tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72815299662823266912024-03-20T03:19:34.966-07:00Baseball, InitiallyStart with a set of initials. Create a 25-man roster from the history of baseball. Repeat as often as possible.Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.comBlogger200125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-67047906159440687412012-11-11T12:30:00.000-08:002009-11-18T06:07:46.979-08:00How it works<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">"Did you know that if you chose up 676 All-Star teams by initials, Bill Russell would probably be on the winning team? The J.C. team would be awfully good ..."</span> <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">- The Bill James Baseball Abstract 1984</span><br /><br />OK, so this started as a simple exercise, putting together 25-man rosters from all of baseball history with initials that match our own (J.R. and M.H.). We had fun, so we started doing teams of players with our friends' initials. We had even more fun. So we began trying to see how many "initial teams" we could put together. Some teams came together naturally. Others have tremendous strengths and glaring weaknesses. Along the way, we discovered some fascinating players we had previously overlooked.<br /><br />Each team, theoretically, has eight starting position players (no DH, thank you very much), five bench players (including a backup catcher, a utility infielder, a fourth outfielder and two others), a five-man rotation and a seven-man bullpen with one identified as the nominal closer. We only deviate from this roster format if necessary. Each team has a manager, and if none is available, we do the best we can to identify one. The teams are given random names - sometimes after our friends - that play off of the initials used to create the roster.<br /><br />We have tried to pick the best teams possible with each set of initials, though in choosing the final bench or bullpen spots we reserve the right to pick sentimental favorites or, failing that, guys with funny names. We will not list a player at a position he did not play, though if roster requirements dictate (e.g., two outstanding shortstops but no decent second baseman), we will put a guy at his secondary position. We try to manage resources the way a real manager would - for example, if you've got two starting right fielders, you move one of them to left. For what it's worth, some guys might appear on more than one team if they were equally well known by two different names (e.g., Rich Gossage is eligible for the RG team, but he's also eligible for the GGs as Goose Gossage), but we won't abuse this by trying to put Babe Ruth on the GRs or anything like that.<br /><br />Have fun.Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-28863258302057207202011-05-04T07:07:00.000-07:002017-03-15T10:46:54.055-07:00AA: The Aaron Altmans<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b>Infield:</b> <u>Alex Arias</u> (1992-2002) played mostly shortstop in
his big-league career but he’ll start at third base on this team. He played
very well for the Cubs in a short trial at the end of the 1993 season and then
got traded to the Marlins, with whom he won a World Series title in 1997. In
the NLDS that year, Arias went 1-for-1. In the NLCS, he went 1-for-1. Then, in
the World Series, he spoiled his 1.000 postseason average by going 0-for-1. He was a
slap hitter who rarely struck out. Second baseman <u>Alexi Amarista</u> (2011- ) is a
Venezuelan utility player who had a fine career in the minors but hasn't hit in the majors. He did steal 12 bases in 13 attempts for the Padres in 2014. Shortstop <u>Alf Anderson</u> (1941-46)
played 126 games for the Pirates, mostly during World War II when there was a
shortage of quality players. He was a minor-league batting champ but never hit
anything in the bigs. He eventually got drafted and was a teammate of Ted
Williams on a Navy team. <u>Alex Avila</u> (2009- ) is really a catcher, but he has logged more than 100 innings at first base, and that's where he will start on this team. (The only other A.A.s to play first base were Andy Abad, who batted .095, and Andy Allison, who batted .163.) Avila made the All-Star Game and got some AL MVP votes in 2011, but he has struggled ever since. Still, he's got a little power and he draws some walks, and he's not Andy Abad.<br />
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<b>Outfield: </b>Center fielder <u>Alfredo Amezaga</u> (2002-11) was a
journeyman utility guy who ran reasonably well, made good contact and played
solid defense. In mid-career, the Marlins gave him a starting job for three
seasons, in which his batting averages were .260, .263 and .264, so we’ll give
him credit for consistency. Right fielder <u>Abraham Almonte</u> (2013- ) is a 5-foot-9, 205-pound
bulldog who hasn't been able to earn a starting position. He's got some pop in his bat, but he strikes out too much. Left fielder <u>Art Allison</u> (1871-76), whose middle name was Algernon, batted .254
while playing for several different teams in the prehistoric National
Association. Allison later worked for a government printing office in
Washington and was killed in 1916 when he was hit by a truck while crossing a
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<b>Catcher:</b> <u>Alan Ashby</u> (1973-89) came up with Cleveland, was
the primary catcher for the expansion Blue Jays, and spent a decade with the
Houston Astros. He wasn’t a great hitter, but he was consistent and he plugged
along to more than 1,000 hits. Ashby caught three no-hitters with the Astros
(Ken Forsch, Nolan Ryan and Mike Scott). While with the Blue Jays, he was given
the nickname “Buns” because the ladies in the office thought he had a nice
butt; he apparently tried to leave that nickname behind (no pun intended) when
he left Toronto, but his teammates in Houston learned of it and decided to keep
it alive as a private joke.</div>
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<b>Rotation:</b> <u>Andy Ashby</u> (1991-2004), no relation to his
catcher, had a career record of 98-110, mostly for San Diego. If you take away
three miserable years with Philadelphia – two at the start of his career, and
one in mid-career – his record improves to 92-95, and his ERA drops from 4.12
to 3.90. He was a pretty good pitcher, with good control, and he appeared in
two All-Star Games. Not bad for a guy who was signed as an undrafted free
agent. Lefty <u>Allan Anderson</u> (1986-91) led the American League in earned-run
average in 1988. He went 16-9 with a 2.45 ERA that season at age 24, but you
had to wonder what to make of that record, since he struck out only 83 batters
in 202 innings. He was the epitome of a pitch-to-contact guy: He walked very
few batters, but he gave up a lot of hits. His ERA went up to 3.80 the
following year, and then to 4.53 and then to 4.96, and then he was finished at
age 27. <u>Al Atkinson</u> (1884-87) went 51-51 for three different teams in a couple
of very early leagues. This was in the period when pitchers worked very heavy
loads. He had a record of 20-26 as a rookie, and he went 25-7 in his
next-to-last season. Lefty <u>Al Aber</u> (1950-57) won 24 games for the Indians and
the Tigers, splitting time between the rotation and the pen. <u>Andrew Albers</u>
(2013- ) is a Canadian lefty who came up with Minnesota in 2013. In his first two starts, he worked 17 1/3 innings, giving up six hits and no runs. That didn't last, and he ended the season 2-5 with a 4.05 ERA. He has mostly been in the minors since, along with a year in Korea and some time in independent ball. But, wow, those first two starts were good.</div>
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<b>Bullpen:</b> Here lies the strength of this roster. <u>Ace Adams</u>
(1941-46) will work as the team’s closer, in part because of his name. And, no,
that’s a nickname. His parents named him “Ace.” Pitching before the advent of
the modern-day closer, he nonetheless led the NL in games finished for four
straight seasons and had 49 career saves (figured retroactively). He spent his
entire career with the New York Giants, coming to the majors at age 31 and
emerging as a relief workhorse during World War II when strong arms were hard
to come by. When the real players came back from the war, Adams jumped to the
Mexican League and was blacklisted from returning to the majors. If Adams
falters, we will turn to <u>Antonio Alfonseca</u> (1997-2007), who had 129 career
saves, including a league-leading 45 for the Marlins in 2000. Truth is, his
ERAs were never all that good for a closer, and he put too many runners on
base. He was a subject of some fascination because he had six fingers on each
hand (see photo), although the sixth finger was just a little stub on the other side of the
pinkie and he was never able to use it to put any kind of unique spin on the
ball. He reportedly also had six toes on each foot, but since he didn’t pitch
barefoot, we can’t confirm that detail. <u>Al Alburquerque</u> (2011- ) is a
flame-throwing set-up man who averaged 13 strikeouts per nine innings over
his first three seasons for the Detroit Tigers. That rate has slowed quite a bit since then, but he is still a pretty solid pitcher. His name is so long that it
almost forms a complete circle on the back of his uniform. <u>Alfredo Aceves</u>
(2008-14) pitched mainly as a set-up man. In his one season as a closer, he
saved 25 games for the Red Sox in 2012 but also posted an ERA of 5.36. He had a
career record of 31-16 with a 3.83 ERA. Lefty <u>Armando Almanza</u> (1999-2005) went 14-13, mostly with the
Marlins. He was on Florida’s championship team in 2003, though he had a 6.08
ERA and did not appear in the World Series. <u>A.J. Achter</u> (2014- ) has been up and down with the Twins and Angels and has pitched alright, with a 3.92 career ERA. <u>Austin Adams</u> (2014- ) showed some promise in the minors but has yet to establish himself with any degree of effectiveness in the majors. (The arrival of Achter and Adams takes a roster spot away from the immortal Al Autry (1976), who made one appearance in the majors,
starting a game for the miserable 1976 Braves when they had to play three
straight doubleheaders. He pitched five innings, gave up three runs and got the
victory. The attendance in Atlanta that day was 970. Much to his surprise, he
never pitched again in the majors, which he attributes to the fact - we are not
making this up - that he angered manager Dave Bristol with a sarcastic comment
about a teammate’s wild pickoff throw.)</div>
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<b>Bench:</b> Infielder <u>Angel Aragon</u> (1914-17) was a Cuban immigrant who
batted .118 in 32 games for the Yankees. Outfielders <u>Aaron Altherr</u> (2014- ) and Arismendy Alcantra (2014- ) both have a little pop and run OK. Neither one has earned a starting spot in the majors, but either one of them could still press for some starting time in the A.A. team's subpar outfield. Catcher <u>Andy Allanson</u> (1986-95) will allow Alex Avila to stay at first base pretty much full time. Allanson was a lousy hitter (.240 with no
walks, no power and no speed). But we like the idea of
confusing the other teams by occasionally starting the battery of Allan
Anderson and Andy Allanson. <u>Andy Allison</u> (1872) batted .163, but he gets the last roster spot here so he can room with his brother Art.</div>
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<b>Manager:</b> No A.A. has ever managed in the majors, but <u>Alan
Ashby</u> managed in the minors for three years and spent a year as the bullpen
coach for the Houston Astros. That experience will make him the de facto
player-manager on this roster.</div>
Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-14501181307135628702011-05-02T09:35:00.000-07:002017-03-15T12:19:21.947-07:00AB: The Antonio Banderases<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNIKoDbsXH5wPSB_CW_JadWfm1k-dk9u36pYWfcDGkPz1XAFqXD_JlVJQSG4WW7rVT77EpVyffFLf-NhBsxfCSX1JQ78bJyB9maDJ7v72P3JaCnhlhhgD_oJOvIC_gkPyeFcKZDNFBGY/s1600/belle.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602160288498470114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNIKoDbsXH5wPSB_CW_JadWfm1k-dk9u36pYWfcDGkPz1XAFqXD_JlVJQSG4WW7rVT77EpVyffFLf-NhBsxfCSX1JQ78bJyB9maDJ7v72P3JaCnhlhhgD_oJOvIC_gkPyeFcKZDNFBGY/s320/belle.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 266px;" /></a><br />
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<b>Infield:</b> <u>Aaron Boone</u> (1997-2009) spent most of his career at third base but will move to first (where he played more than 100 games) on this roster. Boone – grandson of Ray, son of Bob, brother of Bret – hit 126 regular season home runs in his career, but he will always be remembered for one he hit in the postseason: the walk-off shot he hit off Boston’s Tim Wakefield in the 11th inning of Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. Boone moves to first to accommodate third baseman <u>Adrian Beltre</u> (1998- ) is well on his way not only to the Hall of Fame, but to recognition as one of the great third basemen of all time. He was a good power hitter from the time he arrived with the Dodgers at age 19, but he broke loose for 48 home runs in 2004, the walk year of his contract. That led to a big free agent deal in Seattle, where he played well but was perceived as a disappointment because he didn’t hit 40-plus home runs again. He had a big year for the Red Sox in 2010 to revive his career. He is a Gold Glove defender with a good bat, and he has a very strange superstitious aversion to anyone touching his head. Seriously. Touch this man's scalp at your own risk.<br />
Second baseman <u>Alan Bannister</u> (1974-85) was a utility guy who played all over the field as needed. He wasn’t a great hitter, but he wasn’t bad either – a decent average, walked as often as he struck out, ran well. He was a useful player who bounced around five teams and generally helped them. Shortstop <u>Al Bridwell</u> (1905-15) was a slap hitter who earned his niche in baseball history as the guy who hit the would-be single that was turned into a fielder’s choice by Fred Merkle’s infamous baserunning gaffe that cost the New York Giants the 1908 pennant. (If you’re not familiar with the play, simply google “Merkle’s Boner,” or look up that phrase on Wikipedia. Don’t worry – it’s “work-safe.”) As an added bonus here, Mike's friend Megan was doing some home repair following some storm damage, and when she took down a piece of an attic wall, she saw a small face looking back at her. It was an Al Bridwell baseball card from 1909. True story.<br />
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<b>Outfield:</b> Left fielder <u>Albert Belle</u> (1989-2000) was one of the best hitters of his generation, but his career was cut short by a hip injury and his sensational production was constantly overshadowed by his violent temper. He was originally known by his childhood nickname Joey, but after several controversial incidents and a stint in alcohol rehab, he re-emerged using his given name, Albert, as a symbol of his fresh start. It got his career back on track, but sobriety did little to tame his volcanic temper, and his career was a long-running battle with media, fans, opponents, teammates and young trick-or-treaters. He was suspended after he was caught using a corked bat, and he was fined when he decked an opposing infielder with a vicious elbow to the face in the middle of the basepath. His wrath was not limited to the baseball diamond – on Halloween 1995 he was arrested after he jumped in his vehicle and tried to run down some kids who had egged his house. He finished his career at .295/.369/.564 with 381 home runs despite retiring at age 33. He is the only player in history to have 50 doubles and 50 home runs in the same season. Belle drove in 100-plus runs in each of his last nine seasons, and between 1992-98 he averaged 126 RBI; that total would be pushed even higher if you extrapolate his astonishing 1994 totals (101 RBI in 106 games) to account for the season-ending lockout. Center fielder <u>Al Bumbry</u> (1972-85) did a two-year tour of duty in Vietnam, winning a Bronze Star, before returning to baseball in 1972 and winning Rookie of the Year in 1972 when he batted .337 for the Orioles. He was very fast, a solid contact hitter and a good defensive outfielder. Right fielder <u>Al Burch</u> (1906-11) was a slap hitter with a little speed who spent most of his career in Brooklyn. Near the end of the 1906 season, in a game against the Boston Beaneaters, Burch came to bat against Happy Jack Cameron, a guy who had washed out as an outfielder and was attempting to hang on in the majors as a reliever. Burch rifled a line drive back up the middle that hit Cameron’s head with such force that it ricocheted back on the fly to the catcher, who caught it and doubled the runner off first base, one of the odder 1-2-3 double plays in history. </div>
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<b>Catcher:</b> <u>Al Bool</u> (1928-31) was a fine minor-league hitter who got a few trials in the majors in his early 30s.<br />
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<b>Rotation:</b> <u>Andy Benes</u> (1989-2002) was the first overall pick in the 1988 draft, taken by San Diego out of the University of Evansville. He went on to win 155 games and struck out 2,000 batters, mostly for San Diego and St. Louis. <u>A.J. Burnett</u> (1999-2015) had a similar career to Andy Benes, a solid starter who never quite became an ace. He was a top prospect in the Mets organization before he was traded to the Marlins. He pitched a no-hitter in 2001, had Tommy John surgery two years later and continued to plug away. He finished with 164 victories and 2,513 strikeouts. Lefty <u>Addison Brennan</u> (1910-18) had a couple of good years for the Phillies, highlighted by 14 wins and a 2.37 ERA in 1913. <u>Alan Benes</u> (1995-2003) won 29 games in his career, almost half of them when he went 13-10 for the Cardinals in 1996. He is the brother of Andy Benes; their other brother, Adam, qualifies for the team with his initials but never made it to the majors. <u>Al Benton</u> (1934-52) was a swingman who won 98 games in his career, mostly for the Tigers. He also had a season in which he led the league in retroactive saves.<br />
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<b>Bullpen:</b> Closer <u>Armando Benitez</u> (1994-2008) was a flame-thrower who saved 289 games and struck out almost 11 batters per nine innings over the course of his career. <u>Andrew Bailey</u> (2009- ) was AL Rookie of the Year in 2009 and followed up with a fine second season. For his first two seasons he had 51 saves, a 1.70 ERA, and in 132 innings he has 133 strikeouts and just 37 walks. He's a heck of a pitcher when he is healthy, but he is rarely healthy. Lefty <u>Al Brazle</u> (1943-54) started out as a swingman and then transitioned into a full-time reliever for the Cardinals. When saves were retroactively figured, it was determined that Brazle led the NL in both 1952 and ’53. He won 97 games in his career and saved 60. <u>Andrew Brown</u> (2006-08) is a 6-foot-6 righty who had a fine minor-league career and pitched reasonably well in the bigs before running out of steam. <u>Antonio Bastardo</u> (2009- ) is a young lefty fireballer whose name, when said in a deep and guttural tone, is every bit as intimidating as his fastball. <u>Ambiorix Burgos</u> (2005-07) had a live arm, a great name, and no control. <u>Aaron Barrett</u> (2015- ) is a big, strapping righty who has worked 90 innings for the Nationals and strikes out almost 11 batters per nine innings. <br />
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<b>Bench:</b> Infielder <u>Angel Berroa</u> (2001-09) had an outstanding rookie season in 2003, batting .287 with 17 home runs and 21 steals, winning the AL Rookie of the Year Award. He also struck out 100 times and walked just 29 times, and that was a portent of things to come. Berroa’s career went straight downhill after his rookie season. Outfielder Andrew Benintendi (2016- ) was a high draft pick out of Arkansas who shot through the Red Sox' farm system and then made a big impression as a 22-year-old rookie at the end of the 2016 season. He is young, but he appears to be at the start of a very promising career. Let's just say he's got his sites set on Al Burch's starting job on this roster. <u>Adrian Brown</u> (1997-2006) was a slap-hitting outfielder for the Pirates. Infielder <u>Art Butler</u> (1911-16) was born Arthur Bouthillier but shortened his name to make it simpler. He was a .300 hitter in a long minor-league career but just a spart part in the majors. Backup catcher <u>Austin Barnes</u> (2015- ) has hit .180 in limited time, but his minor-league record suggests he is better than that.<br />
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<b>Manager:</b> There has never been an A.B. manager in the major leagues, but <u>Al Bumbry</u> spent many years coaching for the Red Sox, Orioles and Indians.</div>
Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-85799062263484030662011-04-28T08:57:00.000-07:002017-03-20T12:02:24.937-07:00AC: The Archibald Coxes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXj416AqFofvNLixk_cNggTHPsznCFaOtvpkVVpoa546PQNYtdM2l0rp87fkA3LsiKRWITKFSCP-3xyTNtPpEIGRT3B5KIVyFlJH-22s6NinE4uyBDLWdmtVW65C-K562AWTIzIMH7dY/s1600/adrubal.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600665581266363858" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXj416AqFofvNLixk_cNggTHPsznCFaOtvpkVVpoa546PQNYtdM2l0rp87fkA3LsiKRWITKFSCP-3xyTNtPpEIGRT3B5KIVyFlJH-22s6NinE4uyBDLWdmtVW65C-K562AWTIzIMH7dY/s320/adrubal.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 220px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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<b>Infield:</b> Third baseman <u>Andy Carey</u> (1952-62) won four pennants and two World Series championships with the Mantle-Berra Yankees. He was a dependable player – a decent defender at the hot corner and a batter who would hit .260 or so, make good contact and supply a bit of pop. Playing for Casey Stengel, who platooned a lot and who liked to change his lineup around, Carey had only one season in which he had 500 at-bats (1955, when he played 135 games and came to the plate 570 time). He led the AL in triples that year with 11. Shortstop <u>Asdrubal Cabrera</u> (2007- ) is is a fine players who contributes across the board. He'll hit .270 or so, with 15-20 home runs and passable defense. He has played in a couple of all-star games and might make one or two more before he's done. Second baseman <u>Alberto Callaspo</u> (2006-15) was a good contact hitter who could rip some doubles. He had a good batting eye and stuck around for 10 years, never a star but generally providing value. First baseman <u>Allen Craig</u> (2010- ) batted .300 with mid-range power for three straight years with the Cardinals, and had a knack for clutch hits. He made history, of a sort, in 2013 when he became the first player to score a walk-off run in a World Series game on an obstruction call. Actually, it was more of a hobble-off, or crawl-off run. Craig, playing on a badly injured foot, was on second base in the bottom of the ninth in a tie game. On a sharp ground ball, Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia grabbed the carom and threw out Yadier Molina trying to score from third. Craig lumbered toward third and was in danger of being thrown out for a 4-2-5 double play. But the catcher's throw was wild, and as Boston third baseman Will Middlebrooks tried to catch it, he tripped Craig near the bag. Craig, already limping, fell on his face, then got up and staggered toward the plate. The throw had him beat, and his attempt at a slide was more of a topple, but the umpires ruled that Middlebrooks had obstructed Craig's ability to run the bases, so the run counted to end Game 3. Craig batted .375 in that World Series, in a losing cause, but has been injured and ineffective since. Time is running out on his attempts to recapture his stroke.<br />
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<b>Outfield:</b> Right fielder <u>Al Cowens</u> (1974-86) was a multi-talented player who had some very good seasons but struggled with inconsistency. He could hit 20 home runs in a good year, and he stole some bases but got thrown out too much. He made good contact and hit some good line drives, and he was a fine defensive player. At his peak he was a very good ballplayer – such as in 1977, when he went .312-23-112 for the Royals and won a Gold Glove. In 1979, Texas relief pitcher Ed Farmer broke Cowens’ jaw with a fastball and also broke Frank White’s wrist with a pitch. Cowens held a grudge, and the next time he faced Farmer – in 1980, when Cowens was with Detroit and Farmer with the White Sox – Cowens charged the mound during a groundout and jumped Farmer from behind. It made for some interesting TV highlights. Center fielder <u>Alex Cole</u> (1990-96) could fly. As a 24-year-old rookie for Cleveland, he batted .300 and stole 40 bases (in 49 attempts) in less than half a season. He wasn’t really a .300 hitter, he never stole 40 bases again, and his success rate dropped. And, oh yeah, he wasn’t a great fielder. But he did hit for a decent average, and he did draw a few walks, and of course, he ran well, so he was an exciting and fairly functional player. Left fielder <u>Adam Comorosky</u> (1926-35) had a big year for Pittsburgh in 1930 – he batted .313 with 47 doubles, a league-high 23 triples, 12 home runs. He scored 112 runs and drove in 119, and for good measure, he led the league with 33 sac bunts. That was by far the best year of his career. He appears to have been a good defensive outfielder as well. He finished his career at .285, but with just 28 home runs.<br />
