Infield: First baseman Dick Stuart (1958-69) was a big, hulking slugger whose fielding was so inept that was given one of the sport’s all-time great nicknames – Doctor Strangeglove (he gets bonus points for having a D.S. nickname as well). Supposedly he once got an ovation from the fans near first base when he picked up a hot dog wrapper that had blown onto the field – because the fans knew it might be the only thing he fielded cleanly all day. But he could hit the ball a long way. He hit 221 minor-league home runs, including 66 in one season, and then he went up to the majors and hit 228 homers. He never led the league, though he did hit 48 one year with a league-high 118 RBI. He couldn’t run, his strikeout-to-walk ratio was terrible, and his defense was atrocious (his 29 errors at first base remains a single-season record), but he hit the ball a long, long way. Daryl Spencer (1952-63) was a utility infielder who will start at third base for this team. He wasn’t a great hitter, but he had some pop – he hit 105 home runs in the majors, and another 142 during his seven years playing in Japan in his late 30s and early 40s. His aggressive style of baserunning helped bring an American touch to the Japanese game. Shortstop Dick Schofield Jr. (1983-96) was a very weak hitter - .230 career, never managed 20 doubles in a season, though he did once have 13 home runs. He was a solid fielder and spent most of his career playing for some pretty decent California Angels teams. Second baseman Dave Shean (1906-19) played for six teams during his nine-year career, including both Philadelphia franchises and both Boston franchises. He played for the Cubs, too, but never the White Sox.
Outfield: Right fielder Darryl Strawberry (1983-99) was one of the most talented players of his generation, a 6-foot-6 greyhound with a sweet left-handed power stroke and a strong arm from the outfield. He won the Rookie of the Year award at age 21 and teamed with Dwight Gooden to form a duo that people thought would be the Mantle and Ford of the New York Mets (with Gary Carter playing the role of Yogi). In the end, Strawberry’s career was derailed by back problems, drug addiction and cancer. He finished his career with 335 home runs, 1,000 RBI and 221 stolen bases, but he is still looked at as a “What-Coulda-Been” guy. Through it all - through more comebacks and relapses than anyone would care to count - he remained popular with fans and media, and everyone was happy for him when he won a couple of World Series titles as a role player with the Yankees. Center fielder Duke Snider (1947-64) was the third-best center fielder in New York City for most of his career, but then, when the other two guys are Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle, that’s some pretty tough competition. Snider wasn’t as transcendent as Mays, and he wasn’t as handsome and popular as Mantle, and he didn’t run like those two guys – but he was a pretty great player just the same. He was one of the stars of the “Boys of Summer” Brooklyn Dodgers, and in various seasons he led the NL in runs, RBI, home runs, hits, on-base, slugging and total bases. He played on five pennant winners and two World Series champions. His 11 World Series home runs are the most by any National Leaguer, and if you look at the top 10 RBI totals in World Series history you will find nine Yankees and Duke Snider (in seventh place with 26 RBI). Left fielder Denard Span (2008- ) is just getting started with the Minnesota Twins. He’s a fleet runner and a guy who can hit .290-.300 with good command of the strike zone. His fielding stats in the majors, playing mostly center field, have been just so-so, but those of us who saw him in the minors saw flashes of brilliance that portend regular appearances on ESPN’s Top 10 Plays segments.
Catcher: A very fine platoon combination of lefty-swinging Duke Sims (1964-74) and righty Don Slaught (1982-97). Sims was a .239 career hitter, but don’t let that fool you. He played his prime seasons in the depths of the pitching-dominated 1960s, and he drew enough walks to push his on-base percentage to .340. He had enough power to hit double-digit home runs four times (career high of 23) despite never having 400 at-bats in a season. Slaught was a different type of hitter - .283 career and .300 in his better seasons, but with fewer walks, less power and a weaker arm.
