Infield: Shortstop Cecil Travis (1933-47) might have made it to the Hall of Fame if his career had not been sidetracked and irrevocably altered by World War II. Playing short for the Washington Senators, he was a consistent .320 hitter, and he was in the middle of his prime when the U.S. entered the war – in 1941, at age 27, he led the majors with 218 hits, batting .359 with 39 doubles, 19 triples, 101 RBI and 106 runs, call career highs. He spent the next three years in the Army, saw action at the Battle of the Bulge, and suffered severe frostbite on his feet in the harsh European winter. He earned the Bronze Star, among other medals and honors. He returned to the Senators in 1945, and though he was just 31 years old, he clearly was not the same ballplayer that he had been – he struggled to hit .250 for a couple of seasons before retiring in 1947. Always a respected player, he was viewed as a hero following his military service, and Gen. Eisenhower attended “Cecil Travis Night” at Griffith Stadium when the Senators honored him near the end of his career. First baseman Chad Tracy (2004- ) batted .308 with 27 home runs for the 2005 Diamondbacks. The following season, despite increased playing time, he dropped off to .281 with 20 home runs. He’s been in a slow decline ever since, and now he is just hanging on as he enters his 30s. In 2011, he was hanging on in Japan. Third baseman Chris Truby (2000-03) was a very good minor-league slugger who never mastered the strike zone in the majors. Second baseman Cotton Tierney (1920-25) was a .296 career hitter, but that was hardly noteworthy during the time when he played. He did have one odd distinction in his career – due to a midseason trade, he played 92 road games in 1923, which is believed to be a major-league record.
Outfield: Center fielder Cristobal Torriente, a Cuban who played in the Negro Leagues throughout the 1920s, was a .330 hitter and reputedly a terrific defensive outfielder (good enough to move Oscar Charleston to left field when they were teammates). He was a line-drive hitter and had a sensational throwing arm. His career was apparently cut short by his fondness for alcohol and the night life. Right fielder Cesar Tovar (1965-76) was a solid .276 hitter who made good contact and had some speed. He was famously versatile, spreading his career fairly evenly among the three outfield positions and second and third base (at least 200 games at each of those five positions). He earned his niche in baseball trivia on Sept. 22, 1968, when as a stunt he played all nine positions in one game. He was a decent enough hitter, too, batting leadoff on a Twins team that had guys like Rod Carew, Tony Oliva and Harmon Killebrew coming up behind him. In 1970 he scored 120 runs and led the AL in doubles (36) and triples (13), and in 1971 he had a league-leading 204 hits and batted .311. Negro League outfielder Clint Thomas played mostly center field, but he will move to left on this team – giving the CTs three guys whose primary position was center field,which should portend good range in the outfield. Thomas was a .300 hitter with line drive power.
Catcher: Carl Taylor (1968-73) never played full time – he never had 250 at-bats in a season. As a part-time player in 1969, he batted .348 for the Pirates. Other than that season, he never hit much. He was Boog Powell’s stepbrother, and after his playing career was done, Taylor spent several years in the Yankees organization filling a wide variety of roles including “resident barber” (whatever that means).
Rotation: Cannoball Titcomb (1886-90) may have had the greatest name in major-league history. He was a 5-foot-6 lefty who won 30 games in his career, one of which was a no-hitter. Chris Tillman (2009- ) is a prospect in the Orioles organization. He has been hit hard in his first two trials at the major-league level, but he is still young and we are confident that he can win more games than Titcomb. Claude Thomas (1916) was a lefty who won 231 games in the minors and one in the majors. Cy Twombly (1921) matched Claude Thomas’ victory total in the majors (1) but won about 200 fewer games in the minors. Carlos Torres (2009- ) also has one career victory, but he is still active (albeit, in Japan in 2011), so he could still move past Claude Thomas and Cy Twombly on the career victory list.
