Infield: What a strange legacy Rafael Palmeiro (1986-2005) left behind. In his prime, he was a slugger who was so consistent that fans took his productivity for granted. He was part of an absolutely ridiculous (in hindsight) trade in which the Cubs gave up Palmeiro and Jamie Moyer at the starts of their career in exchange for a couple of years from The Wild Thing. He won a Gold Glove for a season in which he barely played in the field, through no fault of his own becoming a poster boy for stupid award voting. He did the Viagra ad. And, of course, in the end he became the single biggest pariah of the Steroid Era, waggling his finger at Congress and saying “No, never, not me,” and then testing positive. What a mess. But when you cut through everything else, here’s what he was: A first baseman with 3,020 hits, including 585 doubles and 569 home runs, a whopping 1,663 runs and 1,835 RBI, more walks than strikeouts, and as a bonus a good glove. One hell of a good ballplayer. Across the diamond at third base there’s Rico Petrocelli (1963-76), another guy who was probably never fully appreciated (except in Boston, where they loved him). He got on base, hit 210 home runs and played pretty good defense at shortstop and third. Roger Peckinpaugh (1910-27) was a slap-hitting, slick-fielding shortstop who won the AL MVP award at age 34 for leading the Washington Senators to the World Series title (he batted .417 in the Series). He wasn’t a great hitter, but he was one of the best (or, at least, the most prolific) bunters in history, and he did enough at the plate to score 1,000 runs. Rusty Peters (1936-47) was really just a spare part, and compared to the other three guys in this infield, he’s not even a blip on the radar screen of baseball history. But, hey, we need a second baseman.
Outfield: Center fielder Rick Peters (1979-86) had a fine rookie year for Detroit and then just sort of faded away for no obvious reason. He was a switch-hitter who continued to bat .300 in the minors after his big-league career fizzled. Right fielder Ray (the Rabbit) Powell (1913-24), like Peters, was a quick little guy. He hit a lot of triples for the Boston Braves and was a good player. Left fielder Rick Parker (1990-96) was never more than a backup, but he had a decent glove.
Catcher: Ronny Paulino (2005- ) is a .277 hitter who once hit 11 home runs in a season. He has played well enough to get steady, if not full-time, playing time for several years now.
Rotation: Roy (St. Croix) Patterson (1901-07) won 20 games as a rookie with the White Sox, and 34 more games in the next two seasons. A good pitcher who finished with 81 career victories in the majors, then won another 178 games in the minors in his 30s and 40s. Roy Parmelee (1929-39) had control issues. He led the league in seven categories – hit batsmen four times, wild pitches twice and walks once. That said, he wasn’t terrible, and he had four straight years between 10-14 victories for the Giants and the Cardinals. Robert Person (1995-2003) had a few good years for the Phillies and the Jays in his late 20s and early 30s. Rick Porcello (2009- ) went 14-9 as a rookie, and he is still in his early 20s. If he builds on that he could be the ace of this staff within a few years, but he'll need to increase his strikeout rate if he wants to sustain a career as a starter. Roger Pavlik (1992-98) won 15 games for the Rangers in 1998 and pitched in the All-Star Game. He was a good pitcher for a few years, with an oddball delivery that left his front foot facing sideways instead of pointing toward home plate.
Bullpen: Ron Perranoski (1961-73) was a very fine lefty who in 1963 had a very Face-like season as the Dodgers’ closer, going 16-3 with a 1.67 ERA and 21 saves. He was one of the top closers in baseball as the modern version of that role was emerging. Renyel Pinto (2006-) and Rafael Perez (2006- ) are a couple of lefties who are right now in their prime and have had some good years. Yet another lefty, Ray Prim (1933-46) won 200 games in the minors but washed out in the majors. The Cubs plucked him out of the minors during World War II, and at age 38 he led the National League in ERA in 1945. Ray Poat (1942-49) was a right-hander who had a couple of decent seasons for the Giants in the middle of a relatively brief career. Ray Phelps (1930-36) had a mediocre career with the Dodgers and White Sox. Ray “Lefty” Pierce (1924-26) had a couple of 20-win seasons as a young pitcher in the minors but never amounted to much in the majors. (The middle relief crew of Pierce, Prim, Phelps and Poat will be collectively known as The Rays of Light.)