Rotation: Hall of Famer Don Sutton (1966-88) pitched for 23 years and finished with 324 wins and 3.574 strikeouts. He came up as a teammate of Sandy Koufax and stuck around long enough to pitch, not with Pedro Martinez, but with Pedro’s brother Ramon. He was extraordinarily durable – only Cy Young and Nolan Ryan made more starts than Sutton – and remained a useful starter well into his 40s. He was a combination of smart and smart aleck, and when his fastball lost some of its zip, he became craftier and figured out ways to doctor the ball without getting caught. He only won 20 games one time, but he was between 15-19 in 11 other seasons. Dave Stieb (1979-98) was another talented, durable pitcher – probably a bit better than Sutton, but he didn’t hang around as long. He won 176 games, all but one for the Blue Jays, and if he was never the single best pitcher in the AL (even when he led the league in ERA in 1985, he tied for seventh in the Cy Young voting), he was among the best for the better part of a decade. Speaking of durable righties, Dave Stewart (1978-95) had a meandering career as a swingman until he arrived in Oakland at age 29 and won 84 games between 1987-90. He wasn’t the best pitcher in the league, but he never missed a start, he kept his team in the game and he had an outstanding team around him. He glared at batters from beneath a dirty, worn cap, and he looked very intimidating (though he never lead the league in hit batsmen, while Stieb led the league five times). He played on six pennant winners, went 8-0 with a 2.03 ERA in 10 ALCS starts, and he won World Series titles with the Dodgers, A’s and Blue Jays. Doc Scanlan (1903-11) was a fairly nondescript righty who pitched for Brooklyn in the deadball era and won 65 games. Dave Sisler (1956-62) was the son of Hall of Fame first baseman George Sisler and the brother of Dick Sisler, who will be managing this squad. He was a swingman for the Red Sox and three other teams, and was generally OK but never much more than that. He is one of several swingmen who will take turns in the fifth spot in the rotation.
Bullpen: Closer Dave Smith (1980-92) holds the Houston Astros career record for games pitched, and as no current Houston pitcher is within 300 games of him, it appears he’ll hold that distinction for the foreseeable future. Smith was a very fine pitcher who saved 216 games and had a career ERA of 2.67. Don Stanhouse (1972-82) was a colorful character known as “Stan the Man Unusual,” but when he was the Orioles closer, manager Earl Weaver called him by another nickname – “Full Pack,” because Stanhouse’s propensity for walking batters and running up huge pitch counts prompted Weaver to smoke a full pack of cigarettes during the ninth inning. Diego Segui (1962-77) was a high-kicking Cuban swingman who will be taking some times in the fifth spot in the rotation. His best pitch was a forkball, and he used it to win 92 games and save 71, winning the American League ERA title in 1970. Trivia note: Diego Segui is the only person to have played for both the Seattle Pilots and the Seattle Mariners, and in fact, he appeared in the inaugural game for both franchises (a relief appearance for the 1969 Pilots and Opening Day starter for the 1977 Mariners). Dan Spillner (1974-85) spent most of his career working middle and set-up relief with the Padres and Indians. He did manage to save 50 games, including 21 for Cleveland in 1982 when he was their main closer. He also started more than 100 games in his career, including two 1-hitters, so look for him to work his way into the 5-hole in the rotation occasionally. Dave Schmidt (1981-92) was a consistent and durable set-up guy who could slip into the closer role as needed, so he won 54 games and saved 50. Lefty Dan Schatzeder (1977-91) spent 15 seasons with the Expos and eight other teams, winning 69 games and generally being around the league average in ERA. He’s another swingman, but as this bullpen needs lefties, he won’t get a lot of starts. He was one of the better hitting pitchers of his generation, with a .240 career average and five home runs. Duaner Sanchez (2002-09) pitched for five teams in seven seasons.
Bench: David Segui (1990-2004), son of Diego, was a sure-handed first baseman who could hit a bit, too (.291 lifetime with 139 home runs). He will get his share of starts, but he will also fill the all-important role of defensive replacement for Dr. Strangeglove. Dick Schofield Sr. (1953-71), fondly known as Ducky, was a light-hitting middle infielder who played for seven teams in 19 seasons, and while he only played for two pennant winners (1960 Pirates and 1967 Cardinals), his travels around the league afforded him the opportunity to play with about two dozen future Hall of Famers as teammates, as well as at least seven other non-Hall-of-Famers who nonetheless won MVP awards. In addition to being the father of Ducky Jr., he is the grandfather of Jayson Werth. Unlike Segui and Schofield, infielder Dale Sveum (1986-99) has no relatives on this roster, though he was a cousin of John Olerud. Sveum was a first-round draft pick of the Milwaukee Brewers and was groomed to replace Robin Yount at shortstop. He hit 25 home runs and drove in 95 runs at age 23 but went backward from there and settled into a backup role. One of the two platoon catchers, Slaught and Sims, will be on the bench on any given day. Outfielder Neon Deion “Prime Time” Sanders (1989-2001) beats out Dwight Smith in a close call for the final spot on the bench, in part because he is more marketable and in part because he will kick ass in the pickup flag football games during spring training.
