Infield: First baseman Gary Redus (1982-94) was always a better player than people realized. He was a .250 hitter, but he drew a lot of walks, he had some power, and he was very fast and could steal 40-50 bases a year at an 80 percent success rate. He could play outfield or first base, and he was the most outspoken guy among several young players on the Reds’ roster who had trouble getting playing time because player-manager Pete Rose kept himself in the lineup chasing Ty Cobb. He never played more than 130 games in a season, even after he left Cincinnati, but he was a very effective player. Second baseman George Rohe (1901-07) had an undistinguished major-league career, except that at age 31 he played great in the 1906 World Series to help the White Sox upset the powerhouse Cubs. Third baseman Goldie Rapp (1921-23) was a minor-league batting champion who never hit well in the majors. Gene Robertson (1919-30) was primarily a third baseman but could be stretched to play short, which is where he will start here. He grew up in St. Louis, attended St. Louis University and landed on the St. Louis Browns, where he was a role player for several years before eventually making his way to the Yankees and winning a World Series title in 1928.
Outfield: Left fielder Gene Richards (1977-84) could fly. He was basically a slap hitter, but with his speed he could hit 10-12 triples a year, and he stole as many as 61 bases. He drew enough walks to get on base a little bit. With Richards and Gary Redus at the top of the order, this team will have fleet runners on base. The question is whether anyone will drive them in. Right fielder Gary Roenicke (1975-88) will be one of the guys trying to do that. Best known as one of the role players who used to give Earl Weaver great production as a half-time starter, Roenicke hit 121 home runs in his career despite the fact that he never came to the plate 500 times in a season. He was a .250 hitter, but he drew some walks and he hit the ball hard. Center fielder Goody Rosen (1937-46) was a pretty fair player for the Brooklyn Dodgers who had his best season in 1945, when he batted .325 and scored 126 runs. A year later, after he was traded to the Giants, he ran into an outfield wall and sustained a career-ending injury.
Catcher: Gil Reyes (1983-91) is not to be confused with the boxer of the same name, or with Andre Agassi’s longtime fitness trainer, though truth be told, either one of those gentlemen, given 283 plate apperarances, probably could have matched this guy’s production in the majors. He was tough to run on, though. Give him that.
Rotation: Glendon Rusch (1997-2009) was a lefty who had a couple of good years and some really bad ones. He went 8-12 with the Mets in 2001, then went to the Brewers in a three-team trade and proceeded to lead the N.L. with 16 losses in 2002. Then, in 2003 he went 1-12 before the Brewers pulled the plug on him. He had a couple of decent years as a swingman for the Cubs, but he never became the pitcher who people somehow kept expecting him to become. Gordon Rhodes (1929-36), like Rusch, had some decent years but also some ugly ones. He went 2-10 in 1932, split between the Yankees and the Red Sox, and then he went 2-10 for the Sox in 1935 and 9-20 for the A’s in 1936, ending his big-league career. Unlike Rusch and Rhodes, Gary Ross (1968-77) never led the league in losses, but it wasn’t for lack of effort. In 1976 he went 8-16 for the Angels, tying for fourth in the league in losses. Two of the guys who lost more than him that year are in the Hall of Fame – Nolan Ryan (who was 19-18) and Goose Gossage (who lost 17 games while his idiot manager tried to make a starter out of him). Gary Ryerson (1972-73), who in a later generation might have been dubbed “Needlenose Gary,” had a career record of 3-9. The top four pitchers in this rotation have a combined career won-loss record of 138-229. George Rettger (1891-92), by contrast, had a winning record. He went 9-6 while pitching for three teams in the 19th century. Sportswriter Grantland Rice, covering this team for the local paper, will no doubt write Rettger up as a heroic figure being dragged down by the Four Horsemen preceeding him in the rotation.
Bullpen: Nominal closer Gary Roggenburk (1963-69) had seven saves in a brief career that finished up with a short stint with the Seattle Pilots. Gordie Richardson (1964-66) had a promising rookie year for the World Series champion Cardinals in 1964 but was never very effective again. Grant Roberts (2000-04) was a promising young pitcher for the Mets who was out of baseball before he was 30 because of injuries. George Riley (1979-86) pitched a few games here and there for three teams in four seasons. Gil Rondon (1976-79) got rocked in 19 games for the Astros, then made it back up for a cup o’coffee with the White Sox a few years later. Greg Reynolds (2008- ) has gotten pounded in a couple of go-rounds in Colorado, but he’s still relatively young and could work his way back. Gene Rounsaville (1970) had a 9.95 career ERA in eight appearances.
Bench: Gary Rajsich (1982-85) was a minor-league slugger who never got it going in the majors. A lefty first baseman who could also play outfield, he will get some platoon at-bats here. German Rivera (1983-85) batted .350 in 17 at-bats as a 22-year-old rookie, and the Dodgers were convinced he would be their third baseman for the next decade. They were wrong. Gene Roof (1981-83) was an outfield prospect who never quite stuck. He is best known as the brother of longtime backup catcher Phil Roof. (Because of the 17-year age difference between the brothers, Phil played for 16 seasons in the majors but was finished four years before his brother got called up, prompting fans to initially assume they were father and son.) Guillermo Rodriguez (2007-09) is the backup catcher. Infielder Glenn Redmon (1974) had four hits in his big-league career, three of which were doubles.
