Infield: First baseman Carlos May (1968-77) was the younger brother of Lee May, who pounded out 354 home runs in his career. By all accounts, Carlos was the more talented athlete of the two, but he was seen as a disappointment in the majors. He was a good player, even after he lost a thumb in an accident involving mortars while on duty with the U.S. Army Reserves. He was a .270-.280 hitter with better strike zone judgment than his brother, but he never fully developed his power stroke (90 career home runs) and he was out of baseball by age 30. He was a good player who nonetheless failed to live up to expectations. He is also an answer to a popular baseball trivia question: He is the only player in history to wear his birthday on his uniform (May 17). Third baseman Cal McVey (1871-79) was a very talented hitter in the early days of pro baseball. He led the National Association in RBIin 1874-75 (and, in fact, he had the most career RBI in the history of the N.A.). His career average was .346 and he hit a lot of doubles and triples. He had a long career as a manager, scout and team executive in various leagues that formed in California in the late 19th century. Casey McGehee (2008- ), primarily a third baseman, will move to his secondary spot – second base – in order to accommodate McVey. McGehee drove in 104 runs in 2010. That appears to have been an anomaly, but he's still a regular, so the next few years will make it more clear what kind of career he’s going to have. Shortstop Cass Michaels (1943-54) was a slap hitter with a good batting eye and a decent glove. He played in the majors at age 17 under his birth name (Casimir Kwietniewski) before decided to adopt a new name that people could actually spell and pronounce. He became a regular with the White Sox at age 19 and made a couple of all-star games in his early 20s before he spent a few years roaming around the American League. He was back with the White Sox in his late 20s when his career was ended by a beanball that almost killed him. He survived but was left with impaired vision and never played again.
Outfield: Center fielder Clyde Milan (1907-22) was one of the fastest players in baseball during his era. He stole 495 bases in his career, including 88 in 1912 to set a modern record that lasted until Ty Cobb stole 96 three years later. He spent his entire career playing alongside Walter Johnson with the Senators, accumulating 2,100 hits and 1,004 runs. He had a long career as a manager and coach, which ended quite suddenly when he dropped dead of a heart attack on the field at spring training in 1953. Left fielder Candy Maldonado (1981-95) was a much-hyped Dodgers prospect who took several years to establish himself as a regular (and even after that, he only qualified for the league batting title three times during a 15-year career). That said, he was a very good role player and platoon outfielder, banging 146 home runs in his career. Right fielder Charlie “Smokey” Maxwell (1950-64) couldn’t break into the Red Sox lineup, but he was traded to Detroit and became a starter at age 29, ultimately hitting 148 home runs and making a couple of all-star games. He had a good batting eye and a reputation for clutch hitting – he is the only major-leaguer to hit five extra-inning home runs in a single season. A native of Michigan and a gradute of Western Michigan University, he was much beloved by fans in Detroit.
Catcher: Chief Myers (1909-17) was an American Indian, Dartmouth-educated and a lover of art and history, who worked as Christy Mathewson’s catcher with the Giants for several years and will have that role again here. He was a very fine hitter – a regular .300 hitter during the deadball era, with a good batting eye – and he was highly respected for his intelligence on the field. He and Mathewson were close friends who actually performed together in a touring Vaudeville show during one offseason.
Rotation: Christy Mathewson (1900-16) is one of the great pitchers of all time, and was one of the heroic, larger-than-life figures in the sport in the early part of the 20th century. Mathewson won 373 games, still the most in National League history, with a career ERA of 2.13. He famously pitched three shutouts in the 1905 World Series (27 innings, 13 hits, 1 walk, 18 strikeouts), and his ERA in 11 career World Series starts was 0.97 (though that figure does reflect a large number of unearned runs and his record was just 5-5). He was considered a man of great integrity, and he was the only prominent person within the game who spoke out loudly about the infestation of gamblers and crooked players leading up to the Black Sox scandal. Historian Bill James has suggested that if there were a few more players like Mathewson, willing to speak up about the growing problem, that the owners would have been forced to address the situation before it boiled over in 1919. A World War I veteran who died of tuberculosis at age 45, he was one of the five players inducted in the Hall of Fame’s inaugural class. Carl Mays (1915-29) was a hard-throwing submarine-style pitcher most famous for killing Cleveland Indians star Ray Chapman with one of his underhand fastballs in 1920. He was an outstanding pitcher, with a career record of 208-126 with a 2.92 ERA, but he did have a reputation for pitching inside and many players around the sport blamed him for killing the quiet, respected Chapman. Lefty Cliff Melton (1937-44) was a North Carolina hillbilly who went 20-9 for the Giants as a 25-year-old rookie. He was nicknamed “Mickey Mouse” and “Mountain Music” (apparently he liked alliterations), and his brother “Rube” also made it to the majors. Melton won 86 games in the majors and 143 in the minors. Carl Morton (1969-76) was the NL Rookie of the Year when he went 18-11 for a last-place Expos team in 1970. He won 48 games for the Braves between 1973-75 but began to break down. He was out of baseball in his early 30s, and he died of a heart attack before he turned 40. Lefty Clarence Mitchell (1911-32) had a career record of 125-139 but his spot in baseball history rests on the day in 1920 when he hit a line drive at Cleveland shortstop Bill Wambsganss, who turned it into the only unasssisted triple play in World Series history.
