Presenting the 2012 Christmas All Stars Roster
It’s December 22nd. The days until Christmas are now as short as my idea pile for an appropriate seasonal column at the eleventh hour. That being said, I also have some final chopping to get done today too so I will lean again into the well of all-star baseball teams composed of fitting names. Christmas turned out to be easy.
Here is my 25-player Christmas All Stars roster, based on players with any kind of identification at Baseball Reference.Com as guys who once played major, minor, or Negro league baseball – or, at least, signed on the dotted line as a draft choice along the way:
Pitchers
Dave Jolly (1953-57) Major Leaguer
Dennis Wiseman (1989-95) Minor Leaguer
Miguel Navidad (1991) Minor Leaguer *
Matt Love (1936-52) Minor Leaguer
Shane Gift (1994) Astros Draft Pick (only player on the team who may never have actually played at a pro level.)
Keith Shepherd (1992-96) Major Leaguer
C.F. Angel (1914) Minor Leaguer
Bill Peace (1945-47) Negro Leaguer
Robert Cold (1946) Minor Leaguer
Edilmar Infante (2006-08) Minor Leaguer
Todd Noel (1996-2000) Minor Leaguer **
Catchers
Steve Christmas (1983-84, 86) Major Leaguer
Mason Rudolph (1988-95) Minor Leaguer
Jorge De Jesus (2009-12) Major Leaguer
William St. Mary (1896) Minor Leaguer *
Infielders
J.T. Snow, 1B (1992-2006, 08) Major Leaguer
Bill White, 1B (1956, 1958-69) Major Leaguer
Todd Claus, 2B-3B-SS (1991-93) Minor Leaguer
Brandon Chesnut, 2B (1994) Minor Leaguer
Newt Joseph, 3B (1922-40) Negro Leaguer
Outfielders
Jack Frost (1928-32) Minor Leaguer
Matt Holliday (2004-2012) Major Leaguer)
Rob Deer, OF-1B-DH (1984-93, 96) Major Leaguer
John Tree (1947-51) Minor Leaguer *
Utility IF/OF
Joe Manger (1922-31) Minor Leaguer
Douglas Elf (1974) Minor Leaguer
* The player’s actual position was unspecified at Baseball Reference.Com, so I took the liberty of assigning such types where I needed them. Since the whole team will be playing out the Hand of Divine Inspiration, I don’t expect there to be any fall-off in performance as a result of this purely administrative procedure.
** Acquired sight unseen, we have signed Todd Noel on the heels of a five-star report by Christmas All Stars scout Bill Hickman. An earlier report from the Angels states that Todd was the first Noel ever to have played professional baseball at any level.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Everybody!
The Pecan Park Eagle 
December 22, 2012 at 3:35 pm |
Merry Christmas, Bill. Very fitting roster. Perhaps you could find a place in the bullpen for Todd Noel, minor leaguer (1996-2000). He made it up to the Yankees’ spring training roster in 2000.
December 22, 2012 at 3:59 pm |
Thanks, Bill. The Christmas All Stars couldn’t pass on that report. Todd Noel has been added to the pitching roster as a result of your very positive scouting report. Not just “by the way,” he’s our first Noel.
December 23, 2012 at 3:09 am |
Of course, for those conflicted by the “holes” in the original stories or perhaps the commercialism of the current world, there’s always Angel Pagan.
December 23, 2012 at 6:21 am |
So where is Gary Bell? Buddy Bell and Gus bell? I hear the bells on Vhriatmas day! 🎅
December 23, 2012 at 6:23 am |
That would be “Christmas Day.”
Mike
December 23, 2012 at 6:30 am |
And now that you’ve got me thinking about this theme, I’m nominating 2 former major league pitchers: Jeff and Ed Holly!
December 23, 2012 at 6:42 am |
Former Astro and Ranger, Mike Lamb.
December 23, 2012 at 2:38 pm |
you guys have way too much time on your hands