Infield: First baseman Bill Buckner (1969-90) was a pretty fair ballplayer. He had 2,715 hits in his career, including almost 500 doubles, and he drove in 1,208 runs. He almost never struck out, but then he almost never walked either. He came up with the Dodgers as an outfielder and a terrific athlete, but a staph infection in his ankle took away his speed and gradually degenerated until he was left hobbling around the field in high-top cleats. He had good hands at first base but no mobility, which led to the play that – fair or not – came to be identified as the defining moment of Buckner’s career. In Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, with the Red Sox one out away from ditching the Curse of the Bambino, it was Buckner’s muff of a slow roller by Mookie Wilson that capped the team’s shocking implosion. Manager John McNamara had either forgotten to put in his defensive replacement or had chosen not to out of sentimentality – stories differ – but the image of the ball rolling between Buckner’s feet while the winning run scores has become iconic. Third baseman Buddy Bell (1972-89), son of a major-leaguer and father of two more, was a quiet and consistent star for almost two decades. He had almost as many hits as Buckner (2,514), but he drew more walks and had a bit more power. Bell, a Gold Glove third baseman, never led the league in any major offensive categories but was always productive. Like Buddy Bell, second baseman Bret Boone (1992-2005) is part of a three-generation baseball family – the son of Bob and the grandson of Ray (and brother of Aaron). He was a good but not great power-hitting second baseman until 2001, when he signed with the Mariners at age 32 and went .331-37-141. Jose Canseco said Boone used steroids. Boone said he didn’t. The anecdote Canseco related in his book turned out to be phony. You draw your own conclusions. At any rate, Boone had two more big years in Seattle and then faded away. He finished his career with 252 home runs, but fully 38 percent of his home runs and 36 percent of his RBI were concentrated in three years in Seattle. Bob Bailor (1975-85) was a weak hitter but a valuable utility player who ran well, played good defense all over the field and never struck out. He’ll be playing shortstop here and batting eighth in an otherwise strong batting lineup. (Switch-hitting slugger Bobby Bonilla is listed under “bench,” but look for him to get 400-500 at-bats by moving around different positions, often batting in the cleanup spot.)
Outfielder: People don’t like to acknowledge this, but Barry Bonds (1986-2007) might be the best left fielder of all time. He hit as well as Musial, not quite as good as Teddy, but he had the significant advantages of being a great baserunner and an outstanding defensive player. He broke the single-season and career records for home runs and walks, and when he was at his peak he would only see a couple of hittable pitches per game but he still pounded them. Bonds finished third all-time in runs and fourth in RBI, and he was still a great offensive player when his career ended at age 42. (It's scary to think how many home runs he would hit when the B.B. team chooses the Baker Bowl as its home park.) These numbers have been tainted in the public’s eye by Bonds’ steroid use – unwitting, he says, though almost no one believes him – but his defenders point out (correctly) that he used steroids during a period when Major League Baseball was content to wink at their widespread use with no threat of testing or punishment. Nonetheless, the steroid use – combined with Bonds’ surly demeanor – turned him into a pariah to fans and to many in the media, leading to the likelihood that one of the five or six best players in the game’s history will be denied a spot in the Hall of Fame. Like Buddy Bell and Bret Boone, Barry Bonds was also the son of an outstanding major leaguer. (What is it about the athletic genes in the B.B. initials?) Barry’s dad, right fielder Bobby Bonds (1968-81), was a sensational athlete and one of the prototypes of the modern power-speed player. Seasons of 30 homers and 30 steals were rarities until Bonds came along and did it five times. He came up as a teammate of and protégé of Willie Mays, and the Giants hoped that he would be as good. He wasn’t, but he was a great player. He only batted .268 and he struck out a ton, but he had good power and great speed, and he drew lots of walks. He drove in lots of runs and scored even more, and teams were forever trying to figure out whether to bat him leadoff or in the middle of the lineup. Truth is, he would thrive wherever you put him, and he was almost as good defensively as Barry would be. He was frequently described as an angry, bitter man, and many believe he instilled that trait in his son. Center fielder Brett Butler (1981-97) was the exact opposite of Barry and Bobby Bonds – a cheerful, soft-spoken guy who slapped, poked and drag bunted his way to 2,375 hits and a .290 average. He drew enough walks to push his on-base percentage to a very fine .377, and he stole 558 bases in his career despite the fact that he had only slightly above-average speed. He scored 100 or more runs six times, and he led the league in triples four times even though he didn’t hit the ball all that hard. For what it's worth, the starting lineup for this team averages more than 2,100 career hits despite having no 3,000-hit men. (The average would be close to 2,300 if Bobby Bonilla could play shortstop.)
