And what better way to celebrate #60 than to put together an All-Babe team, if indeed that's possible?
According to the genius that is BaseballReference.com (without whom, as has been mentioned many times, this series would not be possible), a grand total of just 30 men in MLB history have had the nickname (or proper given name, for that matter) of "Babe" -- and that's only if you count Sammy Byrd, who had the unwieldy nickname "Babe Ruth's Legs."
Of course, we have a pretty good right fielder -- or should he be in the rotation? Anyway, can we put together an entire team without a meatball served up by Tom Zachary? Given that every third Babe seems to be a first baseman, it looks like this might be hard to do without calling in some reinforcements.
Actually, not to be a baby about this, but it's definitely the case -- so we'll open this up to players nicknamed "Baby" or "The Baby somethingorother," too, which gives us a nice 3-4 Hall of Fame punch in the lineup now. However, to stay true to the original theme, we'll go with filling out the roster with Babes before we resort to Babies. (That make sense?)
Say, since we're calling in reinforcements nicknamed "Baby," does that make this the "infantry"?
I GOT YOU, BABES
* Indicates All-Star
** Indicates Hall of Famer
MGR: Del "Babe" Wilber (1-1 for '73 TEX; only Babe to manage in MLB history)
LINEUP
C: Babe Phelps* (three-time All-Star, .310 from 1931-42)
1B Babe Dahlgren* (took over for Gehrig; similars are Pat Tabler, Wes Parker)
2B Babe Ellison (.216, 1916-20 DET; did everything but C)
SS Charlie "Swamp Baby" Wilson (.214 in 57 games, 1931-35)
3B Babe Pinelli (.276, 1918-27, later an umpire)
LF Babe Herman (.324, 181 homers, 1926-45)
CF Baby Doll Jacobson (1714 hits, .311, 1914-27)
RF Babe Ruth** (survived final cuts to make the roster)
DH Orlando "The Baby Bull" Cepeda** (.297, 379 homers, 19 seasons)
BENCH
C Babe Wilber (player/manager hit .242, 1946-54)
IF Roberto "Baby" Pena (mostly a SS, .245, 1965-71)
1B/OF Babe Young (WWII slugger hit .273, 1936-48)
OF Charley "Baby" Jones (.298, 1875-88)
2B/OF Babe Twombly (.304 for 1920-21 CHC)
OF Sammy "Babe Ruth's Legs" Byrd (.274, 1929-36)
ROTATION
RHSP Babe Adams (194-140, 1906-24)
LHSP Babe Ruth (94-46; 2.28; we'll need someone to play RF every fifth day)
RHSP Phil "Babe" Marchildon (68-75, 1940-50; 19-9 for 1947 PHA)
RJSP Ed "Babe" Doty (1-0, 1.00 in only start for 1890 TOL)
RHSP Babe Sherman (0.00 career ERA; 1/3 IP in only start for '14 Fed League CHI)
BULLPEN
CL-RHRP Danny "The Baby-Faced Assassin" Graves (172 saves through 2004)
RHRP Ed "Babe" Linke (22-22, 1933-38, six career saves leads all Babes)
LHRP Russ "Babe" Meers (3-3 in cups of coffee with 1941-47 CHC)
RHRP Babe Birrer (four saves for 1955-58 DET, BAL, LAD)
RHRP Mario "Babe" Picone (0-2 in cups of coffee with 1947-54 NYG, CIN)
LONG-RHRP Ray "Baby" Semproch (13-11 for '58 PHI, 19-21 career)
We could probably really help this team by going to the Negro Leagues for more reinforcements, but according to the admittedly incomplete list of players provided by the Negro League Baseball Players Assocation, that league never had a "Babe." Of course, Josh Gibson was known as "The Black Babe Ruth," but many historians hold that as an injustice and insist that Ruth would more accurately be "The White Josh Gibson."
Regardless ... how can this team be better, Babe? And who wants to take a crack at what would almost certainly be a better team than this at #61, say an All-Roger team?
Disclaimer: While this was the sixtieth Hall of Names story written, Tuesday's "Hall-Mark" story was actually the sixtieth posted. Well, by me anyway ... there have been at least four Hall of Name pinch-hits, so we're really looking at 65 'bout now. That is all.
