October 28, 1995: The South Rises In the World Series

October 28, 1995, 30 years ago: The Atlanta Braves win Game 6 of the World Series, beating the Cleveland Indians, 1-0‚ on a combined 1-hitter by Tom Glavine and Mark Wohlers.

David Justice's 6th-inning home run accounts for the game's only run. Having noticed that Cleveland's Jacobs Field (renamed Progressive Field in 2007) seemed a lot louder in Games 3, 4 and 5 than Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium had in Games 1 and 2, Justice called on the Braves' fans to be louder for Game 6. They were, especially when he hit his homer.

Catcher Tony Peña's leadoff single in the 6th was Cleveland's only hit. The Indians, who won 100 games in the strike-shortened 144-game season, and won their 1st American League Pennant in 41 years, led the majors in homers and runs scored. But in this Series, they batted just .179‚ the lowest average for a 6-games series since 1911.

This was the 1st time that two of the "Big Four" sports' titles were held by Southern teams. The Houston Rockets had won the NBA title in June.

In winning‚ the Braves become the 1st team to win World Championships representing 3 different cities: Boston in 1914‚ Milwaukee in 1957‚ and Atlanta in 1995. It was their 30th season in Atlanta, and despite having had such talents as Hank Aaron, Phil Niekro and Dale Murphy, they mostly struggled through their 1st 25 years, winning Division titles in 1969 and 1982.

They won the National League Pennant in 1991 and 1992, but lost the World Series both times. They lost the NL Championship Series in 1993, and the 1994 season was cut short by a strike. In 1995, they won it all, led by their pitching "Big Three": Glavine went 16-7, Greg Maddux went 19-2, and John Smoltz went 16-7. Justice, Fred McGriff, Chipper Jones, Ryan Klesko and Javy López led the attack. And so, the Braves became the 1st team from a former Confederate State to win a World Series.

How key for the Braves was Justice? The following season, the Braves won the Pennant again, but he was injured for the World Series, and they lost it to the New York Yankees. Foolishly, the Braves let him go, to the Indians, and he helped them win the Pennant in 1997. He later helped the Yankees win the AL Pennant in 2000 (winning the World Series) and 2001 (losing it). Although he fell short of career stats for the Baseball Hall of Fame -- 1,571 hits, 305 of them home rums -- he was one of the top clutch performers of his era.

Atlanta's Top 10 Athletes

Larry Wayne Jones Jr. and Henry Louis Aaron

This week, the Mets are in Atlanta to play the Braves.

Atlanta's Top 10 Athletes

No Atlanta Flames players are in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Bernie Geoffrion was a Hall of Fame player in Montreal before becoming an Atlanta coach and executive, but nothing he did in Atlanta is part of his qualifications. The only Atlanta Thrashers in the Hall are Mark Recchi and Chris Chelios, and, between them, they played 60 games for the team. (To put it another way: Chelios played the last 7 games of his career for the Thrashers, out of 1,651, or 0.4 percent of his games.)

Honorable Mention to Atlanta Braves in the Baseball Hall of Fame, but not otherwise making this Top 10: Joe Torre (very good player but elected as a manager) and Bruce Sutter (better known for other teams).

Honorable Mention to Atlanta Hawks in the Basketball Hall of Fame, who didn't otherwise make the Top 10: Walt Bellamy (only 4 seasons), Moses Malone (3) and Dikembe Mutombo (5). All 3 of those guys are better known for playing for other teams.

Morten Andersen played 8 seasons in Atlanta, and is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he was a kicker, and he's better remembered as a member of the Falcons' arch-rivals, the New Orleans Saints.

10 Pete Maravich, guard, Atlanta Hawks, 1970-74. He wasn't a man amongst boys as he was in college, but he was still pretty good in the NBA in the Seventies, first in Atlanta and then in New Orleans, before injuries caught up with him. The Hawks retired his Number 44, and he was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame and the NBA's 50th Anniversary 50 Greatest Players.

9. Deion Sanders, cornerback, Atlanta Falcons, 1989-93. Had he spent his entire career in Atlanta, he would be seriously challenging Hank Aaron for the title of Atlanta's greatest athlete, because Hank didn't spend his entire career in Atlanta, either.

Deion is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Falcons' Ring of Honor, but does not have his Number 21 retired. In 1999, while he was still active, The Sporting News ranked him 37th on their list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. In 2010, the NFL Network promoted him to 34th on their list of the 100 Greatest Players.

8. Claude Humphrey, defensive end, Atlanta Falcons, 1968-78. He made 6 Pro Bowls for the Falcons' Grits Blitz defense, then went to the Eagles and helped them reach Super Bowl XV. He's been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Falcons' Ring of Honor.

7. Dominique Wilkins, forward, Atlanta Hawks, 1982-94. Take away Michael Jordan's Nike contract and Scottie Pippen, and what have you got? A dunk artist who never got close to an NBA title. In other words, you've got 'Nique. Nevertheless, he is the greatest contributor to the Hawks in the half-century-plus since Bob Pettit retired (in St. Louis), and his Number 21 is retired. Though that saying about a road being named "The Dominique Wilkins Highway" is just a joke, so people can say that no passing is allowed.

6. Chipper Jones, 3rd base, Atlanta Braves, 1993-2012. A 141 OPS+, 468 home runs thus far, 549 doubles, 2,726 hits, 8 All-Star berths, the 1999 NL MVP, and 12 postseason appearances... but only 1 ring.

Still, if any player is the symbol of the Braves' "dynasty," it's Larry Wayne Jones Jr., not any of their great pitcher. The Braves have retired his Number 10, and he's in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

5. John Smoltz, pitcher, Atlanta Braves, 1988-2008. He may have been the Number 3 pitcher behind Maddux and Glavine for years and years, but he shouldn't take a back seat to anyone. From the ages of 22 to 32, he was one of the best starters in baseball, topping out at 24-8 – winning 29 games counting the All-Star Game and the postseason, most since Denny McLain's 32 in 1968 – with 276 strikeouts in 1996, winning the NL Cy Young Award.

At 33, an injury kept him out all season. From 34 to 37, he was one of the game's best relievers, setting the NL record which still stands with 55 saves in 2002. At 38, 39 and 40, he was again one of baseball's top relievers, going 16-9 in 2006 – though it says something about the way the game has changed that his 16 wins were enough to lead the NL that season.

He was an 8-time All-Star. He won 213 games (losing just 155) and saving 154 others. His career ERA+ is 125, his WHIP 1.176. He is a member of the 3,000 Strikeout Club. And he reached the postseason 14 times (13 with the Atlanta Braves, not counting 2000 when he was hurt all season, and the last with the Cardinals), and his 15 postseason wins are 2nd all-time to Andy Pettitte, against just 4 losses.

However, he has only one World Championship, with the '95 Braves. Don’t blame him, however. In 1991 he pitched 9 shutout innings in Game 7 before the bullpen lost to the Twins. And 2 of those losses were in the World Series to the Yankees, to Pettitte in Game 5 in '96 and Roger Clemens in Game 4 in '99.

The Braves have retired his Number 29. He has been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. And a friend of his named Eldrick "Tiger" Woods, who knows something about playing golf in the State of Georgia, says that he was the best golfer in baseball.

4. Phil Niekro, pitcher, Atlanta Braves, 1966-83, with a 1-game return in 1987. The last active player for the Milwaukee Braves, he was the master of the knuckleball, and a member of the 300 Win and 3,000 Strikeout Clubs. With his brother Joe, he formed the winningest brother combination ever. Hall of Fame, Number 35 retired, statue outside Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium moved to Turner Field and SunTrust Park.

3. Tom Glavine, pitcher, Atlanta Braves, 1987-2002, with a brief return in 2008. A 10-time All-Star, he led the National League in wins 5 times. He won the NL Cy Young Award in 1991 and 1998. He helped the Braves reach the postseason 12 times. He won Pennants with the Braves in 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996 and 1998. When they won their only World Series in Atlanta in 1995, he was named the Most Valuable Player.

Met fans will remember his horrendous season finale in 2007 more than how he contributed to their near-Pennant in 2006. Greg Prince, of the blog Faith and Fear In Flushing, named him "The Manchurian Brave" -- as if the Braves, rather than the Phillies (or the Yankees) were the Mets' true rivals. But he won 305 games, with 2,607 strikeouts. The Braves retired his Number 47, and he has been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

2. Greg Maddux, pitcher, Atlanta Braves, 1993-2003. I considered putting him at Number 1, but he didn't spend his entire career in Atlanta, either. An 8-time All-Star, he won 4 straight National League Cy Young Awards, from 1992 to 1995. He won more Gold Gloves for fielding excellence than any other player, 18, from 1990 to 2008 wnning every year but 2003.

He reached the postseason with the Chicago Cubs in 1989, with the Atlanta Braves in 1993 and then every season from 1995 to 2003, and in his last season, 2008, with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He won Pennants with the Braves in 1995, 1996 and 1999, including winning the 1995 World Series.

Despite not having a great fastball, he used an array of breaking pitches to strike out 3,371 batters, and build a record of 355-227, making him the winningest living pitcher. Both the Cubs and the Braves retired his Number 31, and he was easily elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his 1st year of eligibility.

1. Hank Aaron, right field, Atlanta Braves, 1966-74. He only spent 9 seasons in Atlanta, but he is still an easy choice. He was a legitimate All-Star in all of those seasons. Of his 3,771 career hits, 1,334 came in Atlanta. Of his 755 career home runs, 335 came in Atlanta, including his 500th, 600th, 700th and 715th.

The Braves retired his Number 44, dedicated a statue of him that is now outside a 3rd separate ballpark, and the addresses of their last 2 ballparks refer to his home run total: Turner Field was at 755 Hank Aaron Way, and SunTrust Park is at 755 Battery Avenue Southeast.

He and Babe Ruth are the only individual players to have an exhibit all to themselves at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, to which he was elected in his 1st year of eligibility. He came in 5th on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was easily elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. In 2002, George W. Bush awarded him the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Montgomery Wards Off Jays, Rewarded With 7-Run Inning

It never occurred to me until today, but Jordan Montgomery reminds me of Tom Glavine. It's not just that he's also a lefthanded pitcher who wears Number 47. His pitching motion looks like Glavine's as well. And, as a South Carolina native who grew up in the 1990s and 2000s, he would have had the Atlanta Braves as the closest major league team, and he was lefthanded, so he wouldn't have copied Greg Maddux or John Smoltz.

