BR: The Bonnie Raitts

Infield: Third baseman Brooks Robinson (1955-77) became a beloved and respected institution in his long career with the Orioles. He played third base as though he’d invented the position, winning 16 Gold Gloves and putting on an exhibition during the 1970 World Series that still turns up on highlight reels. He was a slow runner, but he had decent power – 482 doubles and 268 home runs in his career – and he won an MVP award in 1964 when he drove in a league-leading 118 runs. Robinson was (and still is) a warm, genial southern gentleman who is beloved by fans. (When Reggie Jackson went to New York and became a marketing icon, one observer noted: “In Baltimore, they don’t name candy bars after Brooks Robinson – they name their children after him.”) Second baseman Brian Roberts (2001- ), like Brooks, has spent his entire career with the Orioles (so far). He’s a .280-.290 batter who hits a ton of doubles (three seasons of 50 or more), steals bases (274 career, led the league once) and can reach double digits in home runs. He’s not the greatest defensive infielder, but he’s scored 100 runs four times. Shortstop Billy Rogell (1925-40) was a fixture in Detroit, a firebrand who teamed with mild-mannered Charlie Gehringer to form a spectacular double play combination for many years. Rogell hit for a modest average but had a great batting eye, and he was a key player on two pennant winners and a World Series champion. After he retired, he stayed in Detroit and served on City Council for many years. He lived to be almost 100 years old, and at age 94 he threw out the first pitch for the last game ever played at Tiger Stadium. First baseman Bob Robertson (1967-79) was a righty slugger for the Pirates, hitting 115 home runs despite the fact that he had only one season in which he came to the plate 500 times. He had back problems, and he was generally stuck behind one of the slugging first basemen and corner outfielders on the Pirates’ roster, but the man could hit.

Outfield: Right fielder Babe Ruth (1914-35) was the best player who ever lived. We’ll start with that foundation and go from there. He was a brilliant young lefthanded pitcher (an ERA champ, a two-time 20-game winner and a World Series legend before he turned 24) who moved to the outfield in order to take full advantage of his bat. All he did was reinvent the game – arriving with the Yankees at the same time that the spitball was banned and the “lively ball” was introduced, he began hitting home runs at a higher rate than anyone had ever believed to be even remotely possible. He became a famous and beloved star, and to this day he remains an American icon of the Roaring ‘20s – a hard-drinking, hard-partying, fun-loving guy who took full advantage of the fact that his status offered him considerable leeway with the rules. How great was he? Try this on for size: He won 10 pennants and seven World Series titles, and his career stats in the World Series are a .346 batting average (.467 on-base and .744 slugging), as well as three starts as a pitcher (one of them a 14-inning complete game) in which he went 3-0 with an ERA of 0.87. Bill Russell (1969-86) came up as a center fielder but moved to shortstop because the Dodgers had lots of outfielders but no shortstops; on this team, which has two very good shortstops but a serious shortage of outfielders, he moves in the other direction and returns to his original position. Russell was a .260-.270 hitter with no power and just a little bit of speed, but he played in four World Series and was a fixture for the fine Dodgers teams of the 1970s and early 1980s. Left fielder Bill Robinson (1966-83) was one of those guys who made it hard for Bob Robertson to get playing time in Pittsburgh. Robinson didn’t hit his stride until he turned 30 years old, but in his 30s he batted .274 with 142 home runs and 585 RBI despite the fact that he was generally a part-time player. For his career hit 166 home runs.

Catcher: Buddy Rosar (1939-51) edges out Bedford Bill Rariden (1909-20) in a spirited battle. They’re both righties, or otherwise it would be an easy platoon to set up. Rosar came up with the Yankees and went on to play with the Indians, the A’s and the Red Sox. He batted .260 for his career and walked twice as often as he struck out. Rosar was highly respected during his career despite the fact that he never batted 500 times in a season and rarely played in 100 games. He appeared in five all-star games, including the 1942 contest when he batted .230 in 69 games.

Rotation: Bullet Rogan was a Negro League star, arguably the second-best pitcher in the history of black baseball behind Satchel Paige. He was a small man who used a no-windup deliver to bring a blazing fastball and a variety of breaking pitches. Rogan was a terrific hitter as well, and frequently played outfield on days when he wasn’t pitching. Bob Rush (194860) was a good pitcher on some bad Chicago Cubs teams, so he had a career record of 127-152 despite a very good career ERA of 3.65. Brad Radke (1995-2006) pitched for a lot of bad Twins teams, but he went 148-139, winning 20 in 1997. He was a durable, consistent pitcher who had great control but tended to give up the long ball (the MetroDome didn’t help). Radke retired at age 33 (after going 12-9 in his final season) because his shoulder had come to hurt so much that he had to brush his teeth left-handed. Bryan Rekar (1995-2002) wasn’t a very good pitcher, and he came up with the post-expansion Rockies in the thin air of Coors Field. He left the Rockies after a few years to pitch for the post-expansion Rays before they got to be any good. Hence, the 25-49 record with the 5.62 ERA. Bugs Raymond (1904-11) was a talented pitcher but a heavy drinker (Rube Marquard suggested that Raymond didn’t throw a spitball – he just breathed on the ball until it was drunk). When Raymond was with the Giants, John McGraw tried hard to keep him sober, but it was a losing battle. Trying to keep money out of the man’s hands, McGraw bought Raymond a new suit – but Raymond exchanged it for a cheaper suit and used the change to buy booze. He drifted out of baseball in an alcholic haze, went around looking for (and generally finding) trouble, and died at the age of 30 from a fractured skull that apparently happened when he was attacked by a fan while pitching in a semipro game. His career record in the majors was 45-57, but folks who saw him say he could really pitch.

