AM: The Alonzo Mourning Mornings

Infield: First baseman Alex McKinnon (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 Al Myers (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 Alex McCarthy (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 Al Moran (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.

Outfield: Center fielder Andrew McCutchen (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 Austin McHenry (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 Al Martin (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.

Catcher: Adam Melhuse (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.

Rotation: Andy Messersmith (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. Al Mamaux (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. Art Mahaffey (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. Happy Al Milnar (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 Angel Miranda (1993-97) went 17-21 as a swingman for the Brewers.

Bullpen: Closer Al McBean (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. Andrew Miller (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. Alan Mills (1990-2001) was an effective pitcher for a decade, mostly for the Orioles, winning 39 games in middle relief. Andy McGaffigan (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 Archie McKain (1937-43), nicknamed “Happy” just like Al Milnar, had a few good years for the Red Sox and the Tigers. Alvin Morman (1996-99) pitched for four teams in four years and was generally alright but never actually good. Aurelio Monteagudo (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.

Bench: Outfielder Andres Mora (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 Aaron Miles (2003- ) is a good defensive player and a passable hitter who makes good contact. Outfielder Alex Metzler (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 Amby McConnell (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 Al Montgomery (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.

Manager: No A.M. has ever managed in the majors, but Amby McConnell had a long career in the minors as a coach, manager and even a team owner. We’ll hand him the reins for now.

AP: The Arnold Palmers

Infield: Albert Pujols (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 Art Phelan (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 Arquimedez Pozo (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 Al Pedrique (1987-89) batted .300 in a partial season with Pittsburgh but he struggled to hit .200 after that.

Outfield: Center fielder A.J. Pollock (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 Angel Pagan (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 Andy Pafko (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.

Catcher: A.J. Pierzynski (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.

Rotation: Lefty Andy Pettitte (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. Arlie Pond (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. Ariel Prieto (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. Arnie Portocarrero (1954-60) went 15-11 for the 1958 Orioles; in the rest of his career his record was 23-46. Al Pratt (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.

Bullpen: Closer Alejandro Pena (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. Aaron Poreda (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. Adam Peterson (1987-91) got several shots with the White Sox but generally got clobbered. Lefty Ambrose Puttman (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 looks like an Ambrose Puttman. Alfonso Pulido (1983-86) was a Mexican lefty who pitched a few games for the Pirates and the Yankees. Al Pierotti (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. Abner Powell (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.

Bench: Outfielder Adolfo Phillips (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 Ace Parker (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  Albie Pearson (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. Antonio Perez (2003-06) was a quick utility infielder who didn't hit much. Backup catcher Angel Pena (1998-2001) batted .209 for the Dodgers.

Manager: Hall of Famer Alex Pompez 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.

AR: The Al Rokers / Andy Rooneys

Infield: Alex Rodriguez (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. Al Rosen (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 Aramis Ramirez (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 Alexei Ramirez (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.

Outfield: Right fielder Alexis Rios (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 Aaron Rowand (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 Alec Radcliffe, 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.

Catcher: Aaron Robinson (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.

Rotation: Amos Rusie (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. Allie Reynolds (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 Art Reinhart (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. Armando Reynoso (1991-2002) had several fine years pitching in the thin air of Colorado. He won 68 games in his career. Anthony Reyes (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.

Bullpen:  Addison Reed (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. Arthur Rhodes (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. Allen Russell (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. Al Reyes (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. Andy Rincon (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. Allen Ripley (1978-82) won 23 games for the Red Sox, Giants and Cubs.

Bench: Third baseman Anthony Rendon (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 Anthony Rizzo (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 Addison Russell (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 Art Rebel (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 Anthony Recker (2011- ) is struggling to bat .200, but he's got a little bit of power.

Manager: Al Reach 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.

AS: The Alan Shores

Infield: Alfonso Soriano (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 Al Smith (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 Art Shamsky (1965-72) had his best year in 1969 for the Miracle Mets, batting .300 with 14 home runs in 303 at-bats. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons (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.

Outfield: Left fielder Al Simmons (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 Amos Strunk (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 Al Spangler (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.

Catcher: Andy Seminick (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.

Rotation: Al Spalding (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 Al Smith (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. Aaron Sele (1993-2007) won 148 games in his career, highlighted by 19 and 18 for the Rangers in 1998-99. Anibal Sanchez (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. Allen Sothoron (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.

Bullpen: Al “Doc” Severinsen (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. Art Schallock (1951-55) was a diminutive lefty who came up with Casey Stengel’s Yankees but was rarely a key figure in the bullpen. Al Schacht (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. Allyn Stout (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 Albert Sima (1950-54) was 11-21 pitching for weak teams in the American League. Andy Sonnanstine (2007-11) won 13 games for Tampa in 2008 and then struggled with injuries. he finished his career at 28-31.

