Infield: Paul Hines (1872-91) was really a center fielder, but he played a bit of second base, too, and the PH team needs him in the middle infield. Hines was a fascinating cat. He may have been baseball’s first triple crown winner, though he was not initially credited with winning the batting title in 1878. He may have turned the first unassisted triple play, though that interpretation depends on whether a runner was called out for passing another runner on the play, and it’s not quite clear what actually transpired. He may or may not have caught a ball dropped from the top of the Washington Monument. He lost his hearing after getting beaned in 1886 and spent the rest of his life deaf. While playing in Washington, he became friends with President McKinley, which led to a government job after his playing career was done. First baseman Pancho Herrera (1958-61) was a big, strapping Cuban who played in the Negro Leagues and in Mexico in addition to his long career in the majors and minors. He hit more than 200 home runs in the minors, leading the International League three times. He was the Philadelphia Phillies’ regular first baseman for two years. Third baseman Pinky Higgins (1930-46) batted .290 and was good for 30 doubles and a dozen homers per year. He once had hits in 12 consecutive at-bats, with two walks mixed in. He drove in 1,000 runs in his career and later managed (and general managed) the Red Sox. He did two months in prison for negligent homicide when he ran over and killed a highway worker while driving drunk. Shortstop Paul Hinson (1928) made three appearances as a pinch-runner for the Red Sox. He scored one run. His incomplete minor-league records show him as a .295 hitter, for whatever that’s worth.
Outfield: Right fielder Pete Hill was a left-handed line drive hitter in the early years of the 20th Century and is considered to be one of the greatest outfielders in Negro League history – not quite at the level of Oscar Charleston and Cristobal Torriente, but in the next level below them. Played on some of the greatest teams of his era and was often the biggest star on the team. Left fielder Paul Householder (1980-87) came up with the Reds at a time when the team was putting players’ names on the backs of their uniforms in extremely large letters. Householder’s 11-letter surname was so big that it almost formed a complete circle surrounding his number. That was, in all honesty, the most memorable thing about his career. Center fielder Pete Hotaling (1879-88) was a solid hitter and a good outfielder with a lot of range.
Catcher: Pinky Hargrave (1923-33) was a solid catcher for several different teams. His real name was William McKinley Hargrave, which means that two players on the PH team are connected to President William McKinley. It is worth noting that there have been two players named Hargrave in major league history, that both were catchers, and that one was named Pinky and the other was named Bubbles.
Rotation: Pat Hentgen (1991-2004) won 20 games and the AL Cy Young Award in 1996. He was a durable pitcher who won 131 games in his career, mostly for the Blue Jays. Pete Harnisch (1988-2001) is probably the only pitcher in major league history to go on the disabled list with depression and anxiety sparked by withdrawal after giving up chewing tobacco. He was a decent enough pitcher, won 111 games in his career. Pink Hawley (1892-1901) was a 19th-century workhorse who in 1895 pitched 444 innings and won 31 games. He finished his career with a record of 167-179. Though many ballplayers have been nicknamed Pinky, Hawley is unique in that “Pink” was actually his given name (Eugene Pink Hawley). Pete Henning (1914-15) went 14-25 in two seasons with the Kansas City Packers in the Federal League. Preston Hanna (1975-82) was a first-round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves who reached the majors in his early 20s and pitched badly until arm injuries ended his career by age 28.
Bullpen: Phil Hennigan (1969-73) starts out as the closer, largely on the basis of his 25 career saves, though his single-season high of 14 came in a year when his ERA was 4.94. Setup man Philip Hughes (2007- ) is a young arm with the Yankees who won 18 games in 2010. He will most likely be good enough to either move into the rotation. Philip Humber (2006- ) went from the Mets to the Twins as part of the Johan Santana deal, but he has only now started to perform well in the majors. Pep Harris (1996-98) was a strike-year replacement player who eventually won over his Angels teammates but never was accepted into the players’ union. He pitched well before arm injuries ended his career at age 26. Phil Haugstad (1947-52) was a minor-league star who pitched occasionally for the “Boys of Summer” Dodgers, arriving on the scene during Jackie Robinson’s rookie year. He never appeared in a postseason game, and if he ever did anything of note, it escaped the attention of the many people who have chronicled the Dodgers of the late 1940s and ‘50s. Pat House (1967-68) had a career ERA of 7.08, and considering that he did that in 1967 and ’68, he must have been pitching very badly indeed. Give the man credit – it takes a unique talent to give up 17 runs in 20 innings despite allowing no home runs and only six walks (half of them intentional). He pitched at Boise State University, where we hope they have a blue diamond. Phil Huffman (1979-85) had the misfortune, at age 21, of being hurled onto the pyre of the rotation of the 1979 Blue Jays and left to roast there as he put up a 6-18 record and a 5.77 ERA. The emotionally scarred young man went back to the minors for a few years, and then got kicked around in a brief call-up with the Orioles in 1985.
