How it works

"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 ..." - The Bill James Baseball Abstract 1984

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.

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.

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.

Have fun.

AA: The Aaron Altmans

Infield: Alex Arias (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 Alexi Amarista (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 Alf Anderson (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. Alex Avila (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.

Outfield: Center fielder Alfredo Amezaga (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 Abraham Almonte (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 Art Allison (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 D.C. street in a blizzard.

Catcher: Alan Ashby (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.

Rotation: Andy Ashby (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 Allan Anderson (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. Al Atkinson (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 Al Aber (1950-57) won 24 games for the Indians and the Tigers, splitting time between the rotation and the pen. Andrew Albers (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.

Bullpen: Here lies the strength of this roster. Ace Adams (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 Antonio Alfonseca (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. Al Alburquerque (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. Alfredo Aceves (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 Armando Almanza (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. A.J. Achter (2014- ) has been up and down with the Twins and Angels and has pitched alright, with a 3.92 career ERA. Austin Adams (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.)

Bench: Infielder Angel Aragon (1914-17) was a Cuban immigrant who batted .118 in 32 games for the Yankees. Outfielders Aaron Altherr (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 Andy Allanson (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. Andy Allison (1872) batted .163, but he gets the last roster spot here so he can room with his brother Art.

Manager: No A.A. has ever managed in the majors, but Alan Ashby 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.

AB: The Antonio Banderases

Infield: Aaron Boone (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 Adrian Beltre (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.
 Second baseman Alan Bannister (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 Al Bridwell (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.

Outfield: Left fielder Albert Belle (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 Al Bumbry (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 Al Burch (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.

Catcher: Al Bool (1928-31) was a fine minor-league hitter who got a few trials in the majors in his early 30s.

Rotation: Andy Benes (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. A.J. Burnett (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 Addison Brennan (1910-18) had a couple of good years for the Phillies, highlighted by 14 wins and a 2.37 ERA in 1913. Alan Benes (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. Al Benton (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.

Bullpen: Closer Armando Benitez (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. Andrew Bailey (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 Al Brazle (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. Andrew Brown (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. Antonio Bastardo (2009- ) is a young lefty fireballer whose name, when said in a deep and guttural tone, is every bit as intimidating as his fastball. Ambiorix Burgos (2005-07) had a live arm, a great name, and no control. Aaron Barrett (2015- ) is a big, strapping righty who has worked 90 innings for the Nationals and strikes out almost 11 batters per nine innings.

Bench: Infielder Angel Berroa (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. Adrian Brown (1997-2006) was a slap-hitting outfielder for the Pirates. Infielder Art Butler (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 Austin Barnes (2015- ) has hit .180 in limited time, but his minor-league record suggests he is better than that.

Manager: There has never been an A.B. manager in the major leagues, but Al Bumbry spent many years coaching for the Red Sox, Orioles and Indians.

AC: The Archibald Coxes

Infield: Third baseman Andy Carey (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 Asdrubal Cabrera (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 Alberto Callaspo (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 Allen Craig (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.

Outfield: Right fielder Al Cowens (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 Alex Cole (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 Adam Comorosky (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.

Catcher: Amos Cross (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.

Rotation: Andy Coakley (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. Aaron Cook (2002-12) spent most of his career with the Colorado Rockies and won 76 games. Alex Cobb (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. Andrew Cashner (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 Adam Conley (2015- ) has shown well for parts of two seasons in Miami's rotation.

 Bullpen: Cuban fireballer Aroldis Chapman (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. Alex Carrasquel (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. Al Corwin (1951-55) pitched for the Giants and did well enough to get by for several years. Alberto Castillo (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. Aaron Crow (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. Al Cicotte (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.

Bench: In a crowded middle infield picture, Alex Cintron (2001-09) and Andujar Cedeno (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 Allie Clark (1947-53) was a journeyman role player who won World Series titles with the Yankees in 1947 and the Indians in 1948. Archi Cianfrocco (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. Alberto “Bambino” Castillo (1995-2007) was a light-hitting backup catcher with solid defensive skills for more than a decade.

Manager: Andy Cohen 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.

AD: The Abner Doubledays

Infield: First baseman Alvin Davis (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 Alvin Dark (1946-60), Art Devlin (1904-13) and Aledmys Diaz (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.