Bench: Infielder Andy Stankiewicz (1992-98) didn’t hit much but drew some walks and hung around for several years as a spare part with four teams.  Infielder Andy Sheets (1996-2002) played for five teams but never hit enough to earn a fulltime job. Outfielder Al Scheer (1913-15) had a couple of good seasons in the Federal League. Outfielder Albert Shaw (1907-15) was an above-average hitter for a few years. Backup catcher Admiral Schlei (1904-11), apparently nicknamed after a Naval hero from the Spanish-American War, had a few decent years for the Reds and the Giants.

Manager: Al Spalding, 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.

AT: The Alex Trebeks

Infield: Shortstop Alan Trammell (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 Andre Thornton (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 Andy Tracy (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 Alex Taveras (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.)

Outfield: Center fielder Andres Torres (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. Andy Tomberlin (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 Andrew Toles (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.

Catcher: Al Todd (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.

Rotation: Adonis Terry (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. Amaury Telemaco (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 Al Tedrow (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.. Aloysius Travers (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.

Bullpen: Anthony Telford (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. Alex Torres (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. Aaron Taylor (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 Angel Torres (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. Al Tate (1946) made one start and one relief appearance for the Pirates, working nine innings, giving up five runs, and walking seven. Andrew Tomasic (1949) had a long minor-league career but got hit hard in two games for the New York Giants.  Lefty Aaron Thompson (2011-15) went 1-3 with a 4.94 ERA over the course of a short major-league career.

Bench: Alejandro Trevino (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 Al “Tiny” Tesch (1915) appeared in eight games and batted seven times, hitting .286 for the Brooklyn Tip Tops. Outfielder Arlie Tarbert (1927-28) – full name Wilbert Arlington Tarbert, have fun with that one – batted .186 for the Red Sox. Outfielder Albert “For Pete’s” Thake (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 Andres Thomas (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.

Manager: Andrew Thompson 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.)

AW: The Andy Williamses

Infield: Shortstop Artie Wilson 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 Art Whitney (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 Aaron Ward (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 Art Williams (1902) batted .228 in a brief trial with the Cubs.

Outfield: Center fielder Alan Wiggins (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 Absalom Wingo (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 Albert Wickland (1913-19) was a 5-foot-7 sprite who batted .270 and drew a ton of walks. He hit some doubles and triples.

Catcher: Art “Dutch” Wilson (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.

Rotation: Adam Wainwright (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 Alex Wood (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.   Al Widmar (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 Allen Watson (1993-2000) had a career record of 51-55 with a 5.03 ERA. Albert Williams (1980-84) won 35 games for the Twins.

Bullpen: Closer Al Worthington (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. Adam Warren (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. Alex Wilson (2013- ) has been a dependable set-up man for the Red Sox and the Tigers without ever attracting a lot of attention. Almon Williams (1937-38) had a career ERA of 6.24 and a 1-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Not 2-1, but 1-2. Augie Walsh (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 Ace Williams (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. Alan Wirth (1978-80) was a young prospect with the A’s who struggled with the concept of the strike zone.

  Bench: Infielder Al Weis (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. Al Woods (1977-86) was an outfielder with the expansion Blue Jays. He batted .271 in his career and had some line drive pop. Outfielder Ab Wright (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 Andy Woehr (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 Art Weaver (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.”

Manager: Alfred Wright managed the Philadelphia A’s to a 14-45 record in 1876. We’ll see what he can do with this assortment of talent.

BA: The B.A. Baracuses

Infield: Second baseman Bobby Avila (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 Bill Almon (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 Bob Aspromonte (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 Big Bill Abstein (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.

Outfield: Right fielder Bobby Abreu (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 Bob Allison (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 Brady Anderson (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.

Catcher: Brad Ausmus (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.

Rotation: Babe Adams (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. Bronson Arroyo (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. Brian Anderson (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. Brett Anderson (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. Bert Abbey (1892-96) went 22-40 in a career that was shortened by arm trouble.

Bullpen: Bobby Ayala (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. Bob Apodaca (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. Brad Arnsberg (1986-92) had a fine year for the Rangers at age 26 and then hurt his arm and disappeared. Bob Allen (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.) Bob Anderson (1957-63) won 36 games as a swingman, mostly for the Cubs. Bill Atkinson (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. Bob Ayrault (1992-93) was a big guy who pitched briefly for the Phillies and the Mariners.

Bench: Outfielder Benny Agbayani (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 Bernie Allen (1962-73) hit a dozen home runs as a rookie with the Twins at age 23 but never developed significantly from that point. Infielder Bobby Adams (1946-59) was a useful player who spent most of his career with the Reds. Buster Adams (1939-47) was a wartime center fielder who got on base, had a bit of power and played decent defense. Backup catcher Bill Atwood (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.

Manager: Bill Adair 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.