These guys.
I was just messing around with the regular lineups of the 105 teams that have won World Series titles. Thought I'd see which players show up most often.
Catcher - Yogi Berra (8), Bill Dickey (7), Jorge Posada (4), John Roseboro (3), Mickey Cochrane (3), Jack Lapp (3). Berra was also the LF for the 1961 Yankees.
First Base - Lou Gehrig (6), Tino Martinez (4), Bill Skowron (4), Joe Collins (4). Skowron started out as the first baseman for the 1963 Dodgers but played so badly he lost the job.
Second Base - Joe Gordon (5), Tony Lazzeri (5), Eddie Collins (4), Chuck Knoblauch (4), Billy Martin (3), Jerry Coleman (3), Johnny Evers (3), Frank Frisch (3). Frisch was also the third baseman for the 1921 Giants.
Shortstop - Phil Rizzuto (7), Frank Crosetti (6), Derek Jeter (5), Bert Campaneris (3), Marty Marion (3), Jack Barry (3). Barry was also the second baseman for the 1916 Red Sox.
Third Base - Red Rolfe (5), Larry Gardner (4), Frank Baker (3), Joe Dugan (3), Scott Brosius (3), Sal Bando (3), Whitey Kurowski (3).
Left Field - Gene Woodling (5), Charlie Keller (3), Bob Meusel (3), Duffy Lewis (3), Rube Oldring (3)
Centre Field - Joe DiMaggio (9?), Mickey Mantle (6), Bernie Williams (4), Tris Speaker (3), Earle Combs (3), Devon White (3). Mantle was also the right-fielder for the 1951 Yankees. Di Maggio actually played more LF than CF as a rookie in 1936, but he did play more CF than anyone else on the team.
Right Field - Hank Bauer (6), Paul O'Neill (5), Reggie Jackson (4), Babe Ruth (4), Harry Hooper (4), Roger Maris (3), Tommy Henrich (3). Bauer was a regular for the 1951 Yankees, although Mickey Mantle played more RF than Bauer that year. Henrich was also the first-baseman for the 1949 Yankees. Jackson was the centre-fielder (really! He was!) for the 1972 A's. Ruth was the left-fielder (more than anything else) for the 1918 Red Sox. And a rotation starter for the 1915-16 Red Sox.
Utility Man - Gil McDougal (5) - 3b for the 1952-53 Yankees, ss for the 1956 Yankees, 2b for the 1958 Yankees. McDougal also played regularly for the 1951 Yankees, but split his games evenly between 2b and 3b and didn't play either position as much as Jerry Coleman and Bobby Brown.
Also: Jim Gilliam (4) - 2b for the 1955 and 1963 Dodgers, 3b for the 1959 and 1965 Dodgers. Stan Musial (3) - 1b for the 1946 Cardinals, lf for the 1942 and 1944 Cardinals. Pete Rose (3) - 3b for the 1975-76 Reds, 1b for the 1980 Phillies.
How often have the same eight guys come back and won another championship the next year?
Not very often. Not many teams repeat, period, and on just three occasions - 1908, 1953, and1976 - has a team repeated while running out the same position players that they did the year before.
The Yankees of 1998-2000 were extremely stable, making no changes whatsoever at seven positions. However, LF and DH were a revolving door and six different players filled those two spots over those three years.
The 1992-93 Blue Jays brought back the same people at five positions - only one other team in history has repeated while bringing back so few regulars from a championship year. They made changes at shortstop, third base, left field, and DH.
The 1977-78 Yankees brought back the same nine guys making the most plate appearances - but the actual configuration between Lou Piniella and Roy White and the division of duties between LF, DH, and subbing for Reggie was always fluid, and the guys who actually got the most ABs at DH those two years were Carlos May and Cliff Johnson.
The 1975-76 Reds made no changes on the field.
The 1973-74 A's brought back the same eight position players, but had to make a change at DH when Deron Johnson stopped hitting.
The 1961-62 Yankees had to replace Tony Kubek (military service) and Yogi Berra (too old and slow for the outfield.)
The Yankees won five titles in a row from 1949-53 - Berra, Rizzuto, and Woodling were in place for all five.
- In 1950, Joe Collins replaced Tommy Henrich at 1b in 1950, and Billy Johnson played more 3b than Bobby Brown that year.
- In 1951, Brown played more than Johnson at 3b, and Mickey Mantle got the most action in RF (although Hank Bauer, switching between LF and RF, still played more than Mantle.)
- In 1952, Mantle replaced DiMaggio in cf, and Billy Martin took over at 2b for Jerry Coleman. Gil McDougal got most of the action at 3b.