Bullpen: Closer B.J. Ryan (1999-2009) was a big, strapping lefty who had some very good seasons. From 2005-08 he had an ERA of 2.41 and 109 saves despite missing almost the entire 2007 season with injuries. The injuries took their toll on his fastball, and he left the game at age 33. Bob Reynolds (1969-75) played for six teams in six seasons, including four years with Baltimore. He wasn’t bad – career ERA of 3.15 – but he was done because of injuries before he turned 30. Bruce Ruffin (1986-97) was a lefty swingman who had a few good years as a part-time closer for the Rockies late in his career. Bert Roberge (1979-86) kept the ball low and didn’t give up the long ball, but he put a lot of runners on base and had a very mediocre career. Bill Risely (1992-98) pitched for the Expos, Mariners and Blue Jays – the Northern Exposure trio - and had a 15-13 record before arm injuries took their toll. Britt Reames (2000-06) had a career ERA of 5.28. Bill Reidy (1896-1904) was a turn-of-the-century pitcher wh went 27-41.

Bench: Bip Roberts (1986-98) was a tremendously valuable guy, a good outfielder who could be stretched to play second or third base, and who had terrific speed. He was a .300 hitter in his better seasons, drew a few walks, and given a full-time job he would steal 40 bases a year at a high success rate. Outfielder Bombo Rivera (1975-82) batted .265 for his career, but he had no power, no speed and didn’t draw many walks. Bobby Reeves (1926-31) was a utility infielder who split his career between the Senators and the Red Sox. Bob Ramazzotti (1946-53) was a utility infielder who couldn’t hit. Backup catcher Bill Rariden (1909-20) was about as productive as starting catcher Buddy Rosar, so they’ll both see some playing time in order to stay fresh.

Manager: Bill Rigney was the manager who moved west with the Giants, and he later managed the expansion Angels and the Twins. He won 1,239 games in his career, and though he never won a pennant, his career winning percentage of .484 isn’t half bad when you consider that he managed the Angels for their first nine seasons. He will operate under the watchful eye of esteemed general manager Branch Rickey.

BS: The Bob Soccis

Infield: First baseman Bill Skowron (1954-67) was a role player with the Mantle-Berra-Ford Yankees teams from the mid-1950s through the early-1960s. He was a .282 hitter who didn’t walk much, but he had some power. He never hit 30 home runs or drove in 100 runs, but that’s at least partly attributable to manager Casey Stengel’s reluctance to commit to a regular everyday lineup. He hit 211 home runs in his career and slugged .459. He played in seven World Series with the Yankees, winning three, and then came back after being traded and helped the Dodgers sweep the Yankees in 1963. (The Yankees traded Skowron to make room for a young Joe Pepitone at first base – Pepitone later revealed the mobsters from his old neighborhood in Brooklyn had offered to break Skowron’s legs in order to open up the starting job for him.) Shortstop Bill Spiers (1989-2001) was either a really good utility infielder or a slightly below average starter. He played for more than a decade, mostly with the Brewers and Astros. He had no power and little speed, but he batted .271 for his career and was able to fill holes as needed. Third baseman Bill Serena (1949-54) had a shorter career than Spiers but was a better hitter – a .251 average, but he drew a good number of walks and had some power. He had a wrist injury in his late 20s, struggled when he came back and was out of the majors before he turned 30. Second baseman Bob Saverine (1959-67) was nicknamed “Rabbit,” even though he wasn’t especially small or especially fast. Maye he liked carrots.

Outfield: Right fielder B.J. Surhoff (1987-2005) had a fascinating marathon of a career. He came up at age 22 as a catcher who could run but had no power, but he eventually shifted to the outfield, largely stopped running, and developed some pop. He played until he was 41, scoring 1,000 runs and driving in 1,100. He had 2,326 hits, including 440 doubles and 188 home runs. Center fielder Billy Southworth (1913-29) had a .297 career average, almost never struck out and hit a lot of triples. He got on base and had some speed. Left fielder Burt Shotton (1909-23) was, like Southworth, a good player who was better known for his managerial career. Shotton batted .271, drew a lot of walks, and scored 747 runs. He stole a lot of bases, but he also got thrown out a lot.

Catcher: Benito Santiago (1986-2005) won the NL Rookie of the Year award at age 22, batting .300 with 18 home runs and playing good defense. He also had 112 strikeouts and 16 walks (two of them intentional). His strikeout-to-walk ratio did get better, but it was never good, and that prevented Santiago from developing into a major star. That said, he had a good career (.263, 217 home runs, 920 RBI) and played until he was 40.

Rotation: Bret Saberhagen (1984-2001) was a hell of a pitcher with outstanding control. In the big picture, his career record was 167-117 with a 3.34 ERA, which is very good. Looked at more closely, when he was healthy and sharp he was truly spectacular – he won Cy Young Awards in 1985 (20-6, 2.87) and 1989 (23-6, 2.16), and he was World Series MVP in 1985 after shutting out the Cardinals in Game 7. In a statistical oddity, in his nine seasons in Kansas City Saberhagen had a record of 74-30 in odd-numbered years and 36-48 in even-numbered years. The Royals traded him to the Mets in 1992 and, while he had some good seasons, he was basically done as a star. Bobby Shantz (1949-64) won the AL MVP Award in 1952, going 24-7 with a 2.48 ERA for the Philadelphia A's. Five years later, with the Yankees, he led the league with a 2.45 ERA. In Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, Shantz pitched brilliantly in relief, working five shutout innings and helping the Yankees battle their way back into the game. He began to tire at the start of the eighth inning, gave up a few hits and then gave way to the relievers who would ultimately lose the game to Mazeroski and the Pirates. In his career he won 119 games. A 5-foot-6 lefty, he also won seven Gold Gloves. Bob Shawkey (1913-27) also won an ERA title for the Yankees (2.45 in 1920). He won 195 games, including four seasons of 20 or more victories. Between them, Shawkey and Shantz played in seven World Series (all but one for the Yankees), but only Shawkey won one (1923). Shawkey pitched the first World Series game ever played at Yankee Stadium in 1921. Bill Singer (1964-77) won 118 games in his career, including 20-win seasons for the Dodgers in 1969 and the Angels in 1973. He had a great fastball and also used the screwball as one of his key pitches, and he had a classic throwback nickname (The Singer Throwing Machine). His career was up and down, and back surgery in his 30s helped bring his career to a premature end. Ben Sheets (2001- ) is one of those guys who is a heck of a pitcher when he’s healthy, but you never know for sure when he’s going to be healthy. He’s got 90 wins in his early 30s, so he just needs one good season to make this a rotation in which all five guys won 100 or more games. If he’s healthy, he’ll get there. But we don’t know what the odds on that are. Missed the entire 2009 season, then made 20 starts in 2010 before going down again and missing the entire 2011 season. Does he have a comeback left in him? Will anyone take that leap? We shal see.

