Infield: Jackie Robinson (1947-56) was such a remarkable athlete that he could play anywhere on the diamond. He is best known as a second baseman, but he also played a lot at third and more than a little at first base and outfield. The baseball analyst Bill James observed that Jackie’s legacy is so completely defined by the story of his breaking the color line, that fans have lost sight of what a great baseball player he was – a .311 career hitter who drew enough walks to push his on-base over .400, with extra-base power. He was an electrifying baserunner, an intensely smart player and a fiery competitor. When James began charting defensive stats into his Win Shares system, he was amazed to see that Jackie was not only one of the best defensive second basemen in history, but also a brilliant third baseman and outfielder. He’ll be starting at third for the JR team, while Johnny Ray (1981-90) holds down second. Ray was a .290 hitter with about 35 doubles per year, and a solid defender. When he was done in the majors, he moved to Japan and played well for a few years. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins (2000- ) has an MVP, three Gold Gloves and a World Series title. He’s a .270 hitter who steals 35-40 bases per year and hits a ton of doubles and triples. Joe Rudi (1967-82) was a fine defensive outfielder, but he’ll go to his secondary position, first base, to round out this team’s outstanding defensive infield. He was a key player on the Oakland A’s “Mustache Gang” dynasty, twice runner-up for the AL MVP award. Playing his prime years in a terrible ballpark for hitters, he hit .260 for his career but was good for 30 doubles, 15-20 home runs and a handful of triples each year.
Outfield: Left fielder Jim Rice (1974-89) has probably sparked as much debate as any hitter in baseball history. He was almost certainly the most feared hitter of his era, a guy so strong that he sometimes snapped his bat handles on checked swings, a .300 hitter who mashed home runs and piled up gaudy RBI totals. He wasn’t a great defensive outfielder, but he wasn’t terrible either. But he also grounded into an ungodly number of double plays, and his offensive numbers were drastically inflated by Fenway Park. For these reasons and more, he was an overrated player, but it’s hard to say by how much. He finally made it into the Hall of Fame after much rancorous debate. Center fielder Jimmy Ryan (1885-1903) was a terrific defender with a great arm, and he was a fine hitter as well. He was badly injured in a train wreck in the middle of his career, and it was thought that he would never recover. He did, and he was still a good player, but never quite as good. He scored 1,600 runs in his career. Right fielder Juan Rivera (2001- ) has been primarily a role player and a platoon guy, but he’s done well in that role. He did not have enough plate appearances to qualify for a batting title he was 30 years old. But he hits .285 with some power, and he’ll put some runs on the board.
Catcher: Lefty stick John Roseboro (1957-70) will platoon with righty stick John Romano (1958-67). Roseboro was the guy behind the plate for the Koufax-Drysdale Dodgers. He was a decent hitter with a little bit of pop and a very fine defensive player. Perhaps most famous for an incident when Juan Marichal got mad at some inside pitches and used Roseboro’s head for batting practice. Romano was a power hitter for the White Sox and Indians, a very good player for a few years before he began to put on weight and slow down. Either one of these guys would be fine as a full-time starter. As a platoon combination, they’re killer good.