Now, as a Yankee Fan, I don't need Montgomery to pitch as well as Glavine every time. I just need him to pitch well consistently, and he's done that since he got here. He did it again yesterday, going 6 innings, allowing just 1 run on 4 hits and 3 walks.

Chasen Shreve pitched a perfect 7th inning, and Jonathan Holder a perfect 8th and 9th. That those two were able to pitch that well is a very good sign, especially since we may need relievers to come in for CC Sabathia, Masahiro Tanaka, and Sonny Gray more than we would have liked.

Good pitching needs to be backed up by good hitting, and the Yankees got that, too. Only 1 home run was hit, a smoking 2-run 443-foot blast by Aaron Judge in the 3rd inning. That turned out to be all the Yankees needed, but no one knew that at the time.

Because no one knew the Yankees would score 7 runs in the bottom of the 6th. Brett Gardner led off with a single, and Marcus Stroman sent him to 2nd with a wild pitch. That didn't matter, because he walked Judge. Didi Gregorius singled Gardner home. Then another wild pitch, then another walk, of Giancarlo Stanton -- even he wasn't willing to swing at Stroman's pitches. This one loaded the bases with nobody out.

Aaron Hicks bunted, and catcher Luke Maile threw to 3rd, but threw it away, scoring Judge and keeping the bases loaded. Stroman struck Neil Walker out, but Miguel Andujar cleared the bases with a double that nearly went out.

Jays manager John Gibbons had seen enough, and pulled Stroman for John Axford. He immediately walked Austin Romine. Then he gave up a single to Ronald Torreyes, and the bases were loaded again. The Yankees had batted around. Gardner hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Andujar. Judge followed with an RBI single. Axford struck Didi out to end the emergency.

Yankees 9, Blue Jays 1. WP: Montgomery (2-0). No save. LP: Stroman (0-2).

The series concludes today. Luis Severino starts against one of last year's Yankees, Jaime Garcia. If Garcia pitches as well for the Jays as he pitched for the Yankees, the Yankees should win.

Top 10 Athletes From Massachusetts

February 6, 1788: Massachusetts becomes the 6th State to ratify the Constitution of the United States.

Top 10 Athletes From Massachusetts

Honorable Mention to Baseball Hall-of-Famers: William "Candy" Cummings of Ware, outside Springfield; Tim Keefe, John Clarkson and Joe Kelley, all of Cambridge, north of Boston; Tommy McCarthy of Boston; Wilbert Robinson of Bolton, outside Worcester, although he's probably in the Hall more for what he did as a manager; Jack Chesbro of North Adams, outside Pittsfield; Rabbit Maranville of Springfield; and Charles "Gabby" Hartnett of Millville, outside Worcester. (Jeff Bagwell was born in Boston, but grew up in Connecticut, and is in my Top 10 for that State.)

Honorable Mention to Connie Mack of East Brookfield, outside Worcester. Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy never legally changed his name, but thought "Mack" would look better in a box score. An ordinary major league catcher from 1884 to 1896, he began managing in 1894 and didn't stop until 1950. In between, he won 9 Pennants and 5 World Series with the Philadelphia Athletics: In 1910, 1911, 1913, 1929 and 1930.

But because he was also the main owner, he couldn't be removed as manager, despite it becoming clear after World War II that he was senile. Finally, after the 1950 season, his 50th year as manager of the Philadelphia Athletics, his sons Earle, Roy and Connie Jr., who agreed on little else, found a way to maneuver him out.

No manager ever managed more games, or won more -- or lost more. Along with his 1905, 1911 and 1913 World Series opponent, John McGraw, he was 1 of the 1st 2 managers elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the only one ever elected while still managing. (The eligibility rules have since changed.)

After he was removed, and the Philadelphia Phillies bought Shibe Park from the family, the Phils renamed it Connie Mack Stadium. After his death, they erected a statue outside, moving it to Veterans Stadium and now to Citizens Bank Park. He and Robin Roberts were the 1st inductees the Phillies placed into the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame.

Honorable Mention to Harry Agganis of Lynn, north of Boston. "The Golden Greek" starred in baseball and football at Boston University. In 1955, he was in his 2nd season with the Red Sox, and he had impressed even Ted Williams, when he got sick. He developed pneumonia, and died from a pulmonary embolism at age 24. BU's sports arena is named for him.

Honorable Mention to Tony Conigliaro of Revere, north of Boston. When he was 19, he hit a home run in the Red Sox' home opener. When he was 22, he was the youngest player ever to reach 100 career home runs. He had a local background, good looks, a great personality, and a swing tailor-made for Fenway Park. The future seemed limitless.

On August 18, 1967, baseball history was changed when Tony C was hit in the face with a pitch. The Sox were in a tight Pennant race, and he missed the rest of the season, although they win it anyway. He missed all of 1968, came back strong in 1969 and 1970, but his vision problems returned, and was done at 26 - except for a brief comeback at 30, failing to stick with the Sox' next Pennant team in 1975.

It gets worse. In 1982, his budding broadcast career ended with a heart attack, and oxygen deprivation caused brain damage. He was essentially comatose until his death in 1990. The Sox have inducted him into their team Hall of Fame, but if a New Englander had written Field of Dreams, it might have been about C.

Honorable Mention to Mark Fidrych of Northborough, outside Worcester. Another candidate for the screenplay. His sensational 1st season with the Detroit Tigers - sensational both both the quality of his pitching and his quirky personality - made him the 1976 American League Rookie of the Year.

But he got hurt in Spring Training the next year, and was never the same pitcher. Like Tony C, he was a superstar at 22 and done at 26. He went back to his Northborough farm, made a living, and supplemented that with appearances at memorabilia shows, accepting that he was still popular among baseball fans. But he fell victim to a fatal accident on his farm in 2009. At least he had more time to enjoy it all than Conigliaro did.

Honorable Mention to Fran Healy of Holyoke, outside Springfield, for helping the Yankees win the 1977 World Series. He became a broadcaster for both New York teams.

Honorable Mention to Jeff Reardon of Dalton, outside Pittsfield. A 4-time All-Star, he began his career with the 1979 Mets, and ended it with the 1994 Yankees. In between, he saved more games than any player before him, surpassing Rollie Fingers' record of 341 in 1992 -- but, before he retired with 367, was himself surpassed by Lee Smith. He reached the postseason with the 1981 Montreal Expos, the 1987 Minnesota Twins (winning the World Series), the 1990 Boston Red Sox, and the 1992 Atlanta Braves.

Honorable Mention to Angelo Bertelli of Springfield and Joe Bellino of Winchester, north of Boston. Bertelli quarterbacked Notre Dame to the 1943 National Championship, winning the Heisman Trophy, before a brief career in the All-America Football Conference. Bellino went to the Naval Academy, and the running back won the Heisman in 1960. After fulfilling his military commitment, he played for his hometown Patriots.

Honorable Mention to Mark Bavaro of Danvers, north of Boston. A Notre Dame grad like Bertelli, the tight end won Super Bowls XXI and XXV with the Giants, making 2 Pro Bowls. He has been elected to the Giants' Ring of Honor, but not yet to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Honorable Mention to Ray Flynn of South Boston. He played basketball at Providence College, and, exhibiting the parochialism of that most stubborn of neighborhoods in the City of Boston, got mad at the public address announcer, and told him that, from now on, he was to be introduced as, "from South Boston."

He was named an All-American, and the Most Valuable Player of the 1963 NIT. He was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals, just before their move to become the Philadelphia 76ers, was traded to his hometown Celtics, and was the last player cut from the defending World Champions.

He went into politics, elected to the City Council in 1977, and Mayor in 1983, 1987 and 1991. While Mayor, he ran in both the Boston and the New York City Marathon in 1984, and appeared on a 1989 episode of the Boston-based sitcom Cheers. He resigned as Mayor in 1993, to accept the post of U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican.

Honorable Mention to Massachusetts natives on the U.S. Hockey Team that won the Gold Medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York: Captain Mike Eruzione of Winthrop, north of Boston; goaltender Jim Craig of Easton, and Dave Silk of Scuituate, both south of Boston; and Jack O'Callahan of the Somerville section of Boston. The entire team was named Sports Illustrated's 1980 Sportsmen of the Year.

Honorable Mention to Massachusetts natives on the New Jersey Devils' Stanley Cup winners: Bobby Carpenter of Beverly, north of Boston (1995, he had been the 1st high school hockey player on the cover of SI); Bill Guerin of Worcester (1995, the 1st player of Hispanic descent in the NHL, he was also a member of the 2009 Cup-winning Pittsburgh Penguins); and Jay Pandolfo of Winchester, north of Boston (2000 and 2003).

Current Devils goalie Cory Schneider is from a certain town north of Boston, which has been part of an insult used by Bruin fans from the beginning of the franchise in 1924: "We got a town around here named after you: Marblehead!"

Honorable Mention to Massachusetts natives on the U.S. Hockey Team that won the 1996 World Cup of Hockey: Guerin; Keith Tkachuk of Medford, north of Boston; Tony Amonte of Hingham, south of Boston; Scott Young of the Worcester suburb of Clinton; Shawn McEachern of Waltham, north of Boston; and Jim Carey of the Dorchester section of Boston.

Honorable Mention to Rod Langway of Randolph, south of Boston. He won the Stanley Cup as a rookie with the 1979 Montreal Canadiens. With the Washington Capitals, he made 6 All-Star Games, and won the 1983 and 1984 Norris Trophies as the best defenseman of the year. The Caps retired his Number 5, and he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame, the only native of the Boston Bruins' home State yet so honored.

Tkachuk is not yet in the Hall of Fame, but is in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. This is also true for Tom Barrasso of Stow, west of Boston. Jeremy Roenick of Marshfield, south of Boston, is not yet in either, despite 9 All-Star Games and 513 goals. So Honorable Mentions to them as well.

Honorable Mention to John Souza and Ed Souza of Fall River, closer to Providence, Rhode Island than to Boston. Despite not being closely related, they played together for Ponta Delgada Soccer Club of Fall River, founded by Portuguese immigrants and named for the capital of the Azores, islands off the coast of Portugal. Both forwards, they were members of the U.S. team that shocked England at the 1950 World Cup.