- In 1953, Casey brought the same eight man configuration back for one more title.
The Yankees won four in a row for Joe McCarthy from 1936-39. Bill Dickey (c), Frank Crosetti (ss) and Red Rolfe (3b) are the only real constants. It's very hard to configure the 1936 outfield - George Selkirk is clearly the regular in RF, but Joe DiMaggio played 66 games in LF, 55 in CF to lead the team at both positions. The third semi-regular, Jake Powell, played 42 games in both CF and LF.
- In 1937, Selkirk missed a lot of time with injuries, and Myril Hoag played the most RF.
- In 1938, Selkirk returned as a regular in LF, with Tommy Henrich emerging in RF. Joe Gordon took over 2b for Tony Lazzeri.
- In 1939, Henrich had injury problems, and Charlie Keller arrived to play RF (and LF as well) with Selkirk still around in LF. Babe Dahlgren replaced Lou Gehrig at 1b.
Connie Mack's A's won back-to-back titles in 1929-30, and only made one change - Jimmie Dykes, a swingman in 1929, took over 3b in 1930.
The 1927-28 Yankees weren't very good behind the plate - Pat Collins got the most action in 1927, Johnny Grabowski in 1928. The other seven positions were pretty solid, and they didn't mess with it.
The Giants won in 1921 and 1922, and made lots of changes between the two years. They traded CF George Burns for 3b Heinie Groh in 1922, so Frank Frisch moved from 3b to 2b, replacing Johnny Rawlings. Casey Stengel led the 1922 platoon in CF. Like the 1992-93 Blue Jays, they brought the same people back at just five positions: Chris Snyder (c), George Kelly (1b), Dave Bancroft (ss), Irish Meusel (lf), and Ross Youngs (rf).
The Red Sox won in 1915-16, despite sending their best player (cf Tris Speaker) to Cleveland. Tilly Walker took over in centre. They also added Jack Barry, the shortstop of the $100,000 infield and plugged him in at second-base. The other six positions stayed the same.
The A's of 1910-11 replaced Harry Davis at 1b with Stuffy McInnis, and Bris Lord took over for Topsy Hartsel in cf. The other six positions stayed the same.
And the first repeat winner of them all, the 07-08 Cubs made no changes whatsoever. They even brought back the same pitching staff (just six guys, but still...)
I was just messing around with the regular lineups of the 105 teams that have won World Series titles. Thought I'd see which players show up most often.
Catcher - Yogi Berra (8), Bill Dickey (7), Jorge Posada (4), John Roseboro (3), Mickey Cochrane (3), Jack Lapp (3). Berra was also the LF for the 1961 Yankees.
First Base - Lou Gehrig (6), Tino Martinez (4), Bill Skowron (4), Joe Collins (4). Skowron started out as the first baseman for the 1963 Dodgers but played so badly he lost the job.
Second Base - Joe Gordon (5), Tony Lazzeri (5), Eddie Collins (4), Chuck Knoblauch (4), Billy Martin (3), Jerry Coleman (3), Johnny Evers (3), Frank Frisch (3). Frisch was also the third baseman for the 1921 Giants.
Shortstop - Phil Rizzuto (7), Frank Crosetti (6), Derek Jeter (5), Bert Campaneris (3), Marty Marion (3), Jack Barry (3). Barry was also the second baseman for the 1916 Red Sox.
Third Base - Red Rolfe (5), Larry Gardner (4), Frank Baker (3), Joe Dugan (3), Scott Brosius (3), Sal Bando (3), Whitey Kurowski (3).
Left Field - Gene Woodling (5), Charlie Keller (3), Bob Meusel (3), Duffy Lewis (3), Rube Oldring (3)
Centre Field - Joe DiMaggio (9?), Mickey Mantle (6), Bernie Williams (4), Tris Speaker (3), Earle Combs (3), Devon White (3). Mantle was also the right-fielder for the 1951 Yankees. Di Maggio actually played more LF than CF as a rookie in 1936, but he did play more CF than anyone else on the team.
Right Field - Hank Bauer (6), Paul O'Neill (5), Reggie Jackson (4), Babe Ruth (4), Harry Hooper (4), Roger Maris (3), Tommy Henrich (3). Bauer was a regular for the 1951 Yankees, although Mickey Mantle played more RF than Bauer that year. Henrich was also the first-baseman for the 1949 Yankees. Jackson was the centre-fielder (really! He was!) for the 1972 A's. Ruth was the left-fielder (more than anything else) for the 1918 Red Sox. And a rotation starter for the 1915-16 Red Sox.