Bullpen: Hall of Fame closer Bruce Sutter (1976-88) was a great pitcher and one of the key figures in the evolution of the closer role. Pitching for the Cubs in the late 1970s, he was an absolutely dominant reliever with an unhittable split-fingered fastball, but he had a couple of seasons in which he wore down toward the end of the season. Cubs manager Herman Franks responded by using him almost exclusively in “save situations” – with the team ahead late in a close game – and soon that became the accepted way to use a closer. With the Cubs and later the Cardinals, Sutter frequently worked 100 innings per season. He led the league in saves five times in six years. Bob Stanley (1977-89) was a talented and unique pitcher who spent his entire career with the Red Sox. He was a closer, long reliever and spot starter, depending on the team’s needs on any given week. He was dependable and durable, finishing his career with 115 wins and 132 saves. Bryn Smith (1981-93) was a steady middle-of-the-rotation starter and swingman for the Expos and Cardinals, winning 108 games in his career. Bill Swift (1985-98) led the NL with a 2.08 ERA in 1992, and he had a 21-8 record with a 2.82 ERA the following year. He won 94 games in his career as a swingman. (Not to be confused with the Bill Swift, also a righty, who pitched in the 1930s – though we might try to fool opponents by using both of them In the same roster spot.) Barney Schultz (1955-65) was a solid reliever for the Cubs and Cardinals who later had a long career as a pitching coach. Bob Shaw (1957-67) won 108 games for seven teams. Bob Shirley (1977-87) went 67-94 in his career. He’s the only lefty in the bullpen.

Bench: Outfielder Billy Sunday (1883-90) was a speed-burner and a pretty fair ballplayer who left the game to become a fire-and-brimstone evangelist and one of the nation’s top champions of Prohibition. Outfielder Billy Sample (1978-86) was another speedy outfielder who stole 44 bases in 1983. Bill Stein (1972-85) was a utility infielder who batted .267 for his career. Brian Schneider (2000- ) and Bill Salkeld (1945-50) will serve as backup catchers. Schneider has been a decent and dependable catcher for the past decade. Salkeld was a 28-year-old rookie in 1945, which sounds like World War II service, but it’s not. He was spiked in the knee in the minors, and infection set in. He barely escaped having his leg amputated, but he was out of baseball for a few years and worked selling furniture. He eventually healed, returned to pro ball and had a good, if brief, major-league career. He never played in 100 games in any given season, but he had a career on-base percentage over .400 and he had some pop.

Manager: Billy Southworth will be player-manager. He had an extraordinary run with the Cardinals and a good run with the Braves. His career record – 620-346, four pennants, two World Series titles – landed him in the Hall of Fame. He was a major proponent of “small ball” – bunts and stolen bases. Burt Shotton, who lost a lot of games with the Phillies but won two pennants with the Dodgers, will assist him. Shotton was Brooklyn’s manager (replacing the suspended Leo Durocher) when Jackie Robinson broke in.

BT: The Booker T's

Infield: Negro League first baseman Ben Taylor, a terrific lefty line drive hitter who hit .330 with some pop. He was reportedly an outstanding fielder, and after Buck Leonard and Mule Suttles, he was quite likely the third-best first basemen in the history of the Negro Leagues. He will be in a tough battle with Bill Terry – both Hall of Famers – for the first base job, since unfortunately neither one of them played the outfield for more than a few innings. It’s Taylor’s job, but the competition will be tough. Too bad Terry couldn’t play third base. As it is, that starting job goes to Bobby Thomson (1946-60), who spent almost his entire career in the outield but did manage almost 200 games at third base. Thomson is famous for The Shot Heard ’Round the World (“The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!”), but he was more than a one-hit wonder. Thomson batted .270 for his career, with 264 home runs and 1,026 RBI. He had four seasons with more than 100 RBI. Shortstop Bert Tooley (1911-12) didn’t hit much, but he did commit 93 errors during his two-year career as a part-time player. Brian Turang (1993-94), was an outfielder who batted .222 for his career with Seattle, but he played a half-dozen games at second base, so he’ll be starting there for this team. We’re guessing that Tooley and Turang won’t be turning too many double plays.

Outfield: Left fielder Bobby Tolan (1965-79) had a big year in 1970 for an early version of The Big Red Machine – a .316 average with 57 steals, 112 runs and, for good measure, 16 homers and 80 RBI. He was just 24 years old at the time, and he looked like an ascendent star. He missed the entire 1971 season after tearing his achilles tendon, but he bounced back in 1972 to bat .283 with 42 steals. The Reds’ organization was bursting with talented young outfielders, so Tolan was dealt to San Diego after batting .206 in 1973. His career went into a tailspin after that. He played in four World Series, all before he turned 27. Right fielder Bob Thurman (1955-59) was a lefty slugger with the Negro Leagues’ legendary Homestead Grays, and he played extensively in Puerto Rico as well, followed by four years in the minors after the color line came down. As a result, he was a 38-year-old rookie with the Reds, and he played into his early 40s – followed by a few more years in the minors. Center fielder Bill “Tut Tut” Tuttle (1952-63) was a nondescript player who spent 11 years with the Tigers, A’s and Twins. He batted .259 but drew a few walks. He had a little bit of power, but not a lot. He ran OK but got thrown out stealing more often than he was successful at it. He wasn’t a great outfielder, but he wasn’t terrible. In photos, he always had a hangdog expression and a bulging chaw of tobacco. After he retired, he developed oral cancer, which disfigured him badly and eventually killed him. In his final years, he teamed with broadcaster Joe Garagiola in an extensive campaign to try to convince players not to chew tobacco.