Honorable Mention to Debbie Belkin of Needham, west of Boston. She was a member of the U.S. team that won the 1st Women's World Cup in 1991. Under her married name of Debbie Radamacher, she became the 1st coach of the women's team at the University of Michigan.

Honorable Mention to Tracy Ducar of North Andover, north of Boston. She was the backup goalkeeper to Briana Scurry on the U.S. team that won the 1999 Women's World Cup, and was collectively named Sportswomen of the Year by Sports Illustrated.

Honorable Mention to Chris McCarron of the Dorchester section of Boston. He never rode a horse until he was 16. At 19, in 1974, he raced professionally for the 1st time, and won 547 races, a new record. He also led all U.S. jockeys in wins in 1975 and 1980.

He won the 1986 Belmont Stakes aboard Danzig Connection. He won the 1987 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, and the 1988 Breeders' Cup Classic (the 1st of 5 times he would win that race), aboard Alysheba. He won the 1992 Preakness Stakes aboard Pine Bluff. He won the 1994 Kentucky Derby aboard Go for Gin. He won the 1997 Belmont Stakes aboard Touch Gold.

He finished his career in 2002 with 7,141 wins, and $264 million in winnings, a record at the time. While still active, he was elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

Honorable Mention to Tony DeMarco of the North End of Boston. He was Welterweight Champion of the World for 11 weeks in 1955. That was enough to get DeMarco, who just turned 86, a statue in the North End.

Honorable Mention to Paul Pender of Brookline, west of Boston. He fared a little better than DeMarco, ending Sugar Ray Robinson's 5th and last reign as Middleweight Champion of the World, holding it for nearly a year and a half in 1960 and 1961, and then holding it again for a year, in 1962 and 1963.

Honorable Mention to John Thomas of Cambridge, north of Boston. The 1st man to clear 7 feet in the high jump, he won the Bronze Medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome and the Silver Medal at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. He had the misfortune to be a star in the event at the same time as the great Siberian Valeriy Brumel.

Honorable Mention to Johnny Kelley of Arlington, west of Boston. He ran his 1st Boston Marathon in 1928, at age 20, but didn't finish it. He won the race in 1935 and 1945. He competed in the Olympic marathon in 1936 in Berlin and 1948 in London, although he didn't come close to winning either one. (The Olympics of 1940 and 1944 were canceled due to World War II.) He ran his last Boston Marathon in 1992, at age 84, and finished it for the 58th time in his 61 attempts.

In 1957, John J. Kelley won the Boston Marathon. Not related, he became known as "Kelley the Younger," as his predecessor was nicknamed "Kelley the Elder." In 1993, a statue of Kelley the Elder -- 2 figures, showing him as the 27-year-old 1935 winner and the 84-year-old 1992 competitor -- was erected outside City Hall in Newton, which faces the course.

Honorable Mention to Alberto Salazar of Wayland, west of Boston. He won the New York City Marathon in 1980 and 1981, and won in both Boston and New York in 1982.

Honorable Mention to Tenley Albright of Newton, west of Boston. She won the Silver Medal in ladies' figure skating at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway. She topped that with the Gold Medal in 1956 at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. This made her the 1st American to win in, preceding, thus far, Carol Heiss in 1960, Peggy Fleming in 1968, Dorothy Hamill in 1976, Kristi Yamaguchi in 1992, Tara Lipinski in 1998 and Sarah Hughes in 2002.

Dishonorable Mention to Leo Durocher of West Springfield. A half-decent player who linked the 1928 Murderers' Row Yankees (he wasn't up yet in 1927) to the 1934 Gashouse Gang St. Louis Cardinals, he was an indecent human being.

He managed the Brooklyn Dodgers to the 1941 National League Pennant, and the New York Giants to the 1951 Pennant and the 1954 World Championship. But the disreputable parts of his character meant that, despite winning over 2,000 games as a manager, he wasn't elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame until after he died. No one wanted to hear his acceptance speech.

Now, the Top 10:

10. Harold "Pie" Traynor of Somerville, north of Boston. His nickname, inspired by his childhood love of the pastry, aside, as late as the 1969 Centennial of professional baseball, he was considered the greatest 3rd baseman who ever lived.

Fielding statistics weren't readily available in the 1920s and '30s, but contemporary observers believed that the Pittsburgh Pirate had surpassed Boston Red Sox star Jimmy Collins as the all-time best third sacker.

He wasn't a home run hitter. Forbes Field was considerably more conducive to doubles and triples, and, like later 3rd base stars Brooks Robinson, George Brett and Wade Boggs he took advantage of that, batting ,320 lifetime, with 2,416 hits, and 12 seasons of at least 100 RBIs.

He helped the Pirates win the 1925 World Series and the 1927 National League Pennant. He was the NL's starting 3rd baseman in the 1st 2 All-Star Games, in 1933 and 1934. He nearly managed the Pirates to the 1938 Pennant, and later served as a broadcaster, calling their 1960 World Series win along with Bob Prince.

He was the 1st 3rd baseman elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the writers (in charge of handling the recently retired, as Collins had been elected by the Veterans Committee). He lived long enough to see the Pirates win the 1971 World Series and retire his Number 20. In 1999, The Sporting News named him to their 100 Greatest Baseball Players.

9. Howie Long of Milford, outside Worcester. To look at Howard Matthew Moses Long today, with his short hair, glasses, suit, calm demeanor, and highly intelligence pronouncements on the game of football on Fox NFL Sunday, it's easy to guess that he is a cultured New England gentleman who went to a tweedy Northeastern school -- which he did, Villanova University, outside Philadelphia. What's not so easy to guess, even with his football knowledge, is that he played for the team that defines NFL badness, the Raiders.

He played in their last season in their 1st run in Oakland, 1981; and all but their last season in Los Angeles, 1982-93. He made 8 Pro Bowls, won Super Bowl XVIII with them in the 1983 season, and was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1985. He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the NFL's 1980s All-Decade Team. The Raiders don't retire uniform numbers, so his 75 is still in circulation.

His son, Chris Long, a defensive end who just made it back-to-back Super Bowls with different teams, the New England Patriots last year and the Philadelphia Eagles this time, might make the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well. But he grew up in the Los Angeles area, and would qualify for California, not Massachusetts. Howie's songs Kyle and Howie Jr. also played in the NFL.

8. Patrick Ewing of Cambridge, north of Boston. He was actually born in Jamaica, on August 5, 1962, the day before Jamaica was granted independence by Britain. There he excelled at cricket and soccer, the British games from which baseball and American football, respectively, evolved. But when the family moved to Cambridge when he was 13, his growth led him to basketball.

At Georgetown University from 1981 to 1985, he was arguably the best player in college basketball all 4 seasons, reaching 3 NCAA Finals, but only winning 1, in 1984, and he was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. He helped the U.S. team win the Gold Medal at the 1984 Olympics, and was a member of the 1992 "Dream Team" in Barcelona.

It is still suggested that the 1985 NBA Draft was fixed for the Knicks to get him. The question at that point was not if the Knicks would win an NBA title, but how many. Over 15 seasons, he became an 11-time All-Star, the 1986 Rookie of the Year, and the Knicks' all-time leading scorer.

But they could never break through, blocked first by the Detroit Pistons of Isiah Thomas, then the Chicago Bulls of Michael Jordan, then the Orlando Magic of Shaquille O'Neal, and finally the Miami Heat of Alonzo Mourning. They made the Finals twice: In 1994, while Jordan was away; and 1999, after Jordan's 2nd "retirement," and Ewing was hurt and missed the Finals.

It became a joke: Like Joe Namath and Mark Messier, Ewing predicted titles; unlike them, he couldn't deliver. He left the Knicks, still without a title since 1973 -- and still without one today. For all his achievements, he is the biggest failure in the history of New York Tri-State Area sports, ahead of Don Mattingly. Heck, even Alex Rodriguez won a title.

After a season in Seattle and another in Orlando, he retired, serving on the staffs of Washington, Houston, Orlando and Charlotte. He is now the head coach at Georgetown. The Knicks retired his Number 33, and he was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame and, while still active, the NBA's 50th Anniversary 50 Greatest Players.

7. Doug Flutie of Natick, west of Boston. Boston College had some good teams, especially in the 1930s and '40s, but the program had been in the dumps for a few years when, as a freshman in a 1981 game that the Eagles were losing badly, head coach Jack Bicknell told him, "Okay, Flutie, see what you can do." He didn't lead a comeback win, but brought them to 5-6. Repeating this story in their 1982 College Football Preview Issue, Sports Illustrated noted BC's tougher schedule, and wrote, "Good luck, Flutie."

In 1982, he led them to an 8-3-1 record, and into the Tangerine Bowl, which they lost. In 1983, they began moving some home games from Alumni Stadium, then seating only 32,000, to the Patriots' 61,000-seat Foxboro (then Sullivan) Stadium, beating Penn State, Alabama, and local rival Holy Cross there, finishing 9-3 and reaching the Liberty Bowl (but losing).

In 1984, they went 10-2, losing only away to West Virginia and Penn State, beating North Carolina and Syracuse in Foxboro, and winning that Day After Thanksgiving thriller in the rain at the Orange Bowl, beating Miami 47-45 on Flutie's desperation pass to his roommate, Gerard Phelan. If he hadn't already clinched the 1984 Heisman Trophy, that pass would have done it. Had there been a Big East Conference at the time, they would have won it back-to-back in 1983-84. He then led them to a Cotton Bowl win over the University of Houston, BC's 1st bowl win in 44 years.

But the NFL balked at him because of his height, 5-foot-9¾. The USFL's New Jersey Generals tried him out, and then he was signed by the Chicago Bears. His hometown Patriots also gave him a shot. But it was in Canada where he achieved professional success, winning the Grey Cup with the Vancouver-based British Columbia Lions in 1992 and the Toronto Argonauts in 1996 and 1997. He was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Player 6 times in 7 years from 1991 to 1997.

Finally, in 1998, when he was 36, the NFL could ignore him no longer, and he got the Buffalo Bills into the Playoffs. In 1999, he got the Bills into the Playoffs again, but coach Wade Phillips – who said he was acting on the orders of owner Ralph Wilson – benched him in favor of Rob Johnson for a Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans. The Titans won, on the play known as the "Music City Miracle." The Bills didn't make the Playoffs again for 18 years.