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<b>Catcher:</b> <u>Amos Cross</u> (1885-87) was the older brother of Lave Cross, who had 2,651 hits and who scored and drove in more than 2,700 runs. Amos had a good year at age 26 but he played just eight games the following year and was dead at age 28. It’s not clear how he died, but we’re open to suggestions.<br />
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<b>Rotation:</b> <u>Andy Coakley</u> (1902-11) won 58 games and had a 2.35 career ERA in the deadball era. He never led the league in anything, but he had two seasons with ERAs below 2.00 with well over 200 innings pitched. He went on to a long coaching career at Columbia University. <u>Aaron Cook</u> (2002-12) spent most of his career with the Colorado Rockies and won 76 games. <u>Alex Cobb</u> (2011- ) was shaping up as a very fine young starter with the Tampa Rays until elbow surgery cost him his 2015 season and most of 2016. But he's got a career record of 36-25 with a 3.44 ERA, and if he comes back strong, he could ultimately become the ace of this staff. <u>Andrew Cashner</u> (2010- ) is a pretty fair pitcher when he is healthy. But he's not healthy very often. He came up with the Cubs, but went to the Padres in a trade for Anthony Rizzo (in retrospect, quite a steal for the Cubs). Cashner looked very promising for San Diego for a few years, but at this point he is bouncing around the majors trying to regain his command. Lefty <u>Adam Conley</u> (2015- ) has shown well for parts of two seasons in Miami's rotation. <br />
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<b>Bullpen:</b> Cuban fireballer <u>Aroldis Chapman</u> (2010- ) is as overpowering as any closer we've ever seen. Seven years into his career he's got an ERA of 2.08, and he has struck out 636 batters in 377 innings (that would be 15.2 per nine innings if you do the math). He arrived with the Reds as a 22-year-old import with a fastball that lights up the radar gun at speeds approaching 105 mph. Nothing has slowed him down - not even getting hit in the head with one of his fastballs lined back up the middle. He won a World Series with the Cubs in 2016 and is now with the Yankees. If he stays healthy, his career numbers could be eye-popping. <u>Alex Carrasquel</u> (1939-49) was the first Venezuelan to play in the majors, and he struck out DiMaggio, Gehrig and Dickey in his debut. That was an anomaly – he was a good pitcher but not a great one, and he didn’t strike out a lot of batters. He effectively ended his major league career in 1945 when he jumped from the Senators to the outlaw Mexican League, though he came back for three games with the White Sox in 1949. Alex Colome (2013- ) was a fine set-up man for Tampa Bay in 2014, and he became the team's closer in 2015, saving 37 games and posting a 1.91 ERA. <u>Al Corwin</u> (1951-55) pitched for the Giants and did well enough to get by for several years. <u>Alberto Castillo</u> (2008-11) is a Cuban lefty who has had a long career in the minors and a few call-ups to the Orioles in his mid-30s. We'll always switch catchers when he comes in so our battery will be a coupla Alberto Castillos. <u>Aaron Crow</u> (2011- ) is a talented and dependable reliever with the Royals. He's a Topeka native and a former University of Missouri star who is a natural favorite in Kansas City. <u>Al Cicotte</u>
(1957-62) was the great-nephew of disgraced Black Sox conspirator Eddie
Cicotte. He was nowhere near as good as his great uncle Eddie – just a
swingman who pitched for six teams in five seasons.</div>
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<b>Bench:</b> In a crowded middle infield picture, <u>Alex Cintron</u> (2001-09) and <u>Andujar Cedeno</u> (1990-96) emerge as the utility guys. Cintron, given a regular job by the Diamondbacks in 2003, batted .317 with some power. He spent the rest of his career proving he wasn’t really that good. Cedeno was fascinating to baseball fans because his arrival as a 20-year-old rookie hinted that the Astros were preparing to hand their shortstop job over to a guy whose name combined references to two of the team’s most talented and famous head cases (Joaquin Andujar and Cesar Cedeno). It didn’t really work out – Andujar Cedeno batted below .250, didn’t walk, was a poor defensive shortstop and had just mid-range power – but he hung around as a part-time infielder for several years. Outfielder <u>Allie Clark</u> (1947-53) was a journeyman role player who won World Series titles with the Yankees in 1947 and the Indians in 1948. <u>Archi Cianfrocco</u> (1992-98) was versatile enough to play all over
the field, but he never fully developed as a hitter. He had a bit of
pop, but he struck out too much, didn’t walk enough and struggled to
push his batting average north of .250. <u>Alberto “Bambino” Castillo</u> (1995-2007) was a light-hitting backup catcher with solid defensive skills for more than a decade.<br />
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<b>Manager:</b> <u>Andy Cohen</u> was the manager of the Phillies for 24 hours in 1960. Eddie Sawyer was the team’s manager but he stepped down early in the season, and Cohen had the job on an interim basis until Gene Mauch was hired one day later. Cohen’s career record as a big-league manager was 1-0. We’ll see if he can keep on winning with the A.C. team. He’ll be assisted by longtime Dodgers executive Al Campanis.</div>
Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-80873877614767415382011-04-28T08:55:00.000-07:002017-04-07T11:36:05.777-07:00AD: The Abner Doubledays<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2jRzjp6zsrONSa82p9qC-u0ky74V1lScMyRSw_KW1lXRcr293oxufRW4EYiqR59EpoK91DJdG5EqprRqiZJRoIYOVqlYXDRifgy8QzOeL-AzArQC81YQc1qm8Prue-zS6ivdOOTdgPo/s1600/hawk.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685309617837881666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2jRzjp6zsrONSa82p9qC-u0ky74V1lScMyRSw_KW1lXRcr293oxufRW4EYiqR59EpoK91DJdG5EqprRqiZJRoIYOVqlYXDRifgy8QzOeL-AzArQC81YQc1qm8Prue-zS6ivdOOTdgPo/s320/hawk.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 234px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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<b>Infield:</b> First baseman <u>Alvin Davis</u> (1984-92) was sort of Fred McGriff Lite. He wasn’t as good as McGriff, and he didn’t play nearly as long, but he was a similar model – a .280-.290 hitter who drew lots of walks and hit for power. He spent almost his entire career with the Mariners, winning the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 1984 (.284-27-116) and going on to hit 160 career home runs. He will be sharing the infield with <u>Alvin Dark</u> (1946-60), <u>Art Devlin</u> (1904-13) and <u>Aledmys Diaz</u> (2016- ), though the exact configuration is a bit tricky. Diaz and Dark are both shortstops. Devlin is a third baseman who also played sparingly at other infield spots. Nobody played more than a handful of innings at second base. For now, we'll allow Dark and Devlin to stay at their natural positions, and move Diaz to second base, where he played for two innings as a rookie. It's far from perfect, but it feels like the best use of resources for the A.D. roster. Dark was a good enough player that historian Bill James has suggested he may have made the Hall of Fame if the start of his playing career had not been delayed by World War II. He was a good contact hitter with a little bit of power (126 career home runs) and a decent glove. He won a Rookie of the Year Award, played in three all-star games and had a .323 batting average in 16 World Series games. Devlin was also a contact hitter, with more speed than Dark but less power. Diaz is a Cuban defector who had an outstanding rookie year for the Cardinals and is just getting started.<br />
<br />
<b>Outfield:</b> Hall of Famer <u>Andre “Hawk” Dawson</u> (1976-96) came up with the Expos as a speed burning center fielder who also hit with power. Knee injuries, complicated by the artificial turf at Stade Olympique, eventually took away his speed and forced him to move to right field, where his powerful throwing arm remained an asset. Dawson hit 438 home runs and drove in almost 1,600 runs, but he had a terrible batting eye that limited his ability to get on base. He was tremendously respected as a team leader and a mentor to young players, which allowed him to stay in the game into his 40s. In 1987, when the owners colluded and secretly agreed not to sign any free agents, Dawson (looking to escape the artificial turf) famously handed the Cubs a blank contract with his signature on it and told them to fill in whatever salary they wanted. The Cubs signed him for $500,000 plus some incentives, and he responded with 49 home runs, 137 RBI and an NL MVP award. That season made him a Cubs legend, and he spent five more years there. Dawson will stay in center field on this team, while <u>Adam Dunn</u> (2001-14) will start in right. Dunn is a huge guy, listed at 6-foot-6 and 285 pounds, and a consistent slugger. How consistent? For four straight years, starting in 2005, he he exactly 40 home runs. He broke that streak by hitting 38 in back-to-back seasons. Dunn is a “three true outcomes” player – just under half of his career plate appearances resulted in either a home run, a strikeout or a walk. His 222 strikeouts in 2012 is the second-highest total of all time, but he also had seven seasons with more than 100 walks, and he hit 462 career home runs. (As a side note, the 2009 Washington Nationals frequently used an outfield of Dunn, Elijah Dukes and Austin Kearns, a trio that according to their officially listed weights that year checked in at a combined 778 pounds. If that ain’t a record, we want to see who beats it.) Left fielder <u>Abner Dalrymple</u> (1878-91) was a 19th-century leadoff batter who ran well and had some pop.<br />
<br />
<b>Catcher:</b> <u>Al DeVormer</u> (1918-27) was never more than a backup in the majors, but he played for some very good teams and spent almost his entire major-league career playing for Hall of Fame managers (Miller Huggins, Frank Chance and John McGraw). He was a respected defensive catcher and a popualr teammate, and he stuck around in the minors until he was 40.<br />
<br />
<b>Rotation:</b> Lefty <u>Al Downing</u> (1961-77) came up with the Yankees in the final years of the Mantle-Berra-Ford dynasty, a kid with an overpowering fastball but also with control problems (he led the AL in both strikeouts and walks in 1964). He eventually got it together enough to win 123 games, including a 20-9 season for the Dodgers in 1971. He was a good pitcher – very, very good at times – but he is probably best known for giving up Hank Aaron’s record-breaking 715th home run. <u>Al Demaree</u> (1912-19) won 80 games for four teams, and he had some good seasons along the way. After he retired, he went on to an even more prominent career, spending several decades drawing highly distinctive sports-themed narrative cartoons for The Sporting News. <u>Art Ditmar</u> (1954-62) was nothing special as a pitcher, but he had the good fortune to spend a few years with the Yankees – in the years right before Al Downing – and therefore he won three pennants and a World Series title. Ditmar split his career between the powerhouse Yankees and the laughingstock A’s – he was 47-32 with a 3.24 ERA with the Yankees, and 25-45 with a 4.97 ERA with the A’s. <u>Atley Donald</u> (1938-45) spent his whole career with the Yankees during the DiMaggio era, putting up a career record of 65-33. He won three World Series titles with the Yankees, though he didn’t appear in the 1939 or ’43 World Series and he pitched badly in the 1941 Series. <u>Anthony Desclafani </u>(2014- ) has got a live arm and decent command. He has won 20 games (and lost 20) in three years for Cincinnati.<br />
<br />
<b>Bullpen:</b> Closer <u>Adrian Devine</u> (1973-80) had 11 wins and 15 saves for the Rangers in 1977, which was the highlight of his career. Probably the most interesting detail of his career is the trade history that shuttled him back and forth between Atlanta and Texas. He came up with the Braves and was traded in 1976 to Texas as part of a package for Jeff Burroughs, who was two years removed from his AL MVP award. A year later, he went back to the Braves in a massive deal that involved 11 players moving among four teams. Two years after that, the Rangers traded him back to Atlanta. It seemed like every December at the winter meetings, the Braves and Rangers would exchange Adrian Devine. <u>Art Decatur</u> (1922-27) won 23 games for the Brooklyn Robins and the Philadelphia Phillies. <u>Art Delaney</u> (1924-29) had a distinguished minor-league career but largely got hammered in the majors. He’s a set-up man in this rather thin bullpen. <u>Andy Dunning</u> (1889-91) pitched a total of three games in the majors, all before his 20th birthday, and he appears to have gotten clobbered in all three. Two of them were complete game starts. <u>Arthur Doll</u> (1936-38) pitched in a total of four games and seems to have had better luck than Andrew Dunning. <u>Alec Distaso</u> (1969) pitched in two games for the Cubs at age 20, and he was out of baseball due to arm injuries before he turned 22. He went on to a career with the L.A.P.D. <u>Art Daney</u> (1928) had a major-league career that consisted of one scoreless inning for the Philadelphia A’s. That means the last four guys in our bullpen pitched in a total of 10 major-league games – we’ll be looking for some complete games out of our rotation.<br />
<br />
<b>Bench:</b> <u>Argenis Diaz</u> (2010) was an infielder who spent part of one year in the majors and didn't do much, though he could still get some starts on this thin roster. Backup catcher <u>Alex Delgado</u> (1996) spent 18 years in the minors and in Mexico but only got a brief shot in the majors with the Red Sox. Outfielder <u>Alejandro de Aza</u> (2007- ) is a lefty stick with a bit of speed who has bounced all around the majors. He isn't great at anything, but he is OK at everything. That makes him a useful reserve. <u>Adam Duvall</u> (2014- ) is a first baseman and corner outfielder who hit 33 home runs and drove in 103 runs for Cincinnati in 2016, his first full season. He also struck out 164 times. On powe ralone he's got a place on this bench. Outfielder <u>Andy Dirks</u> (2011-13 ) was a decent lefty hitter who never got enough of a foothold in the majors, but he'll be a fine sub and pinch-hitter here.<br />
<br />
<b>Manager:</b> <u>Alvin Dark</u> will be player-manager. He won a pennant with the 1962 Giants (might have won the World Series if McCovey had hit the ball three feet to either side on the final play of Game 7), and then won a World Series title with the A’s in 1974 (replacing Dick Williams, who had won titles in Oakland the previous two years but then quit because he was tired of dealing with owner Charles Finley). His career record was 994-954. Early in his managerial career there was the perception that he had difficulties dealing with players of color. A magazine article quoted him saying that blacks and Latins lacked the “mental alertness” of white players; he claimed that he had been misquoted, and several players such as Willie Mays and Jackie Robinson spoke up for him. He later became a devout Christian, which led to a very funny column by Mike Royko about the day that Dark came into a blue-collar saloon in Chicago trying to preach the benefits of godliness and clean living. One of the assembled drunks observed that Babe Ruth was (a.) a drinker and a womanizer, and (b.) a better player than Alvin Dark. When Dark agreed with both assessments, the assembled drunks “drank a shot to the memory of Babe Ruth and dirty living.”</div>
Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-21113962150110246002011-04-28T08:12:00.000-07:002017-03-14T12:23:24.704-07:00AG: The Attorneys General<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMjH0-nxTzspAKNGXNXexXGnpwTJIMAn_L0daSUOA7hk1mXxmWzkqEWV7y1TJwDp0pL0NEYKDOdJdxculbaXj2roAmZrg7AYVdZtonGzweoay3hc4qFGKoE-IGIdOfOacJn_IWg5xTp-4/s1600/galarraga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMjH0-nxTzspAKNGXNXexXGnpwTJIMAn_L0daSUOA7hk1mXxmWzkqEWV7y1TJwDp0pL0NEYKDOdJdxculbaXj2roAmZrg7AYVdZtonGzweoay3hc4qFGKoE-IGIdOfOacJn_IWg5xTp-4/s320/galarraga.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoPlainText">
<b>Infield: </b>First baseman<u> Andres “The Big Cat” Galarraga</u>
(1985-2004) had his biggest years in the high air of Colorado. That’s where he
won his batting title (.370 in 1993), his home run title (47 in 1996) and his
two RBI titles (150 in 1996 and 140 in 1997). Yes, those numbers were inflated
by altitude, but they weren’t totally illusions. The Big Cat could hit. He
finished with 399 home runs and 1425 RBI; his strikeout-walk ratios sucked, but
he did get hit by a lot of pitches, which helped push his career on-base
percentage to .347. He spent eight years in Montreal and five in Colorado, and
for the rest of his two-decade career he was itinerant, moving from team to
team and playing with lots of great ballplayers along the way. Third baseman
<u>Alex Gordon</u> (2007- ) is really more at home in left field, but the way the AG
lineup shakes out, he returns to his original position. He came up through the
Royals’ system as a highly touted third baseman, earning comparisons to George
Brett. He struggled for several years to live up to expectations, but then at
age 27 he moved to the outfield and became the team’s leader and most
dependable hitter. A lifelong Royal (so far), he was a key contributor to the
2015 world champs. At shortstop, there is some confusion, because there were
two shortstops named Alex Gonzalez who played around the same time and had amazingly
similar skill sets. How similar? The one who played mostly for the Blue Jays
had a career average of .243, a career OPS+ of 79, and per 162 games he
averaged 32 doubles, three triples and 16 home runs; the one who played mostly
for the Marlins batted .245 with a career OPS+ of 79, and per 162 games
averaged 33 doubles, three triples and 16 home runs. Neither one was a Gold
Glove shortstop, and neither one was an utter klutz at the position. It would
be great if they could platoon, but they’re both righties. So the starter will
be <u>Alex Gonzalez </u>(1994-2006), the one who played with the Blue Jays. He drew a
few more walks and pushed his on-base percentage higher. But both Alex
Gonzalezes will see playing time at short, and we’re not sure anyone will be
able to tell the difference anyway. No “A.G.” has ever had a significant career
at second base, so we’ll be moving <u>Alfredo Griffin </u>(1976-93) there from his
natural shortstop position. He did play 55 games (336 innings) at second base.
For a guy who couldn’t hit, he had a rather interesting career. Griffin was the
AL Rookie of the Year in 1979 (when he batted .287 for Toronto at age 21); he
made the all-star team in 1984 despite batting .241 with just four walks and no
power, and he won a Gold Glove in ’85 despite making 30 errors. What most
people remember who actually watched Griffin play was his aggressiveness on the
basepaths. He wasn’t a great base stealer, but he was quick and tremendously
alert. If he saw the opportunity, he would score from second on an infield out,
or tag up and take third on a pop-up to short. You can’t do those things often,
but Griffin always seemed to spot the opportunities. </div>
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<b>Outfield:</b> OK, <u>Adrian Gonzalez</u> (2004- ) isn’t really an
outfielder. He’s a first baseman, but he has started 21 games in right field,
and we do need to find a way to get both him and Andres Galarraga into the
middle of the batting order with their big sticks. So we’ll plant Gonzalez in
right and hope for the best. He had a stretch in which he drove in 100 more
runs seven times in eight seasons, and the one year he missed he drove in 99.
Solid hitter all around; he’s passed the 300-homer mark for his career, but he
might need a resurgence to reach 400. Left fielder <u>Augie Galan</u> (1934-49) was
never all that famous, and he’s all but forgotten now, but he was a hell of a
good player – a career .287 hitter who drew plenty of walks, hit some doubles,
ran reasonably well. Spending most of his career with the Cubs and the Brooklyn
Dodgers, he scored 100 runs four times. He’ll be batting leadoff on this team,
and we’re looking for him to touch the plate often with guys like Gordon,
Galarraga and Adrian Gonzalez coming up behind him. Center fielder <u>Anthony Gose</u>
(2012- ) just isn’t much of a hitter. He runs well – stole almost 300 bases in
the minors – but he doesn’t get on base much, doesn’t hit for power and strikes
out way too much. His biggest contribution will be putting that speed to use in
center, covering some of the ground that Adrian Gonzalez can’t.</div>
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Catcher: <u>Alex Gaston</u> (1920-29) was a backup for almost
his entire career, and there’s nothing much exciting about him. A .218 career
hitter with a decent throwing arm and not much else to sell. He occasionally
was the catcher for his younger brother, Milt Gaston, and one afternoon in 1926
when they were on opposing teams, Alex broke up Milt’s no-hitter. Now, it was
on the third inning, but … Milt only gave up one more hit the rest of the day,
and it was noteworthy because Alex crossed his brother up by singling on the
first pitch, when Milt knew very well that Alex pretty much always took the
first pitch.</div>
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Rotation: <u>Ad Gumbert</u> (1888-96) won 123 games in his
career and had a couple of 20-win seasons. But then, he played in an era where
pitchers worked a lot of games, and completed them, so winning 22 or 23 games
didn’t exactly get you a lot of attention at the time. When he went 23-12 in
the Players League in 1890, it was a good season but there were three other
guys who won 30 or more. He hit well enough that he occasionally played the
outfield as well. <u>Armando Galarraga</u> (2007-12), no relation to the Big Cat, was
a mediocre pitcher with a penchant for gopher balls, but he earned his spot in
baseball lore on June 2, 2010, when he pitched a perfect game, kinda sorta but
not really. Well, really he did, but he didn’t. It depends how you look at it.
Officially, he didn’t throw a perfect game. Pitching against Cleveland, he got
the first 26 batters out. The 27<sup>th</sup>, Jason Donald, hit a sharp grounder
to first, and Galarraga ran over to take the throw, beating Donald to the bag
by a half-step. But umpire Jim Joyce inexplicably called him safe. It really
wasn’t close (see the photo), but Joyce just choked. And, kids, this was before
calls could get corrected on replay. So the game continued, Galarraga got the
next guy out, and he finished with a 1-hitter that is colloquialy known as “the
28-out perfect game.” As a nice little coda, fans and media turned their fury
on poor Mr. Joyce, but the next day Galarraga agreed to take the lineup card
out to home plate before the game and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>hand it to the emotionally overwhelmed umpire in a lovely show of
sportsmanship. <u>A.J. Griffin</u> (2012- ) won 14 games for Oakland in 2013, with a
3.83 ERA and solid peripheral numbers (despite giving up a league-leading 36
home runs). It was a promising season for a 24-year-old, but then his elbow
gave out; he missed all of 2014 and most of 2015 recovering from Tommy John
Surgery, finally making a handful of starts in the minors at the end of ’15. He
won seven games for the Rangers in 2016 but still had trouble with the long
ball. <u>Al Gerheauser</u> (1943-48) was a lefty who pitched mostly during World War
II, going 25-50 for three teams. <u>Al Grabowski </u>(1929-30), not to be confused
with the Mad Hungarian, pitched in 39 games (14 starts) for the pre-Gashouse
Cardinals. He didn’t do much of note but did have seven future Hall of Famers
as teammates during his brief time in the majors.</div>
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<b>Bullpen:</b> There is no obvious closer on the roster, so for
now that task falls to <u>Al Gettel</u> (1945-55), a well-traveled swing man who won
38 games in his career. Gettel logged 734 innings for five teams, and it’s
never a good sign when a pitcher has a higher total of earned runs (349) than
strikeouts (310). He won almost 200 games in the minors and had some
outstanding seasons in the Pacific Coast League; while he was playing in
Southern California, he got into acting and appeared in several TV westerns and
serials, earning the nickname “Two-Gun” Gettel. <u>Angel Guzman</u> (2006-09) had a
career record of 3-10 with the Cubs. Currently a pitching coach in his native
Venezuela. <u>Aubrey Gatewood</u> (1963-70) won eight games and had a 2.78 career ERA.
After three years with the Angels, he knocked around the minors for five years
before having one last cup o’coffee with Atlanta in 1970. <u>Al Gould</u> (1916-17)
was a diminutive righty who won nine games for the Indians during the Tris
Speaker Era.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had a long career in the
Pacific Coast League, winning more than 100 games in the minors and once
pitching complete games in both ends of a doubleheader. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>Andrew Good</u> (2003-05) was a very consistent
pitcher for Arizona and Detroit – in three seasons his ERAs were 5.29, 5.31 and
5.40 (in five innings). Lefty <u>Al “Stretch” Grunwald</u> (1955-59) was a converted
minor-league first baseman who pitched three games for Pittsburgh in 1955, went
back to the minors, and then worked six games for the Kansas City A’s in 1959.
In addition to his long career in the minors, he played in Mexico and Japan.