Catcher: Birdie Tebbetts (1936-52) had no power and was tremendously slow, but he was a good defensive catcher, reportedly an outstanding handler of pitchers, and intensely competitive. He was famous for “needling” hitters to get under their skin, and he was famous for getting into fistfights on the field. He played for the Red Sox during the heyday of Ted Williams and Co., but he was traded away after referring to some of his teammates as “moronic malcontents and juvenile delinquents.”

Rotation: Bullet Bob Turley (1951-63) went 21-7 for the Yankees in 1958 and won the AL Cy Young Award; for the rest of his career, his record was 80-78. He was a very ordinary pitcher with a good fastball but poor control. He came up with the miserable St. Louis Browns, but after the 1954 it was his good fortune to go to the Yankees in a 17-player deal. That’s right, 17 players. With the Mantle-Berra-Ford Yankees, he won five pennants and two World Series titles. Bob Tewksbury (1986-98) was similar to Turley and the opposite of him at the same time. The opposite in that Tewks was a control specialist who depended on off-speed and breaking stuff. Similar in that he had one big year (16-5, 2.16 ERA for the Cardinals in 1992) that stands out in the context of his career. Other than that season, his record was 94-97 with an ERA over 4.00. He was the epitome of a guy who “pitches to contact,” which does not bode well consider the infield defense on this B.T. team. Brett Tomko (1997-2009) won 100 games in his career, though no one really noticed it. He pitched for nine teams and went 100-102. Lefty swingman Bill Travers (1974-83) won 65 games for the Brewers. He would have had a good shot to make it to 100 wins, but injuries derailed his career before he turned 30. Ben “Don’t Hit Me in My” Tincup (1914-28) appeared in 28 games, including 17 starts, as a 21-year-old rookie in 1914. The next year he made 10 relief apperances. He made one start in 1918 and seven relief appearances, and he made two relief appearances in 1928 at age 35. That’s his big league career – 18 starts and 30 relief apperances scattered across 15 years. He won 251 games in the minors, pitching until he was almost 50.

Bullpen: Closer Bobby Thigpen (1986-94) saved 57 games for the 1990 White Sox, a record that stood for several years. He had a 1.83 ERA that season. He was never anywhere close to that good, before or after, but he did save 201 games in his career. Billy Taylor (1994-2001) was a 6-foot-8 righty who was drafted out of high school in 1980 and, after a long minor-league apprenticeship, made it to the majors in 1994 as a 32-year-old rookie with the Oakland A’s. He made the most of his opportunity – even after missing the entire 1995 season with an injury – and while he was never a star he was generally a good reliever who spent enough time in the closer role to save 100 games in his career. Brad Thompson (2005-10) was a decent righty whose career ran aground in his late 20s. He was nowhere to be found in 2011, but he would probably come back if someone asked him. Bud Tinning (1932-35) had three pretty good years as a swingman for the Cubs. Knuckleballer Bobby Tiefenauer (1952-68) got around a bit. He won 168 games in the minors, and while he appeared in just 179 major-league games, he was traded seven times (but never for anyone that you’ve ever heard of). Lefty Brian Tallet (2002- ) has had an up-and-down career and maybe running out of chances in his mid-30s. Bollicky Bill Taylor (1881-87) gets the final spot on the pitching staff, partly for his cool nickname, and partly because he went 43-16 in 1884 (and 7-20 for the rest of his career).

Bench: First baseman Bill Terry (1923-36) has a good argument to start. Duh. He batted .341 for his career, which ought to be enough right there, but he played good defense and ran alright, and he was the last National League batter to hit .400. It’s hard to make a direct comparison to Negro League star Ben Taylor, who was also an outstanding hitter and a fine fielder, and who also had a long career. This call could go either way, and both men are clearly capable of being not just starters, but also stars. For what it’s worth, in the Historical Baseball Abstract, historian Bill James ranks Terry as the 26th best first baseman in major league history, and Ben Taylor as the third-best first baseman in the history of the Negro Leagues. Let’s just say it will be a spirited competition for the starting first base job, and whoever loses that competition will be one hell of a good pinch-hitter. Outfielder Bubba Trammell (1997-2003) was a minor-league slugger who had a decent career as a role player in the majors. He’s a righty stick to complement Terry’s lefty stick off the bench. Bud Thomas (1951) didn’t do much, but he’s the only available backup in the middle infield. Backup catcher Bob Tillman (1962-70) had a little bit of power. Outfielder Buck Thrasher (1916-17) gets the final roster spot, partly because he batted .330 in a long minor-league career, but mostly because he has such a cool name.

Manager: Bill Terry gets the job of player-manager (over Birdie Tebbets, who also applied for the position), partly to give him something to do when he’s on the bench. But mostly, it’s because he had a great record as manager of the Giants – three pennants, a World Series title, five straight years over 90 victories, and a career record of 823-661. Of course, a big part of his managerial legacy rests on 1934 when he taunted the Dodgers by asking, “Is Brooklyn still in the league?” – only to have the Dodgers beat the Giants a couple of times in the season’s final days to knock them out of first place. Still, his record is awfully good. If he eventually wrests the starting first base job away from Ben Taylor, he will hand off some of his managerial duties to Birdie.

BW: The Barry Whites

Infield: Shortstop Bobby Wallace (1894-1918) played for a long time and was pretty good. He batted .268 in the dead ball era with a good number of doubles and triples, and he was regarded as a very good defensive infielder. Wallace actually started out as a pitcher and had good success at the major-league level but was moved to the infield to take advantage of his bat. First baseman Bill White (1956-69) was an anchor on the Cardinals infields of the mid-1960s, a consistent .290-.300 hitter with mid-range power and good defense. When he was done playing, he worked as a broadcaster and was later president of the National League, the highest position ever held by an African-American within organized baseball. Second baseman Bump Wills (1977-82) was sort of a “poor man’s” version of his father, Maury Wills. Bump stole 196 bases in six seasons and was a decent enough player, but never a star. He left to play in Japan in his late 20s and never returned to the majors. Third baseman Billy Werber (1930-42) got on base and ran well, which is a good combination. He was a .271 hitter for his career, but he drew a few walks (.364 career on-base) and he led the league in steals three times. He was a baseball and basketball All-American at Duke University, and he was the leadoff batter for the Cincinnati Reds in the first baseball game ever televised live. He died in 2009, one of the few major-league players to ever live to be 100.

