Reader Challenge: "Once They Were ..."

Monday, August 20 2007 @ 08:30 PM EDT

Contributed by: Mick Doherty

The recent Greatest Padre poll ("spoiler" alert: Gwynn, and big) brings to mind this thought ... what franchise can build the best lineup made up of players best known for what they did with other teams?

In other words ...

... when you picture Rollie Fingers and Gene Tenace, for instance, you think "Oakland," but both also played for the Padres. So they are eligible for the "Once They Were Padres" team. In fact, here's that whole team ... can you come up with one that's better, representing a different franchise?

Once They Were Padres
** indicates Hall of Fame
* indicates All-Star
[Primary team or teams in brackets]

C Gene Tenace* [OAK]
1B Steve Garvey* [LAD]
2B Roberto Alomar* [TOR, several]
SS Ozzie Smith** [STL]
3B Ken Caminiti* [HOU]
LF Willie McCovey** [SFG]
CF Joe Carter* [CLE, TOR]
RF Jack Clark* [SFG, STL]
DH Fred McGriff* [TOR, ATL]
SP Gaylord Perry** [SFG, CLE]
SP Kevin Brown* [TEX, LAD]
RP Rollie Fingers** [OAK, MIL]
RP Rich Gossage* [NYY, several]

So that's a full lineup (including a DH) plus two SP and two RP, and no room on the lineup card for a guy like Greg Vaughn* [MIL] ... wow, that's some Once-They-Were squad. Who can do better?

19 comments



https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20070820201859107