<u>Armando Gabino</u> (2009-10) pitched in seven games for the Twins and Orioles,
posting a career ERA of 15.12. His statistics, when extrapolated out to a
162-game season, are truly ghastly.</div>
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<b>Bench:</b> The other <u>Alex Gonzalez</u> (1988-2014) is here and
will see his share of playing time at shortstop. We’re not even sure their
families could tell them apart. Third baseman <u>Al Gallagher</u> (1970-73), known as
Dirty Al, wasn’t a terrible hitter. His full name was Alan Mitchell Edward
George Patrick Henry Gallagher, which is believed to be the longest name in
baseball history, surpassing Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish. <u>Adrian
Garrett</u> (1966-76) is the backup catcher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He’s a lefty stick off the bench, albeit a lefty stick that batted .185
for<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>his career. He did hit 11 home runs
in 276 at-bats, so there’s something. Utility infielder <u>Alex Grammas</u> (1954-63) was
a career .247 hitter. He will start some at second base, but will mostly be
kept busy managing this team. Outfielder <u>Avisail Garcia</u> (2012- ) is just
hitting the prime of his career, but for now he is a .250 hitter with a lot of
strikeouts and a little power. (If Garcia is not working out, Al Gionfriddo –
who made one of the most famous defensive plays in World Series history – could
take his place.)</div>
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Manager: <u>Alex Grammas</u> is best known as the third-base
coach for Sparky Anderson’s Big Red Machine in Cincinnati. After the Reds won
the World Series in 1975, the Milwaukee Brewers hired Grammas as their manager
with very high expectations. They finished last in 1976, and avoided a second
year in the cellar only because of an expansion in 1977 that established the
Blue Jays as the AL’s doormat. As the ’77 Brewers circled the drain, Grammas’
players were criticizing his abilities and he was questioning their effort. He
was fired after that season. After coaching one year under Bobby Cox in
Atlanta, Grammas was reunited with Sparky in Detroit and coached third base
there for more than a decade, including the great 1984 championship team.</div>
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Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-30971544915864499142011-04-28T08:10:00.000-07:002017-04-07T10:59:51.927-07:00AH: The Anne Hathaways<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCeiDG-lXU-_Gv62Ut1FwWMkBsiSutJJ4B_Fg4oGZJvPiKA6OXPuqntPmWFTOkM9L1FgHb4w5CnnbAgc1U7FayAT_wOwJDYAE124UUkoGhISmQFXGrnZ1VyQvU4Ie_WhmSi3xeayv2t0/s1600/hrabosky.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672661387650838210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCeiDG-lXU-_Gv62Ut1FwWMkBsiSutJJ4B_Fg4oGZJvPiKA6OXPuqntPmWFTOkM9L1FgHb4w5CnnbAgc1U7FayAT_wOwJDYAE124UUkoGhISmQFXGrnZ1VyQvU4Ie_WhmSi3xeayv2t0/s320/hrabosky.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 275px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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<b>Infield:</b> First baseman <u>Aubrey Huff</u> (2000-12) hit 242 home runs and had more than 900 RBI. He drove in 100 runs three times. Huff came up with Tampa and then wandered around a bit before winning a World Series title with the Giants in 2010. During that pennant drive, he took to wearing a red "rally thong." We think he was joking with that, but the fans took it seriously. When he slumped the following year they sent him dozens of thongs for good luck. Second baseman <u>Aaron Hill</u> (2005- ) has hit more than 150 home runs. His best season was 2009 when – coming back from a concussion the year before – he went .286-36-108 season for Toronto. Third baseman <u>Art Howe</u> (1974-85) was a very functional player whose best years were with the Astros. He was a .260 hitter who made good contact and could play decent defense all over the infield. Shortstop <u>Adeiny Hecharvarria</u> (2012- ) is a Cuban defector who has a solid glove and arm but doesn't contribute much to the offense.<br />
<br />
<b>Outfield:</b> Left fielder <u>Adam Hyzdu</u> (2000-06) hit almost 300 home runs in the minors, but he never stuck in the majors. In 407 plate appearances, spread out over six seasons with four teams, he batted .229, struck out 98 times and hit 19 home runs. In 2000, playing for the Altoona Curve in the Eastern League, he went .290-31-106 and was named the league’s MVP. People got excited over that, not realizing that if a first-round draft pick is still in Double-A in his 11th season of pro ball, he probably ought to win the league MVP award. Right fielder <u>Albert Hall</u> (1981-89) sadly never played in Kansas City and therefore never became “the Royal Albert Hall.” (Rimshot) He spent almost his entire career with the Braves, a .250 hitter with a little bit of speed but not much else. Center fielder <u>Aaron Hicks</u> (2013- ) came up with the Twins and is now with the Yankees. He has been given every opportunity to play but has yet to show that he can hit.<br />
<br />
<b>Catcher:</b> <u>A.J. Hinch</u> (1998-2004) batted .219 and had a terrible batting eye, but he had a little bit of power (32 home runs in 953 career at-bats) and he was a pretty fair defensive catcher.<br />
<br />
<b>Rotation:</b> <u>Andy Hawkins</u> (1982-91) won 84 games, mostly for the Padres. Pitching for the Yankees in July 1990, he had a very eventful stretch of three starts. First, he threw a no-hitter but lost 4-0 because his teammates could neither hit nor field the ball. As the losing pitcher in a road game, he only pitched eight innings, and for that reason his performance was later ruled to not be an official no-hitter even though he pitched a complete game in a nine-inning game and allowed no hits. You decide for yourself. Putting linguistics aside, in his next start he pitched 11 shutout innings but lost 2-0 in the 12th. Then in his next next start, he lost 8-0 to the Chicago White Sox as Melido Perez pitched a rain-shortened six-inning no-hitter. So in the space of two weeks, Hawkins made three starts in which he got zero runs from his teammates, involving two complete-game no-hitters that were later declared not to be no-hitters when the statistic was re-defined, and in between those two he pitched shutout ball for 11 innings but lost. <u>Atlee Hamaker</u> (1981-95) was a talented lefty who could generally get people out when he was healthy but who was very rarely healthy for an entire season. In 1983 he was the best pitcher in the NL for the first half of the season, but he got clobbered in the All-Star Game (7 runs in 2/3 of an inning) and had a miserable second half, though he still led the league in ERA (2.25). The following year he had a 2.18 ERA in six starts before injuries ended his season. He struggled in 1985, missed the entire ’86 season, and then came back for a successful run as a swing man, finishing with 59 career victories. <u>Aaron Harang</u> (2002-15) had a career record of 128-143. He was the first A.H. pitcher with 100 wins, but he was not the first A.H. pitcher with 100 losses. That distinction belongs to <u>Al “Boots” Hollingsworth</u> (1935-46), who finished at 70-104 after a fairly decent career as a journeyman swing man. He had some good seasons along the way and later worked for years as a manager, coach and scout at the major- and minor-league levels. <u>Art “Hard Luck” Houtteman</u> (1945-57) went 87-91 for the Tigers and Indians. He was a solid pitcher whose career record was torpedoed by two bad seasons – he went 2-16 in 1949 and he went 8-20 in 1952, and for the rest of his career he was 77-55.<br />
<br />
<b>Bullpen:</b> Closer <u>Al Hrabosky</u> (1970-82) fashioned himself as The Mad Hungarian. He had long, dark hair and a Fu Manchu mustache, and between hitters he would step behind the mound, turn his back to the plate and work himself into a frenzy before charging back up the mound with a glare in his eye. Hrabosky had a couple of very good seasons for the Cardinals (13-3, 1.66 with a league-high 22 saves in 1975), but when straight-laced manager Vern Rapp demanded that he shave and cut his hair, Hrabosky – like Samson – seemed to lose his mystique. He had a fine career – 64 wins, 97 saves and a 3.10 ERA – but his legacy remains the image of the angry man with the bushy mustache. <u>Al Holland</u> (1977-87), another compact lefty, was actually a very similar pitcher to Hrabosky, right down to the facial hair and the angry stare. Holland saved 78 games, mostly for the Phillies and the Giants. <u>Andy “Swede” Hansen</u> (1944-53) won 23 games in a career split between the Phillies and the Giants. <u>Aaron Heilman</u> (2003-11) was a Mets prospect who struggled as a starter but put together a respectable career as a middle reliever. <u>Andy Hassler</u> (1971-85) was a lefty swingman who pitched a long time for a lot of teams and generally had success by keeping the ball down and pitching to contact. <u>Al Hargesheimer</u> (1980-86) pitched a few games here and there for the Giants, Cubs and Royals but never got a strong foothold in the bigs. <u>Art “Red” Herring</u> (1929-47) was a swingman who pitched mostly for the Tigers and the Dodgers.<br />
<br />
<b>Bench:</b> Infielder <u>Andy High</u> (1922-34) was primarily a third baseman but he moves to
short, where he played occasionally, because that’s where he is most
needed on this roster. He was a journeyman who never struck out, and his
four seasons with the Cardinals (1928-31) included three pennants and a
World Series title. He was 5-foot-6, and his nickname was “Knee” High. Utility man <u>Al “Who Goes There?” Halt</u> (1914-18) played mostly in the Federal League and didn’t make much of an impression. Outfielder <u>Al Heist</u> (1960-62) had a long, serviceable career in the minors
before graduating to the Cubs in his early 30s. He stole just six bases
in his career, which is disappointing since you would think that a guy
named Heist would steal more. (Rimshot.) <u>Arthur “Hoss” Hoelskoetter</u> (1905-08) played all nine positions for the Cardinals in the early 20th century, and it didn’t appear to be a novelty. He played at least a dozen games at every position, including 49 behind the plate and 15 pitching. He couldn’t hit, but his versatility will come in handy. Backup catcher <u>Austin Hedges</u> (2015- ) hit .168 in his first shot at the majors, but he has some talent and he is still young. He could eventually push A.J. Hinch for the starting job.<br />
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<br />
<b>Manager:</b> <u>Art Howe</u> will be the player-manager. He has managed the Astros, A’s and Mets and has won 1,129 games and two division titles. Played by Academy Award winner Philip Seymour Hoffman in the movie “Moneyball.”</div>
Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-62703038523825118732011-04-27T03:29:00.000-07:002017-05-11T12:44:10.361-07:00AM: The Alonzo Mourning Mornings<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJEvkk8Lqb4ovWyiD7VRmvQY1ehUyPqDYkmnIIGUNrUs6a7-n2PVwlaf48-dOYVxkLJ-TOGAGge19w_dSHAuR-B6Lmwx-I-oBFzKoxvA4pqcuG40Zoty0FDXE6UNVy6VyQBg6LVOTR74/s1600/mess.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600209695925235522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJEvkk8Lqb4ovWyiD7VRmvQY1ehUyPqDYkmnIIGUNrUs6a7-n2PVwlaf48-dOYVxkLJ-TOGAGge19w_dSHAuR-B6Lmwx-I-oBFzKoxvA4pqcuG40Zoty0FDXE6UNVy6VyQBg6LVOTR74/s320/mess.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 251px;" /></a><br />
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<b>Infield:</b> First baseman <u>Alex McKinnon</u> (1884-87) was a .300 hitter in the early years of the National League who slashed out a lot of doubles and triples. His career was cut short when he contracted typhoid fever and died at age 30. Second baseman <u>Al Myers</u> (1884-91) was a solid middle infielder who played for four teams in the 1880s. He was your basic .250 contact hitter with a decent glove. Third baseman <u>Alex McCarthy</u> (1910-17) was a light-hitting utility infielder from Notre Dame who backed up (and sometimes played alongside) Honus Wagner with the Pirates for a few seasons. Shortstop <u>Al Moran</u> (1963-64) played for the New York Mets during their hapless post-expansion years. He batted .195 with just eight extra-base hits in almost 400 times to the plate, and he stole just three bases in 10 attempts. He wasn’t very good in the field either.<br />
<br />
<b>Outfield:</b> Center fielder <u>Andrew McCutchen</u> (2009- ) won the NL MVP award in 2013 and finished in the top five in the voting every year from 2012-15. He's a five-tool player, with power and speed and a good glove. His production fell way off in 2016, leading to speculation about nagging injuries. We're still waiting to see if he can get back on track in his 30s. Left fielder <u>Austin McHenry</u> (1918-22) was a fine player w ith the St. Louis Cardinals. In 1921, at age 25, he batted .350 with 37 doubles, 17 home runs and 102 RBI. Midway through the next season he was having another good year when he began to misjudge fly balls. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor and died at age 27. Right fielder <u>Al Martin</u> (1992-2003) was a solid player. He batted .276 for his career, with 132 home runs and 173 steals. He seemed to court controversy, however. He used to talk about his days playing football at Southern Cal, and he once compared an outfield collision to the sensation he had while tackling an All-American runner from Michigan State. Problem is, he never played football at USC. In fact, he never attended USC. He offered no explanation for why he thought he did. Later, he was accused of domestic violence and the police realized that he actually had two wives. He did have an explanation for that one - he said he didn't realize that the second ceremony was a real, legally binding wedding ceremony. That went over real well with the missus.</div>
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<b>Catcher:</b> <u>Adam Melhuse</u> (2000-08) batted .230 with a little bit of power but poor command of the strike zone. It was enough to keep him around as a backup and a part-time player for several seasons.<br />
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<b>Rotation:</b> <u>Andy Messersmith</u> (1968-79) was an outstanding pitcher – durable, a two-time 20-game winner, regularly among the league leaders in ERA – but he is best known as baseball’s first free agent. Pitching for the Dodgers in 1975, and still bound to the team in perpetuity under the guidelines of the reserve agreement in the basic contact, he tried to negotiate a no-trade clause and things got ugly. One thing led to another, and he filed a challenge to the reserve clause, and he succeeded where others had failed before. An arbiter ruled that players could “play out their option” and become free agents. Messersmith signed a three-year deal with Atlanta for a total of $1 million, plus a $400,000 signing bonus. (Ted Turner, the Braves’ maverick owner, wanted to replace Messersmith’s name on the back of his jersey with “CHANNEL 17” as an advertisement for his fledgling cable TV network WTBS, but MLB said no.) Moving from a good team to a bad one, trying to live up to the hype surrounding the contract, Messersmith struggled and then got hurt. He went 11-11 in his first year with the Braves and won just seven games after that. He finished with a career record of 130-99 with an ERA of 2.86. <u>Al Mamaux</u> (1913-24) had a couple of 21-win seasons with the Pirates in his early 20s but mostly struggled after that. His record through age 22 was 47-25; for the rest of his career it was 29-42. He also won 150 games in the minors, all in the International League. <u>Art Mahaffey</u> (1960-66) lost 19 for the Phillies in 1961 and then turned around and won 19 for them in 1962. He wasn’t an overpowering pitcher, but he once struck out 17 in a game. <u>Happy Al Milnar</u> (1936-46) was a lefty who won 57 games, all but two of them for the Indians. He earned his place in baseball history by giving up the final hit in Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak. Lefty <u>Angel Miranda</u> (1993-97) went 17-21 as a swingman for the Brewers.<br />
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<b>Bullpen:</b> Closer <u>Al McBean</u> (1961-70) was, with all due respect to Horace Clarke, probably the best player ever born in the Virgin Islands. He won 67 games, saved 63 and had a career ERA of 3.13. He threw a hard sinker and came from a lot of different angles and arm slots to keep hitters off balance. <u>Andrew Miller</u> (2006- ) will get some saves but mostly will be used in the role that's been developed for him in his 30s - a hard-throwing ace who can come into the game at any time to rescue his team from a predicament. A 6-foot-7 lefty, he took a while to find himself at the big-league level, but when he did figure it out in his mid-20s, he began dominating hitters. In 2016 he had a 1.50 ERA with 123 strikeouts and nine walks; he was one of the key players who took Cleveland to the verge of a World Series title. <u>Alan Mills</u> (1990-2001) was an effective pitcher for a decade, mostly for the Orioles, winning 39 games in middle relief. <u>Andy McGaffigan</u> (1981-91) had a good run as a journeyman swingman, putting up a 3.38 career ERA. He was never a star, but he was always effective. Lefty <u>Archie McKain</u> (1937-43), nicknamed “Happy” just like Al Milnar, had a few good years for the Red Sox and the Tigers. <u>Alvin Morman</u> (1996-99) pitched for four teams in four years and was generally alright but never actually good. <u>Aurelio Monteagudo</u> (1963-73) had a long career in the minors, winning 100 games, but his major-league career was limited to a few relatively short callups that added up to 72 games. <br />
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<b>Bench:</b> Outfielder <u>Andres Mora</u> (1976-80) came to the Orioles as a highly touted prospect but he never really developed. The power was there, but he struck out too much, didn’t get on base and couldn’t crack Earl Weaver’s lineup. Gone before he turned 30. Infielder <u>Aaron Miles</u> (2003- ) is a good defensive player and a passable hitter who makes good contact. Outfielder <u>Alex Metzler</u> (1925-30) was a lefty hitter with a bit of speed and a good line drive stroke that produced a lot of doubles and triples. Infielder <u>Amby McConnell</u> (1908-11) – one of the few guys named Ambrose who would choose to shorten it to “Amby” – was a decent hitter with a bit of speed. He had the distinction of hitting into the first undisputed unassisted triple play in baseball history. Backup catcher <u>Al Montgomery</u> (1941) was a promsing young player – he batted just .192 for the Boston Braves, but he had a good track record in the minors – when he died at age 21 in a car crash heading north from spring training in 1942. He makes at least three members of this team who died tragically young.<br />
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<b>Manager:</b> No A.M. has ever managed in the majors, but <u>Amby McConnell</u> had a long career in the minors as a coach, manager and even a team owner. We’ll hand him the reins for now.</div>
Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-82758783878940316682011-04-25T06:31:00.000-07:002017-05-11T12:36:09.109-07:00AP: The Arnold Palmers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFeqvUUKQj6mW1DCq0_iXl0eFPx8Al-KCM_Kuncfhdg-uu617nFzOnOEJmxbDqR1fOAtLUzPpHK9a5X7Z7fljOc-vBd9tUgbHzYuyZD3XrExZ2YO_MHCtVseNRtBM8w93Dc6MaNh8cfQ/s1600/albert.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599518827941188370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFeqvUUKQj6mW1DCq0_iXl0eFPx8Al-KCM_Kuncfhdg-uu617nFzOnOEJmxbDqR1fOAtLUzPpHK9a5X7Z7fljOc-vBd9tUgbHzYuyZD3XrExZ2YO_MHCtVseNRtBM8w93Dc6MaNh8cfQ/s320/albert.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 314px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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<b>Infield:</b> <u>Albert Pujols</u> (2001- ) will likely rival Jimmie Foxx for the title of the second-best first baseman of all time, behind the Iron Horse. For most of his career in St. Louis he was a .300-30-100 machine with 90-100 walks a year. Actually that sells him short - in his prime he was more like a .330-45-120 batter, with fine defense. Now a shell of the player he was in his prime, he is still a powerful slugger for the Angels. He probably won't reach 700 home runs, but he's a good bet to become the sixth player in history with 2,000 career RBI. In the first 11 years of his career, he scored 100 runs 10 times and drove in 100 runs 10 times. The only year he didn't score 100, he scored 99. The only year he didn't drive in 100, he drove in 99. He has won three MVP awards and finished second in the voting four times. As a bonus, he plays Gold Glove defense. On top of it all, he is a respected, soft-spoken man who has not had a hint of controversy in his career. Third baseman <u>Art Phelan</u> (1910-15) was a speedy third baseman who hit a lot of triples. He was a regular for one year with the Reds and one year with the Cubs, and a semi-regular in another season, but he never hit enough to nail down a full-time job. Second baseman <u>Arquimedez Pozo</u> (1995-97) had some spectacular seasons as a young minor-leaguer, establishing himself as a hot prospect. He never got things together in the majors, struggling in a few dozen games with the Red Sox, and he never made it back to the majors after age 23. By his mid-20s, he was playing in Japan and Mexico. Shortstop <u>Al Pedrique</u> (1987-89) batted .300 in a partial season with Pittsburgh but he struggled to hit .200 after that.<br />
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<b>Outfield:</b> Center fielder <u>A.J. Pollock</u> (2012- ) is right in the middle of his career with the Diamondbacks, and it's hard to say with any certainty how that career will turn out. He's got lots of talent, as evidenced by a 2015 season when he batted .315 with 20 home runs and 111 runs, stealing 39 bases and winning the Gold Glove. But he's battled injuries since then. If he gets back on track and stays healthy, he could be a second-line star in his 30s. Right fielder <u>Angel Pagan</u> (2006-16 ) was a speedster, a pretty fair
hitter, and a good defensive center fielder. He's a very useful player
and could even see some starting time on this roster. Left fielder <u>Andy Pafko</u> (1943-59) had a long career with the Cubs and the Braves, with a couple of years in Brooklyn in between (he was the left fielder who watched Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” sail over his head). Pafko was a good player, a .285 career hitter with 213 career home runs and 976 RBI.<br />
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<b>Catcher:</b> <u>A.J. Pierzynski</u> (1998-2016) wasn’t great, but he was consistent enough to play regularly into his late 30s, pushing past the 2,000-hit mark that, for catchers, is generally reserved for much greater players than he. He hit for a decent average and was good for double-digit home runs. He was a pepperpot type who gets under the skin of opposing players and fans, but he gets the job done. (In truth, "pepperpot" is probably a euphemism for the type of word we don't use in this family-friendly blog.) In perhaps the most famous play of his long career, he literally stole an ALCS game from the Angels in 2005. somehow convincing the confused umpiring crew - several seconds after he had struck out to end the ninth inning in a tie game - that the pitch had bounced in the dirt. He would score the winning run, a key moment in the White Sox's road to the World Series championship that year.<br />
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<b>Rotation:</b> Lefty <u>Andy Pettitte</u> (1995-2010) was the right guy with the right team in the right era. He was a durable, dependable pitcher who arrived with the Yankees at the same time as Jeter, Rivera, Bernie, Posada and Co. He never won an ERA title and was only in the top 10 three times, but he was always good, and he played for good teams. As a result, he won 240 games with a .635 winning percentage, and he played for eight pennant winners and five World Series champs. He won 19 postseason games and developed a reputation as a big-game pitcher. That reputation, as well as his image as a soft-spoken and well-liked ballplayer, made him one of the few players to remain popular even after admitting to steroid use. <u>Arlie Pond</u> (1895-98) – real name Erasmus Arlington Pond – went 16-8 for the Baltimore Orioles in 1896 and 18-9 in 1897. He had earned a medical degree from University of Vermont before signing with the Oriole, and he did his residency and studied surgery at Johns Hopkins while in Baltimore. He pitched a 5-hit shutout in his final game before leaving to become acting assistant surgeon of the U.S. Army during the Spanish-American War. He eventually founded a hospital in the Phillippines to treat lepers and became a hero in that country. <u>Ariel Prieto</u> (1995-2001) was a Cuban star who defected to the U.S., signed with the Oakland A’s and was expected to be an instant sensation. It didn’t happen. He was never more than an average pitcher in the majors, and he finished with a 15-24 record and a 4.85 ERA for his career. <u>Arnie Portocarrero</u> (1954-60) went 15-11 for the 1958 Orioles; in the rest of his career his record was 23-46. <u>Al Pratt</u> (1871-72) had a career record of 12-26. His full name was Albert, and his nickname was Uncle Al, so we’ll play Paul McCartney while he warms up.<br />
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<b>Bullpen:</b> Closer <u>Alejandro Pena</u> (1981-96) was a terrific pitcher who won the N.L. ERA title at age 25 before a shoulder injury forced his move to the bullpen. He was outstanding there, working in mostly set-up relief but logging enough time as a closer to save 74 games in his career. His work as a fill-in closer was critical to the Atlanta Braves’ stretch drive in 1991. He won World Series titles in Los Angeles and Atlanta, and his career postseason ERA was 2.03. <u>Aaron Poreda</u> (2009-14) was a 6-foot-6 lefty taken in the first round of the 2007 draft by the White Sox. He bounced around a bit, had Tommy John Surgery, got hit hard in a few outings for the Rangers in 2014, and later spent a year pitching in Japan. <u>Adam Peterson</u> (1987-91) got several shots with the White Sox but generally got clobbered. Lefty <u>Ambrose Puttman</u> (1903-06) had a couple of 20-win seasons in the minors but never had much success in the majors; the best thing about him is that if you see his photograph at baseballreference.com, he actually <i>looks</i> like an Ambrose Puttman. <u>Alfonso Pulido</u> (1983-86) was a Mexican lefty who pitched a few games for the Pirates and the Yankees. <u>Al Pierotti</u> (1920-21) pitched well for the Boston Braves in 1920, with a 2.88 ERA in 25 innings at age 25. The following season he got hit hard in two outings and went back to the minors and won 22 games. And then he was out of pro baseball a year later. <u>Abner Powell</u> (1884-86) was not a good pitcher. His career ERA of 4.00 was pretty weak in the era when he pitched, and then there’s the little detail that he gave up almost as many unearned runs as earned, which helps to explain his career record of 8-18.<br />