Outfield: Center fielder Bernie Williams (1991-2006) was a quiet, unassuming star on the dynastic Yankees teams of the late 1990s. He was a .300 hitter – he led the AL with a .338 average in 1998 – who hit with power, drew walks, stole bases and won four Gold Gloves. He had five years over 100 RBI and eight over 100 runs. His 80 postseason RBI are a major-league record, and he is second to teammate Derek Jeter in many other “career postseason” categories. He retired at age 37 – still a decent player, but hurt by the Yankees’ offer of a minor-league contract and not wanting to play for another team – he is now pursuing a second career as a jazz/blues/salsa guitarist. Billy Williams (1959-76) was, like Bernie, a soft-spoken star on a very fine team. He was durable – one of only seven players to appear in more than 1,000 consecutive games – and consistent, a fixture in left field and in the third spot in the batting order for the Cubs. (He moves to right field on the B.W. team for defensive reasons.) Though many of his prime years came in the heart of a pitcher’s era, he finished with a .290 career batting average, 426 home runs and more than 1,400 runs and RBI. Like Bernie, Billy Williams was often overshadowed by his more outgoing teammates. Left fielder Bob Watson (1966-84) was originally a catcher who got moved to first base, but he could be stretched to play corner outfield. He rounds out an outfield stocked with players who were underrated because of their quiet demeanors. Watson spent most of his career in the AstroDome, which played havoc on batting stats, but he still finished with a .295 batting average, 184 home runs and 989 RBI. (He was actually a very similar player to Bill White, who moved him off of first base in this lineup, and while White became president of the NL, Watson became vice president of Major League Baseball, in charge of on-field discipline.) All three outfielders had career averages in the .290s and drew a good number of walks. Watson had less power than Bernie and Billy but still hit the ball hard. He earned a small niche in baseball history in 1974 when he scored what was purported to be the millionth run in major-league history. He was also the first player to hit for the cycle in both leagues.

Catcher: Butch Wynegar (1976-88) was on the AL all-star team at age 20, one of the youngest players ever to appear in an all-star game. He never really built on that foundation – his 10 home runs in 1976 remained his career high – but he went on to a productive career as a .250-.260 hitter who drew some walks and played solid defense.

Rotation: Bucky Walters (1931-50) led the NL in wins three times and in ERA twice, and he was named the league’s MVP in 1939 when he won 27 games for Cincinnati. His career record was 198-160 with a 3.30 ERA, and he pitched for two pennant winners including the 1940 World Series champion Reds. In Game 6 of that World Series, Walters threw a 5-hit shutout against the Tigers and hit a home run. He was a converted third baseman, and always a good hitter – a .243 career average with 23 home runs and 234 RBI. Bob Welch (1978-94) was a solid, dependable pitcher who had an outstanding career record of 211-146, but he would be almost entirely forgotten today if not for two things. As a flame-throwing 21-year-old rookie for the Dodgers, he struck out Reggie Jackson in a scintillating power-on-power showdown to end Game 2 of the World Series. No one who witnessed that nine-pitch at-bat, with the tying and go-ahead runs on base, will ever forget it. And as a 33-year-old starter for the A’s in 1990, he got a ton of run support from Oakland’s powerhouse lineup and rode it to a 27-6 record and the Cy Young Award. His 27 wins that season (along with Steve Carlton’s 27 in 1972) mark the highest-single season total since Denny McLain won 31 in 1968. Brandon Webb (2003- ) has led the NL in victories twice, and he has a Cy Young Award (and two second-place finishes in the Cy voting). He has not throw a pitch in the majors since injuring his shoulder on Opening Day 2009, and he is now attempting a comeback in his early 30s. We’ll see where he goes from here. Bobby Witt (1986-2001) won 142 games but was never as good a pitcher as he was expected to be. The third overall pick in the 1985 draft, he was in the majors the following year and won 11 games for Texas. He had electric stuff but never gained full command of it, leading the AL in walks three times in his first four seasons. His control improved, but he was never able to put it all together and become dominant pitcher (though he had some good years). In an interleague game in 1997, he became the first A.L. pitcher to hit a home run since the adoption of the designated hitter in 1973. Lefty Bill Walker (1927-36) went 97-77 and won two National Leaue ERA titles. He split his career between some good New York Giants teams and the famous Gas House Gang Cardinals of the 1930s.

Bullpen: Closer Billy Wagner (1995-2010) saved 422 games in his career (fifth on the all-time list) without ever leading the league in that category. His career ERA was 2.31, and his 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings is among the most overpowering figures of all time. A relatively small (5-10, 180) lefty, Wagner was a consistent, dominant pitcher over the course of a long career. A country boy from a small town in Virginia, he retired following the 2010 season to spend more time with his family at their farm – in his final season, at age 38, he had a 1.43 ERA, and in 69 innings he struck out 104 while allowing just 38 hits and 22 walks. Not a bad “seeya later” season. Bob Wickman (1992-2007) had a long and effective career as a set-up man and closer. Wickman saved 267 games in his career, and unlike Wagner, he did lead the league one time (45 for the Indians in 2005). He retired with 63 victories and a 3.57 ERA. (Wickman was listed at 6-foot-1 and 207 pounds, but we suspect they may have gotten those last two digits transposed.) Brian Wilson (2006- ) has also led the league in saves – with 46 for the 2010 World Series champion Giants. He’s in mid-career and has 170 career saves, but he still has a ways to go to wrest the job away from Wagner. Plus, his beard is the ugliest facial hair the game has seen in several generations. Bill Wight (1946-58) and Bob Weiland (1928-40) were both journeyman lefty swingmen, and they’ll get some starts when the rotation needs a lefty. Both guys had losing records – 77-99 for Wight, 62-94 for Weilman – but respectable ERAs. Ben Weber (2000-05), who pumped his arms up and down spastically before going into his windup, spent a long time in the minors and even played in China before he arrived as a 30-year-old rookie. He made the best of his late opportunity, pitching well for a few years (career record of 19-8, 3.77 ERA) and winning a World Series title with the Angels. Bob Walk (1980-93) had one of the worst names ever for a pitcher, but he wasn’t half-bad (and he had very average control). He won 105 games for the Phillies, Braves and Pirates.