Manager: Dick Sisler, son of George and brother of Dave, managed the Reds in the mid-1960s. He put up a career record of 121-94, including an 89-74 record in his only full season. Despite this success, he never managed again, serving as a coach for several teams. He appears to have been a shy, soft-spoken man who simply preferred a secondary role out of the spotlight.
Outfield: Right fielder Darryl Strawberry (1983-99) was one of the most talented players of his generation, a 6-foot-6 greyhound with a sweet left-handed power stroke and a strong arm from the outfield. He won the Rookie of the Year award at age 21 and teamed with Dwight Gooden to form a duo that people thought would be the Mantle and Ford of the New York Mets (with Gary Carter playing the role of Yogi). In the end, Strawberry’s career was derailed by back problems, drug addiction and cancer. He finished his career with 335 home runs, 1,000 RBI and 221 stolen bases, but he is still looked at as a “What-Coulda-Been” guy. Through it all - through more comebacks and relapses than anyone would care to count - he remained popular with fans and media, and everyone was happy for him when he won a couple of World Series titles as a role player with the Yankees. Center fielder Duke Snider (1947-64) was the third-best center fielder in New York City for most of his career, but then, when the other two guys are Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle, that’s some pretty tough competition. Snider wasn’t as transcendent as Mays, and he wasn’t as handsome and popular as Mantle, and he didn’t run like those two guys – but he was a pretty great player just the same. He was one of the stars of the “Boys of Summer” Brooklyn Dodgers, and in various seasons he led the NL in runs, RBI, home runs, hits, on-base, slugging and total bases. He played on five pennant winners and two World Series champions. His 11 World Series home runs are the most by any National Leaguer, and if you look at the top 10 RBI totals in World Series history you will find nine Yankees and Duke Snider (in seventh place with 26 RBI). Left fielder Denard Span (2008- ) is just getting started with the Minnesota Twins. He’s a fleet runner and a guy who can hit .290-.300 with good command of the strike zone. His fielding stats in the majors, playing mostly center field, have been just so-so, but those of us who saw him in the minors saw flashes of brilliance that portend regular appearances on ESPN’s Top 10 Plays segments.
Catcher: A very fine platoon combination of lefty-swinging Duke Sims (1964-74) and righty Don Slaught (1982-97). Sims was a .239 career hitter, but don’t let that fool you. He played his prime seasons in the depths of the pitching-dominated 1960s, and he drew enough walks to push his on-base percentage to .340. He had enough power to hit double-digit home runs four times (career high of 23) despite never having 400 at-bats in a season. Slaught was a different type of hitter - .283 career and .300 in his better seasons, but with fewer walks, less power and a weaker arm.
Rotation: Hall of Famer Don Sutton (1966-88) pitched for 23 years and finished with 324 wins and 3.574 strikeouts. He came up as a teammate of Sandy Koufax and stuck around long enough to pitch, not with Pedro Martinez, but with Pedro’s brother Ramon. He was extraordinarily durable – only Cy Young and Nolan Ryan made more starts than Sutton – and remained a useful starter well into his 40s. He was a combination of smart and smart aleck, and when his fastball lost some of its zip, he became craftier and figured out ways to doctor the ball without getting caught. He only won 20 games one time, but he was between 15-19 in 11 other seasons. Dave Stieb (1979-98) was another talented, durable pitcher – probably a bit better than Sutton, but he didn’t hang around as long. He won 176 games, all but one for the Blue Jays, and if he was never the single best pitcher in the AL (even when he led the league in ERA in 1985, he tied for seventh in the Cy Young voting), he was among the best for the better part of a decade. Speaking of durable righties, Dave Stewart (1978-95) had a meandering career as a swingman until he arrived in Oakland at age 29 and won 84 games between 1987-90. He wasn’t the best pitcher in the league, but he never missed a start, he kept his team in the game and he had an outstanding team around him. He glared at batters from beneath a dirty, worn cap, and he looked very intimidating (though he never lead the league in hit batsmen, while Stieb led the league five times). He played on six pennant winners, went 8-0 with a 2.03 ERA in 10 ALCS starts, and he won World Series titles with the Dodgers, A’s and Blue Jays. Doc Scanlan (1903-11) was a fairly nondescript righty who pitched for Brooklyn in the deadball era and won 65 games. Dave Sisler (1956-62) was the son of Hall of Fame first baseman George Sisler and the brother of Dick Sisler, who will be managing this squad. He was a swingman for the Red Sox and three other teams, and was generally OK but never much more than that. He is one of several swingmen who will take turns in the fifth spot in the rotation.
