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On January 15th, there are six former members of the Marlins extended minor league family enjoying their birthdays.
Pablo Blanco (40)
Pablo Blanco is a 6’2”, 170 lb. right-handed pitcher from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. In 1996, he joined the GCL Marlins in Jupiter, Florida and went 3-5 over 11 starts, with a 4.57 ERA, a 1.45 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts in 65 innings. He played another season with GCL, appearing in 11 more games and going 2-5 with a 4.06 ERA, 44 whiffs in 51 innings and a 1.51 WHIP. Since then, he hasn’t appeared with any affiliated team.
David Wesolowski (40)
David Wesolowski is a 6’3”, 185 lb. right-handed pitcher from Williamsville, New York. The Marlins selected him in the 15th round of the 1996 draft, with the 434th overall choice. He started two games for GCL soon afterward, with no record, a 6.00 ERA, four strikeouts in nine innings, and a 1.44 WHIP. He appeared in 12 games for them as a reliever in 1998, going 1-2 with a 4.55 ERA, 23 whiffs in 27 2⁄3 innings, and a 1.27 WHIP.
Ben Howard (39)
Benjamin Howard is a 6’2”, 190 lb. right-handed pitcher from Danville, Illinois. He was a second round selection in the 1997 draft by the San Diego Padres, 78th off the board. After five seasons bouncing around the Padres organization, he made his major league debut with San Diego in 2003. Over the next two seasons he went 1-4 with a 5.00 ERA in nine games, along with 34 K’s in 45 innings and a 1.62 WHIP.
On April 3rd, 2004, the Padres traded him to the Marlins for Blaine Neal. Howard played in 23 games for the Albuquerque Isotopes that season, and also appeared 31 times for the Marlins. With the parent club, he racked up a 1-1 record and a 5.50 ERA, 33 whiffs in 37 2⁄3 innings, and a 1.54 WHIP.
Howard also spent 2005 with the Isotopes, going 6-3 over 51 relief appearances and three starts, with a 4.63 ERA. Later, he appeared with the triple-A affiliates of the Cleveland Indians, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Chicago Cubs, and the Milwaukee Brewers.
Tim Schilling (39)
Schilling was a 5’11”, 180 lb. left-handed pitcher from High Point, North Carolina. The Marlins picked him in the 15th round of the 2000 draft with the 431st overall choice out of Elon University.
Schilling went 1-1 with a 5.61 ERA for the Utica Blue Sox to close out that season, with 22 strikeouts in 25 2⁄3 innings and a 1.91 WHIP. Despite his questionable metrics, Schilling was promoted to the Kane County Cougars for the 2002 campaign, where he posted a 1-4 record, a 6.34 ERA, 33 K’s in 61 innings, and a 1.70 WHIP. That was his last appearance at any level of affiliated baseball.
Matt Ellington (34)
Ellington is a 6’1”, 205 lb. first baseman from Henderson, North Carolina. After going undrafted out of the University of North Carolina, he was signed through free agency by Joel Matthews for the GCL instructional club. In 21 contests for them, he slashed .316/.375/.557 with three homers and 13 RBI. Promoted to the Jamestown Jammers later in the season, he went 11-for-31 in nine games, but that was his last appearance at any level for any team.
Lance Hanmer (30)
Lance Hammer was a 6’1”, 185 lb. shortstop from Mankato, Minnesota. The Marlins drafted him in the 48th round of the 2006 draft with the 1,436th choice off the board out of Parkland College. He never appeared in a game for any club.