Outfield: Hall of Famer Andre “Hawk” Dawson (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 Adam Dunn (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 Abner Dalrymple (1878-91) was a 19th-century leadoff batter who ran well and had some pop.

Catcher: Al DeVormer (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.

Rotation: Lefty Al Downing (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. Al Demaree (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. Art Ditmar (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. Atley Donald (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. Anthony Desclafani (2014- ) has got a live arm and decent command. He has won 20 games (and lost 20) in three years for Cincinnati.

Bullpen: Closer Adrian Devine (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. Art Decatur (1922-27) won 23 games for the Brooklyn Robins and the Philadelphia Phillies. Art Delaney (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. Andy Dunning (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. Arthur Doll (1936-38) pitched in a total of four games and seems to have had better luck than Andrew Dunning. Alec Distaso (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. Art Daney (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.

Bench: Argenis Diaz (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 Alex Delgado (1996) spent 18 years in the minors and in Mexico but only got a brief shot in the majors with the Red Sox. Outfielder Alejandro de Aza (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. Adam Duvall (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 Andy Dirks (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.

Manager: Alvin Dark 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.”

AG: The Attorneys General

Infield: First baseman Andres “The Big Cat” Galarraga (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 Alex Gordon (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 Alex Gonzalez (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 Alfredo Griffin (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.

Outfield: OK, Adrian Gonzalez (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 Augie Galan (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 Anthony Gose (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.

Catcher: Alex Gaston (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.

Rotation: Ad Gumbert (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. Armando Galarraga (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^th, 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  hand it to the emotionally overwhelmed umpire in a lovely show of sportsmanship. A.J. Griffin (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. Al Gerheauser (1943-48) was a lefty who pitched mostly during World War II, going 25-50 for three teams. Al Grabowski (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.

Bullpen: There is no obvious closer on the roster, so for now that task falls to Al Gettel (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. Angel Guzman (2006-09) had a career record of 3-10 with the Cubs. Currently a pitching coach in his native Venezuela. Aubrey Gatewood (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. Al Gould (1916-17) was a diminutive righty who won nine games for the Indians during the Tris Speaker Era.  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.  Andrew Good (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 Al “Stretch” Grunwald (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. Armando Gabino (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.

Bench: The other Alex Gonzalez (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 Al Gallagher (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. Adrian Garrett (1966-76) is the backup catcher.  He’s a lefty stick off the bench, albeit a lefty stick that batted .185 for  his career. He did hit 11 home runs in 276 at-bats, so there’s something. Utility infielder Alex Grammas (1954-63) was a career .247 hitter. He will start some at second base, but will mostly be kept busy managing this team. Outfielder Avisail Garcia (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.)

Manager: Alex Grammas 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.

AH: The Anne Hathaways

Infield: First baseman Aubrey Huff (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 Aaron Hill (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 Art Howe (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 Adeiny Hecharvarria (2012- ) is a Cuban defector who has a solid glove and arm but doesn't contribute much to the offense.

Outfield: Left fielder Adam Hyzdu (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 Albert Hall (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 Aaron Hicks (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.

Catcher: A.J. Hinch (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.

Rotation: Andy Hawkins (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. Atlee Hamaker (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. Aaron Harang (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 Al “Boots” Hollingsworth (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. Art “Hard Luck” Houtteman (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.

Bullpen: Closer Al Hrabosky (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. Al Holland (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. Andy “Swede” Hansen (1944-53) won 23 games in a career split between the Phillies and the Giants. Aaron Heilman (2003-11) was a Mets prospect who struggled as a starter but put together a respectable career as a middle reliever. Andy Hassler (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. Al Hargesheimer (1980-86) pitched a few games here and there for the Giants, Cubs and Royals but never got a strong foothold in the bigs. Art “Red” Herring (1929-47) was a swingman who pitched mostly for the Tigers and the Dodgers.

Bench: Infielder Andy High (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 Al “Who Goes There?” Halt (1914-18) played mostly in the Federal League and didn’t make much of an impression. Outfielder Al Heist (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.) Arthur “Hoss” Hoelskoetter (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 Austin Hedges (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.


Manager: Art Howe 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.”