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<b>Bench:</b> Outfielder <u>Adolfo Phillips</u> (1964-72) arrived in the majors as a
hot power-speed prospect. When the Chicago Cubs acquired Phillips from
the Astros, future Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins was a throw-in. Leo
Durocher, who had developed a young Willie Mays with the Giants, thought
he had hit the jackpot again with Phillips – but it wasn’t to be. He
stole 30 bases a couple of times, he could reach 15-20 home runs and he
played solid defense. But he didn’t like the expectations that were
heaped upon him, and he preferred to bat at the bottom of the order. He
faded fast and was done at age 30. Infielder <u>Ace Parker</u> (1937-38) batted .179 for the Philadelphia A's, but he is a legend here in Southeastern Virginia - a multi-sport star at Duke University (later baseball coach there for more than a decade), an NFL Hall of Famer and an outstanding golfer. Ace lived to be 101 years old, and in his late 90s was still hitting 'em straight down the fairway at the country club he founded. A truly fine man. Outfielder <u>Albie Pearson</u> (1958-66) was a tiny little slap hitter
who almost never struck out. He was listed at 5-foot-5 and 140 pounds,
and he used that small frame to draw tons of walks. He played mostly
center field but he’ll shift to right to accommodate Adolfo Phillips. <u>Antonio Perez</u> (2003-06) was a quick utility infielder who didn't hit much. Backup catcher <u>Angel Pena</u> (1998-2001) batted .209 for the Dodgers.<br />
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<b>Manager:</b> Hall of Famer <u>Alex Pompez</u> was never formally a manager, but his resume is sufficient for him to get the job here. A Cuban immigrant and an operator of illegal gambling operations, he was an influential owner and promoter in the Negro Leagues for many years. After the demise of the Negro Leagues, he worked as a scout for the New York (and later San Francisco) Giants, and he played a key role in bringing Caribbean and Latin American players to the majors. We think he’ll do a good job here, and we’re hoping he’ll get some more production out of Ariel Prieto.</div>
Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-14379821358803015232011-04-21T08:07:00.000-07:002017-05-03T10:35:41.572-07:00AR: The Al Rokers / Andy Rooneys<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8E6KUMCsc4Imh9TklFeFJEETLTg2djKhdSnS7uqPEcWxYVdNOvoxOa3fzdk5nO_6AKenP0v0EPzpu1mHi4-k7F1W2Dq-nw8ICh18UaIFd_GlUmNVa6JQGGnUOjA69op4kjkvTJUDT0xM/s1600/arod.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598054955178373634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8E6KUMCsc4Imh9TklFeFJEETLTg2djKhdSnS7uqPEcWxYVdNOvoxOa3fzdk5nO_6AKenP0v0EPzpu1mHi4-k7F1W2Dq-nw8ICh18UaIFd_GlUmNVa6JQGGnUOjA69op4kjkvTJUDT0xM/s320/arod.jpg" style="float: left; height: 218px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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<b>Infield:</b> <u>Alex Rodriguez</u> (1994-2016) was the second-greatest shortstop of all time (behind Wagner). This detail gets lost in the always impassioned discussions of A-Rod’s career, which have only grown more impassioned as his steroid use has come to light. People forget that he was a Gold Glove shortstop before he came to the Yankees and moved to third base so that Derek Jeter (much weaker defensively, but an institution with the team) could stay at short. His great successes are often placed within the context of his supposed postseason underachievement, though his postseason numbers are fine (.290 batting average, .396 on-base, .528 slugging) and he has produced as many runs and RBI per postseason at-bat as Jeter. There has been much resentment among fans and media of A-Rod’s legendary quarter-billion dollar contract with the Rangers, but (a.) his level of production in Texas was astronomical, and (b.) the effect of that contract on the Rangers’ payroll capabilities has been dreadfully overstated and misstated. Of course, there was also A-Rod’s admission that he used steroids after signing that contract, so fans can make of that what they will. Put all of that aside and just look at the ballplayer. He joins Aaron and Ruth (pretty fair company) as the only players in history with 2,000 runs and 2,000 RBI. He had 3,115 hits, 696 home runs and three MVP awards. You don't have to like him, but he is on the short list of the greatest players who ever lived. <u>Al Rosen</u> (1947-56) saw the start of his career delayed by World War II and the end of his career hastened by back injuries. The injuries forced him to move from third base to first, and that’s where he’ll play on this team because of roster requirements. In his prime, Rosen was a devastating player for the Indians – from 1950-54 he averaged .298-31-114, leading the AL twice in home runs, twice in total bases and twice in RBI, as well as once each in runs and slugging. The injuries ended his career at age 32. Third baseman <u>Aramis Ramirez</u> (1998-2015) was been a consistent slugger for the Pirates, Cubs and Brewers, good for 25-30 home runs per year like clockwork. He finished with 386 home runs and more than 1,400 RBI. Second baseman <u>Alexei Ramirez</u> (2008-16) was a star in his native Cuba before he came to the U.S. at age 26 to play for the White Sox. He had some nice pop and decent speed (114 home runs, 143 stolen bases) and provided decent defense at either middle infield position.<br />
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<b>Outfield:</b> Right fielder <u>Alexis Rios</u> (2004-15) would hit .290-.300 in a good year, with line drive power and decent speed. He hit 169 home runs and stole 253 bases. Center fielder <u>Aaron Rowand</u> (2001-11) played good defense and hit with line drive power. His strikeout-walk ratio wasn’t very good and his speed was just so-so, but he was a quality player for several years. Injuries were an issue, whether they occurred in motorcyle crashes, on-field collisions or face-first dashes into outfield fences. Left fielder <u>Alec Radcliffe</u>, brother of Negro League star Ted “Double-Duty” Radcliffe, was primarily a third baseman but also played some outfield. Radcliffe hit for average and power, but he had a bad temper that caused him to get into fights with players and umpires. He was suspended at least twice by his own brother when Double-Duty was managing the Chicago American Giants. Off the field, Alec was a more quiet man and never got as much attention as his brother.<br />
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<b>Catcher:</b> <u>Aaron Robinson</u> (1943-51) was a good lefty hitter who spent a long time in the minors, served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War Ii and didn’t get regular playing time in the majors until he was 30. He didn’t hit for a high average, but he drew plenty of walks and had some power.<br />
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<b>Rotation:</b> <u>Amos Rusie</u> (1889-1901) was one of the early fireballers of the era when pitching was starting to resemble the modern game (overhand, no running starts, 60 feet 6 inches). He won 248 games, and he led the league in strikeouts and walks five times apiece. He was taking a regular turn in the rotation with Indianapolis at age 18 and finished with Cincinnati by 30; in between he was a very fine pitcher for the New York Giants, and when he was done he worked as a night watchman at the Polo Grounds. <u>Allie Reynolds</u> (1942-54), a Native American Indian whose teammates called him “Superchief,” won 182 games for the Indians and the Yankees. In 1952, at age 35, he went 20-8 for the Yankees with a league-leading 2.06 ERA. He was a member of six championships teams in New York, and in those six World Series he went 7-2 with a 2.79 ERA. Lefty <u>Art Reinhart</u> (1919-28) won 111 games in the minors but only pitched for a few years in the majors, going 30-18 for the Cardinals and splitting his time evenly between the rotation and the bullpen. He made one appearance in the 1926 World Series, facing five batters, giving up one hit and four walks, with four of those runners scoring. <u>Armando Reynoso</u> (1991-2002) had several fine years pitching in the thin air of Colorado. He won 68 games in his career. <u>Anthony Reyes</u> (2005-09) was a hot pitching prospect for the Cardinals who liked to wear his hat with a perfectly flat brim, like a state trooper or a Canadian Mountie. His career was derailed by injuries and ineffectiveness, but he had some good stuff.<br />
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<b>Bullpen:</b> <u>Addison Reed</u> (2011- ) saved 101 games for the White Sox between 2012-14. He has pitched mostly set-up since then, but has done some closing as needed. His ERAs have been up and down, but he strikes out 10 batters per nine innings. <u>Arthur Rhodes</u> (1991-2011 ) was in the Orioles’ bullpen at age 21, and he pitched well into his 40s – he had Tommy John surgery at age 37 and returned as an outstanding lefty specialist. <u>Allen Russell</u> (1915-25) had 42 saves. Of course, Russell’s were figured retroactively because saves were not a recognized statistic way back then, but it still shows that he finished a lot of games on a regular basis while working as a swingman for the Yankees and the Red Sox. A.J. Ramos (2011- ) became the Marlins closer in 2015, and he could eventually take over that role on this team. He went to Texas Tech, in his hometown of Lubbock, and like our current closer, he strikes out 10 batters per nine innings. <u>Al Reyes</u> (1995-2008) is no relation to Anthony Reyes, but they were teammates with the Cardinals at one point. He pitched for seven teams and was generally decent enough over the course of a 13-year career. <u>Andy Rincon</u> (1980-82) was a promising pitcher for the Cardinals whose career was ended by injury at age 23. Rincon pitched very well in four starts at the end of the 1980 season, and he got off to a good start in the rotation in 1981. In his fifth start that year, Rincon suffered a broken arm when he was struck by a line drive off the bat of Phil Garner. He missed the rest of the season, and when he came back the following season he found that he could no longer throw strikes. After a handful of games, he was done. <u>Allen Ripley</u> (1978-82) won 23 games for the Red Sox, Giants and Cubs.<br />
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<b>Bench:</b> Third baseman <u>Anthony Rendon</u> (2013- ) is a productive hitter, and we're not just talking about the day in 2017 when he went 6-for-6 with three home runs and 10 RBI (though that was pretty amazing). Surrounded by a solid Washington Nationals team, he scored 111 runs in his first full season and is always a threat. Like Rendon, First baseman <u>Anthony Rizzo</u> (2011- ) will soon be pushing for a starting job. Drafted by the Red Sox, he was part of a package of young players shipped to San Diego in exchange for Adrian Gonzalez. Then San Diego dealt him to the Cubs for Andrew Cashner. Then, at age 22 and with his third organization, Rizzo emerged as one of the top sluggers in the game. He is a 30-homer, 100-RBI guy in the prime of his career, and he helped the Cubs win that elusive World Series. At this point, he's a monstrous lefty stick off the bench. His Cubs teammate, second baseman <u>Addison Russell</u> (2015- ) stands next to him on the field and will sit next to him on this bench, at least for now. A young player with lots of skills, he is still putting his full game together but has the potential to be awfully good. Outfielder <u>Art Rebel</u> (1938-45) had 2,000 hits in the minors but only played briefly in the majors for a few games in 1938 with the Phillies and for 26 games with the Cardinals in 1945. When he comes to the plate, the PA will blare Billy Idols’ “Rebel Yell.” Reserve catcher <u>Anthony Recker</u> (2011- ) is struggling to bat .200, but he's got a little bit of power.<br />
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<b>Manager:</b> <u>Al Reach</u> had an undistinguished playing career and he managed a few games for Philadelphia in 1890. His biggest impact on the sport came through the sporting goods company he founded, which was a rival to Spalding and was eventually purchased by Spalding. In addition to manufacturing athletic equipment, the company published the Reach Guide, one of the most important and influential annual baseball publications of its time.</div>
Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-65701939480524701272011-04-15T09:15:00.001-07:002017-05-11T13:05:17.553-07:00AS: The Alan Shores<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjJEK1_TYHvQmxrlVZiKjAMjqXuaVXkiu15Y5iVhiU3lSVgBGy2HMJVzFSVi7wHB4L_ieIa-xwWI7UhiaofHmgbATVf1riI5gEcSlvN2mJNBKFG78tuBHWRQQ-XFYcn6V0Xsbl4nPwek/s1600/smith.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595846094988291234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjJEK1_TYHvQmxrlVZiKjAMjqXuaVXkiu15Y5iVhiU3lSVgBGy2HMJVzFSVi7wHB4L_ieIa-xwWI7UhiaofHmgbATVf1riI5gEcSlvN2mJNBKFG78tuBHWRQQ-XFYcn6V0Xsbl4nPwek/s320/smith.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 270px;" /></a><br />
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<b>Infield:</b> <u>Alfonso Soriano</u> (1999-14) had obvious talents and obvious weaknesses. One of his weaknesses was that he was an absolutely brutal second baseman, necessitating a move to the outfield (against his wishes). But this team needs a second baseman more than it needs a left fielder, so he will stay in the infield and we'll cross our fingers. His strengths, in his prime, were power and speed. On a regular basis he would bang out 40-plus doubles and 30-40 home runs, and he would steal 40 bases at a high success rate. He also struck out a ton and didn’t walk enough, so he was never on base enough to bat at the top of the batting order. The full package adds up to an awfully good ballplayer – 412 career home runs and almost 300 steals. As long as we have an outfielder at second base, we might as well have one at third, too. Alfonso Soriano played more than 700 games at second, and <u>Al Smith</u> (1953-64) played almost 400 at third, though he was primarily an outfielder. Smith was a .270-.280 hitter with power. He didn’t have Soriano’s speed, but he had a better batting eye. He was a fine player, but he is perhaps best known for a funny photo from the 1959 World Series – Smith (playing for the White Sox) was watching a home run fly over the left field fence when a fan trying to catch the ball spilled his beer onto Smith’s head. At least when he plays third base for the Shores, he won’t get soaked with beer. First baseman <u>Art Shamsky</u> (1965-72) had his best year in 1969 for the Miracle Mets, batting .300 with 14 home runs in 303 at-bats. Shortstop <u>Andrelton Simmons</u> (2012- ) is your basic .250 contact hitter with no real power or speed. But in the field he is something special, probably the best defensive infielder of his generation. And he'll need that here as he plays between Soriano and Smith. </div>
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<b>Outfield:</b> Left fielder <u>Al Simmons</u> (1924-44), known as “Bucketfoot Al” for his non-traditional batting stroke, played for six teams but established his Hall of Fame legacy with the Philadelphia A’s from 1924-32. During those years he batted .358, averaging 200 hits, 128 RBI and 107 runs per 162 games. He was a key player on the powerhouse A’s teams that won three pennants and two World Series titles, batting .333 in the World Series from 1929-31. His RBI totals (he led the league with 157 in 1929) are partially attributable to the great lineup around him, but also have a lot to do with the fact that he was a line drive machine. He was also an outstanding defensive outfielder. Center fielder <u>Amos Strunk</u> (1908-24) was a teammate of Al Simmons on the 1924 A’s – Strunk’s last season and Simmons’ first. Strunk had made his name with Connie Mack’s previous Philadelphia A’s juggernaut, playing in four World Series (and winning three) between 1910-14. Strunk was a .285 hitter in the deadball era, with a good batting eye and excellent speed, and he had a reputation as a great defensive center fielder. Right fielder <u>Al Spangler</u> (1959-71) played for several teams, including the Aaron-Mathews Braves, the expansion Colt .45s and the Banks-Santo Cubs. He was a solid contact hitter but never had enough power or speed to establish himself as a fulltime player. </div>
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<b>Catcher:</b> <u>Andy Seminick</u> (1943-57) was a very valuable player over the course of 15 seasons. He didn’t hit for a high average, but he drew a good number of walks and could be counted on for 15-20 home runs given regular playing time.</div>
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<b>Rotation:</b> <u>Al Spalding</u> (1871-77) is one of the towering figures in 19th-century baseball. He was a dominant pitcher, leading the National Association in wins every year from 1871-76. He had a career record of 252-65 despite retiring as an active player in his mid-20s to focus on his work in the front office and on the Spalding sporting goods empire he was establishing with his brother. He became owner of the Chicago White Stockings and later played a central role in the development of the National League. He published the first official rulebook for the sport (stipulating, by the way, that only Spalding baseballs could be used), and he also established the Baseball Guide, the preeminent publication of its time in chronicling the sport. Lefty <u>Al Smith</u> (1934-45), no relation to the guy who got the beer spilled on his head, had some good seasons on his way to a career record of 99-101. Pitching for the Giants in 1936 he led the NL with four shutouts, and in 1943 he went 17-7 for the Indians. <u>Aaron Sele</u> (1993-2007) won 148 games in his career, highlighted by 19 and 18 for the Rangers in 1998-99. <u>Anibal Sanchez</u> (2006- ) has been around long enough, and had enough good years, that it's had to believe he hasn't reached 100 victories yet. But for every 2013 (when he went 14-8 with a 2.57 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 182 innings), he's got two more where he struggled. He was a hot young prospect in his early 20s when the Red Sox traded him to Florida along with Hanley Ramirez in the blockbuster deal that brought Josh Beckett and Mike Lowelll to Boston. He was electrifying as a rookie in 2006, going 10-3 with a 2.83 ERA, but the next few years were marked by injuries and ineffectiveness. Now in his mid-30s. Will he get to 100 wins? We'll have to wait and see. <u>Allen Sothoron</u> (1914-26) had his best years for the generally weak St. Louis Browns, even winning 20 games for them in 1919. His career record was 91-99.</div>
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<b>Bullpen:</b> <u>Al “Doc” Severinsen</u> (1969-72) pitched reasonably well for a couple of years before injuries ended his career. OK, so he pitched just 111 innings in his career. But he showed promise, and that’s enough to make him the nominal closer here for the time being. <u>Art Schallock</u> (1951-55) was a diminutive lefty who came up with Casey Stengel’s Yankees but was rarely a key figure in the bullpen. <u>Al Schacht</u> (1919-21) was a mediocre pitcher for the Senators who developed an elaborate comedic persona and parlayed it into a long career as “The Clown Prince of Baseball.” He would do his routines while coaching bases for Washington, and he later took his act on the road and entertained crowds at 25 World Series. <u>Allyn Stout</u> (1931-43) won 20 games in a journeyman career. Aaron Sanchez (2014- ) is likely going to play a big role on this team before he's done. He came up with Toronto at age 21 and posted a 1.09 ERA in 24 relief appearances. He had a good season as a swingman ini 2015, and then in 2016 he went 15-2 as a starter with a league-leading 3.00 ERA. Assuming he remains a starter, he will break into the A.S. rotation soon and could one day end up its ace. Lefty <u>Albert Sima</u> (1950-54) was 11-21 pitching for weak teams in the American League. <u>Andy Sonnanstine</u> (2007-11) won 13 games for Tampa in 2008 and then struggled with injuries. he finished his career at 28-31.</div>
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<b>Bench:</b> Infielder <u>Andy Stankiewicz</u> (1992-98) didn’t hit much but drew some walks and hung around for several years as a spare part with four teams. Infielder <u>Andy Sheets</u> (1996-2002) played for five teams but never hit enough to earn a fulltime job. Outfielder <u>Al Scheer</u> (1913-15) had a couple of good seasons in the Federal League. Outfielder <u>Albert Shaw</u> (1907-15) was an above-average hitter for a few years. Backup catcher <u>Admiral Schlei</u> (1904-11), apparently nicknamed after a Naval hero from the Spanish-American War, had a few decent years for the Reds and the Giants.</div>
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<b>Manager:</b> <u>Al Spalding</u>, who managed the White Stockings for a couple of years and was the architect of that great team from the front office, says he would like to manage this team. Who are we to tell him no? After all, he’s supplying the baseballs.</div>
Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-61363755887813568102011-04-13T09:38:00.000-07:002017-06-05T11:38:44.619-07:00AT: The Alex Trebeks<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jqZLELH4L3ttSsa-NuGhGMfaps5dEeOS88oif5Gp5m3oDMaTdvWf5MoUwuxozwa_ub-jKv2EGUeX7LnkJNq1vAuNRDIuAR9MUVDvp-FuauzSMYZL5Hg1VD7Bo1ucSTPkHH-fBAgo_cY/s1600/at.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595109360220300514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jqZLELH4L3ttSsa-NuGhGMfaps5dEeOS88oif5Gp5m3oDMaTdvWf5MoUwuxozwa_ub-jKv2EGUeX7LnkJNq1vAuNRDIuAR9MUVDvp-FuauzSMYZL5Hg1VD7Bo1ucSTPkHH-fBAgo_cY/s320/at.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 247px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 185px;" /></a><br />
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<b>Infield:</b> Shortstop <u>Alan Trammell</u> (1977-96) was probably better than half of the shortstops in the Hall of Fame. He was a Gold Glove fielder who hit .285 for his career with a good batting eye, decent speed and some pop in his bat (412 doubles, 185 home runs). He drove in 1,000 runs and scored 1,200. Trammell batted .300 seven times, drove in or scored 100 runs four times, but oddly enough the only thing he ever lead the league in was sacrifice bunts (twice). He and Lou Whitaker became the Tigers’ double play combo in the final days of the 1977 season, when Trammell was 19 and Whitaker was 20, and they anchored the Tigers’ infield for the next two decades, winning a World Series title in 1984 (Trammell was MVP of the Series.) First baseman <u>Andre Thornton</u> (1973-87) was a .250-.260 hitter, but he drew a lot of walks (90-100 a year given regular playing time) and he hit home runs (253 in his career). He was slow, and he was just a so-so glove at first base, and combined with the perception of his low batting average, those shortcomings caused people to underestimate him for years. He was traded several times for players who weren’t as good as him, and he wasn’t given 500 at-bats in a season until his late 20s. The Indians made him their regular DH, and he thrived in that role for several years. Third baseman <u>Andy Tracy</u> (2000-09) hit almost 300 home runs in the minors and drove in more than 1,000 runs. A lefty slugger, he played well for Montreal as a rookie, batting .260 but drawing a good number of walks and popping 11 home runs in fewer than 200 at-bats. He struggled the following year, though, and only got a few cups o’coffee after that. His major-league career to date consisted of 314 plate appearances and 277 at-bats, roughly a half-season’s worth, and his totals included 13 home runs, 43 RBI, 35 runs, 30 walks and 99 strikeouts. Second baseman <u>Alex Taveras</u> (1976-83) was a minor-league speedster who couldn’t steal first base in the bigs. (He was apparently no kin to Frank Taveras, but had similar skills.)</div>
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<b>Outfield:</b> Center fielder <u>Andres Torres</u> (2002-13) was a minor-league speedster who was better (and luckier) than Alex Taveras. He knocked around for a decade or so, mostly in the minors, until he landed with the Giants in 2009 at age 31. Given playing time he hit well, and given a full-time job for the first time at age 32 he was one of the key players on the Giants championship team in 2010. That was the peak of his career, and he was gone a few years later. <u>Andy Tomberlin</u> (1993-98) was signed out of high school by the Braves as an undrafted pitcher, and then converted to an outfielder at age 20. He was a .300 hitter in the minors, touted as a hot prospect, but his major-league career never really took shape. He played for five teams, never came to the plate 100 times in a season, and batted .233 for his career. Left fielder <b><u>Andrew Toles</u></b> (2016- ) is a 5-foot-9 fireplug who is just getting started with the L.A. Dodgers, but he has already shown enough to earn a starting spot ahead of the rest of the A.T. outfield. Batted .314 in 105 at-bats as a rookie. It's a start.</div>
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<b>Catcher:</b> <u>Al Todd</u> (1932-43) batted .276 for his career and once had 10 triples in a season. He’s no great shakes, but hey, he had an actual career. On this roster, only Andre Thornton and Alan Trammell had more career at-bats. </div>
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<b>Rotation:</b> <u>Adonis Terry</u> (1884-97) won 197 games in his career, threw two no-hitters and struck out 230 batters at age 19. He was a good enough hitter that he also played regularly in the outfield for much of his career. His given name was William H. Terry, and he was 5-11 and 168 pounds, so it’s not clear where the nickname “Adonis” came from – most likely it is a reference to the fact that he was a clean liver who kept himself in good condition during an era when many ballplayers were drunks and carousers. <u>Amaury Telemaco</u> (1996-2005) who won 23 games for three times. He had a live arm and showed some promise, but he had trouble keeping the ball in the park. Lefty <u>Al Tedrow</u> (1914) was 22 years old when he was given three starts by the Indians in 1914. He put up a 1.21 ERA in 22 1/3 innings. That was it for his major-league career. You might wonder why he wouldn’t get a longer look, given his apparent success, and the answer might be that (a.) he gave up as many unearned runs as earned that season, and (b.) he had a losing record in a short minor-league career. Other than that, we don’t know. Andrew Triggs (2016- ) is just getting started with the A's. He didn't throw his first pitch in the majors until age 27, so there's only but so much upside on him. But he has gotten off to a decent start, and that's enough for a spot in this rotation.. <u>Aloysius Travers</u> (1912) had a unique major-league career. In May 1912, Ty Cobb leaped into the stands in New York to attack an obnoxious (and physically handicapped) fan who had been coming to games for several years just to taunt Cobb. The American League suspended Cobb indefinitely, and his Detroit teammates protested by refusing to play their next game. The team, desperate to field a team for a game in Philadelphia, hastily grabbed a handful of players from St. Joseph’s University, gave them Tigers uniforms, and threw them out on the field with a couple of coaches to face the Philadelphia A’s. Twenty-year-old Al Travers was the starting pitcher for the Tigers that day, and he worked a complete game. He gave up 26 hits and 24 runs (though only 14 of them were earned). He struck out one and walked seven. Unfortunately, no pitch count was recorded. Cobb appealed to his teammates to end their sitdown strike, the league shortened his suspension, and the major-league career of Aloysius Travers came to an end – until the Alex Trebeks take the field, that is. </div>