Bullpen: Closer Carlos Marmol (2006- ) is a flamethrower in mid-career, and as the Cubs’ closer in 2010 he put up some number that were just stupefying. In 77 2/3 innings, he struck out 138 batters (16 per nine innings). He struck out 41 percent of the batters he faced, and barely 40 percent of the batters he faced actually put the ball in play. He’s a very good pitcher and a lot of fun to watch. Craig McMurtry (1983-95) came up as a starter, won 15 games for the Braves and finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 1983. He eventually moved to the bullpen and pitched for several years with moderate effectiveness. Lefty Chuck McElroy (1989-2001) had a long career in which he won 38 games, saved 17 and had a solid 3.90 ERA. He played for nine teams in 13 seasons but never made it to the playoffs. Cal McLish (1944-64) won 92 games as a journeyman swingman. His full name – we’re not making this up – was Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish (which isn’t quite as long as Alan Mitchell Edward George Patrick Henry Gallagher, but is infinitely more creative). Lefty Cyclone Miller (1884-86) won 14 games during the 1880s. Chris Michalak (1998-2006), another lefty, was a reasonably effective swingman. Cla Meredith (2005- ), a sidearmer, has been a dependable middle reliever. And, yes, his name is not Clay, not Cal, but Cla – Olise Cla Meredith.
Bench: Carmelo Martinez (1983-91) was a first baseman and corner outfielder who hit 108 home runs in his career. Clyde McCullough (1940-56) was your basic .250 hitter with good defensive skills, and he beats out Charlie Moore for the backup catching job in part because he later managed the hometown Tidewater Tides. Outfielder Chito Martinez (1991-93) was a lefty slugger who showed promise with the Orioles but had a short career. Craig Monroe (2001-09) was an outfielder who hit 115 home runs, mostly for the Tigers. Despite his middle name (Keystone), Monroe never played second base or shortstop, meaning utility infielder Chippy McGarr (1884-96) will be the only backup infielder on the bench at this point. He’s got a great name, sounds like a swashbuckling pirate, and his sepia-toned photograph at baseballreference.com fits that image quite fine.
Manager: Connie Mack was one of the central figures in baseball history, managing for 53 years and setting unreachable records for both wins (3,731) and losses (3,948). The losing record is deceptive. Mack owned the teams that Philadelphia A’s teams that he managed, and he went through long periods when he could not afford to put frontline talent on the field. But he won nine pennants and five World Series titles, and he was the architect of two of baseball’s greatest teams – the 1909-14 A’s, and the 1928-32 A’s. He was a soft-spoken, dignified man – he wore a suit and tie in the dugout and was always addressed as “Mr. Mack” – and he liked to work with college educated players. He will enjoy managing Mathewson and Chief Meyers on this team. He was a tremendous judge of talent and a smart strategist, one of the great managers in history.
Outfield: Center fielder Clyde Milan (1907-22) was one of the fastest players in baseball during his era. He stole 495 bases in his career, including 88 in 1912 to set a modern record that lasted until Ty Cobb stole 96 three years later. He spent his entire career playing alongside Walter Johnson with the Senators, accumulating 2,100 hits and 1,004 runs. He had a long career as a manager and coach, which ended quite suddenly when he dropped dead of a heart attack on the field at spring training in 1953. Left fielder Candy Maldonado (1981-95) was a much-hyped Dodgers prospect who took several years to establish himself as a regular (and even after that, he only qualified for the league batting title three times during a 15-year career). That said, he was a very good role player and platoon outfielder, banging 146 home runs in his career. Right fielder Charlie “Smokey” Maxwell (1950-64) couldn’t break into the Red Sox lineup, but he was traded to Detroit and became a starter at age 29, ultimately hitting 148 home runs and making a couple of all-star games. He had a good batting eye and a reputation for clutch hitting – he is the only major-leaguer to hit five extra-inning home runs in a single season. A native of Michigan and a gradute of Western Michigan University, he was much beloved by fans in Detroit.
Catcher: Chief Myers (1909-17) was an American Indian, Dartmouth-educated and a lover of art and history, who worked as Christy Mathewson’s catcher with the Giants for several years and will have that role again here. He was a very fine hitter – a regular .300 hitter during the deadball era, with a good batting eye – and he was highly respected for his intelligence on the field. He and Mathewson were close friends who actually performed together in a touring Vaudeville show during one offseason.
