Infield: Third baseman Bill Joyce (1890-98) was a major star in the late 19th century. He was a .300 hitter who drew a ton of walks, so he was on base constantly. He hit a good number of home runs, and plenty of doubles and triples, too. He scored 822 runs in his career despite playing just 906 games. Shortstop Billy Jurges (1931-47) was a weak hitter but a slick fielder and had a 17-year career with the Cubs and the Giants. In the middle of the 1932 season, he was shot in the chest by a showgirl whom he had been dating but with whom he was breaking up. He missed three weeks recovering from the injury, and declined to press charges (though we’re guessing he kept his distance from her just the same). First baseman Buck Jordan (1927-38) – real name, Baxter Byerly Jordan – was a .300 hitter with no power or speed and he didn’t draw that many walks. But he was a .300 hitter who made good contact and hit some doubles, so there’s value to be had. Second baseman Bernie James (1929-33) had a warm cup o’coffee with the Boston Braves at age 23, batting .307 in 46 games. He had no power, and batting .300 at that time was no big deal, but still, it showed promise. He never hit well again and finished with a career .257 average.
Outfield: Left fielder Bo Jackson (1986-94) was one of the most spectacular players of all time. He wasn’t one of the best, but he was spectacular – and when he was on the field, you didn’t take your eyes off of him because you didn’t want to miss what he might do. He hit 141 home runs, and some of them were long, towering shots. He only stole 82 bases in his career, but he was so ridiculously fast that it was fun to simply watch him run. He wasn’t a good outfielder, but he had a cannon for an arm. He was a .250 hitter who struck out a godawful amount, but even then you wached him because after he struck out he might snap his bat in two over his knee. He once made a running catch on the warning track and, since he couldn’t stop in time, he literally ran up the outfield wall and back down. He was, of course, also a football star – he won the Heisman at Auburn and was as spectacular in the NFL as he was in major-league baseball. Injuries derailed both careers, but even then he was spectacular – at age 30, making a comeback after having hip replacement surgery, he hit a home run in his first at-bat. Right fielder Indian Bob Johnson (1933-45) never played for Cleveland, but spent most of his career with the Philadelphia A’s. He was an outstanding hitter, batting .296 for his career, averaging better than 100 runs and 100 RBI per season, and hitting 288 home runs. He played until he was 40, and he was still a very good player when he retired. Center fielder Baby Doll Jacobson (1915-27) batted .311 for his career and spent his best seasons with the St. Louis Browns. When the “lively ball era” arrived, he was playing in a good hitter’s ballpark, and he batted .350 a couple of times, drove in and scored 100 runs a few times, and banged out lots of doubles and triples. He was also a top-notch defensive outfielder. He earned the nickname “Baby Doll” while still in the minors, as some sort of tribute to a popular song of the day.
Catcher: Brian Johnson (1994-2001) played for six teams in eight seasons. Give him regular playing time and you’d get a dozen home runs. You’d also get a .250 hitter who doesn’t walk.
Rotation: Big Bill James (1911-19) and Seattle Bill James (1913-19) were contemporary righthanders who shared a name. Big Bill was a 6-foot-4 righty who had some good years for the Browns and the Tigers before retiring in his early 30s. (He pitched for the White Sox in the 1919 World Series, but he was one of the clean ones.) Seattle Bill was almost as big as Big Bill, and at age 22 he went 26-7 in 1914 with a 1.90 ERA. He injured his arm the following year and never got his career back on track. Bart Johnson (1969-77) had no nickname, but at 6-foot-5 he was taller than either Big Bill or Seattle Bill James. Johnson was a very talented young pitcher for the White Sox who won 12 games with a 2.93 ERA at age 21. Arm injuries set in and he was done at age 27. Bobby J. Jones (1993-99) won 89 games for the Mets and Padres, and he threw a 1-hit shutout for the Mets against the Giants in the 2000 NL playoffs. (He was always identified as Bobby J. Jones to differentiate from another contemporary pitcher, Bobby M. Jones, apparently because they didn’t want to go by Big Bobby Jones and Seattle Bobby Jones. ) He was a good pitcher for several years, but as he hit his 30s he began having trouble keeping the ball in the yard. Beany Jacobson (1904-07) went 5-23 as a rookie lefthander for the Washington Senators, but then, that team was as bad as any of the 20th century. His career record was 22-46.
