played for the Astros in 1994-1996 and then finished his career with them in 2002-2003. In between, he played for five other teams, including the 2001 Phillies, having made the club out of spring training.
Believe it or not, I know of one other situation in which two players with the same name who were active at the same time had post-February 28 birthdays a day apart, but because the one born on the earlier date was born in a leap year, and the other wasn't, they were born on the same numbered day of the year. (During my career as a computer programmer, we called the number day of the year a "Julian date". So today is Julian date 064, or actually 20064 or 2020064.) I may make you wait until December 13 to let you know who they are, but I may tell you this sooner.
I promised no March Madness stuff on my blog, but if you want to read it elsewhere, check out A Look Back at March Madness in the 2010s.
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