Happy 26th birthday Javy Báez!
By Tab Bamford
December 1 has been an interesting date in history.
Santo Domingo (now the Dominican Republic) proclaimed its independence from Spain on that date in 1821.
In the baseball world, Dec. 1 is the anniversary of Luis Aparicio becoming the first Latino Rookie of the Year (1956) and the Houston Colt .45s becoming the Astros (1964).
Not quite as impactful but still noteworthy, Michael Jackson released his “Thriller” album on Dec. 1, 1982.
Magic came into the world on Dec. 1, 1992. “El Mago,” Javier Báez was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico and today celebrates his 26th birthday.
So what was the world like when Javy entered it? Let’s look back at 1993, his first year on the planet.
1993 Puerto Rico Facts
In the Referendum, Puerto Rican voters reaffirmed the island’s status as a Commonwealth, not a state.
The U.S. Postal Service issued an stamp to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s landing on Puerto Rico.
Law Number 1 passed, declaring English and Spanish as the official languages of Puerto Rico.
1993 Chicago Cubs Facts
On Tuesday, April 6, 1993, Puerto Rican starter José Guzmán picked up the Cubs’ first win of the 1993 season as Chicago’s number two starter. He threw a complete game shutout against Hall of Famer John Smoltz, who also threw a complete game. Final score: 1-0. The only run that day was scored by another Puerto Rican, Rey Sánchez.
1993 was Sammy Sosa’s second season on Chicago’s north side. He was a 30-30 player that year, leading the Cubs with 33 home runs and 36 stolen bases. He also had a team-leading 93 RBI.
The Chicago Cubs primary infield in 1993 was:
- Catcher: Rick Wilkins
- First Base: Mark Grace
- Second Base: Ryne Sandberg
- Shortstop: Rey Sánchez
- Third Base: Steve Buechele