Bullpen: Closer Dave Smith (1980-92) holds the Houston Astros career record for games pitched, and as no current Houston pitcher is within 300 games of him, it appears he’ll hold that distinction for the foreseeable future. Smith was a very fine pitcher who saved 216 games and had a career ERA of 2.67. Don Stanhouse (1972-82) was a colorful character known as “Stan the Man Unusual,” but when he was the Orioles closer, manager Earl Weaver called him by another nickname – “Full Pack,” because Stanhouse’s propensity for walking batters and running up huge pitch counts prompted Weaver to smoke a full pack of cigarettes during the ninth inning. Diego Segui (1962-77) was a high-kicking Cuban swingman who will be taking some times in the fifth spot in the rotation. His best pitch was a forkball, and he used it to win 92 games and save 71, winning the American League ERA title in 1970. Trivia note: Diego Segui is the only person to have played for both the Seattle Pilots and the Seattle Mariners, and in fact, he appeared in the inaugural game for both franchises (a relief appearance for the 1969 Pilots and Opening Day starter for the 1977 Mariners). Dan Spillner (1974-85) spent most of his career working middle and set-up relief with the Padres and Indians. He did manage to save 50 games, including 21 for Cleveland in 1982 when he was their main closer. He also started more than 100 games in his career, including two 1-hitters, so look for him to work his way into the 5-hole in the rotation occasionally. Dave Schmidt (1981-92) was a consistent and durable set-up guy who could slip into the closer role as needed, so he won 54 games and saved 50. Lefty Dan Schatzeder (1977-91) spent 15 seasons with the Expos and eight other teams, winning 69 games and generally being around the league average in ERA. He’s another swingman, but as this bullpen needs lefties, he won’t get a lot of starts. He was one of the better hitting pitchers of his generation, with a .240 career average and five home runs. Duaner Sanchez (2002-09) pitched for five teams in seven seasons.
Bench: David Segui (1990-2004), son of Diego, was a sure-handed first baseman who could hit a bit, too (.291 lifetime with 139 home runs). He will get his share of starts, but he will also fill the all-important role of defensive replacement for Dr. Strangeglove. Dick Schofield Sr. (1953-71), fondly known as Ducky, was a light-hitting middle infielder who played for seven teams in 19 seasons, and while he only played for two pennant winners (1960 Pirates and 1967 Cardinals), his travels around the league afforded him the opportunity to play with about two dozen future Hall of Famers as teammates, as well as at least seven other non-Hall-of-Famers who nonetheless won MVP awards. In addition to being the father of Ducky Jr., he is the grandfather of Jayson Werth. Unlike Segui and Schofield, infielder Dale Sveum (1986-99) has no relatives on this roster, though he was a cousin of John Olerud. Sveum was a first-round draft pick of the Milwaukee Brewers and was groomed to replace Robin Yount at shortstop. He hit 25 home runs and drove in 95 runs at age 23 but went backward from there and settled into a backup role. One of the two platoon catchers, Slaught and Sims, will be on the bench on any given day. Outfielder Neon Deion “Prime Time” Sanders (1989-2001) beats out Dwight Smith in a close call for the final spot on the bench, in part because he is more marketable and in part because he will kick ass in the pickup flag football games during spring training.
Manager: Dick Sisler, son of George and brother of Dave, managed the Reds in the mid-1960s. He put up a career record of 121-94, including an 89-74 record in his only full season. Despite this success, he never managed again, serving as a coach for several teams. He appears to have been a shy, soft-spoken man who simply preferred a secondary role out of the spotlight.
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