Infield: Bill Madlock (1973-87) and Bill Melton (1968-74) were two very fine hitters who pose interesting problems. They were both third basemen, and neither one was very good defensively. Melton was a slugger whose career was cut short by a bad back, and Madlock was a stocky batting champion who battled conditioning problems for much of his career. Because the B.M. team doesn’t have a legitimate starting first baseman, Madlock and Melton will hold down the infield corners and rotate positions depending on how Melton’s back is doing. (Both men played a little bit of first base during their careers.) Madlock won four batting titles, two with the Cubs and two with the Pirates, and his career average was .305. He made good contact and had a little bit of pop (163 career home runs), but he was slow. He stole a few bases (as many as 32), but he grounded into a lot of double plays and never scored as many runs as you would expect a .300 hitter to score. Melton hit 33 home runs for the White Sox at age 25, leading the American League. That winter, Melton injured his back in a bizarre incident – he was trying to catch his son, who had fallen off the garage roof – and he was never the same player. He still had some power, but his hitting suffered, and he was done in his early 30s. Second baseman Bid McPhee (1882-99) was a longtime star for Cincinnati who was largely forgotten until his election to the Hall of Fame in 2000, more than a half-century after his death. He was a good hitter who pounded a ton of triples and scored 1,684 runs in his career. He was a sensational defensive player in the era when fielders played barehanded, and he held out as long as he could. He thought gloves were ridiculous, and he was the last player to go without one, finally putting on a mitt in the late 1890s. Shortstop Billy Myers (1935-41) won two pennants and one World Series title with the Reds.
Outfield: Bobby Murcer (1965-83) more or less inherited center field in Yankee Stadium from Mickey Mantle. The team had taken a big fall from its great dynasty, and while Murcer was a very good young player, he wasn’t The Mick, so there were always people who saw him as a disappointment. Eventually, the Yankees traded him to the Giants for Bobby Bonds – a great player who was considered a disappointment because he wasn’t as good as Willie Mays – and Murcer moved around a bit before returning to the Yankees. In the end, he batted .277 for his career with more walks than strikeouts, with 252 home runs and 1,043 RBI. A center fielder could do a lot worse. Right fielder Bob Meusel (1920-30) was a secondary star on the Murderers Row Yankees. Sharing the outfield with Babe Ruth, Meusel hit 156 home runs – he led the AL with 33 in 1925, the year Ruth missed a big chunk of time with his stomach ache/veneral disease/alcohol poisoning. A good hitter in a great lineup, he always had a large number of RBI, and he was reputed to have the best throwing arm of his generation. Bing Miller (1921-36) will begin the season as the starting left fielder, but he’ll face a stiff challenge from Bake McBride and Barney McCosky. Miller, who spent most of his career with the Philadelphia A’s, batted .311 for his career with some line-drive pop. He scored 946 runs and drove in 990. He won three pennants and two World Series championships with the great A’s teams of 1929-31.
Catcher: Biz Mackey was one of the great catchers in the history of the Negro Leagues, perhaps second only to Josh Gibson. He was a .300 hitter with power and great defensive skills, and he remained a star into his late 40s.He was a respected player, coach and scout who played a key role in the development of such young stars as Roy Campanella and Larry Doby.
Rotation: Bill Monbouquette (1958-68) won 20 games for the 1963 Red Sox. He had a 17-strikeout game in 1961 and a no-hitter in 1962, but in general he was an efficient pitcher, not a dominant one. He won 114 games inhis career. Bobby Mathews (1871-87) was a 19th-century workhorse, a 5-foot-5 dynamo with a mustache that threatened to swallow his face whole. He never led the league in victories, but he won 42 games at age 22, and had three straight seasons of 30 wins in his early 30s. His career record was 297-248, with an ERA right around the league average. Ben McDonald (1989-97), a 6-foot-7 righty from LSU, was taken by the Orioles with the top pick in the 1988 draft. He shot quickly through the minors, and he pitched well as a 22-year-old rookie in 1990. After that, injuries set in. He pitched well at times but was frequently hurt, and he was done before he turned 30. His career record was 78-70 with a 3.91 ERA. Brett Myers (2002- ) arrived in the Phillies rotation at age 21 and has been a durable, steady pitcher ever since (with one year in the middle spent closing). Now with the Astros. Fiddler Bill McGee (1935-42) was a swingman who won 46 games for the Cardinals and the Giants.
Bullpen: Closer Billy McCool (1964-70) was a flame-throwing lefty who blazed through the minor and was starring in Cincinnati’s bullpen at age 19. He became the closer at age 20 and had a couple of good years, but arm troubles set in and he was out of the majors at age 25. Bob Moose (1967-76) was a talented swingman for the Pirates. He went 14-3 with a no-hitter at age 21, but he eventually shifted into a role that was almost strictly relief. Shortly after the end of the 1976 season, Moose died on his 29th birthday in a car accident on his way to a party being hosted by his teammate (on the Pirates and on this team) Bill Mazeroski. Lefty Bob McClure (1975-93) pitched almost 700 games in his career, winning 68 and saving 52. Righty Bob Miller (1957-74) and lefty Bob Miller (1953-62) were contemporaries. Righty Bob pitched for 10 teams during his 17-year career, winning 69 and saving 51. He won a World Series title on the 1971 Pirates along with Bob Moose and Bill Mazeroski. Lefty Bob was a bonus baby who pitched for the Tigers at age 17. He showed promise but never really panned out, winning just six games in his career. Righty Bob and Lefty Bob were teammates (and roommates) on the legendary 1962 expansion Mets. Lefty Bob Macdonald (1990-96) bounced around the majors for a few years and won eight games. Brandon Medders (2005- ) is in his early 30s and trying to hang onto a job in the majors.
