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In 1985, first baseman Steven Patrick Garvey established a Major League Baseball record for most consecutive errorless games by an infielder. This record stood until April 2, 2008, when it was bested by Kevin Youkilis.

Garvey played football and baseball at Michigan State University. Garvey played his entire career in the National League West for the L.A. Dodgers (1969-82) and the San Diego Padres (1983-87). In a 19-year career, Garvey was a .294 hitter with 272 home runs and 1308 RBI in 2332 games played. Garvey was part of the longest starting infield to play together with Ron Cey, Bill Russell and Davey Lopes.

Garvey is one of only two players to have started an All-Star Game as a write-in vote, doing so in 1974.

Garvey set a National League record with 1207 consecutive games played, from September 3, 1975, to July 29, 1983. The streak ended when he broke his thumb in a collision at home plate against the Atlanta Braves.

In the 1978 National League Championship Series, Garvey hit four home runs, and added a double for five extra base hits, both marks tying Bob Robertson's 1971 NLCS record; Jeffrey Leonard would tie the NLCS home run record in the 1987 NLCS.

On his first trip to Los Angeles as a Padre, he took out a full-page newspaper ad thanking fans for their past support.

On October 6, 1984, during Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, Garvey hit a two-run walk-off home run off of Lee Smith in the 9th inning to give the Padres a 7 to 5 victory over the Chicago Cubs. The next day, the Padres won the National League pennant for the first time in franchise history.

Garvey's jersey #6, worn when he was both a Padre and Dodger is retired by the Padres. His number 6 was displayed at the site of his 1984 NLCS home run in right field at Qualcomm Stadium.

This data was drawn from Wikipedia.

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David Gene Parker (born June 9, 1951), nicknamed "The Cobra",  was the 1978 National League MVP and a two-time batting champion. Parker was the first professional athlete to earn an average of one million dollars per year, having signed a five-year, $5 million contract in January 1979. Parker's career achievements include 2712 hits, 339 home runs, 1493 runs batted in and a lifetime batting average of .290. Parker was also known as a solid defensive outfielder during the first half of his career, with a powerful arm, winning three consecutive Gold Gloves during his prime. From 1975 to 1979, he threw out 72 runners, including 26 in 1977.

Parker grew up in Cincinnati near Crosley Field, where he learned to play baseball on the stadium's parking lots. 

He was a baseball All-Star in 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, and 1990. In the 1979 All-Star Game, Parker showcased his defensive ability and powerful arm by throwing out Jim Rice at third base and Angels catcher Brian Downing at home. Parker also contributed an RBI on a sacrifice fly and was named the game's MVP.

Wade Anthony Boggs' hitting in the 1980s and 1990s made him a perennial contender for American League batting titles, in much the same way as his National League contemporary Tony Gwynn. Boggs was elected to the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. With 12 straight All-Star appearances, Boggs is third only to Brooks Robinson and George Brett in number of consecutive appearances as a third baseman. His finest season was 1987 when he set career highs in HR(24), RBI(89), and slugging percentage(.588). Also in that season he batted .363 and held a .461 OBP, both stats leading the league.

A left-handed hitter, Boggs won five batting titles starting in 1983. He also batted .349 in his rookie year which would have won the batting title, but was 121 plate appearances short of the required minimum of 502. From 1982 to 1988, Boggs hit below .349 only once, hitting .325 in 1984. From 1983 to 1989, Boggs rattled off seven consecutive seasons in which he collected 200 or more hits, an American League record for consecutive 200-hit seasons that was later matched by Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki.

He is credited with teaching the Yankees their current pitch-selection technique; swinging only at perfect pitches and fouling off close but tough to hit pitches, forcing teams to go to their usually weak bullpens. Before Boggs joined the Yankees, they were 14th in pitches per plate appearance, and 4th and then 1st after he joined. In addition, the Yankees were 12th and 8th in on base percentage the two years prior to Boggs joining the team and 2nd the year he came on board (1993), followed by 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 1st.

His "#12" has been retired by the Tampa Bay Rays. Although he has not had his number retired by the Boston Red Sox, he was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in 2004.

This data was drawn from Wikipedia.

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Alvin Glenn Davis was a first baseman/DH who played for the Seattle Mariners and the California Angels.

Davis played college baseball at Arizona State and broke into the Majors with the Mariners in 1984 and remained there until 1992 when he played one season for the Angels before retiring. He was the 1984 winner of the American League Rookie of the Year Award, he also an All-Star in his season debut.

Davis was a career .280 hitter with 160 home runs and 683 RBI in 1206 games. He hit 20-plus homers in three seasons and drove in over 100 runs in two.

