The Baltimore Orioles' Chris Davis and the Texas Rangers' Josh Hamilton had not been born when Rocky Colavito played his last big-league baseball game, but they helped fans remember the former outfielder, whose career began in 1955, ended in 1968 and included a stint with the Detroit Tigers.
When Davis, a first baseman by trade, pitched two scoreless innings of relief Sunday and was the winning pitcher in Baltimore's 17-inning victory over Boston, he became the first position player to be the winning pitcher in an American League game since Colavito in 1968.
When Hamilton clubbed four home runs against the Orioles on Tuesday, he became the first player to hit four home runs in one game against the O's since Colavito in 1959.
Don't knock the Rock.
Colavito, known for the way he would limber up by stretching with his bat behind his back, was a fan favorite, especially in Cleveland, where he spent his most productive seasons, and Detroit, where he played from 1960-63.
As a Tiger, the 6-foot-3 Colavito batted .271 with 139 home runs and 430 RBI.
He won the AL home run championship in 1959 -- and then was traded to the Tigers prior to the start of the 1960 campaign for defending batting champion Harvey Kuenn.
Colavito slammed four home runs for Cleveland at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium in the Indians' 11-8 victory on June 10, 1959.
On Aug. 25, 1968, Colavito pitched 2.2 innings of relief against the Tigers, and he wound up the winning pitcher in the New York Yankees' 6-5 victory.
It was a bit of an embarrassment for the Tigers, but few cared that summer. In September, on a night when they defeated those same Yanks, the Tigers would clinch the American League pennant.