Infield: Tommy Corcoran (1890-1907) was a starting shortstop for most of his 18-year career, and he had more than 9,000 at-bats despite the fact that he wasn't getting on base and had no power. He must have been doing something right. He did steal 387 bases, and through sheer longevity he put up 2,256 hits, scoring 1,188 runs and driving in 1,135. First baseman Tony Clark (1995-2009) was a 6-foot-8 slugger who hit 251 home runs and had 824 RBI. He was always a little bit better than people realized, but in an era of big numbers and dominant first basemen, he got largely overshadowed. Second baseman Tony Cuccinello (1930-45) was a decent hitter and a very good fielder, sensational on the double play. He was a solid, respected player who would have hit 100 home runs and might have cracked 1,000 RBI if injuries didn't plague him in his 30s. During World War II, with the major leagues depleted, he once again became a regular, and he almost won the 1945 AL batting title at age 37 - he was ahead coming into the final day of the season, but the White Sox's doubleheader got rained out, and another player went 3-for-3 to edge past him and win the batting title by .00008 point. Cuccinello retired after that season because the pain in his knees had become too severe. Third baseman Todd Cruz (1978-84) hit 16 home runs one year and people got excited, but even in that season he batted .230 with a dreadful strikeout-walk ratio and he was successful on just 2 of 12 stolen base attempts. He was really not a very good player.
Outfield: Center fielder Ty Cobb (1905-28) is one of the larger-than-life figures in baseball history. He is on the short list of the greatest players of all time (and some misguided folks try to put him on top of that list). Highest batting average of all time (.367) and second in career hits (4,189) and runs (2,246). He was an electrifying player and a fiery, almost insane, competitor with a wicked temper. He was a divisive figure, often hated by his own teammates, and legends abound about opposing teams conspiring to make sure Cobb lost batting titles (and his Detroit teammates applauding those efforts to screw him over). As the decades pass, the image of Cobb as a violent, hateful racist have come to overshadow every other nuance of this complex man - he was highly intelligent, and he was known to be very generous with both younger players and older, retired ones. It is undeniable that a fire burned in his gut, probably as hot as any fire in any gut in the sport's history, and that fire was part of what made him as great as he was. Right fielder Tony Conigliaro (1964-75) was one hell of a power hitter before a fastball in the face changed the course of his career. Now he's one of those "what might have been" guys, but he might have had a really good career. He was a regular at 19 and had 160 home runs at age 25, but only a half-dozen after that because of the lingering effects of the beaning. Hard to say what his career totals might have been if he hadn't been cut short just as he was entering his prime. Death by heart attack at age 45 just cemented his status as a beloved tragic hero in Boston. Left fielder Terry Crowley (1969-83) was never a full-time starter, but he was a very fine role player on very good teams - a decent lefty hitter who walked more than he struck out. He spent much of his career as one of Earl Weaver's platoon specialists, with a brief shot in mid-career on the Big Red Machine. He won World Series titles in Baltimore in 1970 and Cincinnati in 1975, and one more pennant back in Baltimore in 1979.
Catcher: Tommy Clarke (1909-18) was a contact hitter who spent his whole career in Cincinnati. He may have been an alcoholic, as he reportedly had a clause in his contract forbidding him to drink alcohol (a clause that he violated in 1915, leading to a suspension by team management).
Rotation: Tom Candiotti (1983-99) was a knuckleballer, like a lot of knuckleballers he thrived as he got older. Candiotti won just 29 games in his 20s, but he won 122 in his 30s and 40s. Now, those 151 wins didn't get him into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but a 200-plus average did get him inducted into the International Bowling Hall of Fame (the second inductee in the Celebrity Wing, following Jerome Bettis). Tony Cloninger (1961-72) was a durable pitcher who won 113 games, but more than half of those victories came in a three-year run. He was also a very good hitting pitcher. Cloninger hit 11 career home runs, including a pair of grand slams in one game at Candlestick Park in 1966 in which he became the only pitcher ever to drive in nine runs in a single game. Tex Carleton (1932-40) won 100 games, including a no-hitter for Brooklyn in 1940. He gets "initial bonus points" for attending Texas Christian University. Tom Cheney (1957-66) once struck out 21 batters while pitching a 16-inning complete game - but his career ended early because of elbow problems (imagine that). He had a decent career ERA, but his 19-29 record reflects that he played for some godawful Washington Senators teams. Trevor Cahill (2009- ) had a solid rookie year at age 21, and then followed it up with 18 wins and a 2.97 ERA in his second season. He's young, but there's every indication that he's going to have a good career.
Bullpen: Tex Clevenger (1954-62) gets first crack at the closer job, and it's worth noting that he is that rare guy with the nickname "Tex" who isn't actually from Texas (he's a California boy). We don't know why he was called Tex, but the truth is he sort of looks like a Tex - he was a dour man with thick, bushy eyebrows who was frequently photographed with a solemn frown. He saved 30 games in his career, and he finished up as a role player with the championship Yankees teams of 1961 and '62 before retiring at age 29 due to arm issues. Tim Crews (1987-92) was a very solid set-up reliever for the Dodgers for several seasons, with 11 wins, 15 saves and a career ERA of 3.44. He signed as a free agent with the Indians in 1993 but died during spring training in a gruesome boating accident that also killed teammate Steve Olin. Ty Clippard (2007- ) joins Trevor Cahill as the youngsters on this staff who will be counted on to develop. He is an overpowering right-hander who came up with the Yankees (and was quickly nicknamed The Yankee Clippard, which is actually pretty funny). He is currently with Washington and pitching well, but let's face it, the Capital Clippard doesn't have the same ring to it now, does it? His current teammateTodd Coffey (2005- ) is a bit older but still in mid-career. He could take on a very prominent role in this bullpen. Tony Castillo (1988-98) was a good lefty reliever for a decade. Lefty Tim Conroy (1978-87) had some injuries and never lived up to his potential. Tiny Chaplin (1928-36) was neither tiny nor a chaplain.
Bench: Tank Carr was a fine Negro League first baseman who will definitely push Tony Clark for the stating job here, though it's hard to imagine stretching either one to another position in order to get both bats into the lineup. Tim Corcoran (1977-86) was a decent left-handed hitter who could play first and outfield. If he and Crowley weren't both lefties, they would have made a good platoon. Ty Cline (1960-71) is another left-handed outfielder looking for playing time. Tim Cullen (1966-72) was a backup infielder on the 1972 A's championship team. Tony Cusick (1884-87) is the backup catcher from Limerick, Ireland.
Manager: Terry Collins managed the Astros for three years and the Angels for three years. He finished second in five of those six seasons.
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