Though Davis' statistics are by no means mind-blowing, he was well-known by Mariners fans and held just about every offensive team record for quite a few years. He burst onto the major league scene in 1984, homering in his first two big-league games and collecting three doubles in his third. He won his team's MVP award that season and was named American League Rookie of the Year after posting .284, 27HRs, 116 RBI. Davis, who was nicknamed "Mr. Mariner", was inducted into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame in 1997.[1]

This data was drawn from Wikipedia.

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Darrell Evans is a former third and first baseman in who played from 1969 to 1989 with the Atlanta Braves (1969-76, 1989), San Francisco Giants (1976-83) and Detroit Tigers (1984-88). Overshadowed in his prime by fellow National League third baseman Mike Schmidt, he has been described by author Bill James as the most underrated player in baseball history, primarily because his defensive skill, home run power, and ability to draw walks in a long career were offset by a low career batting average of .248.

Evans became the first player to hit 40 home runs in both leagues, and at 38 became the oldest player ever to lead the league in home runs. Evans hit over 20 home runs in 10 different seasons and drew over 100 walks 5 times, with a career high 126 in 1974. In 1988, he hit his 400th home run, becoming the 22nd player to reach that milestone. He retired after having joined Reggie Jackson in becoming only the second player to hit 100 home runs with three different teams, and ranking in 11th place among all-time walks leaders. Evans hit 60 home runs in his 40s, a major league record. He later served as a coach with the New York Yankees in 1990.

A two-time All-Star (1973 and 1983), Evans was selected as the third baseman on the 1973 Sporting News National League All-Star team. He won the 1983 Willie Mac Award for his spirit and leadership.

Evans gained unusual attention when he stated in 1984 that he and his wife had witnessed a UFO in 1982 at their home in Pleasanton, California.

He also works as a consultant for Netamin Communcation Corporation, ensuring accuracy as the gaming company develops Ultimate Baseball Online 2007, the first-ever Massively Multiplayer Online Sports Game (MMOSG).

This data was drawn from Wikipedia.

This episode was originally broadcast as a national radio syndication in May 1987.

Smarter Podcasts.com, Delivering Sound Advice.

Johnny Bench (12/7/47) is widely regarded as one of the greatest catchers in Major League Baseball history. 

Bench was a key member of the Reds' 1975 and 1976 World Series championship teams known as "The Big Red Machine."

Bench was a standout baseball player for Binger High School, in the small western Oklahoma town of Binger. His father advised him that the fastest route to the majors was being a catcher. He was drafted in the 2nd round of the '65 amateur draft and was called up in August of '67 where he hit just .163, but impressed many with his defensive prowess and strong throwing arm. Among those he impressed during his first taste of big league ball was Hall of Famer Ted Williams, who signed a baseball for him: "A Hall of Famer for sure!"

He won the '68 NL Rookie of the Year, batting .275 with 15 HRs and 82 RBIs. In his career, Bench earned 10 Gold Gloves, was the MVP in '70 & '72, and was named to the NL All-Star team 12 times. He also won the Lou Gehrig Award ('75), and the Babe Ruth Award ('76). His most dramatic home run was the 9th inning lead-off opposite field home run in the final game of the '72 NLCS vs. the Pirates. It was hailed after the game as "one of the great clutch home runs of all time."

Bench was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York in 1989, appearing on 96% of the ballots — the third-highest ever at the time.

He was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1989 and had his #5 retired.

In 1999, he ranked Number 16 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, the highest-ranking catcher, and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

Starting with the 2000 college baseball season, the best collegiate catcher annually receives the Johnny Bench Award.

Chuck Tanner (7/4/28-2/11/11) was a left-handed batter and thrower, who signed his first contract with the Boston Braves. He played for eight seasons (1955 - 1962) for four different teams: the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Angels, as well as the Braves (then based in Milwaukee) and the Indians. In 396 games played, Tanner batted .261 with 21 home runs.

In 1963 he began managing in the Angels' minor league system, where in 1970 he led the AAA Hawaii Islanders to 98 wins in 146 games and the Pacific Coast League pennant. He then received his first major league managing assignment in 1970 with the Chicago White Sox.

With the White Sox, Tanner managed the temperamental Dick Allen. His most successful season with the Sox came in 1972, when he managed them to a close second-place finish in the AL West behind the eventual World Series champion Oakland Athletics. Tanner managed the Sox until 1975.

In 1976, Charles Finley hired Tanner to manage the Oakland Athletics. With speedy players such as Bert Campaneris, Bill North, and Don Baylor, Tanner made the A's into a running team, stealing a major league-record 341 bases. 

