Infield: Shortstop Edgar Renteria (1996- ) has had quite a career. He’s gone to the World Series with three different teams, winning unexpected championships with Florida in 1997 (he had the walk-off RBI single in the 11th inning of Game 7) and with San Francisco in 2010 (he was named MVP of the Series). He finished the 2011 season with 2,327 hits and 1,200 runs, but he appears to be running out of gas in his mid-30s. He’s played in five all-star games and won two Gold Gloves. First baseman Eddie Robinson (1942-57) was a big, slow lefty slugger who moved around so much that in his 13-year career he played for seven of the “original eight” American League teams (the only one he missed was the Red Sox, and he later served as a scout for that team). He was a fine hitter who had some pop and rarely struck out. The start of his career was delayed by military service, but he made up for lost time, winning a World Series title with Cleveland in 1948 and driving in 323 runs in three years during his early 30s. Third baseman Ernest Riles (1985-93) and second baseman Ed Romero (1977-90) were both journeyman utility infielders, and they were teammates for a while with the Milwaukee Brewers in the mid-1980s. They were both weak hitters, though Riles was certainly better than Romero.
Outfield: Center fielder Edd Roush (1913-31) won two batting titles, hit .323 for his career and was an exceptional defensive outfielder in a career than landed him in the Hall of Fame. He spent most of his career in Cincinnati, winning a (tainted) World Series title in 1919 against the Black Sox. He was a classic contact hitter from his era, striking out about 20 times a year, stealing bases and legging out doubles and triples. Roush lived to be 94 and was the last surviving guy who had played in the upstart Federal League. Right fielder Earl Robinson (1958-64) was a decent young hitter for the Orioles whose career ended in his late 20s due to injuries. A two-sport star at University of California, he later became a basketball coach at the junior college level. Left fielder Earl Rapp (1949-52) spent three years in the majors and was traded at midseason in each year. A .262 career batting average with no power or speed to speak of.
Catcher: Ellie Rodriguez (1968-76) came up with the Yankees during their post-Mantle doldrums, then spent a few years with the foundling Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers. A decent contact hitter with a good batting eye, he was good enough to plug holes in major-league lineups for several seasons.
Rotation: Lefty Eppa Rixey (1912-33) won 266 games for the Reds and Phillies. He also lost 251 games. He had four seasons of 20 or more victories and two seasons of 20 or more losses. He was a durable, solid pitcher who made it to the Hall of Fame on the bases of his career victory total. Rixey was a University of Virginia graduate who earned a Master’s degree in chemistry duing the offseason. He also taught Latin to high school students. Eddie Rommel (1920-32) was a better pitcher than Rixey, in a shorter career, and he did not make the Hall of Fame. Rommel, a knuckleballer for the Philadelphia A’s, went 171-119 while splitting his time between the rotation and the bullpen. Rommel was a “pitch to contact” guy – he struck out fewer than 600 batters in 2,556 career innings – and in 1922 he went 27-13 for the 65-89 A’s. After he retired, he had a long career as an umpire. Big Ed Reulbach (1905-17) was also better than Rixey in a shorter career and also didn’t make the Hall of Fame. His career record was 182-106, and pitching for the powerhouse Cubs he led the NL in winning percentage from 1906-08. He was on four pennant winners and two World Series champions. Eric Rasmussen (1975-83) won 11 of his 50 career victories under his birth name, Harry Rasmussen. He changed his name to Eric before the 1977 season, saying that he wanted a name to reflect his Scandanavian ancestry. (He named his first-born son Harry. Go figure.) He finished with a 50-77 record. Elmer Riddle (1939-49) pitched for the Reds during World War II, leading the NL in ERA and winning percentage in 1941 and in victories in 1943. When the war ended, Riddle wasn’t very good anymore. Riddle’s record was 47-26 with a 2.76 ERA from 1941-43, and he was 18-26 with a 4.46 ERA for the rest of his career.
Bullpen: Closer Ed Roebuck (1955-66) will room with Ed Reulbach, just to confuse the people at the hotel. Roebuck pitched for the Dodgers during the transitional period between Brooklyn and L.A., winning two pennants and a World Series title. He won 52 games and saved 62. Spent some time with the Senators and Phillies at the end of his career. Enrique Romo (1977-82) pitched in Mexico for more than a decade before coming to the majors at age 29. He won 44 and saved 52 for the Mariners and the Pirates, winning a World Series title with Pittsburgh in 1979. Eduardo Rodriguez (1973-79) was a durable, consistent reliever who won 42 games in his career, mostly for the early Milwaukee Brewers teams. Ed “Rock” Rakow (1960-67) went 36-47 while splitting his career between the rotation and the pen for four teams. Edwar Ramirez (2007- ) has won seven games in the majors and pitched for the 2008 World Series champion Yankees. His career may have run out of steam, as he got hammered during a brief season in Mexico in 2011, but he is just in his early 30s and could resurface. And, yes, it’s Edwar, not Edward. Lefty Erasmo Ramirez (2003-07) won eight games for the Rangers. Eddy Rodriguez (2004-06) won two games for the Orioles.