Rotation: Christy Mathewson (1900-16) is one of the great pitchers of all time, and was one of the heroic, larger-than-life figures in the sport in the early part of the 20th century. Mathewson won 373 games, still the most in National League history, with a career ERA of 2.13. He famously pitched three shutouts in the 1905 World Series (27 innings, 13 hits, 1 walk, 18 strikeouts), and his ERA in 11 career World Series starts was 0.97 (though that figure does reflect a large number of unearned runs and his record was just 5-5). He was considered a man of great integrity, and he was the only prominent person within the game who spoke out loudly about the infestation of gamblers and crooked players leading up to the Black Sox scandal. Historian Bill James has suggested that if there were a few more players like Mathewson, willing to speak up about the growing problem, that the owners would have been forced to address the situation before it boiled over in 1919. A World War I veteran who died of tuberculosis at age 45, he was one of the five players inducted in the Hall of Fame’s inaugural class. Carl Mays (1915-29) was a hard-throwing submarine-style pitcher most famous for killing Cleveland Indians star Ray Chapman with one of his underhand fastballs in 1920. He was an outstanding pitcher, with a career record of 208-126 with a 2.92 ERA, but he did have a reputation for pitching inside and many players around the sport blamed him for killing the quiet, respected Chapman. Lefty Cliff Melton (1937-44) was a North Carolina hillbilly who went 20-9 for the Giants as a 25-year-old rookie. He was nicknamed “Mickey Mouse” and “Mountain Music” (apparently he liked alliterations), and his brother “Rube” also made it to the majors. Melton won 86 games in the majors and 143 in the minors. Carl Morton (1969-76) was the NL Rookie of the Year when he went 18-11 for a last-place Expos team in 1970. He won 48 games for the Braves between 1973-75 but began to break down. He was out of baseball in his early 30s, and he died of a heart attack before he turned 40. Lefty Clarence Mitchell (1911-32) had a career record of 125-139 but his spot in baseball history rests on the day in 1920 when he hit a line drive at Cleveland shortstop Bill Wambsganss, who turned it into the only unasssisted triple play in World Series history.
Bullpen: Closer Carlos Marmol (2006- ) is a flamethrower in mid-career, and as the Cubs’ closer in 2010 he put up some number that were just stupefying. In 77 2/3 innings, he struck out 138 batters (16 per nine innings). He struck out 41 percent of the batters he faced, and barely 40 percent of the batters he faced actually put the ball in play. He’s a very good pitcher and a lot of fun to watch. Craig McMurtry (1983-95) came up as a starter, won 15 games for the Braves and finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 1983. He eventually moved to the bullpen and pitched for several years with moderate effectiveness. Lefty Chuck McElroy (1989-2001) had a long career in which he won 38 games, saved 17 and had a solid 3.90 ERA. He played for nine teams in 13 seasons but never made it to the playoffs. Cal McLish (1944-64) won 92 games as a journeyman swingman. His full name – we’re not making this up – was Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish (which isn’t quite as long as Alan Mitchell Edward George Patrick Henry Gallagher, but is infinitely more creative). Lefty Cyclone Miller (1884-86) won 14 games during the 1880s. Chris Michalak (1998-2006), another lefty, was a reasonably effective swingman. Cla Meredith (2005- ), a sidearmer, has been a dependable middle reliever. And, yes, his name is not Clay, not Cal, but Cla – Olise Cla Meredith.
Bench: Carmelo Martinez (1983-91) was a first baseman and corner outfielder who hit 108 home runs in his career. Clyde McCullough (1940-56) was your basic .250 hitter with good defensive skills, and he beats out Charlie Moore for the backup catching job in part because he later managed the hometown Tidewater Tides. Outfielder Chito Martinez (1991-93) was a lefty slugger who showed promise with the Orioles but had a short career. Craig Monroe (2001-09) was an outfielder who hit 115 home runs, mostly for the Tigers. Despite his middle name (Keystone), Monroe never played second base or shortstop, meaning utility infielder Chippy McGarr (1884-96) will be the only backup infielder on the bench at this point. He’s got a great name, sounds like a swashbuckling pirate, and his sepia-toned photograph at baseballreference.com fits that image quite fine.
Manager: Connie Mack was one of the central figures in baseball history, managing for 53 years and setting unreachable records for both wins (3,731) and losses (3,948). The losing record is deceptive. Mack owned the teams that Philadelphia A’s teams that he managed, and he went through long periods when he could not afford to put frontline talent on the field. But he won nine pennants and five World Series titles, and he was the architect of two of baseball’s greatest teams – the 1909-14 A’s, and the 1928-32 A’s. He was a soft-spoken, dignified man – he wore a suit and tie in the dugout and was always addressed as “Mr. Mack” – and he liked to work with college educated players. He will enjoy managing Mathewson and Chief Meyers on this team. He was a tremendous judge of talent and a smart strategist, one of the great managers in history.
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