All-Time Team of Black MVPs

Helping to kick off Black History Month.  The reserves alone would be a team for the ages.

1b -       WILLIE STARGELL* (1979)

2b -       JOE MORGAN* (1975, ’76)

3b -       DICK ALLEN (1972)

SS -      ERNIE BANKS* (1958, ’59)

 C -       ROY CAMPANELLA* (1951, ’53, ’55)

LF -       BARRY BONDS (1990, ‘92, ’93, 2001, ’02, ’03, ’04)

CF -      WILLIE MAYS* (1954, ’65)

RF -      FRANK ROBINSON* (1961, ’66)

DH -      HANK AARON* (1957)

PH - (r)   FRANK THOMAS (1993, ’94)

PH - (l)   KEN GRIFFEY, Jr. (1997)

PH - (b)  WILLIE McGee (1985)

PR -       RICKEY HENDERSON* (1990)

Pitching

RH -      BOB GIBSON* (1968)

RH -      DON NEWCOMBE (1956)

LH -      VIDA BLUE (1971)

Mgr -     DON BAYLOR (1979)

Filling Out the Roster

ANDRE DAWSON* (1987)

GEORGE FOSTER (1977)

ELSTON HOWARD (1963)

RYAN HOWARD (2006)

REGGIE JACKSON* (1973)

BARRY LARKIN* (1995)

WILLIE McCovey* (1969)

KEVIN MITCHELL (1989)

DAVE PARKER (1978)

JIM RICE* (1978)

JACKIE ROBINSON* (1949)

JIMMY ROLLINS (2007)

MO VAUGHN (1995)

MAURY WILLS (1962)

Key

*Hall of Fame

ALL CAPS = All-Star

Bold = Inspiration

Underlined = Negro Leagues

All-Signed With the Same Team Team

MLB free agents who signed for 2011 with the team they played with in 2010.  The trading season isn’t over and this is already a good team.

1b -       PAUL KONERKO (White Sox)

2b -       Miguel Cairo (Reds)

3b -       Jhonny Peralta (Tigers)

SS -      DEREK JETER (Yankees)

 C -       RAMON HERNANDEZ (Reds)

LF -       Pat Burrell (Giants)

CF -      Carlos Gonzales (Rockies)

RF -      MAGGLIO ORDONEZ (Tigers)

DH -      JIM THOME (Twins)

PH - (r)   Rod Barajas (Dodgers)

PH - (l)   Aubrey Huff (Giants)

Pitching

RH -      Hiroki Kiroda (Dodgers)

RH -      VICENTE PADILLA (Dodgers)

RH -      JAKE WESTBROOK (Cardinals)

RH -      Chien-Ming Wang (Nationals)

LH -      Jorge de la Rosa (Rockies)

LH -      Andrew Miller (Red Sox)

RP -       JOSE CONTRERAS (Phillies)

Closer - MARIANO RIVERA (Yankees)

Reserves

A. J. PIERZYNSKI (White Sox)

Koji Uehara (Orioles)

Key

ALL CAPS = All-Star

Bold = Inspiration

All-Time of All-Stars Who Received Zero Hall of Fame Votes

Thanks to Scott Brandon for this research.  Players receiving less than 5% of the ballots will not appear on subsequent ballots.

1b -       Wally Joyner (2007)

2b -       Carlos Baerga (2011)

3b -       Scott Brosius (2007)

SS -      Gary DiSarcina (2006)

 C -       Charles Johnson (2011)

LF -       Ron Gant (2009)

CF -      Devon White (2007)

RF -      Raul Mondesi (2011)

DH -      Greg Vaughn (2009)

PH -      Ray Lankford (2010)

PR -       Brady Anderson (2008)

Pitching

RH -      Shane Reynolds (2010)

RH -      Jose Rijo (2008)

LH -      Mark Langston (2005)

LH -      Dan Plesac (2009)

Key

ALL CAPS = All-Star (by definition)

Bold = Inspiration

N.B.  Rijo received one vote in 2001, following his first retirement.

All-Time Team of Players Who Hit Two Home Runs...

…in a game where the final score was 2-0.  A big thanks to David Vincent for the research.  Bizarre that I needed the two best shortstops to play out of position just to complete the roster.  OK, you know and I know that Kranepool never played even a single game at 2^nd in the majors.  The thing is, the only ones here who did were Boudreau and Dark and I absolutely need them where they are, so please play along and pretend Kranepool could do it.  Maybe .Utley will do it next year during a Halladay start.

1b -       Lee Stevens (18-Aug-1997)

2b -       ED KRANEPOOL (19-Apr-1969)

3b -       Nick Esasky (16-Aug-1987)

SS -      Jim Tabor (23-Jun-1940)

 C -       LOU BOUDREAU* (19-Sep-1948) [Catch?  Yes he did:  Once each in 1943, 44 & 48]

LF -       WILLIE STARGELL* (12-Jun-1970)

CF -      Charlie Grimm (13-Jun-1925)

RF -      JUAN GONZALEZ (27-Jun-1987)

DH -      Deron Johnson (29-Aug-1966)

PH - (r)   Richardo Hidalgo (20-Sep-1998)

PH - (l)   Luis Gonzalez (17-Julk-2003)

PH - (b)  LANCE BERKMAN (08-Jul-2010)

PR -       Cliff Floyd (13-May-2005)

Pitching

RH -      ALVIN DARK (09-Sep-1950) [Pitch?  Yup:  27-Sep-1953]

Mgr -     LOU BOUDREAU* (19-Sep-1948)

Key

*Hall of Fame

ALL CAPS = All-Star

Bold = Inspiration