Bench: Utility man Ed Rowen (1882-84) and backup catcher Emmett Rogers (1890) weren’t very good players, but they had great mustaches. Infielder Eddie Rogers (2002-06) played in 30 games and had 30 plate appearances. He was occasionally used as a pinch-runner but was thrown out on both stolen base attempts. Infielder Ed Roetz (1929) batted .244 for the St. Louis Browns. Outfielder Eric Reed (2006-07) played briefly for Florida, and in a fit of statistical sadism, manager Fredi Gonzalez gave him just one more at-bat in 2007 so that Reed’s career numbers would be 6-for-61 and a .098 batting average.
Manager: Edwin Rodriguez managed the Marlins at the end of 2010 and the start of 2011. His career record is 78-85. He had some success at first but resigned early in the 2011 season while his team was on a 1-17 tailspin. First Puerto Rican manager in major-league history.
Outfield: Center fielder Edd Roush (1913-31) won two batting titles, hit .323 for his career and was an exceptional defensive outfielder in a career than landed him in the Hall of Fame. He spent most of his career in Cincinnati, winning a (tainted) World Series title in 1919 against the Black Sox. He was a classic contact hitter from his era, striking out about 20 times a year, stealing bases and legging out doubles and triples. Roush lived to be 94 and was the last surviving guy who had played in the upstart Federal League. Right fielder Earl Robinson (1958-64) was a decent young hitter for the Orioles whose career ended in his late 20s due to injuries. A two-sport star at University of California, he later became a basketball coach at the junior college level. Left fielder Earl Rapp (1949-52) spent three years in the majors and was traded at midseason in each year. A .262 career batting average with no power or speed to speak of.
Catcher: Ellie Rodriguez (1968-76) came up with the Yankees during their post-Mantle doldrums, then spent a few years with the foundling Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers. A decent contact hitter with a good batting eye, he was good enough to plug holes in major-league lineups for several seasons.
Rotation: Lefty Eppa Rixey (1912-33) won 266 games for the Reds and Phillies. He also lost 251 games. He had four seasons of 20 or more victories and two seasons of 20 or more losses. He was a durable, solid pitcher who made it to the Hall of Fame on the bases of his career victory total. Rixey was a University of Virginia graduate who earned a Master’s degree in chemistry duing the offseason. He also taught Latin to high school students. Eddie Rommel (1920-32) was a better pitcher than Rixey, in a shorter career, and he did not make the Hall of Fame. Rommel, a knuckleballer for the Philadelphia A’s, went 171-119 while splitting his time between the rotation and the bullpen. Rommel was a “pitch to contact” guy – he struck out fewer than 600 batters in 2,556 career innings – and in 1922 he went 27-13 for the 65-89 A’s. After he retired, he had a long career as an umpire. Big Ed Reulbach (1905-17) was also better than Rixey in a shorter career and also didn’t make the Hall of Fame. His career record was 182-106, and pitching for the powerhouse Cubs he led the NL in winning percentage from 1906-08. He was on four pennant winners and two World Series champions. Eric Rasmussen (1975-83) won 11 of his 50 career victories under his birth name, Harry Rasmussen. He changed his name to Eric before the 1977 season, saying that he wanted a name to reflect his Scandanavian ancestry. (He named his first-born son Harry. Go figure.) He finished with a 50-77 record. Elmer Riddle (1939-49) pitched for the Reds during World War II, leading the NL in ERA and winning percentage in 1941 and in victories in 1943. When the war ended, Riddle wasn’t very good anymore. Riddle’s record was 47-26 with a 2.76 ERA from 1941-43, and he was 18-26 with a 4.46 ERA for the rest of his career.
Bullpen: Closer Ed Roebuck (1955-66) will room with Ed Reulbach, just to confuse the people at the hotel. Roebuck pitched for the Dodgers during the transitional period between Brooklyn and L.A., winning two pennants and a World Series title. He won 52 games and saved 62. Spent some time with the Senators and Phillies at the end of his career. Enrique Romo (1977-82) pitched in Mexico for more than a decade before coming to the majors at age 29. He won 44 and saved 52 for the Mariners and the Pirates, winning a World Series title with Pittsburgh in 1979. Eduardo Rodriguez (1973-79) was a durable, consistent reliever who won 42 games in his career, mostly for the early Milwaukee Brewers teams. Ed “Rock” Rakow (1960-67) went 36-47 while splitting his career between the rotation and the pen for four teams. Edwar Ramirez (2007- ) has won seven games in the majors and pitched for the 2008 World Series champion Yankees. His career may have run out of steam, as he got hammered during a brief season in Mexico in 2011, but he is just in his early 30s and could resurface. And, yes, it’s Edwar, not Edward. Lefty Erasmo Ramirez (2003-07) won eight games for the Rangers. Eddy Rodriguez (2004-06) won two games for the Orioles.
Bench: Utility man Ed Rowen (1882-84) and backup catcher Emmett Rogers (1890) weren’t very good players, but they had great mustaches. Infielder Eddie Rogers (2002-06) played in 30 games and had 30 plate appearances. He was occasionally used as a pinch-runner but was thrown out on both stolen base attempts. Infielder Ed Roetz (1929) batted .244 for the St. Louis Browns. Outfielder Eric Reed (2006-07) played briefly for Florida, and in a fit of statistical sadism, manager Fredi Gonzalez gave him just one more at-bat in 2007 so that Reed’s career numbers would be 6-for-61 and a .098 batting average.
Manager: Edwin Rodriguez managed the Marlins at the end of 2010 and the start of 2011. His career record is 78-85. He had some success at first but resigned early in the 2011 season while his team was on a 1-17 tailspin. First Puerto Rican manager in major-league history.
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