Bench: Backup infielders Buck Weaver (1912-20) and Bill Wambsganss (1914-26) were good but never great players who became famous via the World Series. Wambsganss turned an unassisted triple play for the Indians during the 1920 World Series, the only such play in postseason history. And Weaver emerged as the sympathetic figure in the Black Sox scandal of 1919 – by all accounts, he sat in on the meetings in which his crooked teammates planned the fix, but he couldn’t go through with it. He played his hardest to win, but he kept his mouth shut about what he knew, and his silence (quite appropriately) got him banned for life with the seven teammates who went along with the fix. He spent the rest of his life trying to clear his name, and his cause has many supporters to this day. He was a decent hitter who could play shortstop or third, and he might give Billy Werber some competition at the hot corner. First baseman and corner outfielder Brad Wilkerson (2001-08) was a lefty slugger in the “three true outcomes” mold – he struck out a lot, walked a lot, and hit home runs. He will be a valuable stick off the bench. Negro League outfielder Wild Bill Wright had a long career in both the Negro Leagues and in Mexico. He was a dangerous hitter and a regular all-star, and he will push for playing time in the crowded outfield picture. Bennie Warren (1939-47) is a backup catcher with a little bit of pop, a nice guy to have on your bench.

Manager: Bobby Winkles managed the Angels for a few years during the Nolan Ryan/Frank Tanana period.

CB: The Charlie Browns

Infield: Second baseman Craig Biggio (1988-2007) had a pretty remarkable career. He came up as a catcher, switched – against all odds – to second base and became a Gold Glove winner. Throughout the 1990s, he was on base constantly, hit tons of doubles, stole bases at a high percentage, and once played 162 games and grounded into zero double plays – but no one ever realized what a great player he had become. He finished his career with 3,060 hits, including 668 doubles (fifth all-time). He drew a good number of walks and was hit by a pitch more than anyone since the 19th century, helping him to score 1,844 runs. He stole 414 bases, hit 291 home runs and won four Gold Gloves. While Biggio’s career was marked by long, steady production, third baseman Carloa Baerga (1990-2005) was the opposite – a guy who made his name with a handful of big years in his mid-20s. From 1992-95, Baerga batted between .312-.321, drove in 100 runs twice and scored 100 once, and played in three all-star games. He was never that good again. Still, he had a good career – a .291 average, 134 homeruns, 774 RBI and 731 runs. Lefty Curt Blefary (1965-72) and righty Casey Blake (1999- ) will platoon at first base. Blefary had limited athletic skills but worked hard and did a lot right. He only batted .235, but he drew a lot of walks and hit 112 home runs while bouncing around several teams. Jim Bouton, a teammate on the 1969 Astros, said of Blefary’s competitive nature: “If I had to be in a foxhole I'd like him in there with me. He's the kind who picks up hand grenades and throws them back.” Blake is a .264 hitter with 162 career home runs. Shortstop Clint Barmes (2003- ) is a good glove man and a very ordinary hitter – well, he’d be an ordinary hitter if he would take a walk now and then.

Outfield: Center fielder Cool Papa Bell was a Negro League legend, primarily for the St. Louis Stars, and reputed to be the fastest man in all of baseball during the 1920s and early ‘30s. Satchel Paige used to tell stories about Bell’s speed – how he could hit the light switch and be in bed before the room got dark, or the time he hit a line drive up the middle and the ball hit him in the butt as he slid into second base. Paige once said: “If Cool Papa had known about colleges, or if colleges had known about Cool Papa, Jesse Owens would have looked like he was walking.” He hit for a good average with a little bit of power and played a fine center field. Baseball historian Bill James observed that if Bell had played in the majors, “he would have been a 3,000-hit man, easily.” He retired before the color line fell, but he was a respected scout who helped sign many of the top Negro Leaguers who made the move into the majors following Jackie Robinson. Carlos Beltran (1998- ) has won three Gold Gloves in center, so it will be an open competition with Cool Papa to see which one of these guys stays in center and which one moves to left field. Either way, the defense will be spectacular. Beltran came up with the Royals as a five-tool star, and he got traded to Houston in mid-season 2004 during the final year of his contract. During the postseason that year, Beltran put on a stunning show – he batted .438 with eight home runs in a dozen games, scoring 21 runs, driving in 14 and stealing six bases without getting caught. That earned him a big free agent deal with the Mets, where he continued to produce until injuries began to slow him in 2009-10. He’s in his mid-30s and looking to get his career back on track. As it stands now, he has pushed past 300 home runs and is coming up on 300 stolen bases (at a success rate near 90 pecent). He is over 1,100 in both runs and RBI. Right fielder Chester Brooks was a Negro League star of the 1920s, a consistent .300 hitter who isn't much remembered today in large part because he played for the moribund Brooklyn Royal Giants (which is sort of like a major-leaguer spending his entire career with the St. Louis Browns).

Catcher: Charlie Bennett (1878-93) was a pretty solid 19th-century catcher – a .256 hitter with a good number of doubles and triples, and some home run pop as well. His best seasons were for the Detroit Wolverines, and he became a local hero. The Tigers eventually played in a ballpark named after him, and he throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day every year for Detroit until his death in 1927.