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<b>Bullpen:</b> <u>Anthony Telford</u> (1990-2002) will serve as the closer. For four years his early 30s, the Expos used him as a durable setup guy and he pitched consistently well. He was never actually a closer in the majors, or for that matter during his lengthy minor-league career, but he was a dependable reliever and on this roster, that’s enough. <u>Alex Torres</u> (2011- ) had a cup of coffee in 2011 and then had a very fine rookie season in 2013, putting up a 1.71 ERA for Tampa. <u>Aaron Taylor</u> (2002-04) was a 6-foot-7, 230-pound reliever from Valdosta, Ga., who was known as “Big Country.” Pitching a few games here and there for the Mariners, he struck out almost a batter per inning, but he gave up lots of hits, runs and home runs. He had a couple of good years as a minor-league closer and could get a shot at that role here. Lefty <u>Angel Torres</u> (1977) appeared in five games for the post-championship Big Red Machine. He was 24 years old, and he put up a 2.16 ERA, with eight strikeouts and eight walks in 8 1/3 innings. He had logged a lot of minor-league innings at a young age, and the injuries set in. He was out of baseball by the time he was 27. <u>Al Tate</u> (1946) made one start and one relief appearance for the Pirates, working nine innings, giving up five runs, and walking seven. <u>Andrew Tomasic</u> (1949) had a long minor-league career but got hit hard in two games for the New York Giants. Lefty <u>Aaron Thompson</u> (2011-15) went 1-3 with a 4.94 ERA over the course of a short major-league career.</div>
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<b>Bench:</b> <u>Alejandro Trevino</u> (1978-90) had a long career as a backup catcher and was part of the cast of characters assigned to replace Johnny Bench in Cincinnati. He actually had more plate appearances than all but two starting position players on this roster. He was your basic .250 hitter with no power and no speed. Infielder <u>Al “Tiny” Tesch</u> (1915) appeared in eight games and batted seven times, hitting .286 for the Brooklyn Tip Tops. Outfielder <u>Arlie Tarbert</u> (1927-28) – full name Wilbert Arlington Tarbert, have fun with that one – batted .186 for the Red Sox. Outfielder <u>Albert “For Pete’s” Thake</u> (1872) batted .295 in 18
games for the Brooklyn Atlantic just a few years after the end of the
Civil War. He died after that season, still just 22 years old and only
the second major-league ballplayer to die. Thake drowned when he fell
out of his fishing boat and became entangled in his own lines. Infielder <u>Andres Thomas</u> (1985-90) played in 577 games for the Braves, and given the starting shortstop job he hit 13 home runs in 1988 and then another 13 in 1989. He wasn’t doing anything else, though, and he was out of baseball before he turned 30. </div>
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<b>Manager:</b> <u>Andrew Thompson</u> managed the 1884 St. Paul White Caps to a 2-6 record in the Union Association. He will have to make do with limited resources (and he is thankful that the Tigers went on strike for one day in 1912), because the above roster represents almost every man who ever played in a major-league game with the initials A.T. (Two of the others, both backup catchers, were Art Twineham and a different guy named Andrew Thompson. They’ll warm up pitchers in the bullpen.)</div>
Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-30502791575188761742011-04-12T08:45:00.000-07:002017-06-05T11:57:09.674-07:00AW: The Andy Williamses<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3EyPpmFUnidGd_cBPt4Y5Ow34PKFVDWckef5YMIXJTKHyC8WLyLuQUYkXlE-9vdzOdolMIkJlq5Dg7owTvmfl3LIEbFeQ88vsU2opcNRwuX_MM5x-a3aBkn1mfKvFJeiuLjJAH6PVto/s1600/adam.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594725097234307426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3EyPpmFUnidGd_cBPt4Y5Ow34PKFVDWckef5YMIXJTKHyC8WLyLuQUYkXlE-9vdzOdolMIkJlq5Dg7owTvmfl3LIEbFeQ88vsU2opcNRwuX_MM5x-a3aBkn1mfKvFJeiuLjJAH6PVto/s320/adam.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 255px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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<strong>Infield:</strong> Shortstop <u>Artie Wilson</u> was a Negro League star who hit for a high average, mostly singles, and stole a lot of bases. He was a such a great opposite-field hitter that some opposing teams began using exaggerated defensive shifts against him. After the color line fell, the Yankees bought Wilson’s contract but he refused to report because New York was offering him less than he was getting paid in Birmingham. Instead, he ended up playing for several years in the International League. Third baseman <u>Art Whitney</u> (1880-91) – not to be confused with Pinky Whitney, whose real first name was Arthur – played for eight teams in three leagues and batted .223. Second baseman <u>Aaron Ward</u> (1917-28) was the Yankees second baseman before Tony Lazzeri. He played on three pennant winners and a world champion, and he batted .417 in the 1923 World Series. First baseman <u>Art Williams</u> (1902) batted .228 in a brief trial with the Cubs. </div>
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<strong>Outfield:</strong> Center fielder <u>Alan Wiggins</u> (1981-87) was a slap-hitting speed burner for the San Diego Padres. He didn’t get on base enough to bat leadoff, but he stole up to 70 bases in a season (242 in his career). He had a drug problem and ultimately died of AIDS at age 32. His daughter Candice was an All-American basketball player at Stanford. Left fielder <u>Absalom Wingo</u> (1919-28) – how much fun is it to say that name? – was a .320 hitter in a long minor-league career and a .308 hitter in 493 games in the majors. He drew a good number of walks, pushing his on-base percentage over .400. In his best season, he batted .370 for the 1925 Tigers. That placed him third among Detroit outfielders – Cobb hit .378 and Heilmann .393. Right fielder <u>Albert Wickland</u> (1913-19) was a 5-foot-7 sprite who batted .270 and drew a ton of walks. He hit some doubles and triples.</div>
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<strong>Catcher:</strong> <u>Art “Dutch” Wilson</u> (1908-21) spent most of his career as a backup, but he was pretty good. He hit for a decent average, walked as often as he struck out, and had some line drive pop. He won three pennants with the New York Giants.</div>
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<strong>Rotation:</strong> <u>Adam Wainwright</u> (2005- ) won 19 games for the Cardinals in 2009 and finished third in the Cy Young voting, and then he won 20 games in 2010 and finished second in the voting. Before had had a chance to win 21 and a Cy Young in 2011, he blew out his elbow and had the Tommy John surgery. He came back strong, however, and in a neat bit of symmetry, he won 19 games in 2013 and 20 in 2014, finishing third and second again in the Cy voting. A stalwart of the Cardinals staff, with more than 140 career victories - and before he established himself in the rotation, he was the lights-out closer in the 2006 World Series run, famously buckling Carlos Beltran's knees to finish off the NLCS victory over the Mets. Lefty <u>Alex Wood</u> (2013- ) has been a consistently strong pitcher ever since he came up with the Braves at age 22. He went to the Dodgers in a huge three-team trade and has continued to pitch well, though he has missed considerable time with elbow issues. When he's healthy, he is a nice complement to Wainwright atop this staff. <u>Al Widmar</u> (1947-52) won 169 games in the minors but just 13 in the majors. He went on to a long career coaching in the minors and majors. Lefty <u>Allen Watson</u> (1993-2000) had a career record of 51-55 with a 5.03 ERA. <u>Albert Williams</u> (1980-84) won 35 games for the Twins.<br />
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<strong>Bullpen:</strong> Closer <u>Al Worthington</u> (1953-69) won 75 games and saved 110 for five teams. He held onto his value for a long time, and he led the AL in saves at age 39. <u>Adam Warren</u> (2012- ) has been a fine middle reliever, mostly for the Yankees. He was traded to the Cubs after the 2015 season for Starlin Castro, and then seven months later the Cubs shipped him back to the Yankees as part of a package of players in exchange for Aroldis Chapman. <u>Alex Wilson</u> (2013- ) has been a dependable set-up man for the Red Sox and the Tigers without ever attracting a lot of attention. <u>Almon Williams</u> (1937-38) had a career ERA of 6.24 and a 1-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Not 2-1, but 1-2. <u>Augie Walsh</u> (1927-28) had a career ERA of 6.05, which wasn’t helped none by pitching in the Baker Bowl in the late 1920s. Lefty <u>Ace Williams</u> (1940-46) – whose real name was Robert Fulton Williams – must have been a poker player, because he sure didn’t get his nickname on the mound. He pitched five games for the Boston Braves in 1940, neatly totaling nine innings. In those nine innings, he gave up (drumroll, please) 21 hits, a dozen walks, 17 runs (one of them unearned). No home runs, so at least he was keeping the ball in the park. He then went into the Navy during World War II, much to the chagrin of NL batters. In 1946 he returned to the Braves and made one appearance. He faced two batters, giving up one hit and one walk. That was it for his major-league career. He had a losing record in the minors, too. <u>Alan Wirth</u> (1978-80) was a young prospect with the A’s who struggled with the concept of the strike zone.<br />
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<strong>Bench:</strong> Infielder <u>Al Weis</u> (1962-71) was a light-hitting glove man (light, as in, anorexic) who is best known for batting .455 during the 1969 World Series for the Amazin’ Mets. <u>Al Woods</u> (1977-86) was an outfielder with the expansion Blue Jays. He batted .271 in his career and had some line drive pop. Outfielder <u>Ab Wright</u> (1935-48) was a great minor-league star – 2,330 hits including 317 home runs – but he had little success in the majors during extended trials with the 1935 Indians and the 1944 Braves. Third baseman <u>Andy Woehr</u> (1923-24) batted .341 in a brief trial with the Phillies in 1923. Given more playing time in 1924, he batted .217 and was released. Backup catcher <u>Art Weaver</u> (1902-08) batted .183 for four teams. Arthur Coggshall Weaver was 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds, so skinny that someone decided he looked like the hands of a clock and nicknamed him “Six O’Clock.”</div>
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<strong>Manager:</strong> <u>Alfred Wright</u> managed the Philadelphia A’s to a 14-45 record in 1876. We’ll see what he can do with this assortment of talent.Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-4256418551099760322011-04-11T05:23:00.000-07:002011-10-18T08:44:43.057-07:00BA: The B.A. Baracuses<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO19Z52PvIvTd68zk9raIL8HevZrBanqjhWO5mg9DD5EyHfzL2lz-M9Opa9vGSAQnled7hSOraikMi7MpqKxPqJiIXbnEXB6E-wai9TZZOvmR1WhOZr-0mci5YQidzNAa2RzGK6eSm3dE/s1600/abreu.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 242px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594302241901347042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO19Z52PvIvTd68zk9raIL8HevZrBanqjhWO5mg9DD5EyHfzL2lz-M9Opa9vGSAQnled7hSOraikMi7MpqKxPqJiIXbnEXB6E-wai9TZZOvmR1WhOZr-0mci5YQidzNAa2RzGK6eSm3dE/s320/abreu.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><br /><div><strong>Infield:</strong> Second baseman <u>Bobby Avila</u> (1949-59) batted .341 in 1954, the first Latin American player ever to win a batting title. He never came close to that level again, but he generally batted around .300 with a good number of walks. Avila, a good bunter and contact hitter, was a key player on the outstanding Cleveland teams of the 1950s. Shortstop <u>Bill Almon</u> (1974-88) was drafted by the San Diego Padres out of Brown University with the first pick in the 1974 draft. The Padres promoted him to the majors despite the fact that he batted .195 in 39 minor-league games; he didn’t actually stick in the majors for good until 1977, and he never did hit all that well - .250-.260 with no walks or power or speed. He wasn’t a great fielder either, and unless you watched Ivy League baseball in the early 1970s, or unless you came from Rhode Island (where he was a high school star), you never understood why anyone would ever take him with the top pick in the draft. Third baseman <u>Bob Aspromonte</u> (1956-71) appeared in one game for the Brooklyn Dodgers at age 18, striking out as a pinch-hitter. He went back down to the minors for a few years, then returned to the majors and played a decade as a nondescript infielder. When he retired in 1971, that strikeout at age 18 gave him the distinction of being the last remaining member of the Brooklyn Dodgers to be on an active roster. First baseman <u>Big Bill Abstein</u> (1906-10) had a long career in the minors but played just one full season and parts of two others in the majors – though he he did win a World Series with the 1909 Pirates. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Outfield:</strong> Right fielder <u>Bobby Abreu</u> (1996- ) is one of the most underappreciated players of his generation. He’s a .300 hitter who drew 100 walks a year in his prime, with power and speed and tons of doubles. He has driven in 100 runs eight times and scored 100 runs eight times (plus threee more times between 95-99). He’s been a fine defensive outfielder with a good arm. And for all that, he has played in exactly two all-star games. Left fielder <u>Bob Allison</u> (1958-70) hit 256 home runs while playing his prime seasons during a severe pitcher’s era in the mid-1960s. He also drew 80-100 walks a year, pushing his rather modest batting average to a .358 career on-base percentage. Allison came up with the Senators, winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 1959, moved with the team to Minnesota in 1961 and spent his entire career with the franchise. Center fielder <u>Brady Anderson</u> (1988-2002) had a rather remarkable career for the Orioles. He stole as many as 53 bases in a season and was successful almost 80 percent of the time. He drew 85 walks a year and led the league three times in getting hit by pitches, so he was on base a lot. He almost never grounded into double plays. He scored 100 runs four times, and he played a good center field. But pretty much all anyone remembers him for is hitting 50 home runs in 1996, more than twice as many as he hit in any other season and almost a quarter of his entire career total. Many assume he took steroids that year. Anderson has always insisted that he didn’t, and it would make no sense for him to use steroids for a year, go .297-50-110, and then decide to stop using them and drop back to 18 home runs the next season. Whatever the truth is, Anderson was a fine ballplayer throughout his career, and an outstanding ballplayer in 1996. </div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><strong>Catcher:</strong> <u>Brad Ausmus</u> (1993-2010) was a durable catcher who caught 100-150 games for 14 consecutive seasons. He was a pretty ordinary hitter - .251 career average, about 50 walks per year, 80 career home runs – but he also won three Gold Gloves and stole 100 bases in his career. A team could do worse.</div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><strong>Rotation:</strong> <u>Babe Adams</u> (1906-26) won 194 games in his career with a 2.76 ERA, and among 20th-century pitchers, only his teammate Deacon Phillipe walked fewer batters per nine innings than Adams (430 walks in 2995 innings). He had arm trouble in mid-career, possibly the after-effects of a 21-inning complete game he pitched in 1914, and he appeared to be done in 1916. But his arm improved, he put up two big years in the minors and then returned to Pittsburgh and returned to his past dominance. He pitched into his mid-40s. He was an outstanding pitcher, but his legacy rests on his performance in the 1909 World Series. He was 27 years old but still considered a rookie, and he hadn’t even taken a regular turn in the Pittsburgh rotation that year. But for the Game 1 against Detroit, manager Fred Clarke decided to start Adams over Vic Willis, Howie Camnitz and Lefty Leifield, who had won 66 games among them that year. Adams beat the Tigers 4-1, and then went on to win Games 5 and 7, all complete games, with a 1.33 ERA. <u>Bronson Arroyo</u> (2000- ) has been a consistent, durable pitcher who makes his starts, works his 210-240 innings per year, and has won 100 games and counting so far. <u>Brian Anderson</u> (1993-2005) was a talented but erratic lefty who won 82 games. In addition to the usual arm troubles that pitchers deal with, Anderson once burned the side of his face while testing to see if an iron was hot (yes, it was) and also once injured his pitching elbow by resting his arm on the back of his seat in a taxi for 20 minutes. <u>Brett Anderson</u> (2009- ) is a tremendously talented lefty who is just starting his career with the Oakland A’s. He’s just 23, so we’ll have to wait and see how he develops and if he can stay healthy, but his future is certainly bright. <u>Bert Abbey</u> (1892-96) went 22-40 in a career that was shortened by arm trouble.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Bullpen:</strong> <u>Bobby Ayala</u> (1992-99) was a part-time closer for the Mariners for a couple of seasons, finishing wi th 59 saves in his career. He had a live arm, but he gave up too many hits and too many home runs to stay effective in the closer role. His career ERA was 4.78, but he’ll still get the first shot at the closer job here. <u>Bob Apodaca</u> (1973-77) was a very promising reliever with the Mets whose career ended at age 27 because of arm injuries. His career ERA was 2.86. <u>Brad Arnsberg</u> (1986-92) had a fine year for the Rangers at age 26 and then hurt his arm and disappeared. <u>Bob Allen</u> (1961-67) was a decent lefty for the Indians who put up a 2.98 ERA in 1967 and somehow earned a permanent ticket back to the minors. (He was 0-5 that season despite the good ERA, but still, you don’t see a lot of healthy lefties get exiled from the majors at age 29 when they’re still getting people out.) <u>Bob Anderson</u> (1957-63) won 36 games as a swingman, mostly for the Cubs. <u>Bill Atkinson</u> (1976-79) was a diminutive righty who had an 11-4 record with a 3.42 ERA but went back to the minors at age 24 and never came back. <u>Bob Ayrault</u> (1992-93) was a big guy who pitched briefly for the Phillies and the Mariners.</div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><strong>Bench:</strong> Outfielder <u>Benny Agbayani</u> (1998-2002) was a big, jovial Hawaiian guy who worked hard and was pretty solid as a fourth outfielder. In the minors, when his Norfolk Tides team was hosting the 1998 Triple-A All-Star Game, he got married at home plate. Infielder <u>Bernie Allen</u> (1962-73) hit a dozen home runs as a rookie with the Twins at age 23 but never developed significantly from that point. Infielder <u>Bobby Adams</u> (1946-59) was a useful player who spent most of his career with the Reds. <u>Buster Adams</u> (1939-47) was a wartime center fielder who got on base, had a bit of power and played decent defense. Backup catcher <u>Bill Atwood</u> (1936-40) had a decent career in the minors and showed some promise with the Phillies, but when given more playing time he didn’t hit.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Manager:</strong> <u>Bill Adair</u> won 1,500 games managing in the minors, and he coached for a few teams in the majors. In 1970, he was interim manager of the White Sox for 10 games between Don Gutteridge and Chuck Tanner.</div>Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-32415010948000072382011-04-07T09:51:00.000-07:002011-10-18T08:06:22.294-07:00BB: The Brad Bergesen Pellet Guns<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYndY2Vklsdl2vpYdWP3KYhHS9YPbbWkkR0-9nM8Mqnzw38Dv8bAduhID7RChBYgH_hrGFPfG4kP9zh1esBwa9fltgK57TkJvAPib1KVzWgZ4ms0mtVxcrzdr0hjBT047TAHv2q0dceA/s1600/bondds.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592886750944791602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYndY2Vklsdl2vpYdWP3KYhHS9YPbbWkkR0-9nM8Mqnzw38Dv8bAduhID7RChBYgH_hrGFPfG4kP9zh1esBwa9fltgK57TkJvAPib1KVzWgZ4ms0mtVxcrzdr0hjBT047TAHv2q0dceA/s320/bondds.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><br /><div><strong>Infield:</strong> First baseman <u>Bill Buckner</u> (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 <u>Buddy Bell</u> (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 <u>Bret Boone</u> (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. <u>Bob Bailor</u> (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.)</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><strong>Outfielder:</strong> People don’t like to acknowledge this, but <u>Barry Bonds</u> (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 <u>Bobby Bonds</u> (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 <u>Brett Butler</u> (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.)</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Catcher:</strong> <u>Bob Boone</u> (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.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Rotation:</strong> <u>Bert Blyleven</u> (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. <u>Bob Buhl</u> (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 <u>Bud Black</u> (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. <u>Bruce Berenyi</u> (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 <u>Bill Bailey</u> (1907-22) had a career record of 38-76.</div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><strong>Bullpen:</strong> Closer <u>Bobby Bolin</u> (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. <u>Bud Byerly</u> (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 <u>Bill Bayne</u> (191-30) won 31 games, mostly for the St. Louis Browns. <u>Bo Belinsky</u> (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. <u>Bob Bruce</u> (1959-67) went 49-71 in his career, but in his best season he went 15-9 for the 1964 Houston Colt .45s. <u>Brian Barnes</u> (1990-94) was a diminutive lefty for the Expos. <u>Bill Bonham</u> (1971-80) was a hard-throwing swingman for the Cubs and Reds. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Bench:</strong> <u>Bobby Bonilla</u> (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 <u>Bill Bruton</u> (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 <u>Bret Barberie</u> (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. <u>Bill Bradley</u> (1899-1915) was a fine third baseman, but he’ll have trouble finding playing time behind Bell and Bobby Bo. Backup catcher <u>Benny Bengough</u> (1923-32) was a light-hitting role player on the Murders Row Yankees.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Manager:</strong> <u>Bobby Bragan</u> 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.</div>Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-84183898490629308852011-03-31T08:51:00.000-07:002011-10-17T10:03:41.420-07:00BC: The Blake Cullens<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2Dis6S8kAbbMlQ1yf-OYXLRkpeHhyg-p9pSaYxT8NgLDxlKZu-toBwcc6TOl-MUI1ciOguStk7K8wNk7q5gcTkh3okKC4FM_0JEQ3arKqk2MAAcfmfOlrXvKMWMdfxuPkvlZ8_SFisU/s1600/chap.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 243px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590273529961775122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2Dis6S8kAbbMlQ1yf-OYXLRkpeHhyg-p9pSaYxT8NgLDxlKZu-toBwcc6TOl-MUI1ciOguStk7K8wNk7q5gcTkh3okKC4FM_0JEQ3arKqk2MAAcfmfOlrXvKMWMdfxuPkvlZ8_SFisU/s320/chap.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><br /><div><strong>Infield:</strong> Shortstop <u>Bert Campaneris</u> (1964-83) was one of the first building blocks of the great Oakland A’s teams of the early 1970s, and one of the catalysts of that team as it won three straight World Series titles. Campaneris wasn’t a great offensive player – he had a .259 career average, had very little punch, and didn’t really draw enough walks to bat at the top of the order. But he was a sensational baserunner – 649 stolen bases at almost an 80 pecent success rate – and a great bunter and a fiery presence on the field. He brought a sense of urgency. (During the 1972 ALCS, he was tearing up Detroit’s pitching staff until finally Lerrin Lagrow drilled him. Campaneris immediately responded by throwing his bat at Lagrow’s head.) He was a good defensive shortstop, though he was never able to wrest the Gold Glove away from Aparicio and Belanger. Second baseman <u>Billy Consolo</u> (1953-62) made Campaneris look like Ted Williams at the plate. He had a career average of .221, had no power whatsoever and no speed. First baseman <u>Bud Clancy</u> (1924-34) played mostly for the White Sox, batting .281 with no power, speed or walks. He had a long career in the minors, batting .311 with more than 2,500 hits, but he was nothing special in the majors.Third baseman <u>Bill Coughlin</u> (1899-1908) was a serviceable player for the Senators and the Tigers for almost a decade. He was good enough to star, but he was never a star. (Here’s a sign that your infield isn’t going to hit much: Bert Campaneris hit 79 home runs in his 19-year career; that more than doubles the combined total of the other three starting infielders.)