Happy Birthday - 12/7

Happy Birthday to ~

2B Frankeny Fernandez (18)
Fernandez signed as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in July 2013. Fernandez started his first professional season in 2014 in the Dominican Summer League, but merited a promotion to the Gulf Coast League team in early August. In the two venues, combined, he hit .300/.407/.399 with 13 doubles, four triples, one home run, 37 RBI and 35 stolen bases.

Two former Astros have birthdays today as well ~

C Hal Smith (84)
Drafted from the Pirates in the 1961 expansion draft, Smith played in 140 games for the Colt .45's in 1962 and 1963, hitting .236/.287/.365. His best season was probably 1957 when he hit .303/.328/.483 for the Kansas City Athletics with a 37% caught stealing rate. He got his one World Series title with the Pirates in 1960.

LHP Bo Belinsky (died November 23, 2001 at 64)
A Rule 5 pick from the Phillies in 1966, Belinsky pitched in 27 games (18 starts) for Houston in 1967, going 3-9 with a 4.68 ERA and a 1.439 WHIP.

Happy Birthday - 12/7

Happy Birthday to ~

SS Frankeny Fernandez (17)
Fernandez signed as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in July 2013. The story of his signing with a brief quote from Astros Director of International Oz Ocampo can be found here.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

C Hal Smith (83)
Drafted from the Pirates in the 1961 expansion draft, Smith played in 140 games for the Colt .45's in 1962 and 1963, hitting .236/.287/.365. His best season was probably 1957 when he hit .303/.328/.483 for the Kansas City Athletics with a 37% caught stealing rate. He got his one World Series title with the Pirates in 1960.

LHP Bo Belinsky (died November 23, 2001 at 64)
A Rule 5 pick from the Phillies in 1966, Belinsky pitched in 27 games (18 starts) for Houston in 1967, going 3-9 with a 4.68 ERA and a 1.439 WHIP.

Happy Birthday - 12/7

OF/C Mike Kvasnicka (24)
Drafted as a supplemental pick in the first round in 2010 out of the University of Minnesota, Kvasnicka spent his second season with Lexington in 2012, starting off back at catcher after spending most of 2011 at third base, but then moving to right field later in the season and spending a lot of time as the DH. Kvasnicka had a bad start leading to his overall batting line of .232/.275/.412 for the season. But he hit his stride in June and July hitting .275 with a .492 slugging percentage during those two months before missing most of August on the DL. Kvasnicka also seems to have found his power. After hitting only four home runs in 128 games in 2011, he hit 15 home runs in only 88 games in 2012.

Mike Kvasnicka April 2012

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Former Astros with birthdays today

C Hal Smith (82)
Drafted from the Pirates in the 1961 expansion draft, Smith played in 140 games for the Colt .45's in 1962 and 1963, hitting .236/.287/.365. His best season was probably 1957 when he hit .303/.328/.483 for the Kansas City Athletics with a 37% caught stealing rate. He got his one World Series title with the Pirates in 1960.

LHP Bo Belinsky (died November 23, 2001 at 64)
A Rule 5 pick from the Phillies in 1966, Belinsky pitched in 27 games (18 starts) for Houston in 1967, going 3-9 with a 4.68 ERA and a 1.439 WHIP.

Happy Birthday - 12/7

3B Mike Kvasnicka (23)
Drafted as a supplemental pick in the first round in 2010 out of the University of Minnesota, Mike spent  2011 at Lexington after getting his feet wet at Tri-City in 2010.  His batting line in the first half was .286/.346/.419/.765, but that tapered off to .260/.328/.368/.696 for the full season.  He led all Astros minor-leaguers in doubles for the season with 32.

Former Astros with birthdays today

C Hal Smith (81)
Played in 140 games for the Colt 45's in 1962 and 1963

LHP Bo Belinsky (died November 23, 2001 at 64)
Pitched in 27 games for Houston in 1967