Bench: First baseman Roberto Petagine (1994-2006) was an absolutely terrific hitter whose path to the majors was always blocked by somebody or the other, so it’s sort of fitting that he’s backing up Palmeiro here. After he got tired of beating up Triple-A pitching in the U.S., Petagine went to Japan and became a star. He won an MVP award for the Yakult Swallows and was signed by the Yomiuri Giants to take the place of departed slugger Hideki Matsui. In five seasons in Japan, Petagine hit .317 with 223 home runs and 594 RBI, and he won three Gold Gloves. He then returned to North America and resumed his assault on Triple-A pitching – returning from knee surgery at age 34, he hit .327 in a half-season at Pawtucket, with a .452 on-base and a .635 slugging. For what it’s worth, in 2008 he batted .372 in the Mexican League. When people look at his major-league profile (.227 batting average in 366 at-bats scattered over seven seasons with six different teams) they will never recognize that this guy was an all-star, a Kevin Youkilis type, who just slipped through the cracks. Rudy Pemberton (1995-97) was no Roberto Petagine, but he was a good minor-league slugger who actually hit very well in three call-ups but still never stuck. In 1996 he went 21-for-41 with eight doubles for Boston, and that .512 average is the highest in history for any hitter with 30 or more at bats. As a side note, Pemberton’s official listed weight of 185 pounds is a joke. He was a weightlifter with arms that looked like hamhocks. Utility infielder Rob Picciolo (1977-85) batted 1,720 times in his career and drew 25 walks. No, that’s not a misprint. Even in the 1970s, before the true nature of bases on balls had been recognized, we knew that this guy was ridiculous. It’s not a good sign when a guy plays for nine seasons and has more grounded-into-double-plays than walks. Quite simply, Rob Picciolo’s walk rates are among the most ludicrous baseball stats of the past half-century. (As a side note, Picciolo had one intentional walk in his career. He was intentionally walked in the bottom of the ninth inning of a tie game in order to load the bases and set up a force out. The intentional walk brought Rickey Henderson to the plate. Henderson then walked to force home the winning run. Moral of the story: Anyone who would intentionally walk Rob Picciolo to get to Rickey Henderson, under any circumstances that do not involve Henderson wearing blindfolds and leg shackles, should have his head examined.) Compared to Petagine, Pemberton and Picciolo, infielder Roberto Pena (1965-71) and backup catcher Ron Pruitt (1975-83) are fairly dull guys.
Manager: Roger Peckinpaugh, the Boy Wonder. He was very famously the youngest manager in history at age 23, but that was kind of a fluke. He was the Yankees’ team captain, and when manager Frank Chance quit near the end of the season, the team let Peckinpaugh run the show for the last 20 games. That said, after his playing career he managed the Indians for seven years with generally good results.
Outfield: Center fielder Rick Peters (1979-86) had a fine rookie year for Detroit and then just sort of faded away for no obvious reason. He was a switch-hitter who continued to bat .300 in the minors after his big-league career fizzled. Right fielder Ray (the Rabbit) Powell (1913-24), like Peters, was a quick little guy. He hit a lot of triples for the Boston Braves and was a good player. Left fielder Rick Parker (1990-96) was never more than a backup, but he had a decent glove.
Catcher: Ronny Paulino (2005- ) is a .277 hitter who once hit 11 home runs in a season. He has played well enough to get steady, if not full-time, playing time for several years now.
Rotation: Roy (St. Croix) Patterson (1901-07) won 20 games as a rookie with the White Sox, and 34 more games in the next two seasons. A good pitcher who finished with 81 career victories in the majors, then won another 178 games in the minors in his 30s and 40s. Roy Parmelee (1929-39) had control issues. He led the league in seven categories – hit batsmen four times, wild pitches twice and walks once. That said, he wasn’t terrible, and he had four straight years between 10-14 victories for the Giants and the Cardinals. Robert Person (1995-2003) had a few good years for the Phillies and the Jays in his late 20s and early 30s. Rick Porcello (2009- ) went 14-9 as a rookie, and he is still in his early 20s. If he builds on that he could be the ace of this staff within a few years, but he'll need to increase his strikeout rate if he wants to sustain a career as a starter. Roger Pavlik (1992-98) won 15 games for the Rangers in 1998 and pitched in the All-Star Game. He was a good pitcher for a few years, with an oddball delivery that left his front foot facing sideways instead of pointing toward home plate.