Bench: Phil Hiatt (1993-2001) is a utility guy who hit 342 minor-league home runs but was never able to put it together into any kind of major-league success. Likewise, outfielder Pat Howell (1992) played more than 1,100 games in the minors but never made a dent in the bigs. Backup catcher Paul Hoover (2001- ) also played 1,000 games in the minors, and he has been just as ineffective in the majors. Pedro Hernandez (1979-82) was an infielder who never did anything in the majors or the minors. Paul Hodgson (1980) is a French-Canadian outfielder who batted .220 for the 1980 Blue Jays.
Manager: Pinky Higgins will serve as player-manager.
Outfield: Right fielder Pete Hill was a left-handed line drive hitter in the early years of the 20th Century and is considered to be one of the greatest outfielders in Negro League history – not quite at the level of Oscar Charleston and Cristobal Torriente, but in the next level below them. Played on some of the greatest teams of his era and was often the biggest star on the team. Left fielder Paul Householder (1980-87) came up with the Reds at a time when the team was putting players’ names on the backs of their uniforms in extremely large letters. Householder’s 11-letter surname was so big that it almost formed a complete circle surrounding his number. That was, in all honesty, the most memorable thing about his career. Center fielder Pete Hotaling (1879-88) was a solid hitter and a good outfielder with a lot of range.
Catcher: Pinky Hargrave (1923-33) was a solid catcher for several different teams. His real name was William McKinley Hargrave, which means that two players on the PH team are connected to President William McKinley. It is worth noting that there have been two players named Hargrave in major league history, that both were catchers, and that one was named Pinky and the other was named Bubbles.
Rotation: Pat Hentgen (1991-2004) won 20 games and the AL Cy Young Award in 1996. He was a durable pitcher who won 131 games in his career, mostly for the Blue Jays. Pete Harnisch (1988-2001) is probably the only pitcher in major league history to go on the disabled list with depression and anxiety sparked by withdrawal after giving up chewing tobacco. He was a decent enough pitcher, won 111 games in his career. Pink Hawley (1892-1901) was a 19th-century workhorse who in 1895 pitched 444 innings and won 31 games. He finished his career with a record of 167-179. Though many ballplayers have been nicknamed Pinky, Hawley is unique in that “Pink” was actually his given name (Eugene Pink Hawley). Pete Henning (1914-15) went 14-25 in two seasons with the Kansas City Packers in the Federal League. Preston Hanna (1975-82) was a first-round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves who reached the majors in his early 20s and pitched badly until arm injuries ended his career by age 28.
Bullpen: Phil Hennigan (1969-73) starts out as the closer, largely on the basis of his 25 career saves, though his single-season high of 14 came in a year when his ERA was 4.94. Setup man Philip Hughes (2007- ) is a young arm with the Yankees who won 18 games in 2010. He will most likely be good enough to either move into the rotation. Philip Humber (2006- ) went from the Mets to the Twins as part of the Johan Santana deal, but he has only now started to perform well in the majors. Pep Harris (1996-98) was a strike-year replacement player who eventually won over his Angels teammates but never was accepted into the players’ union. He pitched well before arm injuries ended his career at age 26. Phil Haugstad (1947-52) was a minor-league star who pitched occasionally for the “Boys of Summer” Dodgers, arriving on the scene during Jackie Robinson’s rookie year. He never appeared in a postseason game, and if he ever did anything of note, it escaped the attention of the many people who have chronicled the Dodgers of the late 1940s and ‘50s. Pat House (1967-68) had a career ERA of 7.08, and considering that he did that in 1967 and ’68, he must have been pitching very badly indeed. Give the man credit – it takes a unique talent to give up 17 runs in 20 innings despite allowing no home runs and only six walks (half of them intentional). He pitched at Boise State University, where we hope they have a blue diamond. Phil Huffman (1979-85) had the misfortune, at age 21, of being hurled onto the pyre of the rotation of the 1979 Blue Jays and left to roast there as he put up a 6-18 record and a 5.77 ERA. The emotionally scarred young man went back to the minors for a few years, and then got kicked around in a brief call-up with the Orioles in 1985.
Bench: Phil Hiatt (1993-2001) is a utility guy who hit 342 minor-league home runs but was never able to put it together into any kind of major-league success. Likewise, outfielder Pat Howell (1992) played more than 1,100 games in the minors but never made a dent in the bigs. Backup catcher Paul Hoover (2001- ) also played 1,000 games in the minors, and he has been just as ineffective in the majors. Pedro Hernandez (1979-82) was an infielder who never did anything in the majors or the minors. Paul Hodgson (1980) is a French-Canadian outfielder who batted .220 for the 1980 Blue Jays.
Manager: Pinky Higgins will serve as player-manager.
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