He went to the San Diego Chargers, and closed his career on January 1, 2006 with the Patriots. In his 1st attempted kick in NFL play, Flutie executed a dropkick for a field goal, the only one in NFL play since 1941.

He is now a motivational speaker. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, and is the only non-Canadian in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. A short stretch of road connecting the Natick Mall in his hometown of Natick and the Shoppers' World Mall in Framingham is named Flutie Pass. And it took Tom Brady's 12 to make Flutie's Number 22 the 2nd-most familiar uniform number in Boston football history.

6. Nick Buoniconti of Springfield, in Western Massachusetts. The site of the invention of basketball, and of its Hall of Fame, the greatest athlete it's produced has been a football player. An All-American linebacker at Notre Dame, he was a 6-time AFL All-Star for the team then known as the Boston Patriots, who named him to their team Hall of Fame. He played on their team that reached the 1963 AFL Championship Game, but was beaten badly by the San Diego Chargers.

He was traded to the Miami Dolphins, and won 3 AFC Championships, including Super Bowls VII and VIII in 1972-73 and 1973-74, as the leader of their "No-Name Defense." He was also elected to the Pro Bowls in those seasons, making 8 All-Star berths. The Dolphins named him to their Honor Roll, and he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Sure, he has a tough name to spell and pronounce, but he's hardly a "No-Name."

5. Marvelous Marvin Hagler of Brockton, south of Boston. He actually grew up in the Central Ward of Newark, but after the 1967 riot, the family moved to the Boston area, where he learned to fight -- hence, he is included here, not with New Jersey's athletes.

At first, "Marvelous" was a nickname. He noticed that broadcasters didn't use it. So he had his name legally changed to "Marvelous Marvin." It wasn't just a boast: Aside from Tony Zale, whose reign included World War II and its manpower drain, nobody ever continuously held the Middleweight Championship of the World longer: 7 years, from 1980 to 1987.

He got his 1st shot at the title, against Vito Antuofermo in 1979, and it was a tough one that was ruled a draw. Antuofermo then lost the title to Alan Minter, who gave Hagler a shot. Despite being at the Wembley Arena in London, Hagler slaughtered him. He then welcomed Antuofermo into the Boston Garden, and beat him even worse.

The list of fighters he beat also includes Mustafa Hamsho (twice), Roberto Duran, a devastating 3-round demolition of Thomas Hearns, and a knockout of John "The Beast" Mugabi. The Ring
magazine named him Fighter of the Year in 1983 and 1985.

He was shocked by former Welterweight Champion Sugar Ray Leonard, a split decision that people still dispute. Tired of waiting for Leonard to give him a rematch, he retired in 1988, with a record of 62-3-2 -- and, unlike most boxers (Leonard sure didn't, "unretiring" more than Roger Clemens or Brett Favre), he stayed retired.

Since his retirement, he has moved to Italy, acted in films there, and served as a color commentator on European boxing broadcasts. Ironically, Antuofermo went the other way: He came from Italy, and became an actor in America.

4. Rebecca Lobo of Southwick, a little west of Springfield and a little north of Hartford, Connecticut. The center had a pretty good 1994-95 season at the University of Connecticut: 35-0, National Champions, National Player of the Year, and the Honda-Broderick Cup as the nation's outstanding female collegiate athlete. She then played on the greatest women's basketball team ever, the U.S. team that won the Gold Medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

Her professional career wasn't as extraordinary, due to a recurring knee injury. With the founding of the WNBA in 1997, she was put on what was intended to be the league's marquee team, the New York Liberty. She did help them reach the Finals 3 times, but never won it.

A writer for Sports Illustrated, Steve Rushin, mocked the WNBA in a 2001 article. Shortly thereafter, they just happened to meet in a Manhattan bar. She challenged him to actually watch a game. He accepted. He was won over. He asked him to marry her. She accepted. The ceremony was held at the Basketball Hall of Fame, to which she was elected last year. They now have 4 children. She is a color commentator for ESPN.

But she was born in Hartford. Despite all the legends for the Boston Celtics, and the fact that the sport was invented in Springfield by Dr. James Naismith in 1891, the only person born in Massachusetts to make the Hall of Fame is Bill Laimbeer, a Detroit Pistons player that Celtic fans came to hate, and he grew up outside Los Angeles.

3. Tom Glavine of Billerica, to the north of Boston. 1995 World Series MVP. Had the Braves never moved to Milwaukee, and later to Atlanta, he would have pitched for his hometown team. He was also a high school hockey star, good enough to be drafted by the Los Angeles Kings, ahead of Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille in that 1984 NHL draft.

He chose baseball, and it was the right choice. A 10-time All-Star, he led the National League in wins 5 times. He won the NL Cy Young Award in 1991 and 1998. He helped the Braves reach the postseason 12 times, and the Mets once. He won Pennants with the Braves in 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996 and 1998. When they won their only World Series in Atlanta in 1995, he was named the Most Valuable Player.

Met fans will remember his horrendous season finale in 2007 more than how he contributed to their near-Pennant in 2006. Greg Prince, of the blog Faith and Fear In Flushing, named him "The Manchurian Brave" -- as if the Braves, rather than the Phillies (or the Yankees) were the Mets' true rivals. But he won 305 games, with 2,607 strikeouts. The Braves retired his Number 47, and he has been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

2. Mickey Cochrane of Bridgewater, to the south of Boston. "My father named me Mickey after his favorite player," Mickey Mantle said. "His real name was Gordon. I'm sure glad he didn't name me Gordon Mantle."

"Cochrane" is a Gaelic name, and Gordon Stanley Cochrane was nicknamed "Mickey" because somebody thought he looked Irish, which he was, as his father had immigrated from Omagh in Northern Ireland. Some people called him the greatest catcher who ever lived, and when Mickey Mantle was born in 1931, and for a few years thereafter, it was a valid suggestion.

There was no All-Star Game until 1933 (although he was named to it in 1934 and 1935), and there were no Gold Gloves until 1957, so his defense was never quantified in his time. But from 1925 to 1933, he whipped the Philadelphia Athletics' pitching staff into shape, and they won 3 straight Pennants from 1929 to 1931, and the 1929 and 1930 World Series.

When Connie Mack needed money, among his fire sale items was Cochrane to the Detroit Tigers, and as both catcher and manager, he led them to the Pennant in 1934 and the World Series in 1935. Unfortunately, it was a Yankee pitcher, the unfortunately nicknamed Irving "Bump" Hadley (ironically, a native of nearby Lynn), who ended his career with a beanball in 1937. He left the manager's job a year later.

His lifetime batting average was .320. He was named American League Most Valuable Player in 1928 (ahead of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig of the World Champion Yankees) and 1934 (ahead of Gehrig again, despite Lou winning the Triple Crown). He was named to the Baseball Hall of Fame and to The Sporting News' 100 Greatest Baseball Players.

The Athletics, now in Oakland, have never retired his Number 2, and the Tigers are finally retiring the Number 3 he wore with them, but for Alan Trammell. Nevertheless, the Phillies honored him in their Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame (the A's honorees's plaques have been moved, but their names are inscribed on the base of Mack's statue), and the Tigers have placed his name with their other Hall-of-Famers on the outfield wall at Comerica Park.

1. Rocky Maricano of Brockton, to the south of Boston. "The Brockton Blockbuster" was the Heavyweight Champion of the World from 1952 to 1956, and retired undefeated, at 49-0. And 43 of those wins were by knockout. And unlike most boxers, he stayed retired. The Ring magazine named him Fighter of the Year in 1952, 1954 and 1955.

He won the title by knocking out Jersey Joe Walcott. He closed his career by knocking out Light Heavyweight Champion Archie Moore. In between he had 2 brutal fights with former Heavyweight Champion Ezzard Charles.

Sure, he almost lost a few fights, but almost beating The Rock was the worst thing you could have done, because it made him reach down deep and find something that allowed him to mess your face up. Muhammad Ali liked to say that his opponents were ugly, but few fighters made their opponents ugly as much as did Marciano.

Two men who learned to fight in Brockton, Massachusetts. Rocky Marciano and Marvin Hagler. The Rock and the Marvelous One. Both longtime champions, 30 years apart. Both retired and stayed that way.

Marciano was born when Jack Dempsey was Heavyweight Champion. He knocked Joe Louis out when Louis was at the end. He filmed a "computerized bout" with Ali in 1969, long after his retirement -- and right before he was killed in a plane crash, on the eve of his 46th birthday. And he never saw Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, or the huge Eastern European fighters who've held pieces of the title recently. I'd love to have seen what he would have done with any of them.

New England's All-Time Baseball Team

If "Red Sox Nation" has borders -- and, as I've said before, we really need to deport some people back within those borders -- those borders contain the following States in their entirety: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Connecticut is usually included in the New England region. However, not all of Connecticut is in Red Sox territory. Connecticut has 8 Counties, and Fairfield and Litchfield are absolutely in the New York Tri-State Area. Middlesex, New London, Tolland and Windham are part of Red Sox Nation.

The wild card is New Haven County, with the city of New Haven, including Union Station (the terminus of the Metro-North Commuter Railroad's New Haven Line) and the campus of Yale University being kind of a "Romulan Neutral Zone" between Yankee/Met territory and Red Sox territory.

I've often joked that Connecticut is divided by what I call the Bristol Line, which goes from the northwest corner of the State, curving through Torrington, Bristol and Waterbury, before going down the Quinnipiac River into New Haven, New Haven Harbor and Long Island Sound.

Bristol is the home of ESPN's studios, 121 miles from Fenway Park and 100 miles from Yankee Stadium, yet their Red Sox bias seems so obvious to most Yankee Fans that we call it NESPN -- a combination of ESPN, Entertainment & Sports Programming Network (the "E" allows it to show events that are not real sports, such as golf, auto racing and "mixed martial arts"); and NESN, New England Sports Network.

Fortunately, having to decide who from New Haven County should be on the Red Sox territorial team, and who should be on the Yankees' or Mets' territorial team, proved unnecessary. While Yale has produced some great baseball players, there haven't been a whole lot of really good players from New Haven County. The best one that I could legitimately put in Red Sox Nation was Jack Barry, the shortstop, and least-heralded member, of the inaptly named "$100,000 Infield" of Connie Mack's 1910-14 Philadelphia Athletics dynasty. There is one New Haven County native in the Hall of Fame, and that's Roger Connor, but he played most of his career for the New York Giants, and thus was eligible for the Mets' territorial team, where I gave him an Honorable Mention.

