Yes, this is a random piece we’re doing today, but it’s our prerogative. There also is not a lot to choose from here, for any number of reasons. Midsummer birthdays aren’t popular, really, because for generations, people didn’t have random sex for pleasure; too much of it was about procreation, and intercourse itself revolved around special dates on the calendar. Early October? Not special—unless you’re a baseball fan.

(The jokes write themselves, right?)

Anyway, here is our list of the best baseball players born today:

4. Mario Soto (25.8 WAR)

He actually was a three-time All-Star selection as a starting pitcher, which is impressive. But his career was derailed by injuries, somewhat. Soto pitched for 12 seasons in the majors, all with the Cincinnati Reds, but his timing was rough: 1977-1988. He missed the dominance of the Big Red Machine, really, and then he was out of the majors by the time the Reds won the World Series again in 1990. That’s bad timing, for sure.

Also, he really only pitched in six somewhat-full seasons, from 1980-1985, for a variety of reasons, including the aforementioned injuries. He did lead the National League in complete games twice, though (1983, 1984), and he also topped the NL in WHIP once (1982). In 1980 and 1982, Soto was the best among his NL peers for K/9, which is impressive as well. Overall, his best season was 1982 (7.5 WAR).

With 100 total wins and a 3.47 lifetime ERA, his MLB counterpart comparables include Eric Show, John Montefusco, Sam Jones, Jim Bibby, Tim Lincecum, and Steve Blass. He only made one postseason appearance (1979), but he pitched 2 scoreless innings for the Reds against the eventual World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates. Sadly, he didn’t received a single vote in his one year on the HoF ballot.

3. Lee Meadows (28.3 WAR)

He may be best known for being the first MLB player to wear glasses on the field in the modern era, in truth. With 188 lifetime wins and a 3.37 ERA, Meadows was a member of the 1925 World Series champion Pirates, although he also pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies over a 15-year career in the senior circuit alone. Strangely, he did lead the NL in losses twice with the Cards (1916, 1919).

But that didn’t keep him from posting a winning record in his career (180 losses), which is quite impressive if you think about it. In his last full season, 1927, he also led the NL in complete games (25), one year after leading the league in wins (20). He pitched in the Fall Classic twice (1925, 1927), but he finished with an 0-2 postseason record, along with a rough 6.28 ERA. But he did have to face the 1927 New York Yankees, so …

His similar-stat correlatives in MLB history include Dolf Luque, Rick Wise, Larry Jackson, Dutch Leonard, Bullet Joe Bush, and Doyle Alexander. In his only year on the Cooperstown ballot, he received just 0.8 percent of the vote. Two fun little facts: Meadows notched 7 saves over his career, and his best season came in 1927 when he was 32 years old (5.4 WAR). He only pitched 10 2/3 innings after that, ever.

2. Howie Kendrick (35.0 WAR)

Everyone always predicted Kendrick would win a batting title, because of his “sweet swing”—but it never happened. In fact, he only made one All-Star team (2011) in a 15-year career that saw him finish with a .294 batting average overall. Kendrick was a member of the 2019 World Series champion Washington Nationals, however, when he won the NL Championship Series MVP along the way. So, in the end, he did alright.

He played for four teams in his career, although most people probably associate him with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Kendrick did spend two years with the L.A. Dodgers, though, and he played 39 games for the Phillies, too, before finishing his career with the Nats in 2020. He did hit over. 300 six times in his career, and Kendrick also compiled an impressive 1,747 hits in his career as a utility player, really.

Primarily a second baseman for the first part of his career, he also played a lot in left field and at first base near the end of the line. Kendrick’s glove was never great, but he did end up as a positive defender overall (3.9 career dWAR). He didn’t walk a lot or steal bases, really, and his power was less than average, too. His MLB comparables include Jeff Cirillo, Daniel Murphy, Joe Randa, Carlos Baerga, and José Vidro.

1. Ron Fairly (35.1 WAR)

Probably better known for his broadcasting career, Fairly played for 21 seasons and was in the booth for 27 seasons, giving him a 48-year career in the MLB. He played for six teams, overall: the Dodgers (1958-1969), the Montréal Expos (1969-1974), St. Louis (1975-1976), the Oakland Athletics (1976), the Toronto Blue Jays (1977), and the California Angels (1978). He was a two-time All Star and a three-time Series champion.

Playing both first base and right field, he had 1,913 hits and 215 home runs in his career. He also hit .300 in the postseason—all World Series appearances—with the Dodgers, including a .379 effort with 2 HRs and 6 RBI in the 1965 Fall Classic against the Minnesota Twins. Fairly finished with more walks (1,052) than strikeouts (877), too, which is an impressive feat for any player that gets more than two decades in MLB.

His correlative peers? Ken Singleton, Dusty Baker (before he became an enabler of cheaters, of course), Jeff Conine, George Scott, and Sal Bando. As for his broadcasting career? It started with the Angels, and he did a stint as the hitting coach, too, while also being in the booth. That’s pretty crazy! He also did broadcasting for the San Francisco Giants (1987-1992) and the Seattle Mariners (1993-2006).