Infield: First baseman Tino Martinez (1990-2005) hit 339 home runs, had 1,271 RBI and won four World Series championships. He came up as a second-line star on the Seattle teams dominated by Griffey and Edgar and The Big Unit, and he was traded to the Yankees just in time to be a part of the team's dynasty in the late 1990s. He's going to look around the infield and wonder what he did to deserve second baseman Tim Manning (1882-85), third baseman Tom Morrissey (1882-84) and shortstop Tommy McMillan (1908-12). McMillan, a 5-foot-5 Georgia spitfire known as "Rebel," batted .209 for his career. Manning, born in Henley-on-Thames, England, batted .189 in his brief career in the majors. Morrissey did nothing noteworthy during his time in the majors, and in fact for a time some of his statistics were inadvertently credited to his brother John, who also played third base.
Outfield: Right fielder Tommy McCarthy (1884-96) is in the Hall of Fame. OK, so he might very well be the weakest position player in the Hall of Fame, but he's still in the Hall of Fame. His career batting average was .292 - in a relatively short career in which the league batting average was .282. He had fewer than 1,500 hits, but he was an outstanding contact hitter, he ran very well and he scored more than 1,000 runs. He was a fine defensive outfielder, and he is generally credited with inventing the hit-and-run play - he devised a set of signals between the runner and the hitter that would be used to set the play in motion. Center fielder Terry Moore (1935-48) was a fantastic defensive outfielder and a respected team leader for the 1940s Cardinals teams that won two World Series titles. He was a .280 hitter who walked more than he struck out and enough pop in his bat to hit 17 home runs a couple of times. Left fielder Tom McCreery (1895-1903) batted .289, drew some walks and led the league in both triples and sacrfice bunts.
Catcher: Thurman Munson (1969-79) was an all-star catcher for the Yankees and an inconic image of 1970s baseball. He was a good hitter and a fine defensive catcher, playing in seven all-star games and winning Rookie of the Year (1970) and MVP (1976) honors. While he was a disagreeable character (teammate Graig Nettles said that Munson wasn't "moody," because that word implies that he was occasionally in a good mood), he was also tough as nails and very intense. He was capable of petty insecurity, getting his nose out of joint when Sparky Anderson implied he wasn't as good as Johnny Bench or when Reggie Jackson boasted about the impact he would have upon joining the Yankees. Munson was the first player to hold the title of "captain" with the Yankees since Gehrig. He was an amateur pilot and died in a small-engine plane crash during the 1979 season, devastating his teammates and stunning the baseball world. To this day the Yankees maintain an empty locker in their clubhouse as a tribute to Munson.
Rotation: Tony Mullane (1881-94) was a truly great 19th century pitcher who no one remembers other than the truly hardcore baseball history buffs. During the 1880s, he jumped from team to team and from league to league, which led to a suspension that forced him to sit out the entire 1885 season. Since Mullane was winning 30-35 games a year at that point, and since he finished with 284 career victories, and since no pitcher with 300 wins has ever been passed over by the Hall of Fame, it is safe to say that the suspension cost him a spot in Cooperstown. If he had won 300 and been inducted, he would be at least as famous as guys like Pud Galvin and Mickey Welch. Mullane was a righty, but he was ambidextrous on the mound, and since he wore no glove, he could face the batter with the ball in both hands and the batter wouldn't know which side the pitch would be coming from. Lefty Terry Mulholland (1986-2006) hung around a long time. He pitched for 11 teams, winning 124 games and losing 142. When he was done as a starter, he stuck around as a lefty reliever and spot starter. He never struck out many batters, never walked many batters, and was generally around league average in ERA. Negro Leaguer Terris "Speed" McDuffie began his career as a outfielder and was pretty good, but he shifted to the mound at an early age and had a very successful career as a pitcher. When the majors were integrated, McDuffie was too old to draw any serious interest, but he continue to pitch even after the Negro League died out, winning MVP awards in his 40s in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Tom Murphy (1968-79) was a decent starter early in his career and a decent reliever in the second half. He had good control, but he led the league twice in wild pitches and once in hit batsmen. He finished his career with a record of 68-101. Tim McNamara (1922-26) won 14, but he lost 29.
Bullpen: Ya gotta believe lefty Tug McGraw (1965-84) is set at closer. He was a key pitcher for the Miracle Mets of 1969, and later had a brilliant season closing games out for the 1980 World Series champion Phillies. He had boundless enthusiasm and energy, and he was known as a witty quote with the sportswriters; in his spare time he created semiautobiographical comic strip called "Scroogie" about a relief pitcher and his colorful assortment of teammates. A romantic fling while he was in the minors produced a son who grew up to be country music star Tim McGraw. Tug and Tim finally met years later and established a relationship that drew considerable media attention. He finished with 96 wins and 180 saves. Tippy Martinez (1974-88) spent almost his entire career with the Orioles and once picked off three runners in one inning. He was a durable, consistent lefty who induced ground balls and got the job done, and he had an outstanding season in 1983 for the World Series champion Orioles. Tom "Plowboy" Morgan (1951-63) won 67 gamjes and saved 64. He won three World Series rings with the Yankees before spending the second half of his career wandering around the American League. Tom Martin (1997-2007) was a competent journeyman lefty who won 11 games. Trever Miller (1996- ) is still getting it done as a lefty specialist; he is one of the modern breed of lefty relievers who average less than an inning per appearance. T.J. Mathews (1995-2002) was a dependable middle reliever who came up with the Cardinals and later went to Oakland in the Mark McGwire trade. Tim Mauser (1991-95) spent a few years with the Phillies and the Padres as wasn't terrible.
Bench: Backup catcher Tim McCarver (1959-80) was a good hitter and a very fine handler of pitchers. He was a key player on the Cardinals teams that won three pennants and two World Series titles in the 1960s, and he actually led the NL in triples in 1966, one of the few catchers to ever pull that one off. He had 1,500 hits in his career, but he's kind of stuck behind Munson and looking for playing time. If he gets bored, he might do some broadcasting from the dugout, or maybe work up a radio talk show with sportscaster Tank McNamara. Look for utility infielders Tommy Matchick (1967-72) and Teddy Martinez (1970-79) to get a lot of playing time. They weren't very good, but neither were the guys starting ahead of them. Outfielder Tommy McCraw (1963-75) played regularly enough to get almost 1,000 hits. His career average was .246, but that's partly attributable to the fact that he played his prime years in the heart of a pitchers' era. Outfielder Tom McBride (1943-48) was a decent enough hitter. He and McCraw (and sometimes Terris McDuffie) will pinch-hit for the infielders, and then Matchick and Martinez will replace them in the field.
Manager: Tony Muser had a lousy record (317-431), but then, he managed the Royals. He'll work as player-manager here.
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