</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Outfield:</strong> Center fielder <u>Ben Chapman</u> (1930-46) was a good ballplayer, a second-line star on the 1930s Yankees until he was rendered expendable by the arrival of Joe DiMaggio. Chapman was a .300 hitter who drew walks, had line-drive power and led the AL in stolen bases three times. He scored 100 or more runs a half-dozen times and finished his career with 1,144 runs. He also appears to have been one of the more rotten human beings to ever wear a major-league uniform. He used to entertain himself by taunting Jewish fans and opponents, giving Nazi salutes and calling them vile names. Not sure if he was necessarily anti-Semitic, because there is evidence that he was just plain mean to everyone, and that he took great pleasure in spiking pivot men on the double play even when they were friends or former teammates. He was managing the Phillies when the Dodgers broke the color line, and he quickly emerged as perhaps the ugliest heckler that Jackie Robinson had to face. Chapman instructed his pitchers that if they ran a 3-0 count on Robinson, they should throw at his head rather than walk him, and his verbal abuse of Robinson became so nasty that it made national headlines. The backlash was so great that Chapman had to do something to repair his image. In desperation he had to ask Robinson to shake hands for a pre-game photo op, prompting Dixie Walker to observe, “I never thought I’d see ol’ Ben eat shit like that.” Right fielder <u>Bruce Campbell</u> (1930-42) batted .290 for his career, had a good batting eye and line-drive power. He was a solid player, mostly for the Browns and the Indians. Left field will shared by the potentially monstrous platoon combo of lefty <u>Bernie Carbo</u> (1969-80) and righty <u>Bob Cerv</u> (1951-62). Carbo had a sensational rookie year for Cincinnati in 1970, batting .310 with a .454 on-base average and a .551 slugging percentage. He slumped in 1971, and the emergent Big Red Machine had stockpiles of talented outfielders (Rose, McRae, Tolan, Foster, Geronimo, with Griffey on the way), so Carbo was sent wandering around the majors. Playing for the Red Sox in 1975, he went up against his old team in the World Series and hit two pinch-home runs, one of them a three-run shot that tied Game 6 in the bottom of the ninth and set up Carlton Fisk’s legendary game-winning homer in the 12th. Carbo had a long career as a very valuable platoon player, but drug addicition eventually shortened his career and derailed his life. Finally in his 40s, he cleaned up, found religion and started an evangelical baseball ministry. Like Carbo, Bob Cerv came up with a great team (the 1950s Yankees) and struggled to find playing time in a crowded outfield. He always hit well in his limited role, and in 1957 the Yankees sold him to the Kansas City A’s. Given a starting job, he batted .305 in 1958 with 38 home runs and 104 RBI. He eventually went back to the Yankees and his status as a role player. Between Cerv and Carbo, the B.C. team should be outstanding production from left field.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Catcher:</strong> <u>Bill Carrigan</u> (1906-16) caught three no-hitters and won three World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox (two of them as player-manager). He was a decent hitter and a respected catcher with a reputation for blocking the plate with tenacity. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Rotation:</strong> <u>Bob Caruthers</u> (1884-92) was a major star of the 1880s whose name has been forgotten by all but the most scholarly of baseball history books. A diminutive righty (5-foot-7, 138 pounds), Caruthers had a career record of 218-99, averaging 34 wins per year from 1885-89. He was also a terrific hitter, playing right field when he wasn’t pitching, helping to make the St. Louis Browns one of the dominant teams in the American Association. He was a bit of a dandy and he enjoyed the high life – he like to gamble on poker and billiards – and he staged a dramatic holdout in 1886, communicating by telegram from France and earning the nickname “Parisian Bob.” <u>Bartolo Colon</u> (1997- ) is a 265-pound righty who has has won 161 games in his career, including two 20-win seasons. When he went 21-8 for the Angels in 2005, he was given the Cy Young Award despite the fact that Johan Santana had pitched nine more innings than Colon while giving up 35 fewer hits, 16 fewer runs, and striking out 81 more hitters. Colon then hurt his shoulder and struggled for several years. He appeared to be done, but in 2011 he re-emerged and pitched reasonably well for the Yankees after undergoing a mysterious stem cell surgery on his shoulder. <u>Bert Cunningham</u> (1887-1901) was a contemporary of Bob Caruthers, and about the same size, but he wasn’t nearly as good. He had a career record of 142-167 with a 4.22 ERA. In his best season he won 28 for Louisville in 1898. <u>Bill Carrick</u> (1898-1902) went 63-89 for the Giants and the Senators. (He was known as Doughnut Bill, because there was apparently some sort of rule that all 19th-century pitchers named Bill had to have a nickname that involved putting a random word ahead of the name “Bill.”) <u>Ben Cantwell</u> (1927-37) pitched for bad teams and had a career record of 76-108. Pitching for the godawful Boston Braves in 1935, he went 4-25 despite having the best ERA in the team’s rotation. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Bullpen:</strong> <u>Bill “Soup” Campbell</u> (1973-87) will be the primary closer. He was never a dominant pitcher but was generally pretty good, winning 83 games and saving 126 in his career. Pitching for Boston in 1977, he led the AL with 31 saves. <u>Bill Caudill</u> (1979-87) was an eccentric righty who had some very good seasons but rarely put them back-to-back. He saved 106 games in his career. Caudill once delayed the start of a game by stealing the keys to the golf cart that brought the starting pitcher in from the bullpen, and he once took the mound with a full beard and mustache on one side of his face and the other side clean shaven. <u>Bill Castro</u> (1974-83) was a control specialist who had some very good years for the Brewers. Lefty <u>Bob “Sugar” Cain</u> (1949-53) won 37 games as a swingman for three teams. <u>Buzz Capra</u> (1971-77) won 16 games for the Braves in 1974 and led the NL with a 2.28 ERA. In the other seven years of his big-league career, he won a total of 15 games and had an ERA of 4.78. Lefty <u>Bryan Clark</u> (1981-90) was a decent journeyman. <u>Brad Clontz</u> (1995-2000) was a sidearm slinger and was occasionally effective. Lefty <u>Bob “Mr. Chips” Chipman</u> won 51 games for the Dodgers, Cubs and Braves. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Bench:</strong> With the Carbo/Cerv platoon combination, there will always be one killer bat on the bench ready to pinch-hit. Utility infielder <u>Billy Cox</u> (1941-55) was a role player on three Brooklyn Dodgers pennant winners. He was a fine defensive player and a popular, respected teammate on the “Boys of Summer.” Shortstop <u>Bobby Crosby</u> (2003-10) was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2004 despite the fact that he batted .239, struck out 141 times and didn’t play particularly good defense. To his credit, he did hit 22 home runs, and in the voters’ defense, it wasn’t a great year for AL rookies. He never hit for that kind of power again, and he had just one season batting over .240. Backup catcher <u>Boileryard Clarke</u> (1893-1905) was a solid, unspectacular catcher for the great Baltimore Orioles teams at the turn of the century. Infielder <u>Buster Chatham</u> (1930-31) did little to distinguish himself in the majors, but he had more than 3,000 hits in the minors. (Mike and Joe like him for a very specific reason, because of a friend who is an old-line baseball man. Every time he sees a batter scorch a line drive right at a defender, this gentleman shakes his head and mutters, “Buster Chatham – hit it right at ‘em.” Works for us.) </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Manager:</strong> <u>Bobby Cox</u> won 2,504 games, the fourth-highest total of all time. He won 15 division titles, five pennants and a World Series title. He is synonymous with the Atlanta Braves, though he also had a successful run with the Blue Jays as well.</div>Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-2329507780026965862011-03-29T08:21:00.000-07:002011-10-17T09:25:55.735-07:00BD: The Bobby Darins<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwWQJBrJUhyphenhyphen8ROCsVZ_WeichZc4gqSzAun7SvqBuBGENSjQ7bR1U-vzqlwIIDAvEJcnyzEcaN1DkWlY9isB34LSP4WIZDaswhyDJTWuetIDdxL3da74oBiKbAg22gphG_1luEfOsVKMs/s1600/bill.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589523653988979234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwWQJBrJUhyphenhyphen8ROCsVZ_WeichZc4gqSzAun7SvqBuBGENSjQ7bR1U-vzqlwIIDAvEJcnyzEcaN1DkWlY9isB34LSP4WIZDaswhyDJTWuetIDdxL3da74oBiKbAg22gphG_1luEfOsVKMs/s320/bill.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><br /><div><strong>Infield:</strong> Second baseman <u>Bobby Doerr</u> (1937-51) is a Hall of Famer and a Red Sox institution, one of the co-stars from the heyday of Ted Williams’ career. Doerr was a good hitter whose stats were inflated by Fenway Park – his career triple crown splits are .315-145-744 at home, .261-78-502 on the road. Defensively, he was one of the best ever to play the game. Doerr was a soft-spoken gentleman, dubbed by Teddy as “the silent captain” of those Red Sox teams. He played in nine all-star games and was still a fine player when back problems forced him to retire at age 33. Shortstop <u>Bill Dahlen </u>(1891-1911) committed 1,085 errors in his career, second most all-time. That number is a bit misleading, because Dahlen played a demanding position for 21 seasons during an era when a lot of errors were made. He was actually considered to be a very good defensive shortstop. He also accumulated 2,461 hits, scored 1,590 runs and stole 548 bases. Dahlen was a heavy drinker and a fanatic gambler (he would sometimes get thrown out of games on purpose so he could go catch the horse races), but he cleaned up his act when his off-field behavior was threatening to curtail his baseball career. Third baseman <u>Bob Dillinger</u> (1946-51) had the start of his career delayed by World War II, but when he arrived he batted .300, led the AL in stolen bases three straight years, and had a league-high 207 hits in 1948. He was still batting .300 in his early 30s when his playing time started to diminish. Dillinger went back to the minors, won a batting title and continued to hit .300 for a few more years. First baseman <u>Brian Daubach</u> (1998-2005) was a lefty slugger who had a few good years for the Red Sox – he hit 20-22 home runs for four straight years. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Outfield:</strong> Left fielder <u>Brian Downing</u> (1973-92) had a unique and marvelous career. He came up as a catcher and was a very ordinary player for a few years. In his late 20s, Downing got heavily into weight training – a new concept for ballplayers in the 1970s – and he bulked up considerably and adopted a distinctive batting stance that had him squared up to directly face the pitcher. In 1979 he batted .326, and with his batting eye and line-drive power, he was a tremendously valuable player. After a couple of years beset by injuries, Downing moved from catcher to the outfield and became one of the most consistent players in the American League – hitting for power, drawing walks, scoring and driving in runs, and playing nearly errorless defense. He finished his career with 275 home runs, 228 of which came after the age of 30. At age 41, relegated to playing DH, he still had a .407 on-base percentage and a .428 slugging percentage. He retired with 1,188 runs and 1,073 RBI. Center fielder <u>Buttercup Dickerson</u> (1878-85) was a 5-foot-6 speedster who played for eight teams in seven seasons, jumping around the National League, American Association and Union Association. He batted .284 in his career and scored 302 runs in a 408-game career. Right fielder <u>Brian Dayett</u> (1983-87) had a couple of big years in the minors – 34 homers in Double-A and 35 in Triple-A, both time with lots of walks – but when he made it to the majors at age 26 he didn’t set the world on fire, and the Yankees gave up on him very quickly. We’re going to put him in right field and see if he can rediscover his power stroke. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Catcher:</strong> Hall of Famer <u>Bill Dickey</u> (1928-46) was the Yankees catcher who bridged the Ruth and DiMaggio eras. As such, he played on eight pennant winners and seven World Series champions. He batted .313 in his career, and after he learned in mid-career to use his lefty stroke to pull the ball toward Yankee Stadium’s short right-field porch, he hit half of his 202 career home runs in a four-year stretch. He was a fine defensive catcher and a highly respected handler of pitchers, and several subsequent Yankees catchers (including Berra and Elston Howard) credited Dickey with teaching them the position.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Rotation:</strong> <u>Wild Bill Donovan</u> (1898-18) earned his nickname both ways – with a volcanic temper and a fastball that sometimes couldn’t find the strike zone. He was a good pitcher, with 185 wins and a 2.69 ERA, which was pretty good even in the deadball era. He had two seasons of 25 victories. He later worked as a manager in both the majors and the minors, and he died at age 47 in a train crash on the way to the winter meetings. <u>Spittin’ Bill Doak</u> (1912-29) won 169 games, mostly for the Cardinals, and led the NL in earned run average twice. He was a good pitcher – one of the legal spitballers of the 1920s – but his biggest contribution to the sport was his development of a modern fielder’s mitt. Whereas mitts used to be tiny gloves that did nothing more than pad the fingers against the impact of the ball, Doak developed the idea of a larger mitt with webbing between the thumb and forefinger. Rawlings produced and marketed the mitt, and the “Bill Doak model” was available for several decades. <u>Big Bill Dinneen</u> (1898-1909) won 170 games and was the star of the first World Series – he won three games for the Red Sox in the 1903 Series, including two shutouts (one of them in the decisive game). After he retired he had a long career as an umpire, working eight World Series as well as the inaugural all-star game. (According to baseballreference.com, the most statistically common player in baseball history to Bill Dinneen is … Bill Doak. We’ll let them room together.) <u>Frosty Bill Duggleby</u> (1898-1907) had a career record of 93-102, and he was the first player ever to hit a grand slam in his first at-bat in the majors (a feat that was not repeated for more than a century). The rotation begins with Wild Bill, Spittin’ Bill, Big Bill and Frosty Bill, and it ends with lefty <u>Bud Daley</u> (1955-64). They will be known as Four Bills and a Bud. Daley, a swingman for three AL teams, won 60 games in his career and pitched eight shutout innings in the World Series for the Yankees championship teams of 1961 and ’62. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Bullpen:</strong> With no natural closer on the roster, <u>Bill “Hello” Dawley</u> (1983-89) will get the first shot at the role. He had a couple of good seasons in the pitcher-friendly AstroDome when he first came up, saving 14 games as a rookie and posting a 1.93 ERA in 98 innings during his second season. He was a big guy, but not an overpowering pitcher, and his career was relatively short. <u>Brendan Donnelly</u> (2002-10) spent a decade in the minors, bouncing from franchise to franchise, before he finally made it to the majors with the Angels at age 30. He then spent nine years in the majors as a highly effective middle reliever and set-up man, posting a 32-10 career record and a tidy 3.22 ERA. He made five appearances for the Angels in the 2002 World Series and did not allow a run. Must be something about the name Donnelly, because <u>Blix Donnelly</u> (1944-51) also bounced around the minors for several years before making it to the majors at age 30 and then having a fine career in the bigs. Blix (his real name was Sylvester Urban Donnelly, so we’re guessing he didn’t mind the nickname too much) won 27 games, had a 3.47 career ERA and pitched six shutout innings in the 1944 World Series for the champion Cardinals. <u>Bruce Dal Canton</u> (1967-77) was working as a high school science teacher when the Pirates signed him out of an amateur baseball league in 1966 and moved him quite quickly to the majors. He had some very good years on his way to 51 career victories and a 3.67 ERA. Dal Canton spent many years as a pitching coach for the Braves and their farm system, helping to develop many of the arms that won all those division titles in the 1990s. <u>Bob “Ach” Duliba</u> (1959-67) won 17 games for four teams. He had a relatively short major-league career – 257 innings in 176 games – and his peripheral numbers aren’t great, but his 3.47 ERA is solid. <u>Bill “The Bullfrog” Dietrich</u> (1933-48) spent most of his career with the White Sox and had a 108-128 record as a starter and reliever. He pitched a no-hitter in 1937, and on two other occasions lost no-hitters in the ninth inning. He will get some starts on this team, and when he replaces Bud Daley it will be a Five-Bill rotation. <u>Bull Durham</u> (1904-09) only appeared in nine games in his career and his ERA was 5.28 during the deadball era, but he had a 2-0 record and a great name, so he gets the mop-up spot in the bullpen.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Bench:</strong> Second baseman <u>Bill Doran</u> (1982-93) had some good years for the Astros. His career average was .266, but he drew a lot of walks, stole some bases, hit some doubles and played decent defense. Shortstop <u>Bucky Dent</u> (1973-84) was a light-hitting glove man. He earned his spot in baseball lore (as well as a very unflattering middle name in New England) on Oct. 2, 1978, when he poked a three-run homer into the screen above the Green Monster in Fenway, helping the Yankees to beat the Red Sox in a one-game playoff after the rivals had tied for the AL East title in one of the most famous pennant races in history. (Dent went on to hit . 417 in the World Series that year, winning postseason MVP honors, but people don’t remember that as much as the home run.) Backup catcher <u>Bo Diaz</u> (1977-89) had some power – four seasons between 10-20 home runs – and was a decent defensive catcher. He died at age 37 when he was crushed by the satellite dish he was attempting to install on his roof. Outfilelder <u>Bob Dernier</u> (1980-89) could steal bases but he couldn’t steal first. He’ll primarily be a defensive replacement and pinch-runner here. Outfielder <u>Bobby Darwin</u> (1962-77) was a decent power hitter, but he struck out a ton and was a disaster in the field. Those deficiencies hastened the end of his career, but he’ll be a righty stick off the bench here. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Manager:</strong> <u>Bucky Dent</u> had a brief, unsuccessful run as manager of the Yankees, but he was a minor-league manager for several year and a coach at the big-league level for many years as well. He’ll get the managerial reins here. Dickey, Donovan and Dahlen all worked as managers too – only Dickey had a winning record, but that was in a very short career – but since they have much bigger roles on this team, we’ll let them focus on playing. Dent can ask them for advice when he wants it.</div>Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-4949904225079809292011-03-27T08:55:00.000-07:002011-10-18T07:35:17.507-07:00BE: The Bob Elliotts<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismnU-XFHzyu8ReQhsbr7yBypvQUR0YG4G_Z8mbKMxq1uvhvT6FaZl_U5tmI9XQJ52Twb1wqvUidfZ7Z1gLJcToZBlyfkHiIPKu_yN0hUtfNgn9f1ORZBK2GowYYhORQgVQoCyaPCUgwE/s1600/buck.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664493999275128930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismnU-XFHzyu8ReQhsbr7yBypvQUR0YG4G_Z8mbKMxq1uvhvT6FaZl_U5tmI9XQJ52Twb1wqvUidfZ7Z1gLJcToZBlyfkHiIPKu_yN0hUtfNgn9f1ORZBK2GowYYhORQgVQoCyaPCUgwE/s320/buck.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><strong>Infield:</strong> First baseman <u>Brad Eldred</u> (2005- ) is a big, hulking slugger who has banged out more than 200 minor-league home runs but has never been able to stick in the majors. Eldred is 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds, and he can hit the ball a long, long way, but he strikes out way too much and has no real concept of the strike zone. He’s in his early 30s and could still conceivably make it back to the majors, but his chance at a sustained career has passed. Shortstop <u>Bones Ely</u> (1884-1902) was a tall (6-foot-1), skinny (155 pounds) guy who never hit much but was a decent enough fielder. He stuck around long enough to put up 1,300 hits but never did the things that put a lot of runs on the board. Third baseman <u>Barry Evans</u> (1978-82) showed some promise in the minors but got rushed to the big leagues with San Diego and never did much. Second baseman <u>Bill Eagan</u> (1891-98) about whom little is known, other than that he was known as “Bad Bill.” Either he was a tough guy or a counterfeiter.<br /><br /><strong>Outfield:</strong> <u>Bob Elliott</u> (1939-53) was really a third baseman, but there is a tremendous shortage of B.E. outfielders, and since Elliott played more than 500 games in the outfield, he’ll start in right field here. Elliott was a very fine player who drove in more runs than any other major leaguer during the 1940s, in part because he played the whole decade without being drafted for military service (due to a head injury sustained in a beaning). He starred for the Pirates throughout his prime years. The Pirates traded him to the Boston Braves after the 1946 season and he immediately went out and won the NL MVP award. A line drive hitter who walked more than he struck out, Elliott finished his career with 1,195 RBI and 1,064 runs. Center fielder <u>Bobby Estalella</u> (1935-49) was a Cuban who played for three teams in the majors, rankling some observers who thought he was a black man. He was actually a terrific player who probably should have scored 1,000 runs in his career, but he played in an era when no one recognized the value of a good batting eye and the ability to get on base. His career batting average was .282, and on-base was .383. Every time he was given a chance to play, he got on base. Every time he got sent back to the minors, he tore them up. Even so he was not given regular playing time in the majors until his early 30s, and even then it was with terrible teams. Who knows what kind of career he might have had under different circumstances? He’ll bat leadoff on this team, and we’re looking for Bob Elliott to drive him in quite a bit. Left fielder <u>Wild Bill Everitt</u> (1895-1901) was a speedy singles hitter who played for the Cubs in the years before they got really good. He’ll bat second, in between Estalella and Elliott.<br /><br /><strong>Catcher:</strong> Hall of Famer <u>Buck Ewing</u> (1880-97) was one of the earliest major stars in baseball, a man who commanded immense respect among those who played alongside him. He was primarily a catcher, but he moved all around the field and played literally even position at one time or another. A .300 hitter with good speed, he was a smart, tough competitior and a respected gentleman.<br /><br /><strong>Rotation:</strong> <u>Long Bob Ewing</u> (1902-12) spent most of his career in Cincinnati, and in fact if he made it to the majors just a few years earlier he would have played for Buck Ewing (apparently no relation). Bob Ewing came to professional baseball late, did not arrive in the maors until he was 29, but still won 124 games. <u>Bob Emslie</u> (1883-85) had a 32-17 record for Baltimore in 1884, sandwiched between 9-13 and 3-14 records in his other two seasons, which you’ll have to admit is an innovative way to finish with a .500 record. Arm troubles ended his career early, but he spent more than three decades as an umpire (and was a key figure in the on-field confusion that led to the infamous play that involved Fred Merkle failing to touch second base). <u>Barry Enright</u> (2010- ) is a young starter with the Diamondbacks. He’s shown some ability buth as yet to prove he belongs in a major-league rotation. <u>Bill Evans</u> (1916-19) went 2-13 for the Pirates in parts of three seasons. <u>Butch Edge</u> (1979), no relation to that guy in U2, went 3-4 for the Blue Jays.<br /><br /><strong>Bullpen:</strong> <u>Brian Edmondson</u> (1998-99) had a 4.98 career ERA, but he did have a save, so that makes him the closer here. Yeah, he was 9-12 and he walked almost as many batters as she struck out and he gave up a lot of home runs, but he still gets the job. Had a long, decent career in the minors. Lefty <u>Bryan Eversgerd</u> (1994-98) went 2-5 with a 5.16 ERA. <u>Bill Edgerton</u> (196-69) worked a handful of games for the Kansas City A’s and the Seattle Pilots. <u>Bruce Ellingsen</u> (1974) had a 3.21 ERA in 42 innings for the Indians. Cleveland had acquired him before the 1974 season in a trade with the Dodgers in a straight-up exchange for a young infield prospect. Some guy named Pedro Guerrero. That deal didn't work out so well for Cleveland. <u>Bill Evans</u> (1949-51), no relation to the starting pitcher of the same name, won 128 games in the minors but none in his brief time in the majors. <u>Bart Evans</u> (1998) appeared in eight games for the Royals, totaling nine innings. His career ERA was 2.00, and he struck out seven with no walks. His minor-league record gives no indication that he was any great shakes, but still, it would have been nice to see him get another shot in the bigs. <u>Bruce Egloff</u> (1991) pitched in a half-dozen games for the Indians.<br /><br /><strong>Bench:</strong> Infielder <u>Babe Ellison</u> (1916-20) was a minor-league star – he once had 307 hits in a Pacific Coast League season – but never did much in the majors. He can play all over the field, and he will get plenty of playing time on this team. Outfielder <u>Bob Edmondson</u> (1906-08) was a decent minor-league hitter who didn’t do anything in the majors. He also pitched a little, which might come in handy out of this bullpen. <u>Bruce Edwards</u> (1946-56) was a talented young catcher on the Brooklyn Dodgers around the time of the “Boys of Summer.” He had a couple of good years in his early 20s, but then he never really developed and Roy Campanella arrived. Edwards played in a couple of all-star games and a couple of World Series before leaving the Dodgers and wandering around the majors for a few years. The other backup catcher, <u>Bobby Estalella</u> (1996-2004), was the grandson of the outfielder. He was a power hitter who struck out way too much. <u>Bobby Etheridge</u> (1967-69) was a third base prospect who didn’t pan out.<br /><br /><strong>Manager:</strong> <u>Buck Ewing</u> will be the player-manager. He was a manger for six full seasons (all with winning records) and one partial season. His career record was 489-395. We expect him to be manuevering various outfielders and corner infielders around in an attempt to find the best possible lineup.</div>Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-75404749667593968622011-03-26T10:06:00.000-07:002011-10-12T10:19:02.122-07:00BF: The BFFs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8ibAhOg8txV4KTZquyuMpdvOMA5_EcvBNW-6k3AqodAhK47nrWa45e-ie_Pm7OQ83EQfc_ML9VxYgpBz4MhaHZkMuS2C76bcpdBFcAtNiFtn6W5AlR3cCmIONviBqp3-m6mz31Q4gyY/s1600/feller.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8ibAhOg8txV4KTZquyuMpdvOMA5_EcvBNW-6k3AqodAhK47nrWa45e-ie_Pm7OQ83EQfc_ML9VxYgpBz4MhaHZkMuS2C76bcpdBFcAtNiFtn6W5AlR3cCmIONviBqp3-m6mz31Q4gyY/s320/feller.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662656356780206002" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Infield</span>: First baseman <u>Brad Fullmer</u> (1997-2004) was a decent power hitter whose career ended because of injuries before he turned 30. He wasn’t much of a defender, even at first base, and he wasn’t much of a baserunner (though he did steal home in a World Series game). But Fullmer was a solid batter, a .290 hitter who would draw some walks and who would hit 20-30 home runs in a full season. He went .295-32-104 for Toronto in 2001. Third baseman <u>Bob “Death to Flying Things” Ferguson </u>(1871-84) was a decent ballplayer and a highly respected man during the early years of organized baseball. His reputation for intelligence and leadership led to further work as an umpire and an administrator, but he also had a nasty temper and a stubborn streak; once while working as an umpire he got into an argument with a player and ended it by grabbing a bat and breaking the guy’s arm. Ferguson’s middle name was Vavasour, and his famous nickname was a tribute to his reputation on defense. Second baseman <u>Bernie Friberg</u> (1919-33) was a versatile player who moved around the infield and the outfield and was a decent contributor wherever he played. An adequate offensive player, but the only categories he ever led the league in were caught stealing and strikeouts. Shortstop <u>Bob Fisher</u><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;color:black;" > (1912-19) had 2,200 hits in a long, successful minor-league career but he never did much in the majors.