Bench: Utility infiedler Buddy Myer (1925-41) spent almost his entire career with the Senators, amassing 2,131 hits and scoring 1,174 runs. He won an AL batting title (.349 in 1935) and once led the league in steals. Second baseman Bill Mazeroski (1956-72), a Hall of Famer, was one of the great defensive players of all time, at any position. His ability to turn the double play was a key element to some outstanding Pirates teams, including two World Series champions. In Game 7 in 1960, he became the first player ever to win the World Series with a walk-off home run. Outfielder Barney McCosky (1939-53) was a .312 hitter who never struck out. He missed three years while serving in World War II and had his career cut short by back injuries, but he was a fine hitter. He’ll battle for playing time in a crowded outfield. Likewise, Bake McBride (1973-83), who won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 1974. He batted .312 for the first five years of his career, but the Cardinals traded him because they didn’t like his sideburns, which gives you some indication of why the Cardinals didn’t win anything during the 1970s. McBride went to the Phillies and batted .309 for the 1980 World Series champions. He didn’t walk much, but he had some line drive power and good speed. We’ll let him keep his sideburns, and he’ll definitely get some playing time here. Backup catcher Brian McCann (2005- ) is in mid-career with the Braves and has been remarkably durable and consistent.
Manager: Hall of Famers Billy Martin and Bill McKechnie will share the job, which is to say that Martin manages the team and McKechnie takes over when Martin has been ejected or temporarily exiled for getting arrested, insulting the owner or otherwise violating the morals clause of his contract. Under this arrangement, they should share the job about evenly. Martin was an outstanding manager but a self-destructive personality. He only won one World Series title, but he likely would have won more if he could have held onto a job (instead of getting fired on a regular basis for his off-field behavior, which was usually fueled by alcohol). He fought with his players – like, literally fought with them – and he argued with his owners and he dated high school girls and occasionally he would get it into his head to do crazy stuff like flipping the bird on his baseball card (Topps, 1972) or wringing 94 complete games out of his young starting rotation (Oakland, 1980). Bill McKechnie’s temperament was the opposite of Billy Martin. McKechnie’s nickname was “Deacon.” (Hint: Billy Martin’s wasn’t.) McKechnie didn’t smoke, drink, swear or chase loose women. (Martin did all of them with great gusto.) If a player was a carouser, McKechnie would room with him on the road in order to keep him in line. (If one of Martin’s players was a carouser, they would likely run into each other in the hotel bar and ended up exchanging punches.) McKechnie won 1,896 games in his managerial career. He won NL pennants with three different teams and won World Series titles with the Pirates and the Reds. If these two managers can figure out how to work together, they should win a lot of games with this team.
Outfield: Bobby Murcer (1965-83) more or less inherited center field in Yankee Stadium from Mickey Mantle. The team had taken a big fall from its great dynasty, and while Murcer was a very good young player, he wasn’t The Mick, so there were always people who saw him as a disappointment. Eventually, the Yankees traded him to the Giants for Bobby Bonds – a great player who was considered a disappointment because he wasn’t as good as Willie Mays – and Murcer moved around a bit before returning to the Yankees. In the end, he batted .277 for his career with more walks than strikeouts, with 252 home runs and 1,043 RBI. A center fielder could do a lot worse. Right fielder Bob Meusel (1920-30) was a secondary star on the Murderers Row Yankees. Sharing the outfield with Babe Ruth, Meusel hit 156 home runs – he led the AL with 33 in 1925, the year Ruth missed a big chunk of time with his stomach ache/veneral disease/alcohol poisoning. A good hitter in a great lineup, he always had a large number of RBI, and he was reputed to have the best throwing arm of his generation. Bing Miller (1921-36) will begin the season as the starting left fielder, but he’ll face a stiff challenge from Bake McBride and Barney McCosky. Miller, who spent most of his career with the Philadelphia A’s, batted .311 for his career with some line-drive pop. He scored 946 runs and drove in 990. He won three pennants and two World Series championships with the great A’s teams of 1929-31.
Catcher: Biz Mackey was one of the great catchers in the history of the Negro Leagues, perhaps second only to Josh Gibson. He was a .300 hitter with power and great defensive skills, and he remained a star into his late 40s.He was a respected player, coach and scout who played a key role in the development of such young stars as Roy Campanella and Larry Doby.
