The specter of whether or not Babe Didrikson Zaharias should win a spot on the recent All-Babe team raised another interesting question ... what kind of Hall of Names team could be gathered using only the 74 men to have reached the MLB level whose last/family name begins with the letter "Z"?
Now, just off the top of your head, you're probably thinking "Zito, Zeile, Canada's own Zimmerman boys, former Jay Zosky ..." And you'd be right. But putting together the full 25-man roster is a little harder than you might think.
Well, let's, um, zee ..
Meet your
ZANESVILLE GRAYS
NOTE: Yes, this was actually a real minor league team, not just some literary pun from an underappreciated English major.
*indicates All-Star
** indicates Hall of Famer (there are none)
# indicates active player
Player/Manager: Don Zimmer* (885-858, one division champ -- '89 CHC)
LINEUP
C Chief Zimmer (.264, 1884-1903)
1B Norm Zauchin (started at 1B for '55 BOS; .233 in 6 seasons)
2B Heinie Zimmerman (,295, 1907-19, played more at 3B)
SS Frankie Zak* (played just 123 games, 1944-46, made '44 All-Star team)
3B Todd Zeile* (all-time Z homer leader with 256)
LF Gus Zernial* (.265, 237 homers)
CF Al Zarilla (.276, 1943-53)
RF Guy Zinn (.269, 1911-15)
DH Richie Zisk* (.287, 207 homers)
BENCH
C Gregg Zaun (.250 through 2004)
OF/1B/3B Bob Zupcic (.250, 1991-94)
MID IF Benny Zientara (.254, 1941-48)
OF Billy Zitzmann (.267, parts of 1919-29)
UTIL Rollie Zeider (.240, 1910-18, did everything but P, C)
UTIL Don Zimmer* (.235, 1954-65, started at SS for first LAD team in '57)
ROTATION
RHSP Tom Zachary (186-191, 1918-36)
LHSP Barry Zito* (72-40 through 2004)
RHSP George Zettlein (129-112, 1871-76; 92 wins, 1873-75)
LHSP Geoff Zahn (111-109, 1973-85)
RHSP Carlos Zambrano* (34-29 through 2004)
BULLPEN
CL Jeff Zimmerman* (RH, 28 saves in 2001)
LHRP Chad Zerbe (6-1, 2000-03)
RHRP Oscar Zamora (13-14, 23 saves, 1974-78)
LHRP Adrian Zabala (4-7, 1 save, 1945 & 1949)
LONG-RH Pat Zachry* (69-67, 1976-85)
So what do you say, Bauxites? Does this team wake you up and make you want to make it better, or are you left feeling ... ZZZzzzzz ....
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20050518180728519