Bullpen: Ron Perranoski (1961-73) was a very fine lefty who in 1963 had a very Face-like season as the Dodgers’ closer, going 16-3 with a 1.67 ERA and 21 saves. He was one of the top closers in baseball as the modern version of that role was emerging. Renyel Pinto (2006-) and Rafael Perez (2006- ) are a couple of lefties who are right now in their prime and have had some good years. Yet another lefty, Ray Prim (1933-46) won 200 games in the minors but washed out in the majors. The Cubs plucked him out of the minors during World War II, and at age 38 he led the National League in ERA in 1945. Ray Poat (1942-49) was a right-hander who had a couple of decent seasons for the Giants in the middle of a relatively brief career. Ray Phelps (1930-36) had a mediocre career with the Dodgers and White Sox. Ray “Lefty” Pierce (1924-26) had a couple of 20-win seasons as a young pitcher in the minors but never amounted to much in the majors. (The middle relief crew of Pierce, Prim, Phelps and Poat will be collectively known as The Rays of Light.)
Bench: First baseman Roberto Petagine (1994-2006) was an absolutely terrific hitter whose path to the majors was always blocked by somebody or the other, so it’s sort of fitting that he’s backing up Palmeiro here. After he got tired of beating up Triple-A pitching in the U.S., Petagine went to Japan and became a star. He won an MVP award for the Yakult Swallows and was signed by the Yomiuri Giants to take the place of departed slugger Hideki Matsui. In five seasons in Japan, Petagine hit .317 with 223 home runs and 594 RBI, and he won three Gold Gloves. He then returned to North America and resumed his assault on Triple-A pitching – returning from knee surgery at age 34, he hit .327 in a half-season at Pawtucket, with a .452 on-base and a .635 slugging. For what it’s worth, in 2008 he batted .372 in the Mexican League. When people look at his major-league profile (.227 batting average in 366 at-bats scattered over seven seasons with six different teams) they will never recognize that this guy was an all-star, a Kevin Youkilis type, who just slipped through the cracks. Rudy Pemberton (1995-97) was no Roberto Petagine, but he was a good minor-league slugger who actually hit very well in three call-ups but still never stuck. In 1996 he went 21-for-41 with eight doubles for Boston, and that .512 average is the highest in history for any hitter with 30 or more at bats. As a side note, Pemberton’s official listed weight of 185 pounds is a joke. He was a weightlifter with arms that looked like hamhocks. Utility infielder Rob Picciolo (1977-85) batted 1,720 times in his career and drew 25 walks. No, that’s not a misprint. Even in the 1970s, before the true nature of bases on balls had been recognized, we knew that this guy was ridiculous. It’s not a good sign when a guy plays for nine seasons and has more grounded-into-double-plays than walks. Quite simply, Rob Picciolo’s walk rates are among the most ludicrous baseball stats of the past half-century. (As a side note, Picciolo had one intentional walk in his career. He was intentionally walked in the bottom of the ninth inning of a tie game in order to load the bases and set up a force out. The intentional walk brought Rickey Henderson to the plate. Henderson then walked to force home the winning run. Moral of the story: Anyone who would intentionally walk Rob Picciolo to get to Rickey Henderson, under any circumstances that do not involve Henderson wearing blindfolds and leg shackles, should have his head examined.) Compared to Petagine, Pemberton and Picciolo, infielder Roberto Pena (1965-71) and backup catcher Ron Pruitt (1975-83) are fairly dull guys.
Manager: Roger Peckinpaugh, the Boy Wonder. He was very famously the youngest manager in history at age 23, but that was kind of a fluke. He was the Yankees’ team captain, and when manager Frank Chance quit near the end of the season, the team let Peckinpaugh run the show for the last 20 games. That said, after his playing career he managed the Indians for seven years with generally good results.
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