Batter's Box Interactive Magazine - Bay Area Baseballers

Apologies to the home of the Athletics, and Oakland has produced a number of fine diamond men, but today faithful Bauxite Anders Whist brings us this Hall of Names team composed entirely of San Francisco natives.

How good is this team? Here's a hint: Joe DiMaggio didn't make the roster. Let's see what that's all about as we meet a team that, even without Jim or Sam Rice, could only be called ...

The San Francisco Treats
By Anders Whist

This team can put a pretty decent lineup out, especially the strong outfield. Dom DiMaggio was one of the finest defensive centre fielders to play the game, and this quote, courtesy of Bill James, is a favorite: How can [Joe DiMaggio] be the greatest centre fielder of all time," asks Bill Deane, "if he’s the third best centre fielder in his family?"

Lefty O’Doul is a fantastic story, and maybe someone can explain it better than me, but he was a poor pitcher, washed out at 26, made a comeback as a hitter at 31, played 7 years and ended up a .349 hitter, with 1140 hits. The pitching though, can generously be described as awful. You win some you lose some.

Player/Manager: Joe Cronin (1236 wins, two pennants)
Player/Coach: Jim Fregosi (1028 wins, one pennant)

Lineup
C: Joe Ferguson (.240, 122 homers)
1B: Keith Hernandez* (.296, 162 homers, 1979 NL co-MVP)
2B: Tony Lazzeri** (.292, 178 homers)
3B: Willie Kamm (.281 in 13 seasons)
SS: Joe Cronin** (.301, 170 homers)
RF: Harry Heilmann** (.342, 183 homers, four batting crowns)
CF: Dom DiMaggio* (.298 in just 11 seasons)
LF: Lefty O'Doul* (.349 in second career as OF)
DH: George Kelly** (.297, 148 homers)

Bench
C: John Boccabella (.219 over 12 seasons)
INF: Dolph Camilli* (.277, 239 homers, 1941 NL MVP)
INF: Jim Fregosi* (.265, 151 homers)
OF: Willie McGee* (.295, 1985 NL MVP)
OF: Jackie Jensen* (.276, 199 homers, 1958 AL MVP)
UT: Gil McDougald* (.276, 112 homers)

Rotation
RHSP: Mike Norris* (58-59; 22-9 in 1980)
RHSP: Charlie Sweeney (64-52; 41-15 in 1882)
LHSP: Phil Knell (79-90; 50-38, 1890-91)
RHSP: Bill Posedel (41-43; 27-30 in 1939-40)
5SP-RH: Ryan Drese (34-37 through 2005)

Bullpen
CL-RH: Dick Tidrow (100-94, 55 saves)
RHRP: Danny Frisella (34-40, 57 saves)
LHRP: Bert Cole (28-32, 10 saves)
RHRP: Tyler Walker (12-5, 24 saves through 2005)
LHRP: Windy McCall (11-15, 12 saves)

Hall of Names Challenge: Can the Bay's "Second City" of Oakland put together a team to challenge or defeat this one? Contact me to stake your claim to this challenge (first come, first served, as always) ... and on a related note, what would an All-Bay Area team of SF AND Oakland (and other localities that I cannot name) look like?

P.S. I love this team, but seriously, Dom over Joe?

Posted by Mick Doherty on Monday, January 09 2006 @ 09:01 AM EST.

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Mike Green - Monday, January 09 2006 @ 09:25 AM EST (#139280) #

With Ferguson and Cronin already on the club, there was a serious risk of over-Joesing. And, by the way, Dick Tidrow as your closer? The man who defined "replacement value"? Say it aint so, Joe. Er, Dom.

On a slightly more serious note, like Grove, Lefty O'Doul had a noteworthy and long minor league career at a point in time when those leagues had independence.

Anders - Monday, January 09 2006 @ 10:24 AM EST (#139285) #

Baseballreference lists Joe DiMaggio as being born in Martinez California, as does the Hall of Fame website - Joltin Joe would be a fine addition to the team otherwise.

As for closers, my other candidate was Danny Frisella, but its not like this is Mays/DiMaggio here.

A fantastic, combined Bay Area team could be made too. Dave Stewart, Dennis Eckersly, a couple 100+ game winners, Ernie Lombardi, Jermaine Dye and Jimmy Rollins are all from there.

In addition, there's a Lefy O'Douls sports bar in San Francisco, so I think that counts bonus.

Mick Doherty - Monday, January 09 2006 @ 10:36 AM EST (#139286) #

Dick Tidrow as your closer? The man who defined "replacement value"?

Sir, you do "Dirt" wrong! His career ERA+ was, after all, 101 -- not simply 100, so therefore abovre replacement value!

