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The recent Greatest Padre poll ("spoiler" alert: Gwynn, and big) brings to mind this thought ... what franchise can build the best lineup made up of players best known for what they did with other teams?

In other words ...



... when you picture Rollie Fingers and Gene Tenace, for instance, you think "Oakland," but both also played for the Padres. So they are eligible for the "Once They Were Padres" team. In fact, here's that whole team ... can you come up with one that's better, representing a different franchise?

Once They Were Padres
** indicates Hall of Fame
* indicates All-Star
[Primary team or teams in brackets]

C Gene Tenace* [OAK]
1B Steve Garvey* [LAD]
2B Roberto Alomar* [TOR, several]
SS Ozzie Smith** [STL]
3B Ken Caminiti* [HOU]
LF Willie McCovey** [SFG]
CF Joe Carter* [CLE, TOR]
RF Jack Clark* [SFG, STL]
DH Fred McGriff* [TOR, ATL]
SP Gaylord Perry** [SFG, CLE]
SP Kevin Brown* [TEX, LAD]
RP Rollie Fingers** [OAK, MIL]
RP Rich Gossage* [NYY, several]

So that's a full lineup (including a DH) plus two SP and two RP, and no room on the lineup card for a guy like Greg Vaughn* [MIL] ... wow, that's some Once-They-Were squad. Who can do better?
Reader Challenge: "Once They Were ..." | 19 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
CaramonLS - Monday, August 20 2007 @ 09:05 PM EDT (#173341) #
Maybe add Mike Piazza as the starting C?
Mick Doherty - Monday, August 20 2007 @ 09:33 PM EDT (#173344) #
Yes, absolutely. I knew I'd forget someone!
Mike Green - Monday, August 20 2007 @ 09:35 PM EDT (#173345) #
"The Ex-Expos" (sob) feature:

C     Darrin Fletcher
1B   Andres Gallarraga
2B   Delino DeShields
SS   Mike  Lansing
3B   Larry Parrish
RF   Larry Walker
CF   Marquis Grissom
LF    Moises Alou
DH   Ken Singleton
SP   Pedro Martinez
SP   Randy Johnson
RP   John Wetteland
RP   Dustin Hermanson

You could perhaps use Gary Carter or Vladdy.  Next up, "They might be Giants".

AWeb - Monday, August 20 2007 @ 10:18 PM EDT (#173346) #
made up of players best known for what they did with other teams?

By the posted criteria, you could definitely add Vlad (Angels MVP) and Carter (Mets WS) to the Expos team; I'd argue Dawson might go in it too (Cubs MVP). Matt Stairs can be on the bench. Other pitchers : Mark Langston, Bartolo Colon, Jeff Reardon maybe (made the WS with other teams, I remember him for the Sprague HR in 1992). Ted Lilly pitched for the Expos in his first year.

Has the "once they were Jays" ever been done?

Toronto from memory:

DH : Thomas
C: Santiago
1B : McGriff
2B : Molitor at second base?
SS : Fernandez is probably best remembered for his WS error with Cleveland, similar to Alex Gonzalez with the Cubs.
3B : Glaus
OF : Rickey Henderson and  Winfield at the corners. Mookie Wilson in Centre?
Bench : Canseco, Koskie
 
SP: Phil Neikro, Clemens, Flanagan, Dave Stewart, David Cone, Jack Morris, Carpenter, Escobar.
RP: Pleasc and Timlin for the bullpen
CeeBee - Monday, August 20 2007 @ 10:27 PM EDT (#173347) #

Chicago Cubs

C- Roger Bresnahan

1B- Jimmie Foxx

2B- Rogers Hornsby

3B- Bill Madlock

SS- Rabbit Maranville

LF- Ralph Kiner

CF- Richie Ashburn

RF- Lou Brock

DH- Chuck Klein

SP- Pete Alexander

SP- Greg Maddux

RP- Lindy McDaniel

RP- Dan Plesac

 Great hitting and not so bad defence, Nice starting pitching but a weak bullpen. Probably could win a few games.

Chuck - Monday, August 20 2007 @ 10:58 PM EDT (#173348) #

2B : Molitor at second base?

Jeff Kent?

Bench : Canseco, Koskie

Also Dave Parker.

Mike Green - Monday, August 20 2007 @ 11:18 PM EDT (#173349) #
That's a fine Cubs team.  Kent at second would allow the Almost Blue Jays to play Molitor in centerfield where he was for a little while there in Milwaukee.

