Infield: First baseman Joey Votto (2207- ) is just entering his prime, so we don’t know how his career will turn out, but you’ve got to like what he’s shown so far. He’s a big lefty slugger who bats .300, draws walks and bangs doubles and home runs. National League MVP in 2010. Second baseman Jose Vidro (1997-2008) was a terrific player for several years, but the general public never figured it out because he was in Montreal. At his peak he batted .300 with about 45 doubles a year. Never much of a fielder, but a fine hitter. Shortstop Jose Vizcaino (1989-2006) hung around forever. He was never a great hitter – your basic .270 with no walks, speed or power – and only so-so as a fielder, but he lasted almost two decades, playing for eight teams and winning a World Series title with the Yankees. Third baseman John Valentin (1992-2002) was a .270 hitter, too, but he drew 75-80 walks per year, with about 40 doubles and 15-20 home runs. As a bonus, in 17 postseason games for the Red Sox he batted .347 with five home runs and 19 RBI (and anyone who averages an RBI per game in the postseason is doing something). Finally, he is one of two players in history to hit for the cycle and turn an unassisted triple play. If you want to know who the other one was, you'll have to check out the roster of the Roman Hruskas.
Outfield: Joe Vosmik (1930-44) was a career .307 hitter with lots of doubles and triples. He played in a high-average era, but still, his better years were quite good. In 1935, playing for Cleveland, he batted .348 and led the league with 216 hits, 47 doubles and 20 triples. He later played on the Red Sox alongside Foxx and Teddy Ballgame. John Vander Wal (1991-2004) was a very useful guy, a good lefty hitter who could play a competent outfield defense. He was used a lot as a platoon player, and in 1995 he had one of the great “role player” seasons of all time – used almost exclusively as a pinch-hitter, he had 118 plate appearances in 105 games, and he batted .347, with a .432 on-base and a .594 slugging. Center fielder Joe Virtue (1890-94) had a great name, don’t you think? His nickname was “Guesses,” which is rather distinctive, too. He wasn’t really an outfielder. He spent most of his career at first base and even played a few games as a left-handed shortstop. He was a .270 hitter with gap power. In all honesty, none of these guys is a center fielder, but we’ll start out with Vosmik there, with Virtue in left and Vander Wal in right.
Catcher: Jason Varitek (1999- ) has had a fascinating career. He played in a Little League World Series, a College World Series and a Major League World Series, and in the Olympics, too. He’s one of the few players to be drafted twice in the first round. He was part of one of the most famously bad trades in major-league history – the Mariners packaged him with Derek Lowe in order to pry Heathcliff Slocumb away from the Red Sox. He has caught four no-hitters by four different pitchers, and he was captain of the Red Sox team that broke the curse. He’s a .260 hitter who draws some walks and hits his share of doubles and home runs, and he has the rep as a great handler of pitchers.
Rotation: Javier Vazquez (1998- ) is in his mid-30s, and while nobody seems to have noticed this, there is a reasonable chance that he will be the next pitcher to reach 3,000 strikeouts. He is a good, solid pitcher who never misses a start. He might have a shot at 200 victories, too, if he can stay on track. Johnny Vander Meer (1937-51) pulled off one of the most ridiculously improbable feats in baseball history. He was a good pitcher who did not allow a lot of hits (7.7 per 9 innings over the course of his career), so it’s not surprising that on a good day he threw a no-hitter, and it’s not even all that stunning that given 285 starts he managed two of them. But back-to-back? Those two games have come to define his career, to the extent that very few people know what he did with the rest of his career. The answer is, he won 119 games and lost 121, with an ERA that was a little bit better than league average. He led the National League in strikeouts three times, walks twice. Justin Verlander (2005- ), who played his college ball here at Old Dominion University, has also thrown two no-hitters. Not back-to-back of course, but he is still in his late 20s and appears to be on his way to one heck of a career. Julio Valera (1990-96) had some very good years in the minors as a teen, but he never did anything in the majors. Jason Vargas (2005- ) has not pitched well. He’ll turn 27 before the 2010 season, so if he’s going to get it together, he’d better start soon.
Bullpen: Closer Jose Valverde (2003- ) led the National League in saves in 2007 and again in 2008. Left Jonny Venters (2010- ) is just entering his prime, but thus far in his career he has been pretty much unhittable for the Braves. If he can sustain what he's done to this point, he's going to have one heck of a career. Jose Veras (2006- ) is a big Dominican who thus far has pitched well enough to stick around. John Verhoeven (1976-81) came up young and burnt out quickly, though he didn’t pitch too badly. Joe Verbanic (1966-70) had a couple of decent seasons for the Yankees in the Horace Clarke era. Johnny van Cuyk (1947-49) was a highly touted lefty who ended up just having a few cups o’coffee with Brooklyn. Jermaine Van Buren (2005-06) is a distant relative of President Martin Van Buren. Probably. He had a career ERA of 9.00.
