Matthew Wade Stairs is a Canadian former professional baseball outfielder, first baseman, and designated hitter, who holds the record for most pinch-hit home runs in Major League Baseball (MLB) history with 23. His pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning of Game 4 in the 2008 National League Championship Series off the Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Jonathan Broxton was called "one of the most memorable home runs in Phillies history".
Shea Matthew Hillenbrand is an American former professional baseball third baseman and first baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Eric Scott Hinske is an American professional baseball coach and former outfielder and first baseman. Hinske played in the major leagues from 2002 to 2013 with the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves and Arizona Diamondbacks at third base, first base, left field, and right field. He won the 2002 AL Rookie of the Year Award with the Blue Jays. He has also been a coach for the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Angels.
Richmond Lockwood Sexson is an American professional baseball first baseman who played in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners, and New York Yankees from 1997 to 2008. Sexson was a two-time MLB All-Star and was inducted onto the Milwaukee Brewers Wall of Honor. Sexson was also the field manager for the Windy City ThunderBolts in the West division of the Frontier League for the 2023 season.
Juan Luis Rivera is a Venezuelan former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Gabriel Jordan Gross is an American former professional baseball outfielder who is currently the hitting coach for the Auburn Tigers.
Aaron Walter Hill is an American former professional baseball second baseman. Hill played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, and San Francisco Giants.
Kelly Andrew Johnson is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Mets. While primarily a second baseman, Johnson has appeared at every position except for pitcher, catcher, and center field during his career. Johnson was the first player to appear in a game for all five American League East teams; Steve Pearce became the second in 2018. He was on the New York Mets' postseason roster in 2015, where he appeared in his first World Series.
Adam Alan Lind is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners and Washington Nationals. Lind has also appeared as a designated hitter and in left field. In 2009, Lind won the Silver Slugger Award and the Edgar Martínez Award.
Turner Max Ward is an American professional baseball coach and former outfielder who is the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for six teams, over 12 seasons. He previously served as a coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Cincinnati Reds.
The 2004 Arizona Diamondbacks looked to improve on their 84–78 record from 2003. The D-backs hoped to contend for a postseason berth in what was a weaker National League West than in years past. However, just three years after winning a World Series title, the Diamondbacks instead finished the season with a record of 51–111, the worst record by any National League team since the 1965 Mets won one fewer game. The one highlight of a disastrous season was when Randy Johnson pitched a perfect game on May 18, 2004. The franchise record would not be threatened until 2021, when they finished 52–110. Despite the 110-loss season in 2021, the Diamondbacks didn't earn the first overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, as the Baltimore Orioles finished with a 52–110 record, but were worse due to records against American League opponents.
The 1999 Arizona Diamondbacks season was the franchise's second season in Major League Baseball and their second season at Bank One Ballpark and in Phoenix, Arizona. They began the season on April 5 at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and looked to improve on their 1998 expansion season. They looked to contend in what was a strong National League West. They finished the season with a highly surprising record of 100-62, good enough for the NL West title, becoming the fastest expansion team in MLB history to reach the playoffs. They also set all-time franchise highs in hits (1,566), runs (908), batting average (.277), on-base percentage (.347), and slugging percentage (.459). In the NLDS, however, they fell in four games to the New York Mets on Todd Pratt's infamous home run. Randy Johnson would win the NL Cy Young Award and become the third pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues.
Roy Lee Howell is an American former professional baseball third baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1974–1984 for the Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, and Milwaukee Brewers.
The 2006 Toronto Blue Jays season was the franchise's 30th season of Major League Baseball. It resulted in the Blue Jays finishing second in the American League East with a record of 87 wins and 75 losses. For the second straight season, Blue Jays hitters combined for fewer than 1,000 strikeouts. It was the first time since the team's World Series championships in 1992 and 1993 that the Blue Jays had combined for fewer than 1,000 strikeouts in consecutive 162-game seasons, as well as the first season since 1993 that the team finished above third place in its division.
The 2005 Toronto Blue Jays season was the franchise's 29th season in Major League Baseball. It resulted in the Blue Jays finishing third in the American League East with a record of 80 wins and 82 losses. This was the first 162-game season since 1993 that Blue Jays hitters would combine for less than 1,000 strikeouts. This was also the team's first season as Canada's only MLB team, as the Montreal Expos relocated and became the Washington Nationals at the end of the 2004 MLB season.
The 2006 Milwaukee Brewers season was the 37th season for the Brewers in Milwaukee, the ninth in the National League, and 38th overall. They finished the season in fourth place in the National League Central and did not make the playoffs.
The Milwaukee Brewers' 2004 season involved the Brewers' finishing sixth in the National League Central with a record of 67 wins and 94 losses. The main highlight of the Brewers season was on the big screen, as the franchise was portrayed fictionally in the sports comedy Mr. 3000, starting Bernie Mac.
Justin Kyle Smoak is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, and San Francisco Giants and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yomiuri Giants.
Joshua Adam Donaldson is an American professional baseball third baseman who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, and Milwaukee Brewers.
Paul Edward Goldschmidt is an American professional baseball first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He also represents the United States in international competition.
