Happy Belated 63rd Birthday, Dad

Leave it to Yahoo's Big League Stew to pick up the birthday of our father, Steve Garvey, which we pathetically missed last week. What's more, they even mention our very own Sons of Steve Garvey blog with a link and a nod:

Claim to Fame: Garvey was a solid regular-season performer, but he was a stud in the playoffs and the All-Star game. Through 11 postseason series, including five World Series (and the bizarre 1981 strike season "Division Series"), he hit .338/.361/.550, with 11 homers and 31 RBIs in 232 plate appearances, and in 10 All-Star games, he hit .393/.433/.821 with two homers and seven RBIs. That ties him with Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. for eighth-most in All-Star history. He was the NLCS MVP in 1978 and 1984, and also the MVP of the All-Star game in 1974 and 1978.

Off the Field: Steve Garvey was nicknamed "Mr. Clean" for his clean-cut image — and he wanted to be a U.S. Senator after he retired, which seemed eminently likely by the end of the 1970s, as did election to the Hall of Fame — but the end of the 1980s brought revelations of multiple illegitimate children, and dashed all of those hopes. However, it did provide fodder for a bumper sticker that said, "Honk If You're Carrying Steve Garvey's Love Child." It also inspired one of the blogosphere's best blog names.

Thanks for the shout out, BLS (and Alex Remington in particular)!

photo swiped from BLS; uncredited