Rotation: Chief Bender (1903-17) went 212-127 in his career, mostly for Connie Mack’s Philadelphia A’s team, and his career ERA was 2.46. Bender grew up in a hardscrabble life on an impoverished Indian reservation in Minnesota but came of age at the famous Carlisle School for Indians. An articulate and artistic man, he caught Mack’s eye and was pitching for the A’s before his 19th birthday. He was known for his gentlemanly demeanor, but also for his competitive fire, and he pitched very well for the A’s in five World Series (three of which they won). His name was Charles Albert Bender, but like almost all Native Americans who played at that time, he was immediately nicknamed “Chief.” He was proud of his heritage but hated the nickname, because he said he wanted to be identified as a pitcher, not an Indian. Connie Mack always called him “Albert,” and Bender preferred to sign autographs as “Charles Bender,” but he ultimately gave in – recognizing that people used the nickname as a form of affection – and agreed to let the word “Chief” appear on his headstone. (We’re guessing he would have been less than thrilled if he had seen that The Sporting News headlined his obit: “Chief Bender Answers Call to Happy Hunting Ground.” Ouch.) Negro League star Chet Brewer had a long career, with his prime years coming in the 1930s. He was not overpowering, but had good command of a variety of pitches and was smart on the mound. In addition to his career in the Negro Leagues, he pitched in Mexico, Cuba and throughout Latin America. Charlie Buffinton (1882-92) was one of those 19th-century warhorses who used to log 400 innings a year during the period when pitchers were making the transition from underhand to overhand. In 1884, pitching for Boston, he started 67 games, completed 63 of them, logged 587 innings and had a record of 48-16. He won 233 games in his career and was done by his early 30s. Chris Bosio (1986-96) won 94 games for the Brewers and Mariners, including a no-hitter for Seattle in 1993. Bosio will most likely move to the C.B. bullpen once Clay Buchholz has logged enough starts for the Red Sox to move into this rotation, which seems inevitable. Meanwhile, another young pitcher, Chad Billingsley (2006- ), has the fifth spot in the rotation. Billingsley is the same age as Buchholz, but he has spent the better part of six years in the Dodgers’ rotation and had 59 career wins. If Billingsley and Buchholz continue to develop this team’s rotation will prosper.

Bullpen: Craig Breslow (2005- ), a Yale-educated lefty, gets the first crack at the closer role, though he has just six saves as he approaches his 30th birthday. On the other hand, his career ERA is 2.87, so we’ll give him a shot. Cory Bailey ( 1993-2002) was generally pretty good in a major-league career that spanned 172 games – a 3.96 ERA. Clay Buchholz (2007- ) was one of the best starters in the American League in 2010, and he looks to break in to the CB rotation very soon, but for now he’s working middle relief and picking up spot starts on this pitching staff. It’s called “payin’ yer dues.” Cy Blanton (1934-42) won 18 games for the Pirates in 1935 and led the NL in ERA. He won 68 games in his career. Curt Barclay (1957-59) pitched well for the New York Giants as a 25-year-old rookie, but a shoulder injury ended his career two years later with a record of 10-9. Clyde Barfoot (1922-26) won 314 games in the minors but just eight in the majors. Cy Barger (1906-15) was born Eros Bolivar Barger, and he attended Transylvania University. No foolin’. He won 46 games in his career, but that’s beside the point. He had us at Transylvania.

Bench: Whichever platoon first baseman isn’t starting – Casey Blake or Curt Blefary – will be the first pinch-hitter off the bench. Third baseman Clete Boyer (1955-71) was one of the best defensive third basemen who ever lived. He will work as Baerga’s defensive replacement, and he’ll get some starts at third, too. Boyer, brother of Ken (and Cloyd), wasn’t a great hitter, but he did knock 162 home runs and won five pennants and two World Series titles with the Yankees. Utility infielder Charley Bassett (1884-92) was a fine defensive player. Outfielder Carson Bigbee (1916-26) played for the Pirates in the era between Honus Wagner the the Waner boys. He was a .300 hitter once the lively ball arrived, but his career average was .287 without much power. Backup catcher Cliff Bolton (1931-41) provides a lefty stick off the bench, and he could hit a bit.

Manager: Charlie Brown. Yes, the comic strip guy. He loves the game and its strategies. Let’s see how he does running a team that doesn’t depend on his own sad-sack pitching, with a dog at shortstop and Lucy in the outfield. (The only C.B. ever to manage in the majors was Charlie Buffinton, who was briefly a player-manager. He can help out.)

CC: The C.C. Blooms

Infield: First baseman Cecil Cooper (1971-87) was a quietly effective player, and it took a long time for folks to realize that. He came up through the Red Sox organization and hit consistently well in the minors. The Cardinals selected him in the Rule V draft before the 1971 season but – even though they had no adequate first baseman – they returned him to the Red Sox. He gradually nudged his way into playing time in Boston and he hit well, but in 1977 – when Cooper was in his prime – the Red Sox traded him to Milwaukee for another first baseman, George Scott, who was seven years older and putting on weight. He spent the rest of his career with the Brewers, making five all-star teams, winning a couple of Gold Gloves. He led the AL twice each in doubles and RBI and once in total bases; he never led the league in batting, though he hit .300 for seven straight years including one season at .352. He finished his career with a .298 batting average, 415 doubles and 241 home runs, driving in 1,125 runs and scoring 1,012. (He will probably end up batting cleanup on this team and driving in a ton of runs (with Cupid Childs, Cesar Cedeno and Carl Crawford on base ahead of him). Second baseman Cupid Childs (1888-1901) batted .306 for his career and walked 100 times a year, pushing his on-base average to .416 (top 25 all time). He ran well, had some gap power, and scored 100 runs a year. Third baseman Craig Counsell (1995- ) was a utility infielder in his 20s and more of a fulltime player in his 30s. He’s not a great hitter, but he’ll hit .260 and draw a few walks, and you have to like his persistence – if someone had told you a decade ago that Craig Counsell would have more than 1,200 hits and 600 runs, you would have made the little "cuckoo" motion with your index finger near your temple. Won a couple of World Series titles, one with Florida and the other with Arizona. Shortstop Chico Carrasqual (1950-59) was the prototypical diminutive, slick-fielding Venezuelan shortstop. He played in four all-star games representing the White Sox before Chicago traded him to accommodate another slick-fielding Venezuelan (Luis Aparicio) who stole more bases but didn’t draw as many walks. Carrasqual played a few more years for Cleveland, Kansas City and Baltimore.

