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WIth dear memories of Mick and his Hall of Names series on everyone's mind, former Roster member Mike Green has stepped up to the plate to contribute to the series.

Take it away, Mike....

Lame, I know, but what are you going to do if you are trying to build a Hall of Names team featuring a player nicknamed Captain America that is “all Wright”? Wouldn’t David (Do) Wright be more interesting?

We’re going to have trouble filling out the starting lineup, so why don’t we start with the pitchers? Jamey Wright (R) had the better part of 10 years in the rotation before moving to the pen…Jaret Wright (R) somehow found his way onto 6 playoff teams and managed an ERA over 7 in 56 innings…Would you believe that there are two players named Rasty Wright?...the second one Rasty Wright #2 (R) had a couple of good seasons for the St. Louis Browns and finished 4th in the league in ERA in 1922…Ed Wright (R) had a couple of good seasons for the post-war Boston Braves, but was shipped to the minors early in the 1948 season when the Miracle Braves broke their drought and eventually was released…Clyde Wright, Jaret’s father, was a better pitcher than his son but was of all things a lefty…Clyde won 22 games for the 1970 Angels and finished 6th in the Cy Young voting that year…he’s our ace.

In the bullpen, our options aren’t exactly scintillating either. Jim Wright (R) was a helpful swingman for the 1978 Red Sox…you remember them, don’t you?...two words: Bucky Dent…Ken Wright (R) was a middleman for the early 70s Royals but just missed their glory years…Big Gene Wright (R) bounced around the major leagues around the turn of the 20th century but was never any good…he’ll be a long man for us…Dequam LaWesley Wright who for some reason chooses to go by Wes rather than the elegant Dequam is our LOOGY and actually isn’t terrible at that…Joe Maddon certainly thinks so and that’s good enough for me…Dan Wright (R) threw for the White Sox around the turn of the 21st century and was somewhat better than Big Gene.

Let’s be honest. If pitching is 75% of the game, the Wrights are in deep trouble. Fortunately, it isn’t and maybe they have a Hall of Famer or two in the field. Let’s go around the infield quickly- David Wright, Glenn Wright, George Wright and Eddie Murray Wright. Not quite fast enough, I guess. David Wright, you know…He’s not a Hall of Famer (yet)…George Wright (#1) was the star of the first all-professional team the Cincinnati Red Stockings and had a great career as a shortstop and later second baseman and is a Hall of Famer…he’ll play second base for us…Glenn Wright, the shortstop for the fine Pirate clubs of the 20s, was a serious MVP candidate twice…Which bring us to first base, and a problem- there does not seem to have been a first baseman named Wright…We do have three centerfielders, and I am betting that one of them can do the Erstad thing…will it be Harry, George (#2) or Rasty (#1)? Let’s say Rasty (#1) who had a pretty good year for Syracuse in the American Association in 1890 and never played again…

Harry Wright was George (#1)’s brother and is in the Hall of Fame as a player/manager for the 1870s Boston Red Stockings…he was an innovator who brought in the practices of hitting fungoes to outfielders before the game, backing up plays in the field and shifting on defence to account for hitter tendencies…He’s our centerfielder, manager and ace-in-the-hole…Taffy Wright was a corner outfielder for the Senators and White Sox who lost over 3 years to World War 2 after being an MVP candidate in 1941 and 1942…Taffy hit .311 for his career and would take a walk…George Wright (#2) was mostly a centerfielder for the early 1980s Rangers…Wright hit a walk-off homer in Game 7 against my club in an APBA league World Series causing his owner Martin O’Malley to gracefully fall backwards onto a grassy knoll…Tom Wright was mostly a pinch-hitter in the 50s and that’s what he’ll do for us

Did I mention a catcher? We have one. Bill Wright caught one game in 1887 and went 2-3….Sold

Without further ado, let’s introduce

The Baseball Wrighters

C Bill Wright
1B Rasty Wright
2B George Wright**
SS Glenn Wright
3B David Wright
LF Taffy Wright
CF Harry Wright**
RF George Wright

SP Clyde Wright
SP Ed Wright
SP Rasty Wright
SP Jaret Wright
SP Jamey Wright

RP Ken Wright
RP Jim Wright
RP Dan Wright
RP Dequam LaWesley Wright
RP Big Gene Wright

Mgr: Harry Wright

Notes: Can you imagine what Clyde Wright might have said when he rolled a ball to little Jaret the first time and little Jaret reached for it with his right hand…Don’t do it, son, there’s a few million dollars riding on that decision and you don’t even know it…are there other major league father/son pitchers with one a lefty and the other a righty?...Robert Cassius Wright didn’t quite make the team…Robert made two relief appearances in 1915 at age 23…allowed 1 run in 4 innings on 6 hits, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts and no home runs for a sparkling 140 ERA+…nevertheless, he never saw big league action again but in hindsight, Cassius is an awesome middle name…long live Ali

So, Bauxites, when all is said and done, will the Wright brothers’ team soar to the skies or only putt-putt on the tarmac?

Michael Green

Pinch Hit: Bats Wright, Throws Wright | 2 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Mike Green - Monday, October 21 2013 @ 09:15 AM EDT (#279932) #
Ack, the Miracle Braves were the 1914 Braves.  The Braves were pretty terrible from 1917 to 1945. 
mathesond - Monday, October 21 2013 @ 09:55 AM EDT (#279934) #
Wright on!
Pinch Hit: Bats Wright, Throws Wright | 2 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.