Catcher: Bob Boone (1972-90) wasn’t a great player, but he was good at what he did. He was a solid defensive catcher and good handler of pitchers. He was a .250-.260 hitter who walked more than he struck out. He was remarkably durable – he is one of only five catchers to ever work 2,000 games behind the plate, and he won his last Gold Glove at age 41.
Rotation: Bert Blyleven (1970-92) won 287 games, struck out 3,701 batters, pitched 60 shutouts and sparked the hottest Hall of Fame debate of his generation. He finally got the votes in 2011, thus ending the debate (since there were people outraged that he had been left out, but no one is outraged that he has been voted in). Blyleven had a good fastball and a knee-buckling curve. He won 20 only one time (at age 22) and he never led the league in ERA (but finished in the top five eight times), but he was a good pitcher for a long time – only six pitchers have thrown more innings since World War II. He won World Series titles in Pittsburgh and Minnesota, and his career postseason record was 5-1 with a 2.47 ERA. Bob Buhl (1953-67) worked behind Spahn and Burdette as the No. 3 starter for the talented but underachieving Milwaukee Braves of the 1950s. He won 166 games in his career, but he is equally remembered as one of the worst hitting pitchers of all time. Buhl holds records for the most consecutive at-bats without a hit (87), the most at-bats in a season without a hit (70) and the most career at-bats with an average below .100 (857 at-bats, .089 average). Lefty Bud Black (1981-95) – real name, Harry Ralston Black, which is much cooler than “Bud” – won 121 games as an effective mid-rotation starter for the Royals, Giants and Indians. Bruce Berenyi (1980-86) had a solid season for Cincinnati in 1982 but went 9-18 because the Reds were a terrible team. He won 44 games in his career. Lefty Bill Bailey (1907-22) had a career record of 38-76.
Bullpen: Closer Bobby Bolin (1961-73) won 88 games and saved 50 as a swingman with the Giants and the Red Sox. He saved 15 games with a 2.70 ERA in 1973 before injuries ended his career at age 34. Bud Byerly (1943-60) – real name Eldred William Byerly, which is not as cool as Harry Ralston Black – came up with his hometown St. Louis Cardinals but had his better years with the Senators and the Reds. Lefty Bill Bayne (191-30) won 31 games, mostly for the St. Louis Browns. Bo Belinsky (1962-70) was a lefty who threw a no-hitter as a rookie but who was better known for his sex life while pitching for the Los Angeles Angels. He dated a long list of Hollywood bombshells – Mamie Van Doren, Tina Louise, Ann-Margaret and others – and later married a Playboy centerfold and (after her) an heiress. He finished with a career record of 28-51, but he had no trouble … ahem … scoring. Bob Bruce (1959-67) went 49-71 in his career, but in his best season he went 15-9 for the 1964 Houston Colt .45s. Brian Barnes (1990-94) was a diminutive lefty for the Expos. Bill Bonham (1971-80) was a hard-throwing swingman for the Cubs and Reds.
Bench: Bobby Bonilla (1986-2001) was a big, strapping switch-hitter who had 287 home runs, drove in 1,173 runs and batted .279 with a good number of walks. He never really had a defensive position – basically, he was a bad outfielder who was stretched to be a brutal third baseman, and he occasionally filled in as a subpar first baseman. But the man could hit, and he will get regular playing time on this team, getting regular starts at all corner infield and outfield spots to keep his bat in the lineup and give the starters a rest. Outfielder Bill Bruton (1953-64) had blazing speed and was a spectacular center fielder who will work primarily as a pinch-runner and defensive sub in this lineup. Infielder Bret Barberie (1991-96) batted .353 in a partial season as a rookie with the Expos. He wasn’t that good, of course, but he was a pretty fair role player. Bill Bradley (1899-1915) was a fine third baseman, but he’ll have trouble finding playing time behind Bell and Bobby Bo. Backup catcher Benny Bengough (1923-32) was a light-hitting role player on the Murders Row Yankees.
Manager: Bobby Bragan won 443 games with the Braves, Indians and Pirates. Several of the players on this roster have also managed – Bob Boone, Bud Black, Buddy Bell – but Bragan will get the job. He coached and managed for many years in the minors as well, and was a minor-league baseball executive. A protégé of Branch Rickey, he was among the white players on the Dodgers roster who protested the breaking of the color barrier but quickly relented and became one of Jackie Robinson’s biggest supporters.
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