Rotation: Bill Monbouquette (1958-68) won 20 games for the 1963 Red Sox. He had a 17-strikeout game in 1961 and a no-hitter in 1962, but in general he was an efficient pitcher, not a dominant one. He won 114 games inhis career. Bobby Mathews (1871-87) was a 19th-century workhorse, a 5-foot-5 dynamo with a mustache that threatened to swallow his face whole. He never led the league in victories, but he won 42 games at age 22, and had three straight seasons of 30 wins in his early 30s. His career record was 297-248, with an ERA right around the league average. Ben McDonald (1989-97), a 6-foot-7 righty from LSU, was taken by the Orioles with the top pick in the 1988 draft. He shot quickly through the minors, and he pitched well as a 22-year-old rookie in 1990. After that, injuries set in. He pitched well at times but was frequently hurt, and he was done before he turned 30. His career record was 78-70 with a 3.91 ERA. Brett Myers (2002- ) arrived in the Phillies rotation at age 21 and has been a durable, steady pitcher ever since (with one year in the middle spent closing). Now with the Astros. Fiddler Bill McGee (1935-42) was a swingman who won 46 games for the Cardinals and the Giants.
Bullpen: Closer Billy McCool (1964-70) was a flame-throwing lefty who blazed through the minor and was starring in Cincinnati’s bullpen at age 19. He became the closer at age 20 and had a couple of good years, but arm troubles set in and he was out of the majors at age 25. Bob Moose (1967-76) was a talented swingman for the Pirates. He went 14-3 with a no-hitter at age 21, but he eventually shifted into a role that was almost strictly relief. Shortly after the end of the 1976 season, Moose died on his 29th birthday in a car accident on his way to a party being hosted by his teammate (on the Pirates and on this team) Bill Mazeroski. Lefty Bob McClure (1975-93) pitched almost 700 games in his career, winning 68 and saving 52. Righty Bob Miller (1957-74) and lefty Bob Miller (1953-62) were contemporaries. Righty Bob pitched for 10 teams during his 17-year career, winning 69 and saving 51. He won a World Series title on the 1971 Pirates along with Bob Moose and Bill Mazeroski. Lefty Bob was a bonus baby who pitched for the Tigers at age 17. He showed promise but never really panned out, winning just six games in his career. Righty Bob and Lefty Bob were teammates (and roommates) on the legendary 1962 expansion Mets. Lefty Bob Macdonald (1990-96) bounced around the majors for a few years and won eight games. Brandon Medders (2005- ) is in his early 30s and trying to hang onto a job in the majors.
Bench: Utility infiedler Buddy Myer (1925-41) spent almost his entire career with the Senators, amassing 2,131 hits and scoring 1,174 runs. He won an AL batting title (.349 in 1935) and once led the league in steals. Second baseman Bill Mazeroski (1956-72), a Hall of Famer, was one of the great defensive players of all time, at any position. His ability to turn the double play was a key element to some outstanding Pirates teams, including two World Series champions. In Game 7 in 1960, he became the first player ever to win the World Series with a walk-off home run. Outfielder Barney McCosky (1939-53) was a .312 hitter who never struck out. He missed three years while serving in World War II and had his career cut short by back injuries, but he was a fine hitter. He’ll battle for playing time in a crowded outfield. Likewise, Bake McBride (1973-83), who won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 1974. He batted .312 for the first five years of his career, but the Cardinals traded him because they didn’t like his sideburns, which gives you some indication of why the Cardinals didn’t win anything during the 1970s. McBride went to the Phillies and batted .309 for the 1980 World Series champions. He didn’t walk much, but he had some line drive power and good speed. We’ll let him keep his sideburns, and he’ll definitely get some playing time here. Backup catcher Brian McCann (2005- ) is in mid-career with the Braves and has been remarkably durable and consistent.
Manager: Hall of Famers Billy Martin and Bill McKechnie will share the job, which is to say that Martin manages the team and McKechnie takes over when Martin has been ejected or temporarily exiled for getting arrested, insulting the owner or otherwise violating the morals clause of his contract. Under this arrangement, they should share the job about evenly. Martin was an outstanding manager but a self-destructive personality. He only won one World Series title, but he likely would have won more if he could have held onto a job (instead of getting fired on a regular basis for his off-field behavior, which was usually fueled by alcohol). He fought with his players – like, literally fought with them – and he argued with his owners and he dated high school girls and occasionally he would get it into his head to do crazy stuff like flipping the bird on his baseball card (Topps, 1972) or wringing 94 complete games out of his young starting rotation (Oakland, 1980). Bill McKechnie’s temperament was the opposite of Billy Martin. McKechnie’s nickname was “Deacon.” (Hint: Billy Martin’s wasn’t.) McKechnie didn’t smoke, drink, swear or chase loose women. (Martin did all of them with great gusto.) If a player was a carouser, McKechnie would room with him on the road in order to keep him in line. (If one of Martin’s players was a carouser, they would likely run into each other in the hotel bar and ended up exchanging punches.) McKechnie won 1,896 games in his managerial career. He won NL pennants with three different teams and won World Series titles with the Pirates and the Reds. If these two managers can figure out how to work together, they should win a lot of games with this team.
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