3. New England's All-Time Baseball Team

I didn't find anyone from Maine, aside from a pair of 19th Century players who made the Honorable Mentions. Nor any players who grew up in Vermont, although I have three Honorable Mentions who were born there. For the record, there have been 651 Major League Baseball players who were born in Massachusetts, 193 in Connecticut, 77 in Maine, 75 in Rhode Island, 51 in New Hampshire and 37 in Vermont.

Strangely, this team, very solid at most positions, doesn't have an overwhelming pitching staff. It's got 3 starters in the Hall of Fame, and 1 more who maybe should be, but 2 of those starters pitched in baseball's Bronze Age, if not its Stone Age, so it's not clear that they would have been stars in the modern era.

In fact, of the 8 starting nonpitchers, only 1 played after 1937. So this really is an "all-time" team, but not really an "all times" team. Still, I wouldn't overlook the talent, even that part of it that played in the Administrations of Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison and William McKinley.

1B Jeff Bagwell of Killingworth, Connecticut. (That's in their Middlesex County, definitely on "the Boston side of Connecticut.") The Red Sox could have had this local guy, who was actually born in the City of Boston. But, with Wade Boggs at 3rd base and Mo Vaughn at 1st, they thought he wasn't necessary. On August 30, 1990, while he was 22 years old andstill at Double-A New Britain, they traded him to the Houston Astros for reliever Larry Andersen.

Now, the Sox did need bullpen help, and they did win the American League Eastern Division that season, so it's not nearly as bad a trade as everyone thinks, 25 years on. Besides, if the Sox had kept Bags, would they have ever gotten David Ortiz?

Bags reached the Astros in 1991, the season after the trade, and was their regular 1st baseman for 15 years. His career OPS+ was 149, he collected 2,314 hits including 488 doubles and 449 home runs (easily the Astros' all-time leader). He won the National League's Rookie of the Year award in 1991 and its Most Valuable Player award in 1994, and nearly did so again in 1997 and 1999. Six times he batted .300, peaking at .368 in 1994. Eight times he had at least 100 RBIs, peaking at 135 in 1997. 

Without him, the Houston Colt .45's/Astros franchise has played 37 seasons and reached the postseason 3 times, with no postseason series wins to its credit; with him, 15 seasons, 6 trips to the postseason, and their first Pennant in 2005.

His Number 5 has been retired by the Astros, but he is not yet in the Hall of Fame, having gone through 4 elections without getting the necessary 75 percent of the vote. Baseball-Reference.com has him at 150 out of 100 on is Hall of Fame Monitor, and 59 out of 50 on its Hall of Fame Standards, both making him an easy choice.

On their 10 Most Similar Players to him, Frank Thomas and Willie Stargell are in; Albert Pujols probably will be; Fred McGriff should be; Carlos Delgado, Vladimir Guerrero and Todd Helton could be; Jason Giambi and Andres Galarraga won't get in; and David Ortiz might get in even though he's been exposed as a steroid cheat, simply because he's gotten away with it thus far. If the voters are not voting for Bagwell because they suspect him of steroid use, they need to know that he has never been seriously accused of it.

2B Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. (Woonsocket was an Indian tribe in the era.) Also known as Larry, he starred for the Philadelphia Phillies in the late 1890s before jumping to the newly-formed American League in 1901. That year, he won the AL's 1st Triple Crown.

Depending on whose figures you believe, he either batted .422 for the highest average in AL history, or batted .426 for the highest average in either league since 1894. (See the outfielders.) Due to an injunction the Phillies got that prevented him from playing within the city limits of Philadelphia, he was traded to the Cleveland Blues, who made him player-manager and were renamed the Naps in his honor. (After he retired, they became the Indians -- see the right fielders below.)

In a particularly dead part of the Dead Ball Era, he had 4 100-RBI seasons. He had a lifetime batting average of .338 (5 batting titles, including, famously, a somewhat tainted one in a race with Ty Cobb in 1910), OPS+ 150, 3,242 hits, 657 doubles, 163 triples, 82 homers (good for the era), and 1,599 RBIs (great for the era).

He never managed a Pennant winner, but in 1908 got the Indians to within half a game of the Detroit Tigers. (No, I don't know why the Tigers didn't make up their 154th game.) He was one of the earliest inductees into the Hall of Fame. When The Sporting News announced its 100 Greatest Baseball Players in 1999, he came in at Number 29, even though he played his last game 83 years earlier.

Honorable Mention to Davey Lopes of East Providence, Rhode Island, a slick-fielding speedster who starred for the Dodgers before becoming one of the game's top coaches and briefly the manager of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Honorable Mention to Jerry Remy of Somerset, Massachusetts, who gave the Red Sox a few good years before becoming one of their broadcasters. As the fan-elected "President of Red Sox Nation," RemDawg has become Boston's answer to Phil Rizzuto in New York, Richie Ashburn in Philadelphia, Herb Score in Cleveland, Ron Santo in Chicago and Mike Shannon in St. Louis.

Honorable Mention to Frank Grant of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006 in an attempt to find overlooked black players who had been unable to play in the segregated pre-1947 major leagues, he may have been the first great black baseball player. Playing from 1886 to 1903 for teams in Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia, he may, due to length of time and segregation, have been the most-forgotten great player ever.

SS Walter "Rabbit" Maranville of Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1914, he helped his "hometown" Boston Braves go on a "Miracle" run and win the World Series. He remained one of the NL's best sortstops through the 1910s and '20s, leaving the Braves in 1921 and returning in 1929, staying long enough to play on their truly awful 1935 squad. He was never a great hitter, but he did get 2,605 hits, including 380 doubles and 117 triples, and his 291 steals were good for the era. He is in the Hall of Fame.

3B Harold "Pie" Traynor of Somerville, Massachusetts. For a long time, he was considered by many observers to be the best 3rd baseman of all time, mainly for his glove. There was no Gold Glove award in the 1920s and '30s, but his bat is quite capable of speaking for itself. He batted .320 lifetime, peaking with .366 in 1930, and had 2,416 hits and 7 100-RBI seasons, despite playing his home games at spacious Forbes Field.

He helped the Pittsburgh Pirates win the 1925 World Series and the 1927 Pennant. He was the NL's starting third baseman in the 1st 2 All-Star Games, 1933 and '34. He also managed the Pirates, and nearly got them a Pennant in 1938. (But see the catchers below.) Hall of Fame, Number 20 retired. When The Sporting News announced its 100 Greatest Baseball Players in 1999, he came in at Number 70.

Honorable Mention to Larry Gardner of Enosburg Falls, Vermont. He played on the Red Sox' World Champions of 1912, 1915 and 1916, before his former Boston teammate Tris Speaker, managing and playing center field for the Indians, traded for him, and together they won another World Series in 1920. A career .289 hitter, he had a 109 OPS+, 301 doubles, 165 stolen bases, and 2 100+ RBI seasons.

Is that really enough to get him on this list? Maybe not, but he singled home the winning run of the 1912 World Series. He later coached the baseball team at the University of Vermont, and is in both the Boston Red Sox and Vermont Sports Halls of Fame.

Honorable Mention to two New England guys who went on to star not for the Red Sox, but for the Yankees: Robert "Red" Rolfe of Penacook, New Hampshire, who starred on the Yanks' 1932-43 teams, and was named by Yankee broadcaster Mel Allen as the best 3rd basemen he ever saw; and Mike "Pags" Pagliarulo of Medford, Massachusetts, who kept them in the 1985-88 Pennant races with his great glove and lefty power.

LF Joe Kelley of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Starred with the Baltimore Orioles and Brooklyn Superbas (the Dodgers-to-be) of the 1890s (along with fellow Hall-of-Famer Wilbert Robinson of Bolton, Massachusetts, who nearly makes this team as a catcher or a manager), and then with the Cincinnati Reds of the 1900s.

He batted .317 lifetime, and had an OPS+ of 133 and 2,220 hits, despite having his last full season at age 34. He won Pennants in Baltimore in 1894, '95 and '96, and in Brooklyn in 1899 and 1900.

CF Hugh Duffy of Cranston, Rhode Island. That's him in the photo at the top of this post. He was a "hometown hero" who starred with the Boston Beaneaters (forerunners of the Braves) in the 1890s. In 1894, he was long believed to have batted .438, the highest batting average any player has ever had in a single major league season; a later check of the facts revealed it was in fact .440.

Lifetime, he hit .326, with a 122 OPS+, 2,293 hits and 8 100-RBI seasons, despite not having a full season after age 32. He helped the Beaneaters win Pennants in 1891, '92, '93, '97 and '98. Hall of Fame.

He later managed the Red Sox, White Sox and Phillies, and scouted for the Red Sox from 1924 until his death at age 87 in 1954, making him the last survivor of the 1890s Beaneaters. That's Duffy in the photo above.

Honorable Mention to George Gore of Hartland, Maine. Known as "Piano Legs," stolen base records from his era are incomplete, and we don't have totals for him from 1879 to 1885, but he's credited with 170 from 1886 to 1892, so his actual total may be roughly double that, well over 300.

He batted .301, had an OPS+ of 136, and in 1880 he led the NL with a .360 batting average. He won NL Pennants with the Chicago White Stockings (the franchise that became the Cubs, not the AL's White Sox) in 1880, '81, '82, '85 and '86, and with the New York Giants in 1888 and '89.

RF Tommy McCarthy of Boston, Massachusetts. He played with Duffy on the 1890s Beaneaters, and they were known as the Heavenly Twins. He batted "only" .292 lifetime (not that great in that era), and last played at age 32, so he may not belong in the Hall of Fame. So why is he in it? Well, 4 times he batted .300, he had a pair of 100-RBI seasons, and he stole 468 bases, great in any era.

Honorable Mention to Louis Sockalexis of Indian Island, Maine. A member of the Penobscot tribe, he may have been the 1st Native American to play in the major leagues (reports are sketchy on an earlier player named Jim Toy), at a time when the "Indian Wars" were still fresh in American memory. (The Wounded Knee Massacre happened less than 7 years before his big-league debut.)