Bullpen: Closer Chuck Taylor (1969-76), no relation to the guy with the canvas sneakers, had a 3.07 career ERA in 305 games. He won 28 games and saved 31 and was a dependable reliever for most of his career. Corey Thurman (2002-03) was a fireballer who got hit hard in a couple of seasons with the Blue Jays and never made it back to the majors, though he played for several more years in the minors with some success. Chin-hui Tsao (2003-07) was a Taiwanese righty who came up with Colorado and couldn’t keep the ball in the yard. He returned to China and in 2010 was accused of throwing games to curry favor with gamblers. Chuck Tompkins (1912) appeared in one game for Cincinnati, working three innings and giving up one run (unearned). Clay Touchstone (1928-45) was a career minor-leaguer who got hammered in a few outings for the Braves in 1928-29. When he was 42 years old, two years after his last pitch in the minors, the White Sox brought him back for a few games and he got hammered all over again. Carl Thomas (1960) pitched a few games for the Indians, but he walked twice as many as he struck out. Chuck Templeton (1955-56) got knocked around in 10 games for the Brooklyn Dodgers near the end of the “Boys of Summer” era. (With this pitching staff, look for Cesar Tovar to get some work on the mound as well.)
Bench: Outfielder Coaker Triplett (1938-45) played a few years in the majors during World War II. He played for two pennant winners – the 1938 Cubs and the 1942 Cardinals – but never appeared in a World Series game. A .256 career hitter with a little bit of pop. Backup catcher Craig Tatum (2009- ) is a solid defensive player but doesn’t hit much. Outfielder Clete Thomas (2008- ) has some speed but hasn’t been able to get on base enough to stick in the majors. First baseman Chick Tolson (1925-30), affectionately known as “Slug,” had some fine years in the minors but was never more than a bit player in the majors. Clay Timpner (2008) doesn’t really deserve a spot on this roster, but his entire major-league career to date consists of going 0-for-2 with two strikeouts, so we figured he could have the last spot on the bench to continue his quest for his first major-league hit (or at least an HBP to get him on base for the first time).
Manager: Chuck Tanner won 1,352 games and is best known as the manager of the 1979 “We Are Family” World Series champion Pirates. He was a very low-key manager, unfailingly positive with his players, and some suggested that his laidback demeanor was part of the reason that when cocaine use became a big problem in baseball, it seemed to be centered in Pittsburgh. Also noteworthy was his one-year stint with the Oakland A’s at the peak of Charlie Finley’s mayhem in 1976. The team had already lost Catfish Hunter to the first wave of free agency and traded Reggie Jackson to avoid losing him to free agency. In mid-season 1976, Finley ordered Tanner to bench three of his biggest stars (Rudi, Blue and Fingers) after the commissioner refused to let Finley sell all three of them in lucrative cash deals. Amid all this, the A’s stole a major-league record 341 bases and won 87 games, finishing just behind Kansas City in the AL West.
Outfield: Center fielder Cristobal Torriente, a Cuban who played in the Negro Leagues throughout the 1920s, was a .330 hitter and reputedly a terrific defensive outfielder (good enough to move Oscar Charleston to left field when they were teammates). He was a line-drive hitter and had a sensational throwing arm. His career was apparently cut short by his fondness for alcohol and the night life. Right fielder Cesar Tovar (1965-76) was a solid .276 hitter who made good contact and had some speed. He was famously versatile, spreading his career fairly evenly among the three outfield positions and second and third base (at least 200 games at each of those five positions). He earned his niche in baseball trivia on Sept. 22, 1968, when as a stunt he played all nine positions in one game. He was a decent enough hitter, too, batting leadoff on a Twins team that had guys like Rod Carew, Tony Oliva and Harmon Killebrew coming up behind him. In 1970 he scored 120 runs and led the AL in doubles (36) and triples (13), and in 1971 he had a league-leading 204 hits and batted .311. Negro League outfielder Clint Thomas played mostly center field, but he will move to left on this team – giving the CTs three guys whose primary position was center field,which should portend good range in the outfield. Thomas was a .300 hitter with line drive power.