Rotation: J.R. Richard (1971-80) is one of the great “what-if” stories in baseball history. He was a 6-foot-6 flame-thrower who struck out 300 batters a year and looked like he was on a straight path to the Hall of Fame. Then in 1980, off to another great start (10-4, 1.90 ERA), he complained that he wasn’t feeling well. No one took him seriously, and some accused him of just being lazy. Then he collapsed on the field of a stroke. He made several comeback attempts but never pitched again. Years later he was discovered homeless and sleeping under a highway underpass in Houston, but he eventually got his life back together with the help of a local minister. Jerry "Rolls" Reuss (1969-90) was part of the Cardinals’ great talent purge of the 1970s, when the team was just giving away talented players like Reuss and Jose Cruz while floundering year after year on the field. Reuss won 14 game at age 22, and ordinarily a team would like a lefty who won 14 games at age 22, but the Cardinals thought he was brash and they decided that he didn’t look like a 20-game winner, so they unloaded him. And they were right. He never won 20. But he won 16 twice and 18 three times, and he pitched for 22 years and he won 220 games and he had a 3.57 ERA in 11 playoff starts and helped the Dodgers win the 1981 World Series. Jose Rijo (1984-2002) was a really good pitcher. People didn’t always recognize it at the time, and they don’t necessarily remember it now, but in his prime he was among the best pitchers in baseball. From 1988-93, Rijo was 78-47 with a 2.56 ERA and more strikeouts than hits allowed. In the 1990 World Series he won two games for the Reds and allowed just one run in 15 1/3 innings. He had 100 wins in his late 20s, and the Hall of Fame was looking like a possibility. But arm injuries set in, and he did not pitch in the majors between 1996-2000. He pitched some relief for a couple of years after that, but it was over. He finished with a 116-91 record. Jim Rooker (1968-80) was a teammate of Jerry Reuss in the Pirates rotations of the mid-1970s. He won 13-15 games a year from 1974-77, and he was a bit player on the 1979 “We Are Family” championship team. Jimmy Ring (1917-28) went 50-51 for the Reds, Giants and Cardinals, but he went 68-98 for the Phillies, sending a torpedo through his career won-lost record.
Bullpen: Closer Jeff Reardon (1979-94) very briefly held the career record for saves. He broke Rollie Fingers’ record, then quickly handed it over to Lee Smith. This seems sort of odd, because Reardon was never one of those closers who made you says, “Well, if you give this guy a lead in the ninth inning, the game’s over.” But he was a durable guy who pitched at the time when the modern closer strategies, which maximize save opportunities, were taking root, and he finished with 367 saves. John Rocker (1998-2003) was the opposite of Reardon, a shut-down reliever for a very brief period. As a young reliever for the Braves, he mowed hitters down and averaged 13 strikeouts per nine innings. Then, just as his career was taking off, he gave an interview to Sports Illustrated in which he insulted every ethnic group in America, tossed in some homophobic remarks, and suggested that everyone who lived in New York was a degenerate unworthy to ride a subway car next to him. For good measure, he referred to a black teammate as “a fat monkey.” The resulting controversy blew up in his face, and his career unraveled. He became a national laughingstock, the iconic image of the temperamental redneck, and the punchline of late-night monologues. He was booed everywhere he went, and teams considered him more trouble than he was worth, especially after he lost his composure and stopped throwing strikes. Even after he was out of baseball, he would occasionally make the news with public outbursts or steroid admissions. Jeff Russell (1983-96) saved 186, mostly for the Rangers. Jon Rauch (2002- ) is 6-foot-11, and until there’s a 7-footer that makes him the tallest player in major league history. He has been a pretty reliable reliever while bouncing around the majors. Jim Roland (1962-72) was a lefty who had some good years for the Twins and the A’s. Jeff D. Robinson (1984-92) pitched at the same time as Jeff M. Robinson, but Jeff D. was the better of the two. Jerry Reed (1981-90) should not be confused with the country singer who starred in all those bad movies with Burt Reynolds. This guy was a good relief pitcher who toiled in obscurity as a middle reliever for bad Cleveland and Seattle teams.
Bench: Jose Reyes (2003- ) may yet wrest the starting shortstop job away from Rollins. He’s a thrilling player to watch, with breathtaking speed and spectacular defensive abilities. He averages 60 steals a year and he regularly leads the league in triples. In fact, watching him leg out a triple is one of the pure joys of modern baseball. If he can stay healthy, he probably supplants Rollins. But we'll have to wait and see. Jody Reed (1987-97) was a second baseman who could be stretched to play shortstop, though looking at the makeup of this roster he’ll have scant playing time at either spot. But he was a decent hitter, .270 with gap power, and a solid fielder. Jim Rivera (1952-61) was a fine defensive outfielder for the pennant-winning White Sox, a guy who hit alright and ran very well. He’ll see time in the outfield here. Long John Reilly (1880-91) was an outstanding first baseman for the Cincinnati Redlegs, banging doubles, triples and home runs. He’ll see plenty of time at first base, with Joe Rudi moving to the outfield to spell Juan Rivera. Either Romano or Roseboro will be available for pinch-hitting duties, depending on which one is behind the plate on any given day.