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;color:black;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Outfield</span>: Left fielder <u>Bibb Falk</u> (1920-31) was a fine hitter, with a .314 career average, but his playing career is completely overshadowed by the three decades he spent coaching at University of Texas, where he won two national titles. But he was a fine player, the guy who took over left field for the White Sox after Shoeless Joe was banned. Falk was a good line drive hitter and a feisty competitor, nicknamed “Jockey” for his ability to taunt opponents and get under their skin. Right fielder <u>Buck Freeman</u> (1891-1907) was a small but powerful lefty who led the league twice in home runs and twice in RBI. He hit 25 home runs in 1899, the most ever from the 60-foot, 6-inch distance until Babe Ruth came along. He was also good for 15-25 triples per year and finsihed with more career triples than home runs. <u>Ben Francisco</u> (2007- ) is a corner outfielder but will be stretched to play center here in between Freeman, Falk and occasionally Fatty Fothergill. Francisco was a minor-league batting champion (see note below) who has been a solid major-leaguer, a .260-.270 hitter with some power.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;color:black;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Catcher</span>: <u>Bill Freehan</u> (1963-76) was a tremendously underrated player, probably the best catcher in the majors in the years between Berra and Bench. Freehan, who played his who career for the Detroit Tigers, was durable player and a strong defensive catcher. He played the prime years of his career in the pitching-dominated 1960s, but he hit 200 home runs and had a fine batting eye. </span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;color:black;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rotation</span>: <u>Bob Feller</u> (1936-56) was one of the great flamethrowing pitchers of all time. He had a career record of 266-162 and 2,581 strikeouts despite missing three full seasons and most of a fourth to military service during World War II. Give him those missing seasons back, and he might have had 350 wins and 3,500 strikeouts – though there are those who suggest the military service may have saved his career from an extraordinary workload. Feller signed with the Cleveland Indians while he was still in high school and was pitching in the majors at age 17. He had 107 wins and 1,233 strikeouts before he turned 23 years old, and in 1941 he worked 343 innings at age 22. In his first full season back from World War II, he worked 371 innings. After that, he cut back to a more manageable workload, and it’s possible that if he had tried to keep working 350 innings a year throughout his early- and mid-20s, that his arm would have given out. Or maybe he would have been like Nolan Ryan, a physical marvel whose wing was impervious to overuse. We can’t know, so we won’t speculate – but judged solely on what he did, and not on what he might have done, Feller earned his spot among the best starting pitchers of all time. <u>Bob Friend</u> (1951-66) won 197 games (and lost 230) in a career spent mostly with the Pirates. He led the NL with 22 wins in 1958 and with a 2.83 ERA in 1955, but he also led the league in losses twice. <u>Bob Forsch</u> (1974-89) was a very ordinary pitcher for the Cardinals who won 168 games by throwing strikes and letting his defense do the job behind him. He threw two no-hitters, the first of which (in 1978) was marred by an obvious single that a generous official scorer called an error or third baseman Ken Reitz. (The second one, in 1983, was legit.) <u>Benny Frey</u> (1929-36) won 57 games for the Cincinnati Reds and had some decent years along the way, but arm troubles ended his career at age 30. Apparently despondent over his inability to make a comeback, Frey committed suicide a year later. <u>Bill Foxen</u> (1908-11) was a lefty who went 16-20 for the Phillies and the Cubs.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;color:black;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bullpen</span>: Closer <u>Brian Fuentes</u> (2001- ) finished 2011 with 199 saves, and we’ll assume that he will make it to 200. He’s been consistently good but rarely great, and in 2009, when he led the AL with 48 saves, his ERA for the Angels was 3.93. <u>Bryce Florie</u> (1994-2001) was a journeyman who went 20-24 for four teams. He wasn’t great, but he was the best player in baseball history named Bryce, a distinction we suspect he will be losing fairly soon. <u>Bill Fischer</u> (1956-64) bounced around the American League for a decade and won 45 games. He had fine control and once went 84 innings between walks. <u>Brian Fisher</u> (1985-92) was a hot prospect with the Yankees who had a modest career as a swingman. <u>Bill Faul</u> (1962-70) won a dozen games for the Tigers and Cubs. <u>Bill Fleming</u> (1940-46) went 16-21 for the Red Sox and Cubs. <u>Bob File</u> (2001-04) had a solid rookie year fror the Blue Jays and then never pitched well again.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;color:black;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bench</span>: Outfielder <u>Bob “Fatty” Fothergill</u> (1922-33) was 5-11 and was listed at 230 pounds, though it was suggested that his true weight was more in the 260-270 range. He wolfed down steaks, guzzled beer and died of a stroke at age 40. Fothergill was a fine hitter, with a .325 career average and some line drive pop. He rarely struck out. Fothergill, a righty, might work as a platoon combination with Buck Freeman. <u>Bobby Floyd</u> (1968-74) was a weak-hitting utility infielder. <u>Bill Friel</u> (1901-03) could play infield or outfield but wasn’t anything special at the plate. Backup catcher <u>Barry Foote </u>(1973-82) was never in the same battery as Bill Hands. The final roster spot goes to a third catcher, <u>Boob Fowler</u> (1923-26), because it’s hard to resist a guy answered to Boob and was also nicknamed “Gink.” </span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;color:black;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Manager</span>: <u>Death to Flying Things Ferguson</u> and <u>Bibb Falk</u> will be co-player-managers.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;color:black;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note on Ben Francisco</span>: In 2007, Ben Francisco batted .318 for Buffalo to win the International League batting title by one point over Richmond’s Martin Prado. Folks in Richmond were extremely bitter because blogger Mike, who serves as official scorer for the Norfolk Tides, called an error in the final days of the season that would have given<span style="font-size:0pt;"> </span>Prado the batting title if it had been called a hit. Blogger Joe, who serves side-by-side with blogger Mike as the online datacaster for Tides games, went back through his notes and found that earlier in the season, Mike had also scored a ball as an error while Ben Francisco was batting against the Tides. So you see, it all evened out.</span></p>Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-75463801465257761072011-03-24T10:38:00.000-07:002011-10-12T09:28:15.390-07:00BG: The Ben Giancolas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaTIaaHGpO5zJQpa3_hygmZNX6blfrCa8PV9MdZkB8FKCvsNzSE6HEyiTsmljESdO4UCbD4HxWp7PsxTud3s7YkqZYQQjtUClyjOBwQeT8pcOqtbmTkYWlH12sW4p1k_iGFC4QMFti6wc/s1600/gibson.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 254px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587703383234867554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaTIaaHGpO5zJQpa3_hygmZNX6blfrCa8PV9MdZkB8FKCvsNzSE6HEyiTsmljESdO4UCbD4HxWp7PsxTud3s7YkqZYQQjtUClyjOBwQeT8pcOqtbmTkYWlH12sW4p1k_iGFC4QMFti6wc/s320/gibson.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><br /><br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><br /><div><strong>Infield:</strong> Second baseman <u>Bobby Grich</u> (1970-86) was one of the most underrated players of his generation. His career batting average was .266, but he drew lots of walks and he hit for power and he played outstanding defense. He spent the first half of his career with Baltimore and the second half with the Angels – a durable player who won four Gold Gloves, hit 224 home runs and scored more than 1,000 runs. First baseman <u>Billy Goodman</u> (1947-62) was a .300 hitter who had no power and no speed, but he drew twice as many walks as strikeouts. He won an AL batting title (.354 in 1950), but other than that he never led the league in anything. Shortstop <u>Bill Gleason</u> (1882-89) – no relation to Kid Gleason, though his given name was also William – was a fine player for the St. Louis Browns back when they were one of the better teams in the American Association. Gleason’s numbers aren’t superficially great – he hit .267 with no power – but he managed to score 613 runs in 798 career games. He played in the era when players doubled as base coaches, and his habit of wandering down the line to insult and distract the opposing catcher helped bring about the development of coaches’ boxes. Third baseman <u>Billy Grabarkewitz</u> (1969-75) was another in the long line of Dodgers third base prospects (in the years before Ron Cey) who failed to pan out. As a 24-year-old rookie in 1970, he batted .289 with 19 home runs, 84 RBI, 92 runs and 95 walks – numbers that were awfully good for an infielder playing in Dodger Stadium in 1970. In fact, he led the team in homers, runs and on-base percentage that year. He looked like an emerging star. But he got hurt – Grabarkewitz was always hurt, so much so that he once observed that he had been X-rayed so much that he glowed in the dark – and by the time he started to get healthy the Dodgers had produced so many talented young infielders that he had noplace to play. He bounced around the majors for a few years, never played in 100 games again after that fine rookie year, and he finished with a .236 career batting average.<br /><br /><strong>Outfield:</strong> <u>Bernard Gilkey</u> (1990-2001) spent his whole career playing left and right field, but he will be stretched on this team to play center. He was an outstanding fielder, but there was always a Ray Lankford or a Lance Johnson around to play center. Gilkey came up with his hometown St. Louis Cardinals, had a few good years for the Mets, and then bounced around the league for a few years. He was a solid but unspectacular player – a .275 career hitter who drew a few walks, had some line drive pop and ran well enough. Right fielder <u>Brian Giles</u> (1995-2009) was a terrific hitter for the Indians, Pirates and Padres. At his peak, he would bat .300 with 100 walks, 30-40 home runs, 30-40 doubles. His defense was poor and his speed was average, but if you stuck him in the middle of a decent batting order he would produce a ton of runs. For his career, he batted .291 (.400 on-base, .502 slugging), scoring 1,121 runs and driving in 1,078. Left fielder <u>Ben Grieve</u> was the AL Rookie of the Year for Oakland in 1998 – at age 22, he batted .288 with 41 doubles, 18 home runs, 89 RBI and 94 runs, drawing 85 walks. He had a couple of good seasons, but in his mid-20s his offense started to gradually move backward. By the time he reached what should have been his prime, he had become completely one-dimensional – a decent hitter, but injury-prone, slow and a disaster on defense. He was out of baseball before he turned 30. His father – former outfielder and general manager Tom Grieve – said he was a victim of high expectations. (Memo to management: Bernard Gilkey can probably handle center field, but he’s gonna have his hands full trying to play in between these two lummoxes.)<br /><br /><strong>Catcher:</strong> <u>Bob Garbark</u> (1934-45) played parts of seven seasons with four different teams but he never hit for any of them. After he retired, he coached the Allegheny College baseball team for more than 30 years.<br /><br /><strong>Rotation:</strong> Hall of Famer <u>Bob Gibson</u> (1959-75) was one of the most dominant pitchers, and one of the more ferocious competitors, of his generation. He spent his whole career with the Cardinals, winning 251 games and striking out 3,117 batters. He had five 20-win seasons, bringing home two Cy Young Awards and the NL MVP Award in 1968, when he put up a 1.12 ERA and pitched 13 shutouts. He was an outstanding athlete (he previously played basketball with the Harlem Globetrotters), and he had 44 doubles and 24 home runs in his career. Gibson pitched in three World Series, making nine starts, completing eight of them, and putting up a 7-2 record with a 1.89 ERA. In 81 World Series innings, he struck out 92 and gave up just 55 hits and 17 walks. He even hit two home runs in the World Series. Hall of Famer <u>Burleigh Grimes</u> (1916-34) won 270 games. He is best remembered today as the last of the legal spitballers who were grandfathered in after the spitball was banned in 1920. Grimes was a workhorse journeyman who won 20 games five times and frequently led the NL in complete games and and innings pitched. He was called Ol’ Stubblebeard because he did not shave on days when he pitched; he chewed slippery elm in order to properly lubricate his spitball, and the whiskers kept his skin from being irritated by the slippery elm spittle. <u>Bill Gullickson</u> (1979-94) was a durable middle-of-the-rotation guy for several teams, winning 162 games. He was never a great pitcher, but he put up double-digit victory totals for 10 straight years, highlighted by a 20-9 record for the Tigers in 1991. <u>Bob Groom</u> (1909-18) had a career record of 119-150, in part because he pitched for bad teams. He led the league in losses three times, including a 7-26 record as a rookie for the 1909 Senators. Lefty <u>Bill Grahame</u> (1908-10) went 14-29 in a brief career.<br /><br /><strong>Bullpen:</strong> <u>Bob Grim</u> (1954-62) won 20 games and the AL Rookie of the Year Award for the Yankees in 1954, starting 20 games and relieving in 17. He was mostly a reliever for the rest of his career, winning 12 and saving 19 with a 2.63 ERA for the Yankees in 1957. After that, he bounced around the majors for a few years. He could be used in several different ways, but he’ll work as the closer on this team. Lefty <u>Buddy Groom</u> (1992-2005) was a pretty ordinary reliever who occasionally worked as a closer. <u>Bill Greif</u> (1971-76) went 31-67, mainly pitching for bad Padres teams. He went to college during his career and earned a degree in psychology (Phi Beta Kappa) and later earned a Master’s degree. Lefty <u>Bob Giollombardo</u> (1958) was teammates with Sandy Koufax both in high school and with the 1958 Dodgers. He pitched well in a short trial with the Dodgers at age 21, then went back to the minors for a few years before hanging it up. <u>Bert Gallia</u> (1912-20) was a pretty decent swingman who pitched for the Senators and the Browns. He won 66 games and saved 10. <u>Bill Gogolewski</u> (1970-75) won 15 games for four teams. <u>Bob Geary</u> (1918-21) won 186 games in the minors and three in the majors.<br /><br /><strong>Bench:</strong> Outfielder <u>Brett Gardner</u> (2008- ) is a speedster who is just getting started with the Yankees. He’s a fine defensive center fielder, so at this point his role on the B.G. team will be as a defensive replacement – taking over center and allowing Gilkey to move to left or right. Gardner led the American League in steals in 2011. Utility man <u>Barbaro Garbey</u> (1984-88) was a great athlete from Cuba (his brother was an Olympic boxer, his sister a track star). He was a standout in Cuba but was banned after a gambling scandal and made his way to the United States, where he signed with the Detroit Tigers. Sparky Anderson immediately billed him as “another Roberto Clemente,” which proved to be a bit of an overstatement, as Garbey had exactly 2,833 fewer career hits than Clemente. Infielder <u>Brent Gates</u> (1993-99) batted .290 as a rookie and went downhill from there, though he was a useful utility guy. Infielder <u>Billy Gilbert</u> (1901-09) stole 167 bases in his career and will work as a defensive sub and pinch-runner. Backup catcher <u>Bob Geren</u> (1988-93) had a longer career than starter Bob Garbark but he wasn’t any better. They can share time.<br /><br /><strong>Manager:</strong> <u>Billy Gardner</u> managed the Twins for five years and the Royals for part of one season. He had a career record of 330-417. He’ll get some help from Bob Geren, who managed the A’s for four years.</div>Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-67019408632990440942011-03-23T06:38:00.000-07:002011-10-06T08:17:19.588-07:00BH: The Bill (and Ben) Holtzclaws<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVfpSM1rzUlC5f6cIzp0C_3exNsJLznH2nIbBjIxQH13RPlqcMhx_JoIeTD1lEjUwX_xKzM8gD6KBFSILHbPj5JgLkjbVP4GixgX5ayyAEQASFaawfg5u0qXDczjHaV5RFNIRHHKNoyo/s1600/horner.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587274227611231506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVfpSM1rzUlC5f6cIzp0C_3exNsJLznH2nIbBjIxQH13RPlqcMhx_JoIeTD1lEjUwX_xKzM8gD6KBFSILHbPj5JgLkjbVP4GixgX5ayyAEQASFaawfg5u0qXDczjHaV5RFNIRHHKNoyo/s320/horner.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><br /><div><strong>Infield:</strong> First baseman <u>Bob Horner</u> (1978-88) was a very good hitter when he was healthy and in-shape. Trouble is, he was rarely healthy, in large part because he didn’t stay in shape. The Atlanta Braves took Horner out of Arizona State with the first pick in the 1978 draft and dropped him right into the major-league lineup at third base. He won the NL Rookie of the Year, putting up 23 home runs and 63 RBI over the second half of that season. The following year he batted .314 with 33 home runs and 98 RBI despite missing 40 games. He always hit, but he could never stay in the lineup. He was a terrible fielder, eventually moved to first base where his sluggishness and indifference would do less damage. He finished his career with 218 home runs and a slugging percentage just below .500. It will be interesting to watch Horner try to handle throws across the infield from third baseman <u>Butch Hobson</u> (1975-82), an erratic slugger who had 30 home runs and 112 RBI for the Red Sox in 1977. Hobson had played football for Bear Bryant at Alabama, and he sustained all sorts of damage to his throwing elbow. He was a tough, scrappy third baseman, but you never knew where his throws were going (he would occasionally reposition the bone chips in his elbow as he stood on the infield), resulting in an .899 fielding percentage in 1978. He struck out a lot and didn’t walk enough and his throwing arm was a disaster, but he hit the long ball and gave a good effort. While the infield defense will be a circus sideshow at the corners, it will be slick up the middle with Hall of Fame second baseman <u>Billy Herman</u> (1931-47) and Gold Glove shortstop <u>Bud Harrelson</u> (1965-80). Herman, a tremendous contact hitter known as one of the best hit-and-run men of all time, starred for the Cubs and the Brooklyn Dodgers, putting up a career average of .304. He played for three pennant winners in Chicago and one in Brooklyn but never won a World Series title. Harrelson was a terrible hitter, even in the minors, but his glove was good and the Mets in the 1960s were bad, so he was in the majors at age 21 and a starter by 23. He played in two all-star games and anchored the defense for the 1969 Miracle Mets. Perhaps the most unforgettable moment in his career came during the 1973 NLCS. Harrelson had made disparaging comments about the Big Red Machine’s hitting in the first few games, prompting Pete Rose to slide hard into him on a double play pivot. Harrelson called Rose some unprintable names, and Rose grabbed the diminutive shortstop, threw him on the ground and pounced on him, setting off a large-scale brawl.<br /><br /><strong>Outfield:</strong> Center fielder <u>Sliding Billy Hamilton</u> (1888-1901) was one of the great stars of 19th-century baseball, though his brilliance wasn’t truly recognized until many decades had passed. Hamilton had a career batting average of .344, and he drew 100-plus walks per season, giving him a .455 career on-base percentage (fourth-best all time). He also stole 914 bases, a record that stood for more than 70 years and is still the third-base total of all time. As a result, he scored 1,697 runs in 1,594 career games, a rate that no other player in history has come even remotely close to. His 198 runs scored in 1894 remains the single-season record, and no other player has even managed to score 180. Left fielder <u>Babe Herman</u> (1926-45) was a legendary player in his own way. He was a very fine hitter – with a .324 career average and good power – but a notoriously bad defensive player with a reputation for playing fly balls off his head and shoulders. He became one of the indelible symbols of the hapless Brooklyn Dodgers, most famously on a play during his rookie year in which he drove a ball into the right field corner with the bases loaded, only to slide into third base and find two other teammates already standing on the bag. Batting third in this lineup, behind Billies Hamilton and Herman, he should drive in a ton of runs. Right fielder <u>Bobby Higginson</u> (1995-2005) spent his career in Detroit and was a fine player during his prime. He hustled, took extra bases and became a fan favorite in Detroit during the desultory years following the Trammel-Whitaker Era. Higginson never played on a winning team, and an elbow injury ended his career at age 34, so he missed out on the 2006 pennant.<br /><br /><strong>Catcher:</strong> <u>Brian Harper</u> (1979-95) wasn’t a very good defensive catcher, and he languished on the benches of five different teams before the Twins got him in 1988 and decided to play him every day. From 1989-93, he was Minnesota’s regular catcher and batted .307 with a good number of doubles and almost zero strikeouts. He finished with a career average of .295.<br /><br /><strong>Rotation:</strong> <u>Burt “Happy” Hooton</u> (1971-85), who threw a pitch he called the “knuckle-curve,” was a durable starter and a key part of the outstanding Dodgers rotations of the 1970s. He won 151 games in his career, including a no-hitter for the Cubs in 1972. His great pitching during the 1981 postseason was one of the keys to the Dodgers’ championship that year. <u>Bill Hands</u> (1965-75) was a teammate with Hooton on the Cubs in the early 1970s. Hands won 20 games for the great 1969 Cubs team that staggered down the stretch and lost the pennant to the Miracle Mets. He won 111 games in his career. Lefty <u>Bruce Hurst</u> (1980-94) was a dependable starter for the Red Sox in the 1980s and a key member of the team that came so close to winning the World Series in 1986. He later went to San Diego and had some good seasons, finishing with a career record of 145-113. <u>Wild Bill Hallahan</u> (1925-38) led the NL in walks three times and wild pitches three times. He also led in strikeouts twice and wins once, on his way to 102 career victories. As a member of the Cardinals’ famous Gas House Gang, he won four pennants and three World Series titles, with an ERA of 1.36 in 39 2/3 postseason innings. He was the starting pitcher for the NL in the first all-star game. Yale graduate <u>Wild Bill Hutchinson</u> (1884-97) was a workhorse who won 121 games for the Chicago Cubs in 1890-92, leading the NL all three seasons. He worked 1,786 innings in those three seasons, but when the pitching distance was moved back to its current 60 feet, 6 inches in 1893, his effectiveness dropped sharply. He finished his career with 182 victories despite the fact that he pitched just two games before his 29th birthday, giving the B.H. team a rotation comprised of five 100-game winners.<br /><br /><strong>Bullpen:</strong> Closer <u>Bryan Harvey</u> (1987-95) was a teriffic pitcher before elbow injuries ended his career in his early 30s. For the Angels in 1991 he saved 46 games and posted a 1.60 ERA. The elbow problems arose the following year and the Angels, thinking him damaged and possibly done, left him unprotected in the expansion draft. The Marlins snapped him up, and Harvey responded with 45 saves and a 1.70 ERA in the team’s inaugural 1993 season. After that, the injuries set in for good and he was finished, but his career stats (177 saves, 2.49 ERA, 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings) remain outstanding. <u>Bob Howry</u> (1998- ) saved 28 games for the 1999 White Sox but has largely pitched in a set-up role other than that season. He has compiled 66 career saves by picking up a few per year. Lefty <u>Bill Henry</u> (1952-69) had a long career spread over six teams, and he continued to pitch effectively until he was almost 40. Henry was reported to have died in 2003, but it later came out that the man who died was an impostor who had been claiming to be former major-league pitcher Bill Henry for at least 20 years. The real Bill Henry is still alive at age 83. Lefty swingman <u>Butch Henry</u> (1992-99) had some good years during his journeyman career. <u>Bump Hadley</u> (1926-41) – an Ivy Leaguer whose real name was Irving Darius Hadley – had a long career split between the rotation and the bullpen. He won 161 games and will push for a spot in the crowded rotation. Hadley is primarily known for ending the career of Hall of Fame catcher Mickey Cochrane with a near-fatal beaning in 1937. <u>Bert Humphries</u> (1910-15) had a career ERA of 2.79 during the deadball era. <u>Billy Hoeft</u> (1952-66) was a hard-throwing lefty swingman who made it to the majors at age 19 and won 20 games for Detroit in 1956. He won 97 games in his career and, like Hadley, will be angling for starts on this team.<br /><br /><strong>Bench:</strong> Backup catcher <u>Bubbles Hargrave</u> (1913-30) had a career average of .310 and won a batting title by hitting .353 in 1926, though he only came to the plate 365 times that year. (The rules at that time said a player needed to appear in 100 games to qualify for the batting title, so the Reds sent him up as a pinch-hitter a few times to push him over the minimum and ensure the batting title, which led to changes in the qualification rules.) The nickname “Bubbles” apparently originated because of a childhood stutter, and he is said to have hated it. <u>Butch Huskey</u> (1993-2000) was a hot power-hitting prospect who was never quite as good as he was supposed to be, though he was certainly a useful player – a decent power hitter who could handle either corner infield or coner outfield positions. He’ll be the first option when Bob Horner is out of the lineup. Outfield <u>Brad Hawpe</u> (2004- ) is a slugger who had some good seasons in Colorado (116 RBI in 2007). He is still in his early 30s and has a good batting eye, so he has a reasonable chance to still be a good hitter now that he has left the high altitudes. If he has a few more good years, could make a push for a starting outfield job. Infielder <u>Buck Herzog</u> (1908-20) played second, third and shortstop in more or less equal amounts, and he was a decent hitter and a fine baserunner. Outstanding utility infielder here, and could push Harrelson for the starting shortstop job. <u>Bill Hall</u> (2002- ) has played all over the infield and outfield, and he has 122 home runs at mid-career. This is an outstanding bench – five very solid hitters, including three (Huskey, Herzog and Hall) who are versatile enough to cover several positions.