Willie Wells
By Opie Otterstad
2007
Upon Wells’ induction into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame
Most of you know that putting together all time baseball teams is one of my go-to guilty writing pleasures. I say “guilty” because putting a roster – or nine men on the field – based upon some singular commonly denominating creative factor never is – and never will be – enough to make the collection a real team. I say “pleasures” because I really do enjoy the process of searching deeply into absurdity. It rests my mind from more serious matters of the mind and heart – and these include all the snares of reality that get in the way of ever working out our original life plan for finding “happily ever after” – once we find out from life on our own paths of adventure that the “good guys” don’t always win – and – for some dedicated church-going criminals – that crime really “does” pay – in the frustrating temporal blink of our drive-by look at the lessons of life.
So, what’s the point of this preface? This morning, I find that it is finally OK for me to present my “All Texas-Born” collection of greatest baseball players – as long as I do not the name “team” to them. These incredible talents never were anything close to being a team by some kind of cultural recipe for “baseball team chili” – nor were they of the same eras of play – the same parts of our really huge state – the same racial or religious ethnicity – the same deep or log-lasting roots of connection to the state’s history – or the same apparent humors of the mind about other people’s rights to be different.
For example, shortstop Willie Wells of Austin and second baseman Joe Morgan of Bonham could likely have pulled off numerous double plays and hit-and-run plays together, but Wells was a lifelong Texan while Morgan’s family moved away when he was in early childhood. Wells was an early 20th century Negro Leaguer while Morgan was a late 20th century major leaguer. They were both excellent back baseball players, but you get the idea. They were not even close to being the same guy from so many of other factors.
Eddie Mathews, Frank Robinson, Greg Maddux, Curt Flood, and a few others are also connected to Joe Morgan and a few others by only the fact that Texas is the ground upon which they were born.
That being said, I do enjoy calling this 19-man (Texas League sized post WWII sized) roster by a name that fits. They are – The Pecan Park Eagle All Texas-Born All Stars!
Now, if they only had a chance to play together as a “team”. ~ Maybe they could get there. ~ What do you think?
The Pecan Park Eagle All Texas-Born All Stars!
P – Nolan Ryan (Refugio TX)
P – Smokey Joe Williams (Seguin TX) *
P – Hilton Smith (Hilton TX) *
P – Greg Maddux (San Angelo TX)
P – Rube Foster (Calvert TX) *
P – Bill Foster (Calvert TX) *
P – Andy Cooper (Waco TX) *
C – Biz Mackey (Eagle Pass TX) *
C – Louis Santop (Tyler TX) *
1B – Ernie Banks (Dallas TX) **
2B – Rogers Hornsby (Winters TX)
2B – Joe Morgan (Bonham TX)
3B – Eddie Mathews (Texarkana TX)
SS – Willie Wells (Austin TX) *
LF – Frank Robinson (Beaumont TX)
CF – Tris Speaker (Hubbard TX)
RF – Ross Youngs (Shiner TX)
OF – Curt Flood (Houston TX)
OF – Curt Walker (Beeville TX)
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* Played Negro League Baseball
** Played in Negro League and MLB
Bold Type = Baseball Hall of Fame Member
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Publisher, Editor, Writer
The Pecan Park Eagle
Houston, Texas
The Pecan Park Eagle 
February 14, 2017 at 10:45 pm |
Bill,
Not a bad list but I have two glaring omissions for your consideration.
Clayton Kershaw’s numbers are already better than all but 2 of the pitchers on your list, Nolan Ryan and Greg Maddux. I would take him before any of the others.
The second omission should be dear to your heart. In the OF in place of Curt Flood or Curt Walker, I would take Lance Berkman.
Another OF who could merit consideration over those same two in the OF would be Charlie Blackmon, although he has only played 6 years, his numbers are already dwarfing the others.
Let me know your thoughts.
February 14, 2017 at 11:42 pm |
Fred,
Since we never started out with the conclusion of stopping at a 19-player roster, I would prefer to simply add Kershaw, Berkman, or Blackmon. Now we are adding depth to our original grit. A roster of 22 is fine with me – and thanks for the contributions.