Outfield: Center fielder Cesar Cedeno (1970-86) was supposed to be the second coming of Willie Mays. A starter at age 19, he was a .300 hitter with good power, great speed and spectacular defense in center. He had some injury problems, and his career trajectory wasn’t helped by an incident in the winter of 1973 when he accidentally shot and killed his girlfriend. In the end, he had a great career – a .285 average, 2,087 hits, 199 home runs, 550 steals, five Gold Gloves – but his best years came in his early 20s. Left fielder Carl Crawford (2002- ) has never been compared to Willie Mays, but he’s a pretty good comparison for Cesar Cedeno. Crawford is still in his prime, having just left the Tampa Rays for the Red Sox and Fenway Park, and already he’s got 427 stolen bases, 830 runs and 115 home runs in his career. He’d led the American League four times in triples and four times in stolen bases, and he won his first Gold Glove in 2010. Right fielder Coco Crisp (2002- ) also has a combination of power and speed, albeit not nearly as electrifying as Crawford and Cedeno. At age 25, he looked poised to break out as a star, but he has regressed since then and as he hits his 30s he is looking to reestablish himself.

Catcher: Clint Courtney (1951-61) was 5-foot-8 and wore eyeglasses behind his catcher’s mask, but don’t let the image fool you. His nickname was “Scrap Iron,” and he was a tough competitor who was known to get into fistfights. He could hit a bit, too, with a .268 career average and almost twice as many walks as hits.

Rotation: Chris Carpenter (1997- ) was a run-of-the-mill starter in Toronto but became a Cy Young Award winner when he came to St. Louis in mid-career. He won the award in 2005 (21-5, 2.83 ERA, 213 strikeouts) and finished third in 2006 (15-8, 3.09). He missed most of the next two seasons with injuries but came back strong in 2009 to go 17-4 with a league leading 2.24 ERA, finishing as runner-up in the Cy Young vote. When he’s healthy, he’s a top-tier pitcher, and his current career record is 144-92. Candy Cummings (1872-77) weighed 120 pounds and threw underhand, which was the strict rule in his era – not sidearm or submarine, but underhand. But he began experimenting with releases that would allow him to get the ball to move in mid-flight, and he is credited with inventing the curveball (though this is a matter of some dispute). He won 145 games in his short career, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame as an innovator for supposedly inventing the curveball. (A distant relative, John Cummings, pitched with the Mariners in the 1990s; upon learning of his famous ancestor he commented: “Imagine that – one of my relatives invented the pitch, and I didn’t learn to throw it until Single-A.”) Lefty Cliff Chambers (1948-53) went 48-53 for the Cubs, Pirates and Cardinals. Lefty Chris Capuano (2003- ) won 18 games for the Brewers in 2005 but went downhill from there. He missed two full seasons with injuries and is working on his comeback in his early 30s. Charlie Case (1901-06) won more than 100 games in the minors and went 23-19 in the majors, mostly with Pittsburgh.

Bullpen: Closer Clay Carroll (1964-78) was a key reliever on The Big Red Machine. Sparky Anderson didn’t use his bullpen in traditional ways, so Carroll only had one season over 20 saves (he had 37 in 1972), but he was a heck of a reliever and finished his career with 96 wins, 143 saves and a 2.94 ERA. Carroll had six seasons with more than 100 innings pitched, and another six between 90-100. Chad “The Chief” Cordero (2003- ) had a league-high 47 saves for the Nationals in 2005. He had 128 career saves by age 25, but injuries have set in and he has pitched infrequently since 2007. Chuck Crim (1987-94) was a solid, durable pitcher for a few years, but he slid into ineffectiveness as he approached 30. Chuck Cary (1985-93) was a lefty who had a few effective years en route to 14 career victories. Cris Carpenter (1988-96), with no “H” in his first name, was a first-round draft pick who pitched for the Cardinals about a decade before the Cy Young Award winner with (almost) the same name. He was a functional pitcher, but never much more than that. Casey Cox (1966-73) was a 6-foot-5 swingman who won 39 games for the Washington Senators. Chris Codiroli (1982-90) won 38 games for the Oakland, including seasons of 12-12 and 14-14 as a starter.

Bench: First baseman Chris Chambliss (1971-88) was an exact contemporary of Cecil Cooper and a similar type player, but not quite as good, for which reason he is relegated to the bench. His career triple crown stats were .279-185-972, and he will always be remembered for his walkoff home run in the bottom of the ninth in Game 5 of the 1976 ALCS, beating Kansas City and sending the Yankees to the World Series. (As much as for the home run itself, he will be remembered for running around the bases while dodging thousands of fans who had flooded the field, carrying his helmet like a football to prevent it from being stolen, and piledriving one fan near home plate like a fullback.) Utility man Casey Candaele (1986-97), whose mother and aunt both played in the women’s baseball league portrayed in “A League of Their Own,” played all over the outfield and infield. Outfielder Chad Curtis (1992-2001) was an intense, hot-tempered competitor who hit 101 home runs and stole 212 bases in his career. He takes the final outfield spot from Chuck Carr, who would have served well as a pinch-runner and defensive sub, but our starting outfield doesn’t seem to need any defensive subs. Infielder Creepy Crespi (1938-42) has one of the great names in baseball history. (He and Coco Crisp will room together.) Crespi was a promising second baseman for the Cardinals in his mid-20s when he was drafted into the Army during World War II. He broke his leg playing for a service team at Fort Riley and never made it back to the majors. Backup catcher Chris Cannizzaro (1960-74) had a strong arm and a weak bat, but he made the all-star game in 1969 because they had to take someone from the expansion Padres. (He beats out Clarence “Choo Choo” Coleman, his teammate on the 1962 expansion Mets, as well as Cam Carreon for the backup catching job.)

Manager: The team will be managed by Charles Comiskey, the autocratic skinflint who owned the Chicago White Sox and helped spark the Black Sox scandal with his persistent effort to avoid paying his players what they had earned. Before becoming an owner, he was a successful manager including four straight first-place finishes with the St. Louis Browns in the American Association during the 1880s.

Note: Actor Chuck Connors, who played briefly for the Dodgers and the Cubs before going on to a long career in acting, will do public service announcements on the big video board.