<br /><br /><strong>Manager:</strong> Hall of Famer <u>Bucky Harris</u> won 2,158 games in his career (7th on the all-time list), with three pennants and two World Series titles. More than half of his wins came with the Senators. He won his first championship in Washington, as a 27-year-old player-manager in 1924. His second came with the 1947 Yankees.</div>Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-64780397929316492972011-03-22T07:05:00.000-07:002011-10-06T07:59:42.664-07:00BJ: The B.J. Hunnicuts<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaZrwimpZWrxWemrztkFPV5n2tEsVBv9ltSjh4wXIhFe08zgfzI8Hy_1SLOIbpgP2f8_TQ8TLaM6-aK88vH0Ve3siDtvupGv9wgpg4ZpQHrut-Bjcx3FpiA1Aa2-Rylr_72q8a-J1BYU/s1600/bo.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 258px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586906428205980546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaZrwimpZWrxWemrztkFPV5n2tEsVBv9ltSjh4wXIhFe08zgfzI8Hy_1SLOIbpgP2f8_TQ8TLaM6-aK88vH0Ve3siDtvupGv9wgpg4ZpQHrut-Bjcx3FpiA1Aa2-Rylr_72q8a-J1BYU/s320/bo.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><br /><div><strong>Infield:</strong> Third baseman <u>Bill Joyce</u> (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 <u>Billy Jurges</u> (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 <u>Buck Jordan</u> (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 <u>Bernie James</u> (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.<br /><br /><strong>Outfield:</strong> Left fielder <u>Bo Jackson</u> (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 <u>Indian Bob Johnson</u> (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 <u>Baby Doll Jacobson</u> (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.<br /><br /><strong>Catcher:</strong> <u>Brian Johnson</u> (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.<br /><br /><strong>Rotation:</strong> <u>Big Bill James</u> (1911-19) and <u>Seattle Bill James</u> (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. <u>Bart Johnson</u> (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. <u>Bobby J. Jones</u> (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. <u>Beany Jacobson</u> (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.<br /><br /><strong>Bullpen:</strong> Closer <u>Bobby Jenks</u> (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. <u>Bob James</u> (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. <u>Bob D. Johnson</u> (1969-77) was a hard-throwing swingman who was a key contributor to the 1971 championship team in Pittsburgh. <u>Barry Jones</u> (1986-93) was a durable journeyman who had some very fine years in middle relief and set-up roles. Lefty <u>Bobby M. Jones</u> (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. <u>Bob Joyce</u> (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. <u>Bumpus Jones</u> (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.<br /><br /><strong>Bench:</strong> Outfielder <u>Brian Jordan</u> (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 <u>Brook Jacoby</u> (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 <u>Bob W. Johnson</u> (1960-70) provided solid defense at second, third and shortstop, and he was a decent hitter as well. <u>Sleepy Bill Johnson</u> (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. <u>Bubber Jonnard</u> (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.)<br /><br /><strong>Manager:</strong> <u>Bill Joyce</u> 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.</div>Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-91635593160611877342011-03-21T08:27:00.000-07:002011-10-06T07:18:54.972-07:00BK: The BK Broilers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCxspIHvjkpAOHHgmQkm4ovKfnwSrceEqpc0kl4rVDLWuRy3YQyvIaLcGuMQhMpO2DyFFQ_9BXG_0bhgeEASkYYwV9NRhyphenhyphen3hTdvEdXv8ydd_B_J0-Vb-qkk0vt315DUzn2jEkK7m7ZSM/s1600/kauff.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 233px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586556573355503202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCxspIHvjkpAOHHgmQkm4ovKfnwSrceEqpc0kl4rVDLWuRy3YQyvIaLcGuMQhMpO2DyFFQ_9BXG_0bhgeEASkYYwV9NRhyphenhyphen3hTdvEdXv8ydd_B_J0-Vb-qkk0vt315DUzn2jEkK7m7ZSM/s320/kauff.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><br /><div><strong>Infield:</strong> Second baseman <u>Bobby Knoop</u> (1964-72) won three Gold Gloves and once led the American League in triples (11 in 1966). That was an anomaly – he was a weak hitter, and those 11 triples represented more than twice as many as he hit in any other season. His career average was .236, and he only had one season in his career over .250. Third baseman <u>Bill Kuehne</u> (1883-92) was born in Leipzig, Germany, and in fact he has more at-bats than any other player born in that country. Unlke Bobby Knoop, he never led the league in triples, but he did finish second in the league three times and hit 115 triples in 10 seasons. He wasn’t a great hitter, but from what we can discern from 19th-century fielding stats, he seems to have been a decent glove man. Shortstop <u>Buddy Kerr</u> (1943-51) was a tall, skinny guy who didn’t hit much, but he was a good fielder. First baseman <u>Bruce Konopka</u> (1942-46) had little more than a cup o’coffee in the bigs, but he spread it out over three seasons – 1942-43 and 1946. He batted .238 and didn’t really do anything to warrant a longer look.<br /><br /><strong>Outfield:</strong> Center fielder <u>Benny Kauff</u> (1912-20) was a 5-foot-8, 150-pound dynamo who was a major star in the upstart Federal League. In the league’s first season, in 1914, Kauff led all hitters in batting, on-base, hits, runs, doubles and stolen bases. He drew comparisons to Ty Cobb, and he seemed to share the opinion that he was Cobb’s equal. Off the field, Kauff was a fancy dresser and a flashy carouser, famous among teammates for his ability to smoke a cigar, chew tobacco and drink a beer all at the same time. When the Federal League folded, Kauff returned to the New York Giants and remained an effective player, though not nearly as dominant as he had been in the upstart league. He liked to gamble, and there were accusations, which he denied, that he may have been involved in the fixing of the 1919 World Series. Those charges were never formally brought against him, but another scandal hit him hard – in the offseason he operated an automobile accessory business in New York, and he and his associates were accused of stealing a car, repainting it and selling it for profit. He was acquitted in court, but Commissioner Landis decided that Kauff’s behavior and reputation were unscrupulous, and he handed down a lifetime ban as part of the purge in 1920 aimed at sweeping the gamblers, cheaters and criminals out of the sport. Kauff protested that he had been wronged, but he never played again. He left the game with a .311 average. Left fielder <u>Bobby Kielty</u> (2001-07) was undrafted out of college but signed with the Twins as an amateur free agent and went on to become a decent fourth outifleder at the big-league level. He batted .254 in his career but had a decent batting eye, a little bit of power and an adequate glove. He retired at age 30 after winning a World Series title with the 2007 Red Sox; he hit a pinch-hit home run in his only World Series at-bat, giving him 1.000 batting average and a 4.000 slugging percentage in World Series play. Right fielder <u>Bob Kennedy</u> (1939-57) – no, not the former attorney general – played mostly with the White Sox and Indians before he spent the last four years of his career wandering aimlessly from team to team. He was a .254 hitter with no power and no speed. He went on to manage the Cubs for a few years (in between the College of Coaches and Leo Durocher), and his son Terry was a fine catcher.<br /><br /><strong>Catcher:</strong> <u>Reindeer Bill Killefer</u> (1909-21) had a long career with the Browns, Phillies and Cubs in which he didn’t hit very well. He won a pennant in 1915 with the Phillies and another in 1918 with the Cubs. In both cases, he was teammates with Grover Cleveland Alexander; they were traded together in 1917.<br /><br /><strong>Rotation:</strong> Lefty <u>Bob Knepper</u> (1976-90) won 146 games for the Giants and the Astros. He had a big, sweeping curve that was something to see when it was working well. In the 1980s, when Pam Postema was trying to become the first female umpire in the majors, Knepper made a series of unfortunate comments. He started by saying that women shouldn’t be umpires – no matter how talented they are at the job – because they were meant to be subservient to men and therefore should never hold positions with any sort of authority. When these comments created controversy, he made things worse by shrugging it off and dismissing the National Organization for Women as “a bunch of lesbians who want to be men.” He never led the league in victories, but he twice led the league in shutouts. <u>Brickyard Kennedy</u> (1892-1903) won 187 games, mostly for the Brooklyn franchise. Kennedy’s nickname came from his offseason job; he was also commonly known as Roaring Bill Kennedy, though that nickname has been lost to the history books since it’s not nearly as cool as Brickyard. His last appearance in the majors was in Game 4 of the inaugural World Series in 1903, when he lost to Cy Young and the Red Sox. <u>Bruce Kison</u> (1971-85) had a career record of 115-85. He was on two World Series champions with Pittsburgh, and his record in the postseason as 5-1 with a 1.98 ERA. On June 3, 1979, he made an emergency start for the Pirates despite the fact that he had pitched in relief the night before. Kison took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Padres, but with two out Barry Evans ripped a double down the third base line past a sprawling Phil Garner. When the official scorer refused to give Garner an error to extend the no-hitter, Kison threw a temper tantrum, first on the mound and later in his postgame comments. To this day, Kison’s online bios – on both Facebook and Wikipedia – give a phony account of how Garner “muffed a ground ball” and how Kison got screwed over by the official scorer. <u>Bill Krueger</u> (1983-95) was a lefty swingman who spent his first five years in Oakland and the rest of his career bouncing around among seven other teams. He won 68 games. <u>Bob Keegan</u> (1953-58) – no, not that guy on “Captain Kangaroo” – went 40-36 as a swingman with the White Sox.<br /><br /><strong>Bullpen:</strong> <u>Billy Koch</u> (1999-2004) saved 163 games, mostly for the Blue Jays and the A’s. His career ended before he turned 30, in part because he said he and his family had contracted Morgellon’s Disease – a skin condition that many in the medical community believe is actually a paranoid delusion in which the victim believes that bugs are crawling under his skin. <u>Byung-Hyun Kim</u> (1999-2007) was a diminutive Korean who thew submarine-style and had some very fine years, especially with Arizona. He had a disastrous World Series in 2001, and one of the lasting images of his career is that of Kim crouched down into a little ball on the mound after giving up a walk-off home run to Derek Jeter. (Kim was saved by the fact that the Dbacks came back to win the Series.) Lefty <u>Bub Kuzava</u> (1946-57) won 49 games for eight teams. While pitching for the Yankees, he recorded dramatic saves in the decisive games of both the 1951 and ’52 World Series. In 1951 against the Giants, he came on in the ninth inning of Game 6 with the bases loaded, nobody out and the Yankees holding a 4-1 lead. He got three outs (two of them sac flies) to close out the championship. A year later against the Dodgers, in Game 7 he came on in the seventh inning with the bases loaded and one out, with the Yankees up 4-2. He recorded the final eight outs of the game, giving up no hits or walks. (He won another title with the Yankees in 1953 but didn’t really contribute in the World Series.) Lefty <u>Bob Kipper</u> (1985-92) won 27 games, mostly for the Pirates. <u>Bill Kelso</u> (1964-68) pitched reasonably well in a short career for the Angels and the Reds, but he was done before he turned 30. <u>Benn Karr</u> (1920-27), nicknamed “Baldy,” won 35 games in the majors and 134 in the minors. <u>Brian Kingman</u> (1979-83) was a very forgettable pitcher for the Oakland A’s, so he clung to the fact that his 8-20 record in 1980 made him the last pitcher to lose 20 games in a season because it was the only reason people remembered him. For years, anytime a pitcher would reach about 18 losses, Kingman would fly out to appear at his remaining starts, trying to reverse-jinx him – Kingman didn’t want anyone to lose 20 games and steal his distinction. Finally in 2003, Mike Maroth lost 21 games and Kingman had to give it up.<br /><br /><strong>Bench:</strong> Outfielder <u>Brad Komminsk</u> (1983-91) was a “can’t miss” prospect who missed. A first-round draft pick of the Braves, he hit at every level of the minors, and at age 22 he tore up Triple-A for a .334 average with 24 home runs and 103 RBI in just 117 games. He never hit a lick in the majors, but he finished with 230 home runs in the minors. Infielder <u>Bill “Wagon Tongue” Keister</u> (1896-1903) was a good hitter who banged out a ton of doubles and triples. His career was short, his defense was bad and he moved from team to team, but the man could hit, and he will push for playing time in the middle infield. Utility infielder <u>Billy Klaus</u> (1952-63) was a useful spare part for a decade. Infielder <u>Bill "New York" Knickerbocker</u> (1933-42) stole 25 bases in his career and was thrown out 46 times. In 1935-36, he stole 7 bases in 33 attempts. Really. Backup catcher <u>Bob Kearney</u> (1979-87) batted .233 in his career.<br /><br /><strong>Manager:</strong> <u>Bill Killefer</u> will be player-manager. He was 300-293 in a few years with the Cubs, but then he had the misfortune of managing the St. Louis Browns for a few years (to the tune of 224 wins and 329 losses). In his role as manager and starting catcher, he will become very well acquainted with umpire Bill Klem.</div>Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-10978645764834508812011-03-16T05:29:00.000-07:002011-10-05T10:19:38.996-07:00BL: The BeBopA Lulas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehiiuw4533OeOZ14NkeQEVi_V1MaL9o6CuJs6S9SzBSE305ImkWV_Eg_VR54gxpoj_PS2gu-Yq4HMSxNBk8-gUAVFmFHcBHVW3WLzIlM_nVM2f3qdWQFZyjHzaRO-iA8DvNfXG4rLG-Y/s1600/lee.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 235px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584656056939381410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehiiuw4533OeOZ14NkeQEVi_V1MaL9o6CuJs6S9SzBSE305ImkWV_Eg_VR54gxpoj_PS2gu-Yq4HMSxNBk8-gUAVFmFHcBHVW3WLzIlM_nVM2f3qdWQFZyjHzaRO-iA8DvNfXG4rLG-Y/s320/lee.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><br /><div><strong>Infield:</strong> <u>Buck Leonard</u> was, by pretty much unanimous acclamation, the greatest first baseman in the history of the Negro Leagues. He batted behind Josh Gibson for the great Homestead Grays teams of the 1930s, and he was known as The Black Lou Gehrig. Leonard was a great hitter and fielder, and he was one of the most respected gentlemen of the Negro Leagues. A few years after the color line was broken, St. Louis Browns owner Bill Veeck tried to sign him to a contract, but Leonard – past 40 and fearing that he would embarrass himself and set back the cause – declined the offer. Shortstop <u>Barry Larkin</u> (1986-2004) was a complete package. He was a .300 hitter with enough power to hit 198 career home runs and enough speed to steal 379 bases at a success rate of better than 80 percent. He walked more than he struck out, and he won three Gold Gloves at shortstop while playing for his hometown Cincinnati Reds. He never led the league in any offensive category, but when he was healthy he was consistently one of the best players in the league, and in 1995 he won the NL MVP award. Third baseman <u>Buddy Lewis</u> (1935-49) reached the majors at age 18 and broke into the Washinton Senators lineup at 19. He had more than 1,100 hits and 600 runs by the time he turned 24 – one of the highest totals ever – but then he lost 3 1/2 seasons in the heart of his prime to World War II. He came back strong in 1945, batting .333 and almost driving the Senators to a pennant, but a hip injury slowed him in his early 30s and he retired young, in part because of business obligations back home in North Carolina. Second baseman <u>Bobby Lowe</u> (1890-1907), the first batter ever to hit four home runs in a game, stuck around long enough to pile up almost 2,000 hits, and he scored 1,135 runs.<br /><br /><strong>Outfield:</strong> Center fielder <u>Bill Lange</u> (1893-99) was a sensational athlete who had a .330 career batting average. He scored almost 700 runs and stole 400 bases in a career of just over 800 games. He was a big guy, and those who saw him insist that he was one of the fastest, smartest and most aggressive baserunners of all time – he would later be compared to Ty Cobb as a baserunner, though his personality was very different from Cobb’s. Lange retired at the peak of his skills (at age 28) to pursue a business career, despite offers by the Chicago Cubs to triple his salary. (Apparently his prospective father-in-law didn't approve of his daughter marrying a mere ballplayer.) Right fielder <u>Billy Lush</u> (1895-1904) was another speedster, though he wasn’t nearly as electrifying a player as Lange. Left fielder <u>Bris Lord</u> (1905-13) has the last name of God and the first name of a religious rite. He was nicknamed The Human Eyeball, apparently because of his massive forehead. As a rookie,he was part of the Philadelphia A’s team that won the AL pennant, but after a few years he went back to the minors and resurfaced in 1909 with Cleveland. A’s manager Connie Mack wanted him back, so he acquired Lord in a deal for Morrie Rath and a player to be named later. The player to be named later ended up being a young outfielder named Shoeless Joe Jackson, so it didn’t turn out to be the best trade Mack ever made, but Lord hit well for a couple of years and helped the A’s win two World Series titles.<br /><br /><strong>Catcher:</strong> <u>Bill Ludwig</u> (1908) batted .182 in 66 games for the Cardinals in a year when the lost 105 games.<br /><br /><strong>Rotation:</strong> <u>Bob Lemon</u> (1946-58) was an oddity, a guy who made it to the majors as a third baseman and outfielder, converted to the mound while in the majors, and then went on to a Hall of Fame career. He had a career record of 207-128, including seven seasons of 20 victories and another when he led the AL with 18. As part of the Cleveland Indians’ legendary rotation of the 1950s, he led the AL in wins three times and in complete games and innings pitched four times apiece. He was obviously a good hitter, with 37 career home runs. <u>Bill “Spaceman” Lee</u> (1969-82) was a talented and idiosyncratic lefty who won 119 games for the Red Sox and the Expos. He was a fine pitcher but drew more attention for his free-spirited lifestyle and a running commentary that was as clever as it was controversial. (He once said that the hardest thing about baseball is that “you’re supposed to sit on your ass and nod at stupid things,” prompting Warren Zevon to write a <a href="http://tinyurl.com/2e8vbgo">song</a> about him). Lee smoked pot, stumped for left-wing political causes and bickered with team management. He occasionally threw a lob ball that he called his “Leephus” pitch, and he lobbied unsuccessfully to wear No. 337 on his jersey, since it would spell LEE upside-down. While playing for the Expos, he grew a mangy beard that eventually reached his chest. After his retirement, he announced that he was running for president as the candidate of the Rhino Party, which he said held its convention at a bar in Quebec. (A key part of his platform had to do with preventing attacks by killer bees.) Now in his mid-60s, he reportedly still pitches 200 innings a year in an over-40 league in New England. <u>Big Bill Lee</u> (1934-47), heretofore known as The Earthbound Righthander, won 169 games in his career, mostly for the Cubs (including a league-high 22 wins in 1938, also leading the league with a 2.66 ERA). <u>Braden Looper</u> (1998-2009) spent the first part of his career as a decent closer (103 saves) but later shifted to the rotation and won 38 games in three years as a starter. That’s where this team needs him more, so he’ll start the year in the rotation and we’ll see what happens. His career record was 72-65 with a 4.15 ERA. While Looper spent part of his career in the pen and part in the rotation, <u>Barry Latman</u> (1957-67) moved between starting and relieving throughout his career, winning 59 games.<br /><br /><strong>Bullpen:</strong> Closer <u>Brad Lidge</u> (2002- ) is an overpowering (12 strikeouts per nine innings) but erratic reliever for the past decade. His career ERA is 3.44, which is good but not really what you’d want from a closer. He’s had full-season ERAs of 1.90, 1.95 and 2.29, but he’s also put up 7.21 and 5.28, so you never really know what you’re gonna get with him. He has 223 career saves. <u>Bob Locker</u> (1965-75) was the opposite of Lidge – an extraordinarily consistent reliever who mostly worked set-up. During his 10-year career, his ERA was below 3.20 nine times, including six years below 3.00. He won 57 games and saved 95. He provides very good insurance for the periods when Lidge goes off the ledge. <u>Bill Landrum</u> (1986-93) didn’t blow anyone away, but he had a couple of very effective seasons as Pittsburgh’s closer – 56 saves and a 2.32 ERA from 1989-91. <u>Bob Lee</u> (1964-68) worked as a closer for the Angels for a few years. He had 63 saves and a career ERA of 2.71, but his best seasons were at the heart of the pitching-dominated mid-1960s. <u>Bob Lacey</u> (1977-84) was a big lefty who had a few quietly effective years pitching in middle relief for Oakland. <u>Barry Lersch</u> (1969-74) won 18 games as a swingman for the Phillies during a period when the team wasn’t very good. <u>Billy Loes</u> (1950-61) was a swingman who won 80 games in his career and won three pennants and a World Series with his hometown Brooklyn Dodgers. He is famous for one of the great excuses in sports history – after mishandling a ground ball in the 1952 World Series, he claimed that he lost it in the sun.<br /><br /><strong>Bench:</strong> Utility infielder <u>Baldy Louden</u> (1907-16) was good at getting on base and he ran OK, so he’ll be the first guy called upon to pinch-hit. Infielder <u>Bryan Little</u> (1982-86) was a terrible hitter but a good bunter. He was a solid second baseman and an adequate shortstop. He’ll work out as a utility infielder here. Backup catcher <u>Byrd Lynn</u> (1916-20) was a spare part on the Black Sox team that threw the 1919 World Series. Third baseman <u>Billy Lauder</u> (1898-1903) was an Ivy League guy – educated at Brown, and later coached at Columbia and Yale. Outfielder <u>Bevo LeBourveau</u> (1919-29) was a minor-league star (.349 in a long career) but was never more than a decent reserve in the majors.<br /><br /><strong>Manager:</strong> <u>Bob Lillis</u> was always right around .500 during 3 1/2 years with the Astros in the mid-1980s. His career record was 276-261. Bob Lemon actually had a better managerial career – 430-403 with a World Series titles with the ’78 Yankees – but we’ll put him in a support role so that he can focus on pitching.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281529966282326691.post-18419604060265905832011-03-08T09:31:00.000-08:002011-10-05T08:55:34.287-07:00BM: The Bud Methenys<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNA_fwNtyvdBLImdn4xyl1ddKdhU5jSZ5GicMWiQWRJVrUyWzyI6m38KM8bzOJQxQdF1tu5NJUZHo62b8A4TnlWGxoouRVbqSLFZnM4jo4fd7QvYth01XpWAZZiCwKqYbpb-KYLhqWgk/s1600/billy.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 306px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581765103360910850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNA_fwNtyvdBLImdn4xyl1ddKdhU5jSZ5GicMWiQWRJVrUyWzyI6m38KM8bzOJQxQdF1tu5NJUZHo62b8A4TnlWGxoouRVbqSLFZnM4jo4fd7QvYth01XpWAZZiCwKqYbpb-KYLhqWgk/s320/billy.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><br /><div><strong>Infield:</strong> <u>Bill Madlock</u> (1973-87) and <u>Bill Melton</u> (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 <u>Bid McPhee</u> (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 <u>Billy Myers</u> (1935-41) won two pennants and one World Series title with the Reds.<br /><br /><strong>Outfield:</strong> <u>Bobby Murcer</u> (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 <u>Bob Meusel</u> (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. <u>Bing Miller</u> (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.<br /><br /><strong>Catcher:</strong> <u>Biz Mackey</u> 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.<br /><br /><strong>Rotation:</strong> <u>Bill Monbouquette</u> (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. <u>Bobby Mathews</u> (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. <u>Ben McDonald</u> (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. <u>Brett Myers</u> (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. <u>Fiddler Bill McGee</u> (1935-42) was a swingman who won 46 games for the Cardinals and the Giants.<br /><br /><strong>Bullpen:</strong> Closer <u>Billy McCool</u> (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. <u>Bob Moose</u> (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 <u>Bob McClure</u> (1975-93) pitched almost 700 games in his career, winning 68 and saving 52. Righty <u>Bob Miller</u> (1957-74) and lefty <u>Bob Miller</u> (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 <u>Bob Macdonald</u> (1990-96) bounced around the majors for a few years and won eight games. <u>Brandon Medders</u> (2005- ) is in his early 30s and trying to hang onto a job in the majors.<br /><br /><strong>Bench:</strong> Utility infiedler <u>Buddy Myer</u> (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 <u>Bill Mazeroski</u> (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 <u>Barney McCosky</u> (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, <u>Bake McBride</u> (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 <u>Brian McCann</u> (2005- ) is in mid-career with the Braves and has been remarkably durable and consistent.<br /><br /><strong>Manager:</strong> Hall of Famers <u>Billy Martin</u> and <u>Bill McKechnie</u> 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 <em>fought</em> 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.</div>Mike & Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15359150744163227210noreply@blogger.com0