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.
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.
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