Manager: Greg Riddoch had a winning record in parts of three seasons as manager of the Padres, but his players were frequently fighting with each other, and petulant first baseman Jack Clark memorably referred to Riddoch as “a ssssssssnake.”
Outfield: Left fielder Gene Richards (1977-84) could fly. He was basically a slap hitter, but with his speed he could hit 10-12 triples a year, and he stole as many as 61 bases. He drew enough walks to get on base a little bit. With Richards and Gary Redus at the top of the order, this team will have fleet runners on base. The question is whether anyone will drive them in. Right fielder Gary Roenicke (1975-88) will be one of the guys trying to do that. Best known as one of the role players who used to give Earl Weaver great production as a half-time starter, Roenicke hit 121 home runs in his career despite the fact that he never came to the plate 500 times in a season. He was a .250 hitter, but he drew some walks and he hit the ball hard. Center fielder Goody Rosen (1937-46) was a pretty fair player for the Brooklyn Dodgers who had his best season in 1945, when he batted .325 and scored 126 runs. A year later, after he was traded to the Giants, he ran into an outfield wall and sustained a career-ending injury.
Catcher: Gil Reyes (1983-91) is not to be confused with the boxer of the same name, or with Andre Agassi’s longtime fitness trainer, though truth be told, either one of those gentlemen, given 283 plate apperarances, probably could have matched this guy’s production in the majors. He was tough to run on, though. Give him that.
Rotation: Glendon Rusch (1997-2009) was a lefty who had a couple of good years and some really bad ones. He went 8-12 with the Mets in 2001, then went to the Brewers in a three-team trade and proceeded to lead the N.L. with 16 losses in 2002. Then, in 2003 he went 1-12 before the Brewers pulled the plug on him. He had a couple of decent years as a swingman for the Cubs, but he never became the pitcher who people somehow kept expecting him to become. Gordon Rhodes (1929-36), like Rusch, had some decent years but also some ugly ones. He went 2-10 in 1932, split between the Yankees and the Red Sox, and then he went 2-10 for the Sox in 1935 and 9-20 for the A’s in 1936, ending his big-league career. Unlike Rusch and Rhodes, Gary Ross (1968-77) never led the league in losses, but it wasn’t for lack of effort. In 1976 he went 8-16 for the Angels, tying for fourth in the league in losses. Two of the guys who lost more than him that year are in the Hall of Fame – Nolan Ryan (who was 19-18) and Goose Gossage (who lost 17 games while his idiot manager tried to make a starter out of him). Gary Ryerson (1972-73), who in a later generation might have been dubbed “Needlenose Gary,” had a career record of 3-9. The top four pitchers in this rotation have a combined career won-loss record of 138-229. George Rettger (1891-92), by contrast, had a winning record. He went 9-6 while pitching for three teams in the 19th century. Sportswriter Grantland Rice, covering this team for the local paper, will no doubt write Rettger up as a heroic figure being dragged down by the Four Horsemen preceeding him in the rotation.
Bullpen: Nominal closer Gary Roggenburk (1963-69) had seven saves in a brief career that finished up with a short stint with the Seattle Pilots. Gordie Richardson (1964-66) had a promising rookie year for the World Series champion Cardinals in 1964 but was never very effective again. Grant Roberts (2000-04) was a promising young pitcher for the Mets who was out of baseball before he was 30 because of injuries. George Riley (1979-86) pitched a few games here and there for three teams in four seasons. Gil Rondon (1976-79) got rocked in 19 games for the Astros, then made it back up for a cup o’coffee with the White Sox a few years later. Greg Reynolds (2008- ) has gotten pounded in a couple of go-rounds in Colorado, but he’s still relatively young and could work his way back. Gene Rounsaville (1970) had a 9.95 career ERA in eight appearances.
Bench: Gary Rajsich (1982-85) was a minor-league slugger who never got it going in the majors. A lefty first baseman who could also play outfield, he will get some platoon at-bats here. German Rivera (1983-85) batted .350 in 17 at-bats as a 22-year-old rookie, and the Dodgers were convinced he would be their third baseman for the next decade. They were wrong. Gene Roof (1981-83) was an outfield prospect who never quite stuck. He is best known as the brother of longtime backup catcher Phil Roof. (Because of the 17-year age difference between the brothers, Phil played for 16 seasons in the majors but was finished four years before his brother got called up, prompting fans to initially assume they were father and son.) Guillermo Rodriguez (2007-09) is the backup catcher. Infielder Glenn Redmon (1974) had four hits in his big-league career, three of which were doubles.
Manager: Greg Riddoch had a winning record in parts of three seasons as manager of the Padres, but his players were frequently fighting with each other, and petulant first baseman Jack Clark memorably referred to Riddoch as “a ssssssssnake.”
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