That's right, it's 6-6-6. And presuming that's not a final sign of the Apocalypse and we are all still here to read and write on Batter's Box, it provides an opportunity to add still another wing to baseball's Hall of Names, though not of the Mark "The Bird" Fidrych variety (though we have previously given baseball the bird in a similar exercise), as well as issue a Batter's Box reader's challenge.
No, this team ...
... will be made up of those born on June 6 on the one hand, while the Reader's Challenge team (see below) will be those bearing 666-quality names (and if necessary, nicknames) on the other. Let's see how this goes.
On that first hand, entering the 2006 season, 43 players born on June 6 had played major league ball, including a couple with appropriately 666-sounding names in Steve Fireovid and Gaylen Pitts -- though David Lamb and Angel Moreno might well cancel them out from the other side.
Just one Hall of Famer was born on 6/6, in legendary Yankee backstop Bill Dickey, who also serves as this team's skipper based on his one partial season at the Yankee helm in 1946. But what kind of roster does he have to work with? Actually -- and this comment is ironic given the source of the team's roster -- it's not half bad.
And though not a single one of the 6/6 43 bears "Phil(l)ip" as a first name or even as part of a last name, how can we name this team anything other than ...
The Phillips 6/6
** indicates Hall of Fame
* indicates All-Star
MGR: Bill Dickey** (57-48 as '46 NYY player/manager)
Lineup
C Bill Dickey** (.313, 202 homers in 17 years)
1B Dave Bergman (.258 in 17 seasons)
2B Fresco Thompson (.298, 1925-34)
SS Bud Harrelson* (1971 Gold Glove)
3B Dario Lodigiani (.260, 1938-46; primarily 2B)
LF Merv Rettenmund (.271 in 13 seasons)
CF Bill Lange (.330, 399 SB, 1893-99; played all but P)
RF Chet Morgan (.284 for 1938 DET)
DH Ed McKean (mostly a SS, .302, 323 SB, 1887-99)
Bench
C Larry Howard (.236, parts of 1970-73)
2B Mark Ellis (.276 through 2005)
IF Tony Graffanino (.268 in 10 years through 2005)
OF Eddie Silber (.310, 1937, '39 SLB)
OF/RHRP Brooks Kieschnick (.248 BA; 4.59 ERA)
1B Bill Mellor (.361, 13-for-36 for 1902 BAL)
Rotation
RHSP/UTIL Jim Devlin (72-76; 65 wins in 1876-77; .287, 1873-77)
RHSP Carl Willey (38-58 in eight seasons, 1958-65)
LHSP Angel Moreno (4-10, 1981-82 CAL)
RHSP Carl Cashion (12-13, 1911-14)
RHSP Jim St. Vrain (4-6, 2.08 for 1902 CHC)
Bullpen
CL-LH Jeremy Affeldt (13-16, 17 saves through 2005)
RH-SET Matt Belisle (5-9, 2003, '05 CIN)
LH-SET Joe Pate (9-0, 6 saves for '26 PHA; 9-3 12 saves career)
RHRP Steve Fireovid (3-1 in parts of 6 years, 1981-92)
LHRP Jeff Williams (4-1, 1999-2002 LAD)
6/6 Final Cuts
OF Max Venable (.241, 1979-91)
IF David Lamb (.226 for '99 TBD; .216 career)
IF Gaylen Pitts (.250 with 1974-75 OAK)
OF Doug Frobel (.201, 1982-87)
LHRP Jake Hewitt (1-0, 2 saves for 1895 PIT)
LHRP Rudy Arias (2-0, 2 saves for 1959 CHW)
LHRP Ray "Lefty" Pierce (7-11, 1924-26)
RHRP Izzy Goldstein (3-2 for 1932 DET)
Batter's Box Reader's Challenge: Who belongs on an
All-Evil team? RHRP Fireovid and IF Pitts are examples, but surely
there are better. Among those not born on 6/6, for instance, there's OF
Red Badgro and RHSP Rick Helling. Maybe Alvin Dark can manage and play short.
Be creative -- who else gets on the All-Satan's Choice team? Provide
name, explanation if necessary, position and a few key stats if you got
'em!