Bullpen: Closer Bobby Jenks (2005- ) is a 6-4, 275-pound hulk who saved 173 games for the White Sox over the course of his first six seasons. He burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2005, becoming Chicago’s closer toward the end of the season and helping the team to the World Series title. He has been up and down since then, and he will begin the 2011 season as a set-up man in Boston. Bob James (1978-87) also spent a few years closing for the White Sox, including eight wins, 32 saves and a 2.13 ERA in 110 innings in 1985. For most of his career he was a solid reliever who could work in many different roles. Bob D. Johnson (1969-77) was a hard-throwing swingman who was a key contributor to the 1971 championship team in Pittsburgh. Barry Jones (1986-93) was a durable journeyman who had some very fine years in middle relief and set-up roles. Lefty Bobby M. Jones (1997-2004), a teammate of Bobby J. Jones on the 2000 Mets, was a swingman who gave up too many hits, too many walks and too many home runs. Bob Joyce (1939-46) was a minor-league star who had just two short, ineffective seasons in the majors. He won 172 games in the minors, including 94 wins in four years during World War II. Bumpus Jones (1892) threw a no-hitter in his major-league debut – on Oct. 15, 1892, the last day of the season. The following year, he got his butt kicked several times and ended up out of the majors for good in his early 20s,with a career record of 2-4 that included a no-hitter.
Bench: Outfielder Brian Jordan (1992-2006) was a remarkable athlete who also played three seasons as a defensive back in the NFL, so between him and Bo Jackson, this team should dominate any flag football games that break out. Jordan batted .282 with 184 career home runs and was a terrific defensive player with a powerful arm. Third baseman Brook Jacoby (1981-92) came up with the Atlanta Braves but went to Cleveland in one of the most lopsided trades in history (Jacoby and Brett Butler, plus cash, for Len Barker). With the Indians, Jacoby had a fine career – .270 with 120 home runs – but there was always the sense that he didn’t produce as much as expected. In 1987, he batted .300 with 32 home runs and a .541 slugging percentage, but just 69 RBI. (The highlight of that season was when Jacoby had four hits and walk while batting sixth in a game when the Indians scored nine runs – but he only managed one run and one RBI.) Utility infielder Bob W. Johnson (1960-70) provided solid defense at second, third and shortstop, and he was a decent hitter as well. Sleepy Bill Johnson (1884-92) had only one full season in the majors, but he held his own. He’ll be a good lefty stick off the bench and can pinch-run as well. Bubber Jonnard (1920-35) couldn’t hit, but we need a backup catcher. (We’ve got our fingers crossed for a bases-loaded double play that goes Bumpus-to-Bubber-to-Buck.)
Manager: Bill Joyce will be player-manager. His record with the New York Giants was 179-122, but the team never finished higher than third. He’ll be advised by sabermetrician Bill James, and he’ll try to curry favor with league president Ban Johnson.
Outfield: Left fielder Bo Jackson (1986-94) was one of the most spectacular players of all time. He wasn’t one of the best, but he was spectacular – and when he was on the field, you didn’t take your eyes off of him because you didn’t want to miss what he might do. He hit 141 home runs, and some of them were long, towering shots. He only stole 82 bases in his career, but he was so ridiculously fast that it was fun to simply watch him run. He wasn’t a good outfielder, but he had a cannon for an arm. He was a .250 hitter who struck out a godawful amount, but even then you wached him because after he struck out he might snap his bat in two over his knee. He once made a running catch on the warning track and, since he couldn’t stop in time, he literally ran up the outfield wall and back down. He was, of course, also a football star – he won the Heisman at Auburn and was as spectacular in the NFL as he was in major-league baseball. Injuries derailed both careers, but even then he was spectacular – at age 30, making a comeback after having hip replacement surgery, he hit a home run in his first at-bat. Right fielder Indian Bob Johnson (1933-45) never played for Cleveland, but spent most of his career with the Philadelphia A’s. He was an outstanding hitter, batting .296 for his career, averaging better than 100 runs and 100 RBI per season, and hitting 288 home runs. He played until he was 40, and he was still a very good player when he retired. Center fielder Baby Doll Jacobson (1915-27) batted .311 for his career and spent his best seasons with the St. Louis Browns. When the “lively ball era” arrived, he was playing in a good hitter’s ballpark, and he batted .350 a couple of times, drove in and scored 100 runs a few times, and banged out lots of doubles and triples. He was also a top-notch defensive outfielder. He earned the nickname “Baby Doll” while still in the minors, as some sort of tribute to a popular song of the day.
