Infield: First baseman Tony Solaita (1968-79) was a backup and platoon player for most of his career but was a pretty decent lefty stick. His career average was just .255, but he drew a few walks and could hit 20 home runs in a season if given fulltime play (his career highs were 16 in 231 at-bats and 14 in 324 at-bats). Second baseman Ted Sizemore (1969-80) was Rookie of the Year for the Dodgers in 1969, but he is most famous for his seasons with the Cardinals, when he batted second and took lots of pitches so Lou Brock could steal bases. Third baseman Tillie Shafer (1909-13) had an interesting and short career. He grew up in a wealthy family in L.A. and had a college degree, and when he arrived with the New York Giants he was not well received by the East Coast roughnecks on the roster. They couldn't relate to a handsome, well-spoken young man who wasn't interested in drinking, smoking and chasing loose women; they found him so mystifying, in fact, that they nicknamed him "Tillie" because they thought it sounded feminine. He developed into a very good utility player, but he was made miserable by the taunting of his teammates. His one friend on the team was Fred Snodgrass, and when Snodgrass' error cost the Giants the World Series in 1912, Shafer was furious at the way the other team members tried to humiliate and belittle Snodgrass. Shafer finally walked away from the game at age 24 and went on to a successful career in business and in amateur golf. He was also the first major-leaguer to visit Japan and teach baseball technique and strategy. Shortstop Tony Smith (1907-11) batted .180 in a short career.
Outfield: Center fielder Tris Speaker (1907-28) is one of the best players who ever lived, a devastating hitter, baserunner and fielder. He rivaled Ty Cobb as the best center fielder of their generation, and if he came up short of Cobb it wasn't by much. Speaker finished with more than 3,500 hits, including an all-time record 792 doubles. He batted . 345, drew plenty of walks, almost never struck out, and he stole more than 400 bases. Defensively, he reinvented the position; he was the first center fielder to break from traditional strategy by playing shallow, cutting off lots of singles over second base and learning how to go back on the deeper fly balls in order to minimize the risk of triples over his head. Meanwhile, Turkey Stearnes, one of the best hitters in the history of the Negro Leagues, holds down left field. Stearnes was the complete package as a hitter - high average with power and terrific command of the strike zone. He batted .400 three times and led the league in home runs seven times. His given name was Norman, but he was nicknamed "Turkey" as a young ballplayer because of the way he flapped his arms as he ran. Right fielder Tim Salmon (1992-2006) was an underappreciated hitter for more than a decade in Anaheim. He was Rookie of the Year in 1993 and developed into a guy who would hit for a decent average, draw 90-100 walks and hit home runs. He wasn't fast but was a hustling ballplayer with a strong arm in right field. He was for many years the face of the franchise, and when the Angels won the World Series in 2002 he batted .346 with a pair of home runs (though, typically, he was overshadowed and lost the World Series MVP award to teammate Troy Glaus). A truly great player until injuries began to accumulate in his early 30s. Quite possibly the best three-man outfield with shared initials.
Catcher: Ted Simmons (1968-88) is one of the best hitting catchers of all time, a switch-hitter who got on base and hit for power. His defense was problematic but not disastrous, and he often had his own individual ideas about the value of conditioning. But the man could hit. He batted .300 seven times and finished with 2.472 hits, including almost 800 for extra bases. He was a star with the Cardinals during the 1970s, when the team was in the doldrums; one of the key steps in Whitey Herzog's overhaul of the roster came when Simmons refused to consider moving to a different position, prompting Herzog to trade him to Milwaukee as part of a flurry of deals that set the table for the 1982 World Series championship team.
Rotation: It all starts with Tom Seaver (1967-86), who was the best pitcher of his generation. He was called "Tom Teriffic," and with good reason. His career record of 311-205 was compiled with teams that often weren't very good. He won three Cy Youngs and a Rookie of the Year Award, and he led the league three times in wins, three time in ERA and five times in strikeouts. He finished with 3.650 strikeouts, one of the top totals of all time. He had his best years with the Mets, though he was still very good when he went to the Reds in the late 1970s. (Speculation: How the hell good would he have been if he had joined the Reds a couple of years earlier, for the Big Red Machine teams of 1975 and '76?). Todd Stottlemyre (1988-2002) won 138 games for five teams. He was the son of longtime Yankees pitcher Mel Stottlemyre, and if he was never quite as good as his dad, he was still pretty good. He never led the league in anything, but he was durable and consistent, and he had seven seasons in which he was between 12-15 victories. Tully Sparks (1897-1910) won 121 games, mostly for the Phillies, including a 22-8 record in 1907. Tom Seaton (1912-17) had a big year for the Phillies in 1913, leading the NL in victories (27-12), innings (322) and strikeouts (168). He jumped to the upstart Federal League the following season and won 25, but he didn't pitch as well and he was never quite the same pitcher that he was in 1913. His career record was 92-65. The rotation is rounded out by Tracy Stallard (1960-66), who is remembered as the man who gave up Roger Maris' 61st home run. Other than that moment, his career is forgettable - his record is 30-57, effectively torpedoed by a 16-37 mark in two seasons for the post-expansion Mets.
Bullpen: Takashi Saito (2006-09) is the closer, based on his long career in Japan and his brief one in the U.S. In Japan he moved between the rotation and the bullpen and mixed in good season with not-so-good ones. He came to the U.S. in his mid-30s and had a few good seasons as the Dodgers closer. He has 84 saves and a 2.24 ERA coming into the 2011 season. Tommie Sisk (1962-70) came to the majors at age 20 and was done before he turned 30. He had a few good years for the Pirates. Tom Sturdivant (1955-64) went 32-14 for the Mantle-Berra-Ford Yankees in 1956 and '57, but once he left that powerhouse team he was just an ordinary journeyman. Tim Stoddard (1975-89) was 6-foot-7 and played forward at North Carolina State. He was a starter on the 1974 NCAA championship team, making him the only player in history to win an NCAA basketball champion and a World Series title (1983 Orioles). He won 41 games in his career and saved 76. Tim Spooneybarger (2001-03) got off to a good start, but his career ended when he had to have Tommy John surgery twice in his mid-20s. Lefty Tom Seats (1940-45) won 202 games in the minors but played briefly in the majors for Detroit in 1940 and for Brooklyn in 1945. Tex Shirley (1941-46) - from Birthright, Texas - won 19 games for the Browns and the A's during WWII.
Bench: Terry Shumpert (1990-2003) was a fine utility player who could play all over the infield and outfield. He ran well and had a little pop. Backup catcher Terry Steinbach (1986-99) would start for most initial teams. He hit 162 home runs, played in three all-star games, and won three pennants and a World Series title. Ted Strong was a fine Negro League outfielder, though not in Turkey Stearns' class. Tony Scott (1973-84) was an exceptional defensive center fielder. He would be a fine defensive sub, but our starting outfield is pretty solid, so he'll probably pinch-run. Tom Satriano (1961-70) was a good utility player, and as a bonus, his daughter pitched for the Colorado Silver Bullets (but her first name was Gina, so she's of no use to this team).
Manager: Ted Sullivan had a .500 record while managing for a few years in the 19th century.
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