Jackie Robinson and his NL-leading .342 BA is our second baseman.
I had so much fun with the 1949 article yesterday that I couldn’t resist feasting upon all this talent by putting together a starting lineup and roster from hell. Maybe, I should say it more plainly: hell for anybody who played us.
How many clubs in 2010 wouldn’t mind having this lineup and roster in the chase for this year’s World Series? Why, with these guys taking the rosters places of those players who are there now, the Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Houston Astros might even still have a chance at the 2010 World Series title. The problem for owners would be payroll. These guys would have to be signed in 1949 at 1949 prices and then time-traveled here for action in 2010. Any owner who brings this bunch here to 2010 first, and then tries to sign, won’t be able to afford them:
Starting Lineup, ’49 Club, B/H Preferences, & Notable 1949 Stats:
(1) Jackie Robinson, 2b (Dodgers) (BR/TR) (.342 BA, Led NL)
(2) George Kell, 3b (Tigers) (BR/TR) (.343 BA, Led AL)
(3) Stan Musial, 1b (Cardinals) (BL/TL) (.338 BA, 207 H, 39 HR, 131 RBI)
(4) Ralph Kiner, lf (Pirates) (BR/TR) (.310, 54 HR, 117 RBI)
(5) Ted Williams, rf (Red Sox) (BL/TR) (.343 BA, 150 R, 43 HR, 159 RBI) *TW
(6) Joe DiMaggio, cf (Yankees) (BR/TR) (.346 BA) *JD
(7) Vern Stephens, ss (Red Sox) (BR/TR) (.290 BA, 39 HR, 159 RBI)
(8) Roy Campanella, c (Dodgers) (BR/TR) (.287 BA, 22 HR, 82 RBI)
Pitchers (League Leader Totals in Bold Type):
Mel Parnell (Red Sox) (BL/TL) (25-7, 2.77) (27 CG) (277.1 IP)
Warren Spahn (Braves) (BL/TL) (21-14, 3.07) (25 CG) (151 SO)
Virgil Trucks (Tigers) (BR/TR) (19-11, 2.81) (6 SHO) (153 SO)
Ellis Kinder (Red Sox) (BR/TR) (23-6, 3.36) (6 SHO) (.793 W%)
Bob Lemon (Indians) 22-10, 2.99)
Vic Raschi (Yankees) (BR/TR) (21-10, 3.34) (37 GS)
Don Newcombe (Dodgers) (BR/TR) (17-8, 3.17) (5 SHO)
Preacher Roe (Dodgers) (BR/TR) (15-6, 2.79) (.714 W%)
Allie Reynolds (Yankees) (17-6, 4.00)
Joe Page (Yankees) (BL/TL) (13-8, 2.59) (27 SV)
Howie Pollet (Cardinals) (BL/TL) (20-9, 2.77) (5 SHO)
Catcher:
Yogi Berra (Yankees) (BL/TR) (.277 BA) (20 HR)
Infielders:
Ted Kluszewski, 1b (Reds) (BL/TL) (.309 BA)
Bobby Doerr, 2b (Red Sox) (BR/TR) (.309 BA)
Luke Appling. ss/3b (White Sox) (BR/TR) (.301 BA)
Outfield:
Enos Slaughter (Cardinals) (BL/TR) (.336 BA) (13 3bh)
Roy Sievers (Browns( (BR/TR) (.306 BA) ((16 HR) (AL ROY)
*TW WIlliams lost batting championship by percentage points to George Kell in 1949; tied Vern Stephens for AL-lead in RBI with 159.
*JD DiMaggio missed the first half of the season due to a mysterious toe injury, but if Joe can walk on nine toes, I’ll still take him as my center fielder over anyone else.
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It’s a sweet lineup and roster. I wouldn’t mind seeing these guys in their prime playing the final two games as the Houston Astros in the current home series with the Cardinals this weekend. Of course, it might seem a little weird watching the likes of Musial and his ancient Cardinal buddies going up against the present team from St. Louis.
It probably wouldn’t happen. As we discussed yesterday, Musial was no LeBron James.
It still would be a great collection of talent on one team. Don’t you think? Is the Pope Catholic?
Tags: Baseball, fantasy lineups
The Pecan Park Eagle 
July 10, 2010 at 3:22 pm |
Enjoyed seeing the name LUKE APPLING. One of my favorite ball players as a kid growing up in Chicago!
July 10, 2010 at 7:05 pm |
If I’m not mistaken, Vern Stephens had already played for the Browns.
And, Virgil Trucks still had the Browns in his future. Add those two to
Sievers and the Browns would have been well represented if your
“time travel” had worked in multiple fashions. A number of ’49 All Stars
played for just one franchise.
July 10, 2010 at 11:03 pm |
Tom:
Nice observations. I wasn’t consciously trying to fill the roster with past or future Browns. I think their presence here speaks more for how talent moved through the Browns to other clubs for money than anything else. Let’s not forget Ellis Kinder. He was also an ex-Brown in ’49.
The single-franchise-career players abound on this ’49 Stars club due to the reserve clause more than loyalty, in most cases, but I always preferred to think that loyalty entered into it with players like Musial. Ted Williams always stood out in my mind as the player who would have gone elsewhere had he been given a choice during his really bad times in Boston, but who really knows?
One another note: I put Musial at first base for the sake of getting those other three guys in the starting lineup. WIth DiMaggio in center, I didn’t want to be forced to bench Williams, Kiner, or Musial as corner field choices. Musial did not play first in ’49, but he played it everyday in 1947. He could play infield; he simply felt more comfortable in the outfield.
Thanks for checking in!
Bill McCurdy