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.
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.
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