The Red Sox have Ruth, Grove, Viola, Tudor, Torrez, Boddicker,  Eckersley, Sambito, Lee Smith,  Reardon,  Bagwell, Foxx, Kell, Boudreau, Reggie Smith, Luis Aparicio, Ben Ogilvie, Orlando Cepeda, Tim McCarver, Tony Perez, Brady Anderson, Jack Clark, Tony Pena, Andre Dawson...I see a 25 man roster there, and the top of the rotation would be tough to beat, although it does list to the left.

Chuck - Monday, August 20 2007 @ 11:23 PM EDT (#173350) #

Bagwell

If you count Bagwell, who went coffee-less in Boston, then you'd also have to include Michael Young at shortstop for the Blue Jays.

the top of the rotation would be tough to beat, although it does list to the left.

Tom Seaver would help that out.

ayjackson - Monday, August 20 2007 @ 11:39 PM EDT (#173351) #
Pete Rose, Tony Perez and (maybe) Rusty Staub, would have to figure into that Expo lineup somewhere.
Anders - Tuesday, August 21 2007 @ 01:17 AM EDT (#173352) #
The New York Mets have a pretty amazing squadron. Signing a bunch of players at the end of their careers as they were fading into the sunset really helps - 8 Hall of Famers, plus Alomar and Kent

C: Yogi Berra** (9 AB's!!!)
1B: Carlos Delgado*
2B: Roberto Alomar*
SS: Jim Fregosi*
3B: Ken Boyer*
OF: Duke Snider**
OF: Ricky Henderson**
CF: Willie Mays**

Bench:
C/1B: Joe Torre*
2B: Jeff Kent*
OF: Ken Singleton*
SS: Tony Fernandez*

SP: Pedro Martinez*
SP: Warren Spahn**
SP: Nolan Ryan**
SP: Tom Glavine*

CL: Billy Wagner*
RP: Randy Myers*
RP: Jason Isringhausen*

Not making the cut: Lenny Dykstra, Frank Viola, Rick Aguilera, Willie Randolph, Brett Saberhagen, Amos Otis, David Cone, Kenny Rogers, Mo Vaughn, John Olerud


Jim - Tuesday, August 21 2007 @ 09:42 AM EDT (#173354) #
Hartford/New England Whalers?  Howe/Hull/Pronger/Shanahan/Coffey?
Mike Green - Tuesday, August 21 2007 @ 10:30 AM EDT (#173359) #
Brian Sabean has made a habit of collecting players past their prime.  You can actually make a pretty good "They Might Be Giants" club from players who have been with the club in the last 5 years:

C-    A.J. Pierzynski
1B-  J.T. Snow
2B-  Ray Durham
SS-  Omar Vizquel
3B-  Edgardo Alfonzo
LF-  Moises Alou
CF-  Marquis Grissom
RF-  Steve Finley
SP-  Barry Zito
RP-  Joe Nathan

If you go back 50 years, the club might look something like this

C-     Gary Carter
1B-   Orlando Cepeda
2B-   Joe Morgan
SS-   Omar Vizquel or Dick Groat
3B-   Darrell Evans
RF-   Darrell Strawberry
CF-   Duke Snider
LF-   Reggie Smith
DH-  Moises Alou

Bench

Pierzynski, Garry Maddox, Groat, Schoendienst, Alfonzo

Pitching Staff

SP- Steve Carlton
SP- Orel Hershiser
SP- Warren Spahn
SP- Rick Reuschel
SP- Vida Blue

RP- Goose Gossage
RP- Dan Quisenberry
RP- Dave Righetti
RP- Keith Foulke
RP- Joe Nathan

I figure that this Giants club could make it interesting with the Mets and Cubs squads. If you go further back, you can add Hoyt Wilhelm, Johnny Mize, Mort Cooper (who probably wouldn't be much of an improvement, if any, on Vida Blue), Dick Bartell, Joe Medwick, Ernie Lombardi, Dolf Luque, Edd Roush, Heinie Groh, Frankie Frisch, and Bill Dahlen.