Before the 1977 season, the A's were in the process of trading off many of their stars of the great team that won three straight championships from 1972-74. Part of the sell-off was the trading of Tanner's services to the Pittsburgh Pirates for an aging Manny Sanguillen. 

He reached the pinnacle of his managerial career in '79 with the World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates. Tanner was well known for his unrelenting optimism, which permeated his teams. The Pirates won in 79 after falling behind, 3-1 in the World Series. Tanner finished his managerial career with the Atlanta Braves.

He is the father of former MLB player and coach Bruce Tanner. In 2006, he was invited to be a coach in the 2006 All Star game by NL manager Phil Garner, and threw out the first pitch.

Michael "Mickey" Hatcher was, most notably, Kirk Gibson's replacement for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1988 World Series, batting .368 (7/19) with two home runs and five RBI. He is from Mesa, Arizona.

He is admired for his fun-loving approach to playing baseball, particularly on the World Champion 1988 Dodger team, and was featured in various presentations to the tune of the "Mickey Mouse Club" song. He would sprint to first base after drawing walks, like Pete Rose, and garnered a lot of media attention in the 1988 World Series by hitting a first-inning home run in Game 1 and sprinting full-speed around the bases instead of jogging. This prompted NBC broadcaster Vin Scully to say "He's a Saturday Evening Post character!" and "He's running like he's afraid they're going to take it off the board!" Hatcher had only hit one home run in that 1988 season, but hit two in the World Series.

He is currently the hitting coach for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, with whom he won his second World Series title, in 2002. The Angels are managed by Mike Scioscia, Hatcher's teammate from the 1988 World Championship team.

This data was drawn from Wikipedia.

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Rob Deer (September 29, 1960) is a former American baseball player who was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 4th round of the 1978 amateur draft.

Deer is famous for hitting the game-tying home run on Easter Sunday in 1987, to give the Milwaukee Brewers their 12th straight win to start the season. The home run was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He shares the dubious honor of having the lowest official batting average while still qualifying for the batting title when he batted .179 in 1991. He is the only player since 1910 to have a batting average less than .220 in at least 400 at-bats in at least four seasons.

Deer held the American League record for strikeouts in a season (186 strikeouts in 1987) until being passed by Jack Cust in 2008, and had at least 140 strikeouts on seven occasions. Deer averaged a strikeout every 2.75 at-bats.

Deer has also gained some notoriety among studiers of baseball statistics due to his propensity for the Three True Outcomes (defined as a strikeout, home run, or bases on balls). Because of his ability to hit home runs and take walks and better-than-average fielding ability, he remained a valuable player despite his inability to hit for average, as evidenced by his career 13.7 Wins Above Replacement.

Since his playing days, Deer has had a career in drag racing, sprint car racing and has served as a roving hitting instructor for the San Diego Padres minor league system and is currently the owner of Viz-U-Bat. On November 26, 2012, Deer was named the assistant hitting coach for the Chicago Cubs, under his friend Dale Sveum, manager of the Cubs. They were Milwaukee Brewers teammates from 1986–1990. He is also very close friends with former Brewers teammates Chris Bosio (the Cubs pitching coach) and Robin Yount.

While with the Brewers, he worked for his father's construction firm.

Tommy John played in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, California Angels, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1989. He was a four-time MLB All-Star.

John's 288 career victories rank as the seventh highest total among left-handers in major league history. He is also known for the surgery, now named after him, which was performed on a damaged ligament in his pitching arm. Over half of John's career wins came after his surgery.

Traded before the 1972 season to the Los Angeles Dodgers for mercurial slugger Dick Allen that began a skein of John's most famous years, first with the Dodgers and subsequently with the New York Yankees, where he posted a pair of 20-win seasons and was twice an All-Star. 

John was a sinkerball pitcher and in the middle of an excellent 1974 season, John had a 13–3 record as the Dodgers were en route to their first National League pennant in eight years, before he permanently damaged the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching arm, leading to a revolutionary surgical operation. The surgery, now known as Tommy John surgery, was performed by Dr. Frank Jobe, and it seemed unlikely he would ever be able to pitch again, as he spent the entire 1975 season in recovery. John would work with teammate, pitcher Mike Marshall, who taught John a completely different way to pitch, and returned to the Dodgers in 1976. His 10–10 record that year was considered "miraculous", but John went on to pitch until 1989, winning 164 games after his surgery— one fewer in total than all-time great Sandy Koufax won in his entire career. In 1986, Mark McGwire got two hits off him; McGwire's father was John's dentist. John said of this, "When your dentist's kid starts hitting you, it's time to retire!"