LestersLegends.com

I continue the All-time team tour with the storied A’s.
 
Face of the Franchise:

Connie Mack
 
Manager: Connie Mack

C – Mickey Cochrane
1B – Jimmie Foxx
2B – Eddie Collins
SS – Bert Campaneris
3B – Jimmy Dykes
OF – Al Simmons
OF – Rickey Henderson
OF – Bob Johnson
DH – Mark McGwire
Bench:  2B/OF Danny Murphy, 3B Frank “Home Run” Baker, OF Reggie Jackson, OF Bing Miller

SP – Lefty Grove
SP – Eddie Plank
SP – Chief Bender
SP – Rube Waddell
SP – Vida Blue
P – Catfish Hunter
P – Dave Stewart
P – Barry Zito
P – Eddie Rommel
P – Jack Coombs
P – Tim Hudson
RP – Rollie Fingers
RP – Dennis Eckersley

That’s the team I came up with. Do you have any changes you’d like to suggest? I’m always open to them.

Past Teams
Yankees
Red Sox
Rays
Orioles
Blue Jays
Twins
White Sox
Indians
Tigers
Royals
Angels
Rangers
Mariners

Photo courtesy of TSN Archives/Icon SMI

LoopsandRolls, a friend of mine from the SportingNews Community, asked me to profile Bob Johnson.  Here are my findings.

The Numbers
Played 1933-1945 (13 Seasons)
1863 Games
6920 At Bats
.296 Batting Average
1239 Runs
2051 Hits
396 Doubles
95 Triples
288 HRs
1283 RBI
1075 Walks
96 SBs

Five .300+ Seasons
Six 100+ Run Seasons
Six 30+ Double Seasons
Three 30+ HR Seasons
Eight 100+ RBI Seasons

Awards
8 All-Star Appearances
MVP Votes in 6 Seasons

Top Ten Finishes
Batting Average – Twice
On-base % – 4 Times (Led league in 1944)
Slugging % – 10 Times
OPS – 9 Times (Led league in 1944)
Games – 4 Times
Runs – 4 Times
Hits – Twice
Doubles – 3 Times
Triples – 5 Times
Home Runs – 11 Times
Total Bases – 8 Times
Extra-Base Hits – 8 Times
RBI – 7 Times
Walks – 8 Times
Hit by Pitch – 3 Times
SBs – Once

Hall of Fame Yardsticks:
Gray Ink: Batting – 161 (71) (Average HOFer ≈ 144)
HOF Standards: Batting – 46.1 (94) (Average HOFer ≈ 50)
HOF Monitor: Batting – 91.5 (171) (Likely HOFer > 100)

Indian Bob didn’t get started until he was 27.  His first nine years in the league he averaged 102 Runs, 30 Doubles, 7 Triples, 27 HRs, and 107 RBI.  It’s a shame he didn’t get started when he was even 23 years old.  He would have likely cracked the 1500 Run and 1500 RBI mark, which would have likely earned him a spot in Cooperstown.  As it stands, he missed those marks and his exclusion from the Hall of Fame is justified.

References
Baseball-reference.com

Past Chronicles
Roberto Alomar
Richie Ashburn*

Albert Belle
Jim Bottomley*
Pete Browning
Jim Bunning *
Bert Byleven
Joe Carter
Orlando Cepeda*
Rocky Colavito
Dave Concepcion
David Cone
Roger Connor*
Larry Corcoran
Mike Cuellar
George Davis*
Andre Dawson
Larry Doby*
Bobby Doerr*
Jimmie Dykes (Player/Manager)
Dwight Evans
Rick Ferrell*
Chuck Finley
Steve Finley
Nellie Fox*
John Franco
Gary Gaetti
Steve Garvey
Luis Gonzalez
Dwight Gooden
Mark Grace
Bobby Grich
Charlie Grimm (Player/Manager)
Ron Guidry
Billy Herman*
Keith Hernandez
Orel Hershiser
Whitey Herzog (Manager)
Gil Hodges
Ralph Houk (Manager)
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Travis Jackson*
Tommy John
Addie Joss*
Jim Kaat
George Kell*
Tom Kelly (Manager)
Chuck Klein*
Jerry KoosmanEarl Averill*
Harold Baines
Bill James & Pete Palmer
Barry Larkin
Tony Lazzeri*
Freddie Lindstrom*
Mickey Lolich
Ernie Lombardi*
Fred Lynn
Sherry Magee
Roger Maris
Billy Martin (Player/Manager)
Dennis Martinez
Edgar Martinez
Bobby Matthews
Don Mattingly
Gene Mauch (Manager)
Bill Mazeroski*
Fred McGriff
Mark McGwire
Bid McPhee
Johnny Mize*
Paul Molitor*
Jack Morris
Tony Mullane
Dale Murphy
Graig Nettles
Hal Newhouser*
Lefty O’Doul
Tony Oliva
Al Oliver
Buck O’Neill & Minnie Minoso
Dave Parker
Wes Parker
Lance Parrish
Boog Powell
Tim Raines
Willie Randolph
Pee Wee Reese*
Jim Rice
Phil Rizzuto*
Brooks Robinson*
Pete Ro$e
Amos Rusie*
Jimmy Ryan
Ron Santo
Curt Schilling
Red Schoendienst* (Player/Manager)
Ted Simmons
Enos Slaughter*
Lee Smith
Rusty Staub
Dave Stieb
Mel Stottlemyre
Harry Stovey
Sam Thompson
Alan Trammell
George Van Haltren
Arky Vaughan*
Mo Vaughn
Bobby Veach
Frank Viola
Lou Whitaker
Bernie Williams
Vic Willis*
Maury Wills 
Hack Wilson*
 
* Signifies actual Hall of Famer