Manager: Jim Riggleman has had a lot of losing records, but then he’s had a lot of bad teams. In the 2011 season, he looked like he was finally on the verge of some success with a surging Washington Natioinals team - until he quit at midseason over a contract dispute. He’ll have his hands full with this team, with platoon combinations and versatile players who can move all around the defensive alignment.
Outfield: Left fielder Jim Rice (1974-89) has probably sparked as much debate as any hitter in baseball history. He was almost certainly the most feared hitter of his era, a guy so strong that he sometimes snapped his bat handles on checked swings, a .300 hitter who mashed home runs and piled up gaudy RBI totals. He wasn’t a great defensive outfielder, but he wasn’t terrible either. But he also grounded into an ungodly number of double plays, and his offensive numbers were drastically inflated by Fenway Park. For these reasons and more, he was an overrated player, but it’s hard to say by how much. He finally made it into the Hall of Fame after much rancorous debate. Center fielder Jimmy Ryan (1885-1903) was a terrific defender with a great arm, and he was a fine hitter as well. He was badly injured in a train wreck in the middle of his career, and it was thought that he would never recover. He did, and he was still a good player, but never quite as good. He scored 1,600 runs in his career. Right fielder Juan Rivera (2001- ) has been primarily a role player and a platoon guy, but he’s done well in that role. He did not have enough plate appearances to qualify for a batting title he was 30 years old. But he hits .285 with some power, and he’ll put some runs on the board.
Catcher: Lefty stick John Roseboro (1957-70) will platoon with righty stick John Romano (1958-67). Roseboro was the guy behind the plate for the Koufax-Drysdale Dodgers. He was a decent hitter with a little bit of pop and a very fine defensive player. Perhaps most famous for an incident when Juan Marichal got mad at some inside pitches and used Roseboro’s head for batting practice. Romano was a power hitter for the White Sox and Indians, a very good player for a few years before he began to put on weight and slow down. Either one of these guys would be fine as a full-time starter. As a platoon combination, they’re killer good.
Rotation: J.R. Richard (1971-80) is one of the great “what-if” stories in baseball history. He was a 6-foot-6 flame-thrower who struck out 300 batters a year and looked like he was on a straight path to the Hall of Fame. Then in 1980, off to another great start (10-4, 1.90 ERA), he complained that he wasn’t feeling well. No one took him seriously, and some accused him of just being lazy. Then he collapsed on the field of a stroke. He made several comeback attempts but never pitched again. Years later he was discovered homeless and sleeping under a highway underpass in Houston, but he eventually got his life back together with the help of a local minister. Jerry "Rolls" Reuss (1969-90) was part of the Cardinals’ great talent purge of the 1970s, when the team was just giving away talented players like Reuss and Jose Cruz while floundering year after year on the field. Reuss won 14 game at age 22, and ordinarily a team would like a lefty who won 14 games at age 22, but the Cardinals thought he was brash and they decided that he didn’t look like a 20-game winner, so they unloaded him. And they were right. He never won 20. But he won 16 twice and 18 three times, and he pitched for 22 years and he won 220 games and he had a 3.57 ERA in 11 playoff starts and helped the Dodgers win the 1981 World Series. Jose Rijo (1984-2002) was a really good pitcher. People didn’t always recognize it at the time, and they don’t necessarily remember it now, but in his prime he was among the best pitchers in baseball. From 1988-93, Rijo was 78-47 with a 2.56 ERA and more strikeouts than hits allowed. In the 1990 World Series he won two games for the Reds and allowed just one run in 15 1/3 innings. He had 100 wins in his late 20s, and the Hall of Fame was looking like a possibility. But arm injuries set in, and he did not pitch in the majors between 1996-2000. He pitched some relief for a couple of years after that, but it was over. He finished with a 116-91 record. Jim Rooker (1968-80) was a teammate of Jerry Reuss in the Pirates rotations of the mid-1970s. He won 13-15 games a year from 1974-77, and he was a bit player on the 1979 “We Are Family” championship team. Jimmy Ring (1917-28) went 50-51 for the Reds, Giants and Cardinals, but he went 68-98 for the Phillies, sending a torpedo through his career won-lost record.