He was a baseball star at the University of Notre Dame well before it became known as a football school. Debuting with the NL's Cleveland Spiders in 1897, he batted .338 with 3 homers, 42 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. So far, so good.

But on July 4 of that season, he jumped out of the window of a Cleveland brothel, and hurt his ankle when he fell. He was never the same player, and between his injury and his increasing drinking, he only lasted 2 more seasons. Drinking and tuberculosis led to heart trouble, and he died in 1913, only 42 years old.

The legend that the Cleveland Indians were named in his memory, and the one that they were named in memory of the Native Americans who once lived on the shore of Lake Erie, are bogus. After Lajoie left, they needed a new name for the 1915 season. The owners of the team asked sportswriters for their opinion. Since the Boston Braves were the defending World Champions, "Indians" was suggested, and the name stuck. It had nothing to do with Louis Sockalexis, "the original Cleveland Indian."

Honorable Mention to Tony Conigliaro of Revere, Massachusetts, whose day in the sun was longer than Sockalexis', but still all too brief. From April 16, 1964 to August 18, 1967, Tony C was the pride of the Boston metro area. He was just 22 years old, and already had 110 home runs for the Red Sox, including an AL-leading 32 in 1965. Then he was hit in the head with a pitch from California Angels pitcher Jack Hamilton, damaging his batting eye.

He missed the '67 run-in and World Series, and the entire '68 season. He came back strong in '69 and '70, but his eyesight began to fade, and despite a comeback attempt in '75, he was, as the U.S. version of Fever Pitch said, finished at 26. He auditioned to be a Sox broadcaster in 1982, but on the way back, he suffered a heart attack, and remained hospitalized until his death in 1990, only 45.

Of all the what-if stories in Sox history, his may well be the saddest. The team elected him to its Hall of Fame, but with good eyesight, and a righthanded swing tailor-made for the Green Monster, he could have made the big one in Cooperstown.

C Gordon "Mickey" Cochrane of Bridgewater, Massachusetts. What, not Carlton Fisk, born in Bellows Falls, Vermont and raised in Charlestown, New Hampshire? (Hall of Fame, Number 27 retired by the Red Sox and Number 72 retired by the White ones, who've also dedicated a statue of him at U.S. Cellular Field.)

Nor Rich Gedman of Worcester, Massachusetts and the '86 Red Sox? Not even Charles "Gabby" Hartnett of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, a Hall-of-Famer who backstopped the Cubs to 4 Pennants, including the great comeback and 20-game winning streak of 1935, and the comeback of 1938 when, as player-manager, he hit the "Homer in the Gloamin'" to put them in 1st place to stay?

No, as loaded as this position is for New England, none of those was ever considered the greatest catcher ever. Cochrane was, until surpassed by Bill Dickey (and then by Yogi Berra and possibly Johnny Bench). There were no Gold Gloves in those days, but he regarded as a great-fielding catcher. He batted .320 lifetime, with a 128 OPS+.

He led the Philadelphia Athletics to Pennants in 1929, '30 and '31, then was sold to the Detroit Tigers when Connie Mack needed a lot of cash, and led the Tigers to Pennants, as both manager and catcher, in '34 (MVP despite Lou Gehrig winning the Triple Crown) and '35. World Champion 1929, 1930 and 1935. Sadly, his career was ended in 1937 when Yankee pitcher Irving "Bump" Hadley (another Massachusetts guy, from Lynn) beaned him. Like Tony C, never really recovered, although he did live on until 1962.

Neither the A's (2) nor the Tigers (3) have ever retired his number, but the Hall-of-Famer has been honored by the Phillies with election to the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame, and the Tigers with National Avenue, which ran behind the third-base stands at Tiger Stadium, being renamed Cochrane Avenue.

And in 1931, at the end of the A's dynasty, a young Oklahoma zinc miner named Elvin "Mutt" Mantle named his son after the great A's catcher. Fortunately, as the son said in his own Hall of Fame induction speech, he wasn't named Gordon Mantle. He was named Mickey Mantle. When The Sporting News announced its 100 Greatest Baseball Players in 1999, Mickey Cochrane came in at Number 65.

SP Tim Keefe of Cambridge, Massachusetts. It's hard to judge how good a pitcher was if he played his last game in 1893, the year the distance from the pitcher's mound to home plate was moved from 50 feet to 60 feet, 6 inches. He starred for the Giants, winning 42 games in 1886, and pitched them to NL Pennants in 1888 and '89. He finished 342-225, with an ERA of 2.63 (127 ERA+, meaning he was great compared to the other pitchers of his time), and a fine WHIP of 1.123.

But in that 1893 season, having gone 19-16 with a 2.36 ERA in 39 starts for the Phillies the year before, he dropped to 10-7 with a 4.40 ERA in just 22 starts. The new distance probably doomed him, but then, he was 36 and perhaps on the way down anyway. He is in the Hall of Fame.

SP John Clarkson of Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was 4 years younger than Keefe (although didn't live nearly as long, dying in 1909 at age 48), so they may have known each other well. Clarkson also benefited greatly from the 50-foot pitching distance. Nevertheless, he had a fine career record of 328-178, with a 2.81 ERA (134 ERA+), a WHIP of 1.209, and won NL Pennants with the Chicago White Stockings (Cubs) in 1885 and '86, and with the Boston Beaneaters (Braves) in 1891. 

With that shorter distance, he started 70 games in 1885, completed all of them, and won 53; in 1889, he started 73, completed all but one, and won 49. But in 1893, the 1st season of the sixty-and-six distance, he dropped from 17-10 to 16-17, and then to 8-10, and was done at age 32. Still, he is in the Hall of Fame.

SP Jack Chesbro of North Adams, Massachusetts. Happy Jack was a man. A man who won 49 games for the Pennant-winning Pittsburgh Pirates in 1901 and '02, then was part of the league-jumping that made the AL's solid footing possible. In 1903, as the first ace of the New York Highlanders (the team that became the Yankees), went 21-15.

Then, in 1904, he went 41-12, the most wins any pitcher has ever had under the 60-and-6 distance, although it should be noted that this was the Dead Ball Era, when there were not going to be any real home run threats, so pitchers didn't have to throw so many hard pitches and thus could pitch longer.

But he's best remembered not for any of those 41 wins, but for the 12th loss, as his 9th-inning wild pitch cost the Yankees the run that lost the opener of a final-day doubleheader to the Boston Puritans (Red Sox), clinching the Pennant not for Chesbro's employers but for his hometown team. 

He remained a terrific pitcher despite some not very good Highlander teams, but by 1909, age 35, he was burned out, pitching one last game… for the Red Sox. He finished 198-132, with a 2.68 ERA. He is in the Hall of Fame. And that's pronounced CHEESE-bro, not CHEZ-bro as I long believed.

SP Wild Bill Donovan of Lawrence, Massachusetts. He had cups of coffee with the Superbas (Dodgers) in their 1899 and 1900 Pennant seasons, then won 25 games with the 1901 Superbas (who didn't win the Pennant). He went an amazing 25-4 for the Tigers in 1907, and that doesn't include a performance in a September 30 game against the Athletics that was called due to darkness after 17 grueling innings, a game that, while the A's didn't lose it, pretty much exhausted them and ensured they wouldn't win the race.

The Tigers won 3 straight Pennants, 1907, '08 and '09, and over those seasons Donovan went 51-18 with an ERA of 2.17. He finished 185-139, 2.69 ERA, 1.245 WHIP. But he is not in the Hall of Fame, and, according to Baseball-Reference.com, of the 10 most statistically similar pitchers, only 1 is in: Chesbro. He later became a Yankee executive, but was killed in a train crash after the 1923 season.

SP Tom Glavine of Billerica, Massachusetts. He had a superb record of 305-203 in the majors, and is the only pitcher to win his 300th game in a Met uniform. Don't remind Met fans of that, though: Greg Prince of the blog Faith and Fear In Flushing calls him the Manchurian Brave. Glavine went 244-147 for Atlanta, and just 15-10 for Flushing, including the disastrous 2007 season finale, before returning to the Braves for 1 more season.

He had 5 20-win seasons for the Braves, and helped them reach the postseason season every year from 1991 to 2002 – except for 1994, of course. He pitched on 5 Pennant winners with the Braves (1991, '92, '95, '96 and '99) and nearly another with the Mets (2006). He was also an All-State hockey player at Billerica High School, but he chose his pro sport wisely. The Braves have retired his Number 47. He just got elected to the Hall of Fame, not that Met fans care.

Honorable Mention to Ray Fisher of Middlebury, Vermont. He pitched for the Highlanders/Yankees from 1910 to 1917, missed 1918 due to serving in World War I, then won the 1919 World Series with the Reds. His best season was 1915, going 18-11. From 1921 to 1958, he was the head coach at the University of Michigan. In 1982, shortly before his death at age 95, he was wheeled onto the field for Old-Timers' Day, and got a nice hand. It was the first time he had ever been inside Yankee Stadium.

Honorable Mention to Wilbur Wood of Belmont, Massachusetts. The knuckleballer went 164-156 for his career, and with an ERA+ of 114, I have to wonder what he could have done if he didn't spend most of his career with mediocre teams. He pitched most of his career with the White Sox, getting into Pennant races in 1967, '72 and '77, but most other years they were mediocre.

He won 106 games in just 5 seasons, 1971 to '75, including 24 each in '72 and '73. (In '73, he went 24-20; the only pitcher since to both win and lose 20 in the same season was, you guessed it, another knuckleballer, Phil Niekro.) He started at least 42 games in each of those 5 seasons, and we may never see another pitcher start 40 in a season unless they raise the mound back to its pre-1969 height of 15 inches.

Unfortunately, his string of workhorse seasons ended in 1976 when Ron LeFlore of the Detroit Tigers hit a comebacker that broke his kneecap. Wood retired after 2 more seasons. He was one of the few players ever who threw lefthanded but batted righthanded.

Honorable Mention to Chris Carpenter of Exeter, New Hampshire. After 6 seasons as basically a .500 pitcher with the Toronto Blue Jays, he was released, then picked up by the Cardinals. Good pickup: He went 21-5 in 2005 (winning the NL Cy Young Award) and 17-4 with a League-leading 2.24 ERA in 2009. A 3-time All-Star, he finished 144-94, and reached 5 postseasons with the Cards, including winning titles in 2006 and 2011.