Utility Man - Gil McDougal (5) - 3b for the 1952-53 Yankees, ss for the 1956 Yankees, 2b for the 1958 Yankees. McDougal also played regularly for the 1951 Yankees, but split his games evenly between 2b and 3b and didn't play either position as much as Jerry Coleman and Bobby Brown.
Also: Jim Gilliam (4) - 2b for the 1955 and 1963 Dodgers, 3b for the 1959 and 1965 Dodgers. Stan Musial (3) - 1b for the 1946 Cardinals, lf for the 1942 and 1944 Cardinals. Pete Rose (3) - 3b for the 1975-76 Reds, 1b for the 1980 Phillies.
How often have the same eight guys come back and won another championship the next year?
Not very often. Not many teams repeat, period, and on just three occasions - 1908, 1953, and1976 - has a team repeated while running out the same position players that they did the year before.
The Yankees of 1998-2000 were extremely stable, making no changes whatsoever at seven positions. However, LF and DH were a revolving door and six different players filled those two spots over those three years.
The 1992-93 Blue Jays brought back the same people at five positions - only one other team in history has repeated while bringing back so few regulars from a championship year. They made changes at shortstop, third base, left field, and DH.
The 1977-78 Yankees brought back the same nine guys making the most plate appearances - but the actual configuration between Lou Piniella and Roy White and the division of duties between LF, DH, and subbing for Reggie was always fluid, and the guys who actually got the most ABs at DH those two years were Carlos May and Cliff Johnson.
The 1975-76 Reds made no changes on the field.
The 1973-74 A's brought back the same eight position players, but had to make a change at DH when Deron Johnson stopped hitting.
The 1961-62 Yankees had to replace Tony Kubek (military service) and Yogi Berra (too old and slow for the outfield.)
The Yankees won five titles in a row from 1949-53 - Berra, Rizzuto, and Woodling were in place for all five.
- In 1950, Joe Collins replaced Tommy Henrich at 1b in 1950, and Billy Johnson played more 3b than Bobby Brown that year.
- In 1951, Brown played more than Johnson at 3b, and Mickey Mantle got the most action in RF (although Hank Bauer, switching between LF and RF, still played more than Mantle.)
- In 1952, Mantle replaced DiMaggio in cf, and Billy Martin took over at 2b for Jerry Coleman. Gil McDougal got most of the action at 3b.
- In 1953, Casey brought the same eight man configuration back for one more title.
The Yankees won four in a row for Joe McCarthy from 1936-39. Bill Dickey (c), Frank Crosetti (ss) and Red Rolfe (3b) are the only real constants. It's very hard to configure the 1936 outfield - George Selkirk is clearly the regular in RF, but Joe DiMaggio played 66 games in LF, 55 in CF to lead the team at both positions. The third semi-regular, Jake Powell, played 42 games in both CF and LF.
- In 1937, Selkirk missed a lot of time with injuries, and Myril Hoag played the most RF.
- In 1938, Selkirk returned as a regular in LF, with Tommy Henrich emerging in RF. Joe Gordon took over 2b for Tony Lazzeri.
- In 1939, Henrich had injury problems, and Charlie Keller arrived to play RF (and LF as well) with Selkirk still around in LF. Babe Dahlgren replaced Lou Gehrig at 1b.
Connie Mack's A's won back-to-back titles in 1929-30, and only made one change - Jimmie Dykes, a swingman in 1929, took over 3b in 1930.
The 1927-28 Yankees weren't very good behind the plate - Pat Collins got the most action in 1927, Johnny Grabowski in 1928. The other seven positions were pretty solid, and they didn't mess with it.
The Giants won in 1921 and 1922, and made lots of changes between the two years. They traded CF George Burns for 3b Heinie Groh in 1922, so Frank Frisch moved from 3b to 2b, replacing Johnny Rawlings. Casey Stengel led the 1922 platoon in CF. Like the 1992-93 Blue Jays, they brought the same people back at just five positions: Chris Snyder (c), George Kelly (1b), Dave Bancroft (ss), Irish Meusel (lf), and Ross Youngs (rf).
The Red Sox won in 1915-16, despite sending their best player (cf Tris Speaker) to Cleveland. Tilly Walker took over in centre. They also added Jack Barry, the shortstop of the $100,000 infield and plugged him in at second-base. The other six positions stayed the same.
The A's of 1910-11 replaced Harry Davis at 1b with Stuffy McInnis, and Bris Lord took over for Topsy Hartsel in cf. The other six positions stayed the same.
And the first repeat winner of them all, the 07-08 Cubs made no changes whatsoever. They even brought back the same pitching staff (just six guys, but still...)