Outfield: Joe Vosmik (1930-44) was a career .307 hitter with lots of doubles and triples. He played in a high-average era, but still, his better years were quite good. In 1935, playing for Cleveland, he batted .348 and led the league with 216 hits, 47 doubles and 20 triples. He later played on the Red Sox alongside Foxx and Teddy Ballgame. John Vander Wal (1991-2004) was a very useful guy, a good lefty hitter who could play a competent outfield defense. He was used a lot as a platoon player, and in 1995 he had one of the great “role player” seasons of all time – used almost exclusively as a pinch-hitter, he had 118 plate appearances in 105 games, and he batted .347, with a .432 on-base and a .594 slugging. Center fielder Joe Virtue (1890-94) had a great name, don’t you think? His nickname was “Guesses,” which is rather distinctive, too. He wasn’t really an outfielder. He spent most of his career at first base and even played a few games as a left-handed shortstop. He was a .270 hitter with gap power. In all honesty, none of these guys is a center fielder, but we’ll start out with Vosmik there, with Virtue in left and Vander Wal in right.
Catcher: Jason Varitek (1999- ) has had a fascinating career. He played in a Little League World Series, a College World Series and a Major League World Series, and in the Olympics, too. He’s one of the few players to be drafted twice in the first round. He was part of one of the most famously bad trades in major-league history – the Mariners packaged him with Derek Lowe in order to pry Heathcliff Slocumb away from the Red Sox. He has caught four no-hitters by four different pitchers, and he was captain of the Red Sox team that broke the curse. He’s a .260 hitter who draws some walks and hits his share of doubles and home runs, and he has the rep as a great handler of pitchers.
Rotation: Javier Vazquez (1998- ) is in his mid-30s, and while nobody seems to have noticed this, there is a reasonable chance that he will be the next pitcher to reach 3,000 strikeouts. He is a good, solid pitcher who never misses a start. He might have a shot at 200 victories, too, if he can stay on track. Johnny Vander Meer (1937-51) pulled off one of the most ridiculously improbable feats in baseball history. He was a good pitcher who did not allow a lot of hits (7.7 per 9 innings over the course of his career), so it’s not surprising that on a good day he threw a no-hitter, and it’s not even all that stunning that given 285 starts he managed two of them. But back-to-back? Those two games have come to define his career, to the extent that very few people know what he did with the rest of his career. The answer is, he won 119 games and lost 121, with an ERA that was a little bit better than league average. He led the National League in strikeouts three times, walks twice. Justin Verlander (2005- ), who played his college ball here at Old Dominion University, has also thrown two no-hitters. Not back-to-back of course, but he is still in his late 20s and appears to be on his way to one heck of a career. Julio Valera (1990-96) had some very good years in the minors as a teen, but he never did anything in the majors. Jason Vargas (2005- ) has not pitched well. He’ll turn 27 before the 2010 season, so if he’s going to get it together, he’d better start soon.
Bullpen: Closer Jose Valverde (2003- ) led the National League in saves in 2007 and again in 2008. Left Jonny Venters (2010- ) is just entering his prime, but thus far in his career he has been pretty much unhittable for the Braves. If he can sustain what he's done to this point, he's going to have one heck of a career. Jose Veras (2006- ) is a big Dominican who thus far has pitched well enough to stick around. John Verhoeven (1976-81) came up young and burnt out quickly, though he didn’t pitch too badly. Joe Verbanic (1966-70) had a couple of decent seasons for the Yankees in the Horace Clarke era. Johnny van Cuyk (1947-49) was a highly touted lefty who ended up just having a few cups o’coffee with Brooklyn. Jermaine Van Buren (2005-06) is a distant relative of President Martin Van Buren. Probably. He had a career ERA of 9.00.
Bench: Jose Valentin (1992-2007) was a pretty fair shortstop and he hit 249 home runs, but he also struck out a lot and couldn’t get on base. He’ll push Vizcaino for playing time. Javier Valentin (1997-2008) is a backup catcher with a little bit of pop. Jim Viox (1912-16) was a little utility player who drew a lot of walks. Johnny Vergez (1931-36) holds an oddball record – the most consecutive home runs hit in a single ballpark at the start of a career. His first 27 home runs were all at the Polo Grounds. We’re guessing he was a pull hitter. Jonathan Von Every (2008- ) has not been able to earn any sort of substantial playing time in the Boston Red Sox outfield.
Manager: John Vukovich was a good-field, terrible-hit third baseman, and Joe Posnanski’s new book “The Machine” suggests that the turning point for the 1975 Reds was when Sparky said the hell with it and pulled Vukovich out of the starting lineup, moving Rose to third and opening up playing time for George Foster. He was a coach in the majors for several years and in two brief stints as an interim manager – one for the Cubs and one for the Phillies – he had a 6-5 record.
Manager: John Vukovich was a good-field, terrible-hit third baseman, and Joe Posnanski’s new book “The Machine” suggests that the turning point for the 1975 Reds was when Sparky said the hell with it and pulled Vukovich out of the starting lineup, moving Rose to third and opening up playing time for George Foster. He was a coach in the majors for several years and in two brief stints as an interim manager – one for the Cubs and one for the Phillies – he had a 6-5 record.
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