RP Jeff Reardon of Dalton, Massachusetts. "The Terminator" didn't earn that nickname early in his career, because he didn't get the job done for the Mets. But then, how many save chances did the Mets give him from August 25, 1979 (his debut) until May 29, 1981, when they traded him? They sent him to the Montreal Expos, with Dan Norman (the 4th-best of the 4 guys they got for Tom Seaver), for former All-Star Ellis Valentine, and this was yet another BMT: Bonehead Met Trade: Valentine spent the rest of his career battling injuries, while Reardon retired as the major leagues’ all-time leader with 367 saves – 357 of them after leaving Flushing Meadow.

He had a career ERA+ of 122 and a WHIP of 1.199. He reached the postseason with the Expos in 1981, the Twins in 1987 (getting the final out of the World Series), the Red Sox in 1990 and the Braves in 1992. He just missed in 1994, as he closed his career with the Yankees, but the strike hit and that was it. He is eligible for the Hall of Fame, but I don't think he'll make it.

The all-time New England bullpen is pretty strong: Setting up Reardon can be Stu Miller of Northampton, Massachusetts; Steve "Bedrock" Bedrosian of Methuen, Massachusetts; Rob Dibble of Southington, Connecticut; and Brian Wilson of Londonderry, New Hampshire.

Bob Stanley was born in Portland, Maine, and went on to pitch for the Red Sox. Of course, he did give up the actual winning homer in the 1978 Playoff, to Reggie Jackson, and then throw those 2 fatal pitches toward Mookie Wilson in 1986. This is where Red Sox fans point out that "Steamer" is actually ineligible for this team, because, while he was born in New England, he actually went to high school in... Kearny, New Jersey. But do either the Yankees or the Mets want to claim him for their territorial teams? We may be crazy, but even Met fans aren't that stupid!

MGR Connie Mack of East Brookfield, Massachusetts. Born Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy, he said he shortened his name so it would fit into a box score. It's hard to connect him to any city other than Philadelphia, even though, with his suits that never changed with the time and his thin, taciturn face and "Lace Curtain Irish" accent, he seemed like an old-time New England schoolmaster, or Parker Fennelly in those "Pepperidge Farm remembers" commercials.

A good catcher in the 1880s, he managed in the big leagues for 56 years, the last 50 with the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901 to 1950. Why so long? Because he was always at least a part-owner of the A's, and was sole owner from the early 1930s onward. Like George Steinbrenner, he built one dynasty (1910-14), messed it up, and then built another (1929-31). Unlike Steinbrenner, however, he messed up the second one, too, and both times over money: He had to dump salary because of the 1914-15 Federal League, and he lost all his savings in the 1929 stock market crash.

But his A's won 9 Pennants and 5 World Series: 1910, 1911, 1913, 1929 and 1930. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1937, its second class, while he was still an active owner and manager. After his increasing senility led to a family squabble that forced him out as manager and active owner, his sons were broke and forced to sell the team. But the Phillies remained in Shibe Park, renamed it Connie Mack Stadium, and erected a statue of him that now stands outside Citizens Bank Park.

I take Connie over Leo Durocher of West Springfield, Massachusetts. Although Leo was a winner, he was also a deeply evil man. Connie Mack may have been cheap, even when he didn't have to be, but he was a generous soul, and was beloved, known as the Grand Old Man of Baseball.

Living Members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, As Of January 10, 2014

Ernie Banks

A player is counted with the team if he played at least 4 seasons with them.  Teams are ranked in order of most HOFers.

If there is a tie, it will be broken by which team has more non-managers.  If there is still a tie, then I go to which has more non-broadcasters.  If it's still a tie, which has more players whose contributions were mostly with that club.  If it's still a tie, which team has played fewer seasons will be ranked ahead -- since, for example, 5 HOFers is more impressive for a team that's been around since 1977 than it would be for one that's been around since 1961.

Teams that no longer exist in that form will be listed in italics and in the position where they would be ranked if they still did.

Players are listed in chronological order of when they arrived at the club, then managers, then broadcasters.

1. St. Louis Cardinals, 10: Red Schoendienst, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Orlando Cepeda, Steve Carlton, Bruce Sutter, Ozzie Smith, Whitey Herzog, Tony LaRussa, Joe Garagiola.

2. New York Yankees, 10: Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Reggie Jackson, Goose Gossage, Dave Winfield, Rickey Henderson, Wade Boggs, Joe Torre, Joe Garagiola, Tony Kubek. The Cards win the tiebreaker because, while both have 7 players, the Cards have 2 managers and 1 broadcaster, while the Yankees have 1 manager and 2 broadcasters.

3. Baltimore Orioles, 8: Brooks Robinson, Luis Aparicio, Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray, Cal Ripken, Roberto Alomar, Jon Miller.

4. Chicago Cubs, 7: Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ferguson Jenkins, Bruce Sutter, Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson, Greg Maddux.

5. Cincinnati Reds, 7: Frank Robinson, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, Joe Morgan, Tom Seaver, Barry Larkin, Marty Brennaman.

6. Atlanta Braves, 7: Hank Aaron, Phil Niekro, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, Bobby Cox, Joe

Torre, Milo Hamilton.

7. San Francisco Giants, 7: Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry, Lon Simmons, Jon Miller.

8. Boston Red Sox, 6: Bobby Doerr, Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice, Dennis Eckersley, Wade Boggs.

9. Oakland Athletics, 6: Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers, Rickey Henderson, Dennis Eckersley, Tony LaRussa, Lon Simmons.

10. San Diego Padres, 5: Dave Winfield, Ozzie Smith, Rollie Fingers, Rich Gossage, Tony Gwynn.

11. Chicago White Sox, 5: Luis Aparicio, Goose Gossage, Carlton Fisk, Frank Thomas, Tony LaRussa.

12. New York Mets, 5: Tom Seaver, Tom Glavine, Yogi Berra, Joe Torre, Tim McCarver.

13. Los Angeles Dodgers, 5: Sandy Koufax, Don Sutton,  Tommy Lasorda, Vin Scully, Jamie Jarrin.

14. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 4: Nolan Ryan, Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson, Bert Blyleven.

15. Philadelphia Phillies, 4: Jim Bunning, Steve Carlton, Mike Schmidt, Pat Gillick.

16. Milwaukee Brewers, 4: Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Rollie Fingers, Bob Uecker.

17. Houston Astros, 4: Joe Morgan, Nolan Ryan, Gene Elston, Milo Hamilton.

18. Texas Rangers, 3: Ferguson Jenkins, Gaylord Perry, Nolan Ryan.

19. Pittsburgh Pirates, 3: Ralph Kiner, Bill Mazeroski, Bert Blyleven.

20. Kansas City Royals, 3: George Brett, Whitey Herzog, Denny Matthews.

21. Toronto Blue Jays, 3: Roberto Alomar, Pat Gillick, Tony Kubek.

22. Minnesota Twins, 2: Rod Carew, Bert Blyleven.

23. Detroit Tigers, 2: Al Kaline, Jim Bunning.  Quite a drop, from 15 to 2.

Milwaukee Braves, 2: Hank Aaron, Red Schoendienst.

New York Giants, 2: Monte Irvin, Willie Mays.  With the death of Duke Snider, there are no more living Brooklyn Dodgers in the Hall of Fame.

Montreal Expos, 2: Andre Dawson, Dave Van Horne.

24. Miami Marlins, 2: Felo Ramirez and Dave Van Horne.

Newark Eagles (Negro Leagues), 1: Monte Irvin.

25. Washington Nationals, 1: Frank Robinson.

26. Seattle Mariners, 1: Pat Gillick.

Washington Senators, 1: Bob Wolff.

27. Cleveland Indians, 1: Gaylord Perry.  114 seasons, just 1 living Hall-of-Famer.  Which tells you what kind of decisions the Tribe's front office was making from 1960 to 1990.

28. Arizona Diamondbacks, none.

29. Tampa Bay Rays, none.

30. Colorado Rockies, none.

Baseball Hall-of-Famers By Team

With the announcement of the elections of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas, and last fall's election via the Veterans' Committee of Joe Torre, Bobby Cox and Tony LaRussa, it is time to update this list.

A player is counted with the team if he played at least 4 seasons with them.  Teams are ranked in order of most HOFers.

If there is a tie, it will be broken by which team has more non-managers.  If there is still a tie, then I go to which has more non-broadcasters.  If it's still a tie, which has more players whose contributions were mostly with that club.  If it's still a tie, which team has played fewer seasons will be ranked ahead -- since, for example, 5 HOFers is more impressive for a team that's been around since 1977 than it would be for one that's been around since 1961.

Teams that no longer exist in that form will be listed in italics and in the position where they would be ranked if they still did.

Players are listed in chronological order of when they arrived at the club, then managers, then broadcasters.

1. New York Yankees, 39: It almost works out to 1 for every Pennant the team has won:

Clark Griffith (the team's first manager, elected as a pitcher and he was still a solid pitcher while he was their manager), Willie Keeler, Jack Chesbro, Frank "Home Run" Baker, Waite Hoyt, Herb Pennock, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, Earle Combs, Bill Dickey, Red Ruffing, Lefty Gomez, Joe DiMaggio, Joe Gordon, Phil Rizzuto, Yogi Berra, Johnny Mize, Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle, Enos Slaughter, Jim "Catfish" Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Rich "Goose" Gossage, Dave Winfield, Rickey Henderson, Wade Boggs.

Also, Miller Huggins (manager), Joe McCarthy (manager), Casey Stengel (manager), Joe Torre (manager), Jacob Ruppert (owner), Ed Barrow (executive), George Weiss (executive), Mel Allen (broadcaster), Red Barber (broadcaster), Joe Garagiola (broadcaster), Jerry Coleman (played for the Yankees but elected as a broadcaster, first for the Yankees, then for the Padres), Tony Kubek (played for the Yankees but elected as a broadcaster).

Bucky Harris managed the Yankees to the 1947 World Championship, but was only their manager for 2 seasons (1947 & '48), so I'm not counting him with the Yankees.  In this case, according to the rule I set, I have to count Rickey Henderson as a Yankee.  If Lou Piniella is elected as a manager, I'll have a decision to make as to whether to count him as a Yankee HOFer, since he was good but not HOF quality for them as both player and manager.

