Former Jay Joe Inglett turns 47 today.
Joe was a Jay from 2007 to 2009, but the season we remember is 2008. He got a lot of playing time, mainly because Aaron Hill missed most of the season with a concussion from the collision with David Eckstein. He was moved to the leadoff spot in early July and kept the job for the rest of the year. He was great that year; he was the picture of the gritty infielder. Joe hit .297/.355/.407 and gave the team a much-needed spark. He had seven triples and stole nine bases. The high socks and the all-out running style made Joe fun to watch. He gave the Jays what they wanted from Eckstein.
John Gibbons named him Voodoo Joe because he was sent down to Syracuse twice, and a Jays’ player was injured the next day, so Joe got to stay with the big league team.
The following year, he was up and down between the Jays and Vegas. He didn’t have the same impact on the team. After 2009, he signed with the Milwaukee Brewers. The National League is a better place for a utility player, and he got into 102 games with the Brewers. In 2011, he briefly played with the Astros but was released in late May. That was the end of his career.
Happy Birthday, Joe. I hope you have a good one. I enjoyed watching you play.
Tom Koehler turns 39 today.
We acquired Tom in a trade from the Marlins in August 2017. He pitched in 15 games, starting 1 and had a 2.65 ERA with 17 strikeouts and 6 walks in 17 innings. That was his last season in the majors.
Before that, he played with the Marlins for six seasons. Career, he had a 36-55 record and a 4.39 ERA in 161 games, 133 starts.
Happy Birthday, Tom.