Catcher: Carl Taylor (1968-73) never played full time – he never had 250 at-bats in a season. As a part-time player in 1969, he batted .348 for the Pirates. Other than that season, he never hit much. He was Boog Powell’s stepbrother, and after his playing career was done, Taylor spent several years in the Yankees organization filling a wide variety of roles including “resident barber” (whatever that means).
Rotation: Cannoball Titcomb (1886-90) may have had the greatest name in major-league history. He was a 5-foot-6 lefty who won 30 games in his career, one of which was a no-hitter. Chris Tillman (2009- ) is a prospect in the Orioles organization. He has been hit hard in his first two trials at the major-league level, but he is still young and we are confident that he can win more games than Titcomb. Claude Thomas (1916) was a lefty who won 231 games in the minors and one in the majors. Cy Twombly (1921) matched Claude Thomas’ victory total in the majors (1) but won about 200 fewer games in the minors. Carlos Torres (2009- ) also has one career victory, but he is still active (albeit, in Japan in 2011), so he could still move past Claude Thomas and Cy Twombly on the career victory list.
Bullpen: Closer Chuck Taylor (1969-76), no relation to the guy with the canvas sneakers, had a 3.07 career ERA in 305 games. He won 28 games and saved 31 and was a dependable reliever for most of his career. Corey Thurman (2002-03) was a fireballer who got hit hard in a couple of seasons with the Blue Jays and never made it back to the majors, though he played for several more years in the minors with some success. Chin-hui Tsao (2003-07) was a Taiwanese righty who came up with Colorado and couldn’t keep the ball in the yard. He returned to China and in 2010 was accused of throwing games to curry favor with gamblers. Chuck Tompkins (1912) appeared in one game for Cincinnati, working three innings and giving up one run (unearned). Clay Touchstone (1928-45) was a career minor-leaguer who got hammered in a few outings for the Braves in 1928-29. When he was 42 years old, two years after his last pitch in the minors, the White Sox brought him back for a few games and he got hammered all over again. Carl Thomas (1960) pitched a few games for the Indians, but he walked twice as many as he struck out. Chuck Templeton (1955-56) got knocked around in 10 games for the Brooklyn Dodgers near the end of the “Boys of Summer” era. (With this pitching staff, look for Cesar Tovar to get some work on the mound as well.)
Bench: Outfielder Coaker Triplett (1938-45) played a few years in the majors during World War II. He played for two pennant winners – the 1938 Cubs and the 1942 Cardinals – but never appeared in a World Series game. A .256 career hitter with a little bit of pop. Backup catcher Craig Tatum (2009- ) is a solid defensive player but doesn’t hit much. Outfielder Clete Thomas (2008- ) has some speed but hasn’t been able to get on base enough to stick in the majors. First baseman Chick Tolson (1925-30), affectionately known as “Slug,” had some fine years in the minors but was never more than a bit player in the majors. Clay Timpner (2008) doesn’t really deserve a spot on this roster, but his entire major-league career to date consists of going 0-for-2 with two strikeouts, so we figured he could have the last spot on the bench to continue his quest for his first major-league hit (or at least an HBP to get him on base for the first time).
Manager: Chuck Tanner won 1,352 games and is best known as the manager of the 1979 “We Are Family” World Series champion Pirates. He was a very low-key manager, unfailingly positive with his players, and some suggested that his laidback demeanor was part of the reason that when cocaine use became a big problem in baseball, it seemed to be centered in Pittsburgh. Also noteworthy was his one-year stint with the Oakland A’s at the peak of Charlie Finley’s mayhem in 1976. The team had already lost Catfish Hunter to the first wave of free agency and traded Reggie Jackson to avoid losing him to free agency. In mid-season 1976, Finley ordered Tanner to bench three of his biggest stars (Rudi, Blue and Fingers) after the commissioner refused to let Finley sell all three of them in lucrative cash deals. Amid all this, the A’s stole a major-league record 341 bases and won 87 games, finishing just behind Kansas City in the AL West.
No comments:
Post a Comment