Mike Green - Monday, January 09 2006 @ 10:42 AM EST (#139288) #

Actually, Mick, I was being completely facetious. Tidrow was an average pitcher. The Yanks of last year could have used someone of his ilk instead of Scott Proctor, who truly was of replacement value.

Craig B - Monday, January 09 2006 @ 11:54 AM EST (#139295) #

Yeah, Vince and Joe were born when the DiMaggios still lived in Martinez, which is a fishing port down the coast a ways from San Francisco itself.

Ben - Monday, January 09 2006 @ 02:21 PM EST (#139310) #

Down the coast? Martinez is slightly inland actually. And I'll take a crack at the all Oakland team. I do have some native pride invested in this.

Ben - Monday, January 09 2006 @ 03:33 PM EST (#139318) #

Alright then, here's my attempt at an all Oakland team. I have to admit I fudged things just a tad as Ricky Henderson wasnt actually born in Oakland, he moved there just after birth and grew up in Oakland and actually went to my high school. There's only two Hall of Famers, Ernie Lombard and Dennis Eckersley. But Henderson will be in and there are a few contemporary All-Stars in Jermaine Dye, Dontrelle Willis and Jimmy Rollins. Overall, its a decent team, nothing compared to the Southern California teams though.

C: Ernie Lombardi
1B: Jermaine Dye
2B: Jeff Frye
3B: Cookie Lavagetto
SS: Jimmy Rollins
RF: Irish Meusel
CF: Von Joshua
LF: Rickey Henderson

1P: Dave Stewart
2P: Dontrelle Willis
3P: Ray Kremer
4P: Monte "Hoot" Pearson
5P: Dennis Bennet

Bench
C: Chris Cannizzaro
OF: Len Gabrielson
OF: Glenn Burke
Util: Lew Fonseca
3B: Johnny Vergez

Bullpen
CL: Dennis Eckersley
LHP: Al Hrabosky
LHP: Rich Nye
RHP: Warren Brusstar
LHP: Bob McClure
Long man: Jim Tobin

I'd more than welcome changes as I'd like to beat the San Francisco team.

Mick Doherty - Monday, January 09 2006 @ 05:24 PM EST (#139330) #

Dye at 1B is a real reach -- he has played there exactly once in his MLB career, or exactly as often as he has played shortstop!

Magpie - Monday, January 09 2006 @ 07:35 PM EST (#139337) #

Having just finished one of these exercises my own self (Meet Me In St. Louis, Louis) - is it not strange how talent is distributed? I'm looking at this SF team and thinking "OK, they'll just pummel my St.Louis guys - they're better everywhere except behind the plate, where St. Louis Rules All."

And then I came to the starting rotation... and wow. What happened? Pitching not allowed on that side of the bay?

Mick Doherty - Monday, January 09 2006 @ 09:01 PM EST (#139346) #

Thanks to the work Ben did on Oakland, we can combine the two teams to come up with this All-SF Bay Area squad, the Golden Gate Warriors (ancient NBA reference there) ...

Lineup
C: Ernie Lombardi**
1B: Keith Hernandez*
2B: Tony Lazzeri**
3B: Willie Kamm
SS: Joe Cronin**
RF: Harry Heilmann**
CF: Dom DiMaggio*
LF: Rickey Henderson*
DH: George Kelly**

Bench
C: Joe Ferguson
INF: Dolph Camilli*
INF: Jim Fregosi*
OF: Irish Meusel
UT: Gil McDougald*
OF/RP: Lefty O'Doul*

Rotation
RHSP: Dave Stewart*
LHSP: Dontrelle Willis*
RHSP: Mike Norris*
LHSP: Phil Knell
RHSP: Charlie Sweeney

Bullpen
CL-RH: Dennis Eckersley*
RHRP: Danny Frisella
LHRP: Al Hrabosky*
RHRP: Dick Tidrow
LHRP: Bert Cole

Craig B - Monday, January 09 2006 @ 10:01 PM EST (#139354) #

Down the coast? Martinez is slightly inland actually. And I'll take a crack at the all Oakland team. I do have some native pride invested in this.

Damn, that wouldn't be the first time that Christopher Lehmann-Haupt lied to me. Of course, I also may have read it wrong.

/Checks Google Maps...

Ah, now I see. In fact, it's not inland per se, it's just further from the mouth of San Francisco Bay. And it is a port.

Craig B - Monday, January 09 2006 @ 10:03 PM EST (#139355) #

You know, guys, with these giant metropolises, I'd think you all could do a bit better than Mobile, Alabama, but I'm really not seeing it... :)

Anders - Monday, January 09 2006 @ 11:03 PM EST (#139365) #

The breakdown of players - especially by position - if remarkable. I submitted to Mick a city that's pitching would blow anyone out of the water - The staff had some 1500 combined wins, and yet they had two hitters who broke 200 home runs.

Bonus points to anyone who can guess the city.

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The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.