So, your all-time They Might Be Giants club looks like:

C-    Gary Carter **
1B-  Johnny Mize**
2B-  Joe Morgan**
SS-  Bill Dahlen (should be **)
3B-  Heinie Groh**
LF-  Joe Medwick**
CF-  Edd Roush**
RF-  Duke Snider**
DH- Reggie Smith* or Orlando Cepeda*

Bench

C-   Ernie Lombardi**
IF-   Frankie Frisch**
IF-   Darrell Evans**
IF-   Omar Vizquel*
OF- Garry Maddox

Pitching Staff

SP- Steve Carlton**
SP- Orel Hershiser*
SP- Warren Spahn**
SP- Dolf Luque
SP- Rick Reuschel or Vida Blue

RP- Goose Gossage
RP- Dan Quisenberry
RP- Hoyt Wilhelm
RP- Dave Righetti
RP- Joe Nathan

How do you like that bullpen?



Geoff - Tuesday, August 21 2007 @ 10:31 AM EDT (#173360) #
You could add Tony Fernandez as a backup infielder to Once They Were Padres, which would amuse me to see all four players of that fated 1990 trade as famous Jays but forgotten Padres.
Geoff - Tuesday, August 21 2007 @ 10:33 AM EDT (#173361) #
By the way, it looks strange to see these senior circuit teams carrying a DH. Standard Hall of Names procedure?
Calig23 - Tuesday, August 21 2007 @ 10:37 AM EDT (#173362) #
Alas, I think it might be cheating to use the Pirates, as they have long been either the final resting ground for the once good or the first training ground for the future good. In recent history alone, one can come up with this group:

Starting Eight:

C Benito Santiago
1B Matt Stairs
2B Pokey Reese
3B Aramis Ramirez
SS Shawon Dunston
LF Moises Alou
CF Kenny Lofton
RF Reggie Sanders

Bench:

C Lance Parrish
IF Ed Sprague
IF Pat Meares
OF Jeromy Burnitz
OF Kirk Gibson
OF Raul Mondesi

Rotation:

SP Jason Schmidt
SP Ramon Martinez
SP Denny Neagle
SP Jeff Suppan
SP Mark Redman

Bullpen:

RP Jose Mesa
RP Dan Plesac
RP Mike Fetters
RP Robert Hernandez
RP Ricardo Rincon
RP Terry Mulholland




And that list leaves out such luminaries as Derek Bell, Jose Guillen,  and Wil Cordero. If one goes back before 1990, I'm sure the possibilities increase exponentially- the mid-1980's, for example, were eerily similar to today's Pirates with regards to the frequent appearances of the rotting carcasses of the once productive (George Hendrick, Amos Otis, Steve Kemp, Sixto Lezcano, etc.)

Mick Doherty - Tuesday, August 21 2007 @ 10:52 AM EDT (#173363) #

Mike G., what have you got against Orlando Cepeda? You giving his extra * to Dahlen on protest grounds?

Waiting for someone to tackle the Braves -- pretty fair LHSP/OF named Ruth might make that team.

Mike Green - Tuesday, August 21 2007 @ 11:06 AM EDT (#173365) #
Nah, my protests don't extend to Hall of Fame decisions!  It was stupidity.  Wilhelm is a Hall of Famer too, of course.
TamRa - Wednesday, August 22 2007 @ 04:17 AM EDT (#173390) #

I want to take another run at that Jays team:

Henderson - CF

Molitor - 3B

Canseco  - DH

Thomas - 1B

Winfield - RF

Parker - LF

Kent - 2B

Parrish - C

Bordick - SS

 

Bench: Santiago, Feilder, Koskie, Phillips,  Lopez, Parker

Rotation:

Clemens, Morris, Cone, Stewart, Leiter

Pen:

Myers, Righettti, Plesac, Lightenberg, Singer

I think that bunch could play with most teams....A little RH heavy in the lineup to be sure, but GOOD Right handers...

 

3RunHomer - Wednesday, August 22 2007 @ 07:55 PM EDT (#173427) #
Here are the Orioles -- I didn't think they'd amount to much, but this teams is good. C: Javy Lopez 1B: Jack Clark 2B: Roberto Alomar SS: Luis Aparicio 3B: Bobby Bonilla? (cheating) Brooks and Cal make 3B really tough on the Os. OF: Albert Belle OF: Fred Lynn OF: Reggie Jackson DH: Rafael Palmeiro Bench: OF: Eric Davis, Sammy Sosa, Harold Baines SS: Ozzie Guillen SP: Robin Roberts SP: Curt Schilling SP: Jamie Moyer SP: Rick Sutcliffe CL: Lee Smith RP: Randy Myers RP: Jose Mesa Other P: Jimmy Key, Pat Hentgen, David Wells, Jesse Orosco
Reader Challenge: "Once They Were ..." | 19 comments | Create New Account
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