Bullpen: Closer Jeff Reardon (1979-94) very briefly held the career record for saves. He broke Rollie Fingers’ record, then quickly handed it over to Lee Smith. This seems sort of odd, because Reardon was never one of those closers who made you says, “Well, if you give this guy a lead in the ninth inning, the game’s over.” But he was a durable guy who pitched at the time when the modern closer strategies, which maximize save opportunities, were taking root, and he finished with 367 saves. John Rocker (1998-2003) was the opposite of Reardon, a shut-down reliever for a very brief period. As a young reliever for the Braves, he mowed hitters down and averaged 13 strikeouts per nine innings. Then, just as his career was taking off, he gave an interview to Sports Illustrated in which he insulted every ethnic group in America, tossed in some homophobic remarks, and suggested that everyone who lived in New York was a degenerate unworthy to ride a subway car next to him. For good measure, he referred to a black teammate as “a fat monkey.” The resulting controversy blew up in his face, and his career unraveled. He became a national laughingstock, the iconic image of the temperamental redneck, and the punchline of late-night monologues. He was booed everywhere he went, and teams considered him more trouble than he was worth, especially after he lost his composure and stopped throwing strikes. Even after he was out of baseball, he would occasionally make the news with public outbursts or steroid admissions. Jeff Russell (1983-96) saved 186, mostly for the Rangers. Jon Rauch (2002- ) is 6-foot-11, and until there’s a 7-footer that makes him the tallest player in major league history. He has been a pretty reliable reliever while bouncing around the majors. Jim Roland (1962-72) was a lefty who had some good years for the Twins and the A’s. Jeff D. Robinson (1984-92) pitched at the same time as Jeff M. Robinson, but Jeff D. was the better of the two. Jerry Reed (1981-90) should not be confused with the country singer who starred in all those bad movies with Burt Reynolds. This guy was a good relief pitcher who toiled in obscurity as a middle reliever for bad Cleveland and Seattle teams.
Bench: Jose Reyes (2003- ) may yet wrest the starting shortstop job away from Rollins. He’s a thrilling player to watch, with breathtaking speed and spectacular defensive abilities. He averages 60 steals a year and he regularly leads the league in triples. In fact, watching him leg out a triple is one of the pure joys of modern baseball. If he can stay healthy, he probably supplants Rollins. But we'll have to wait and see. Jody Reed (1987-97) was a second baseman who could be stretched to play shortstop, though looking at the makeup of this roster he’ll have scant playing time at either spot. But he was a decent hitter, .270 with gap power, and a solid fielder. Jim Rivera (1952-61) was a fine defensive outfielder for the pennant-winning White Sox, a guy who hit alright and ran very well. He’ll see time in the outfield here. Long John Reilly (1880-91) was an outstanding first baseman for the Cincinnati Redlegs, banging doubles, triples and home runs. He’ll see plenty of time at first base, with Joe Rudi moving to the outfield to spell Juan Rivera. Either Romano or Roseboro will be available for pinch-hitting duties, depending on which one is behind the plate on any given day.
Manager: Jim Riggleman has had a lot of losing records, but then he’s had a lot of bad teams. In the 2011 season, he looked like he was finally on the verge of some success with a surging Washington Natioinals team - until he quit at midseason over a contract dispute. He’ll have his hands full with this team, with platoon combinations and versatile players who can move all around the defensive alignment.
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