Catcher: Brian Johnson (1994-2001) played for six teams in eight seasons. Give him regular playing time and you’d get a dozen home runs. You’d also get a .250 hitter who doesn’t walk.
Rotation: Big Bill James (1911-19) and Seattle Bill James (1913-19) were contemporary righthanders who shared a name. Big Bill was a 6-foot-4 righty who had some good years for the Browns and the Tigers before retiring in his early 30s. (He pitched for the White Sox in the 1919 World Series, but he was one of the clean ones.) Seattle Bill was almost as big as Big Bill, and at age 22 he went 26-7 in 1914 with a 1.90 ERA. He injured his arm the following year and never got his career back on track. Bart Johnson (1969-77) had no nickname, but at 6-foot-5 he was taller than either Big Bill or Seattle Bill James. Johnson was a very talented young pitcher for the White Sox who won 12 games with a 2.93 ERA at age 21. Arm injuries set in and he was done at age 27. Bobby J. Jones (1993-99) won 89 games for the Mets and Padres, and he threw a 1-hit shutout for the Mets against the Giants in the 2000 NL playoffs. (He was always identified as Bobby J. Jones to differentiate from another contemporary pitcher, Bobby M. Jones, apparently because they didn’t want to go by Big Bobby Jones and Seattle Bobby Jones. ) He was a good pitcher for several years, but as he hit his 30s he began having trouble keeping the ball in the yard. Beany Jacobson (1904-07) went 5-23 as a rookie lefthander for the Washington Senators, but then, that team was as bad as any of the 20th century. His career record was 22-46.
Bullpen: Closer Bobby Jenks (2005- ) is a 6-4, 275-pound hulk who saved 173 games for the White Sox over the course of his first six seasons. He burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2005, becoming Chicago’s closer toward the end of the season and helping the team to the World Series title. He has been up and down since then, and he will begin the 2011 season as a set-up man in Boston. Bob James (1978-87) also spent a few years closing for the White Sox, including eight wins, 32 saves and a 2.13 ERA in 110 innings in 1985. For most of his career he was a solid reliever who could work in many different roles. Bob D. Johnson (1969-77) was a hard-throwing swingman who was a key contributor to the 1971 championship team in Pittsburgh. Barry Jones (1986-93) was a durable journeyman who had some very fine years in middle relief and set-up roles. Lefty Bobby M. Jones (1997-2004), a teammate of Bobby J. Jones on the 2000 Mets, was a swingman who gave up too many hits, too many walks and too many home runs. Bob Joyce (1939-46) was a minor-league star who had just two short, ineffective seasons in the majors. He won 172 games in the minors, including 94 wins in four years during World War II. Bumpus Jones (1892) threw a no-hitter in his major-league debut – on Oct. 15, 1892, the last day of the season. The following year, he got his butt kicked several times and ended up out of the majors for good in his early 20s,with a career record of 2-4 that included a no-hitter.
Bench: Outfielder Brian Jordan (1992-2006) was a remarkable athlete who also played three seasons as a defensive back in the NFL, so between him and Bo Jackson, this team should dominate any flag football games that break out. Jordan batted .282 with 184 career home runs and was a terrific defensive player with a powerful arm. Third baseman Brook Jacoby (1981-92) came up with the Atlanta Braves but went to Cleveland in one of the most lopsided trades in history (Jacoby and Brett Butler, plus cash, for Len Barker). With the Indians, Jacoby had a fine career – .270 with 120 home runs – but there was always the sense that he didn’t produce as much as expected. In 1987, he batted .300 with 32 home runs and a .541 slugging percentage, but just 69 RBI. (The highlight of that season was when Jacoby had four hits and walk while batting sixth in a game when the Indians scored nine runs – but he only managed one run and one RBI.) Utility infielder Bob W. Johnson (1960-70) provided solid defense at second, third and shortstop, and he was a decent hitter as well. Sleepy Bill Johnson (1884-92) had only one full season in the majors, but he held his own. He’ll be a good lefty stick off the bench and can pinch-run as well. Bubber Jonnard (1920-35) couldn’t hit, but we need a backup catcher. (We’ve got our fingers crossed for a bases-loaded double play that goes Bumpus-to-Bubber-to-Buck.)
Manager: Bill Joyce will be player-manager. His record with the New York Giants was 179-122, but the team never finished higher than third. He’ll be advised by sabermetrician Bill James, and he’ll try to curry favor with league president Ban Johnson.
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