Rizzuto was also a longtime broadcaster.  Lee MacPhail was elected for what he did as American League President, not as Yankee general manager.  Don Mattingly and Paul O'Neill are now eligible, but let's not kid ourselves.  And then there's Roger Clemens: Even if he does get in, would you want to count him as a Yankee? George Steinbrenner, now being dead, is now eligible through the Veterans' Committee.

2. St. Louis Cardinals, 30: Charlie Comiskey (played for them before managing and owning teams elsewhere), Jake Beckley, Roger Bresnahan, Rogers Hornsby (won a World Series as their player-manager), Jesse Haines, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Jim Bottomley, Charles "Chick" Hafey, Burleigh Grimes, Frankie Frisch (elected as a player, won a World Series as their player-manager), Dizzy Dean, Joe Medwick, Johnny Mize, Enos Slaughter, Stan Musial, Red Schoendienst (elected as player, also managed them to a title), Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Orlando Cepeda, Steve Carlton (7 seasons), Bruce Sutter, Ozzie Smith.

Also, Miller Huggins (manager, also played several years for the Cards), Billy Southworth (manager, also played for them), Whitey Herzog (manager-executive), Tony LaRussa (manager), Branch Rickey (executive), Harry Caray (broadcaster), Jack Buck (broadcaster), Joe Garagiola (broadcaster).

Jesse Burkett won a batting title with the Cards, but only played 3 seasons with them, so he just misses qualifying.  On the other hand, Cepeda didn't even play 3 full seasons with the Cards, but his tenure included the 1967 title and the 1968 Pennant, and he, as much as Gibson, was a symbol of that team, and he may be better remembered as a Cardinal than as a Giants, so I'm bending the rule for him.  Leo Durocher was a good player for the Cards, but was elected as a manager and never managed them, so he doesn't qualify here.

Jim Edmonds is not yet eligible.  Mark McGwire is eligible, but he's not getting in.  Surprisingly, longtime owner Gussie Busch has never been elected.

New York Giants, 26: Roger Connor, Buck Ewing, Tim Keefe, Mickey Welch, John Montgomery Ward, Roger Bresnahan, Christy Mathewson, Joe McGinnity, George Davis, Richard "Rube" Marquard, Dave Bancroft, Ross Youngs, Frankie Frisch, George "Highpockets" Kelly, Fred Lindstrom, Travis Jackson, Bill Terry, Mel Ott, Carl Hubbell, Johnny Mize, Monte Irvin, Willie Mays, Hoyt Wilhelm.

Also, John McGraw (manager, also played for them), Leo Durocher (manager), Russ Hodges (broadcaster).

Irvin is the only living HOFer who had been elected based in part upon his performance in the Negro Leagues, mainly with the Newark Eagles.  Casey Stengel played for the Giants, but was elected as a manager, so I can't count him as a Giant HOFer.  

Counting all figures who played or managed at least one game for the Giants, in New York and San Francisco, they have 66, more than any other team; however, many of those were with the club only briefly.  But even by my definitions, they are ahead of the arch-rival Dodgers.

3. Chicago Cubs, 27: Adrian "Cap" Anson, Mike "King" Kelly, Clark Griffith (a pitcher for them, later a manager and owner elsewhere), Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, Frank Chance (elected as a player but should have been elected as a manager instead), Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Hazen "Kiki" Cuyler, Lewis "Hack" Wilson, Charles "Gabby" Hartnett (also managed them to a Pennant), Rogers Hornsby, Billy Herman, Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ron Santo, Ferguson Jenkins, Bruce Sutter, Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson, Greg Maddux (spent enough time with them).

Also, Al Spalding (elected as an executive but was also a great pitcher), Frank Selee (manager), Joe McCarthy (manager, managed them to a Pennant before going to the Yankees), Leo Durocher (manager), Jack Brickhouse (broadcaster), Harry Caray (broadcaster).

Sammy Sosa is eligible, but he's not getting in.  Lee Smith is eligible, but now that he's no longer the all-time saves leader, the biggest reason for electing him is gone.  If Lou Piniella is elected as a manager, I'll have a decision to make as to whether to count him as a Cub HOFer, since he was good but not HOF quality for them.

Lou Boudreau was a beloved broadcaster for the Cubs after his playing and managing career, but never played or managed for them, and so I can't count him as a Cub HOFer.  Santo was also a longtime broadcaster. Surprisingly, longtime owner Phillip K. Wrigley is not in.

4. Pittsburgh Pirates, 23: James "Pud" Galvin, Vic Willis, John "Honus" Wagner, Fred Clarke (elected as a player, also won Pennants as their manager), Jack Chesbro, Jake Beckley, Max Carey, Hazen "Kiki" Cuyler, Waite Hoyt (5 seasons with them), Harold "Pie" Traynor (also managed them), Paul Waner, Lloyd Waner ("Big Poison" and "Little Poison," though Lloyd was actually taller), Joseph "Arky" Vaughan, Al Lopez (elected as a manager but was an All-Star catcher for the Pirates), Ralph Kiner, Bill Mazeroski, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, Bert Blyleven.

Also, Bill McKechnie (manager), Barney Dreyfuss (owner), Branch Rickey (executive), Bob Prince (broadcaster).

Blyleven was only a Pirate for 3 seasons, but I'm bending the rule because he was a key cog on their last World Championship team in 1979.  Barry Bonds is eligible, but who's kidding who?

Boston Braves, 22: Harry Wright (player and manager), George Wright, Al Spalding, Jim "Orator" O'Rourke, James "Deacon" White, Charlie "Old Hoss" Radbourne, Mike "King" Kelly, John Clarkson, Charles "Kid" Nichols, Cy Young, Hugh Duffy, Tommy McCarthy (he and Duffy were known as "the Heavenly Twins"), Billy Hamilton, Vic Willis, Jimmy Collins, Johnny Evers, Walter "Rabbit" Maranville, Dave Bancroft.

Also, Frank Selee (manager), Bill McKechnie (manager, though with no success with the Braves), Casey Stengel (ditto, also played for Braves), Billy Southworth (manager).

5. Boston Red Sox, 21: Jimmy Collins (elected as a player but also managed them to the first World Series title in 1903), Cy Young, Tris Speaker, Harry Hooper, Babe Ruth (6 seasons with Sox before going to Yanks), Herb Pennock (7 seasons before Yanks), Red Ruffing (also 7 seasons before Yanks), Joe Cronin (elected as a player, but also managed them to the 1946 Pennant, though unlike Collins had already retired as a player; was also longtime AL President), Rick Ferrell, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice, Dennis Eckersley, Wade Boggs, Dick Williams (manager, no relation to Ted), Tom Yawkey (owner), Curt Gowdy (broadcaster).

I am bending the rule slightly for Dick Williams, who only managed 3 seasons for the Red Sox, but one, 1967, was the most important season in the club's modern history.  Pedro Martinez is not yet eligible.  Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling are.  I don't know if any of those will get in, even though all are members of the 3,000 Strikeout Club, and Clemens is also a member of the 300 Win Club.

At age 95 and having debuted in the major leagues in 1937, Doerr is now the oldest and earliest living member of the Hall of Fame.  Luis Aparicio played 3 seasons for the Red Sox, so by my rule he is not eligible to be counted with them.  Dennis Eckersley, however, played 7 seasons with them, so from now on I have to count him with them, and with their living HOFers for as long as he lives.

It was long suspected that owner Jean Yawkey would become the first woman elected to the Hall of Fame, but Effa Manley, who owned the Negro Leagues' Newark Eagles, is in, while Mrs. Yawkey is still out.

6. Chicago White Sox, 21: Ed Walsh, George Davis, Eddie Collins, Ray Schalk, Red Faber, Ted Lyons, Luke Appling, Nellie Fox, Luis Aparicio, Early Wynn, Hoyt Wilhelm, Goose Gossage (5 years with them), Carlton Fisk, Frank Thomas, Al Lopez (manager), Tony LaRussa (manager), Charlie Comiskey (owner), Bill Veeck (owner), Jack Brickhouse (broadcaster), Bob Elson (broadcaster), Harry Caray (broadcaster).

Although Clark Griffith pitched for them in their first 2 seasons and won the first American League Pennant as their manager, those 2 seasons are not enough to qualify with the White Sox.  Although Tom Seaver notched his 300th victory with the Pale Hose, he pitched for them in just 3 seasons, and can't be counted as one of their HOFers.

Brooklyn Dodgers, 21: Willie Keeler, Joe Kelley, Richard "Rube" Marquard, Zack Wheat, Burleigh Grimes, Charles "Dazzy" Vance, Joseph "Arky" Vaughan, Billy Herman, Joe Medwick, Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Roy Campanella, Ned Hanlon (manager), Wilbert Robinson (manager), Leo Durocher (elected as a manager but was also a good player), Walter Alston (manager), Branch Rickey (owner), Walter O'Malley (owner), Red Barber (broadcaster), Vin Scully (broadcaster).

Casey Stengel played 6 seasons for the Dodgers, and was good, but not Hall of Fame good.  He managed 3 seasons for them; in spite of their poor performance under him, had he managed them for 1 more season, he would still qualify as one of theirs under my rule.  Dick Williams played 5 seasons for them, but was elected as a manager and never managed the Dodgers.  Owner Charles Ebbets is not in.

7. Cincinnati Reds, 17: Bid McPhee, Jake Beckley, Joe Kelley, Sam Crawford, Edd Roush, Eppa Rixey, Ernie Lombardi, Frank Robinson, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, Joe Morgan, Tom Seaver (6 seasons with Reds), Barry Larkin, Bill McKechnie (manager), Sparky Anderson (manager), Red Barber (broadcaster), Marty Brennaman (broadcaster).

Pete Rose, of course, is ineligible.  John Franco is not yet in, but if he gets in, he pitched enough seasons with the Reds to qualify for this list.  If Lou Piniella is elected as a manager, I'll count him as a Reds HOFer.  Miller Huggins played several years for the Reds, but was elected as a Yankee manager.  Longtime owner Powel Crosley and GM Bob Howsam should be in, but they're not.  Waite Hoyt broadcast for the Reds, and was beloved in that role, but was not given the Ford Frick Award, so I can't count him with the Reds.

And while 2 members of the first openly professional baseball team, the 1869-70 Cincinnati Red Stockings, are in the Baseball Hall of Fame, Harry and George Wright -- the other Wright Brothers who "invented" something important in American life -- that team was not the same team as the current Reds franchise, which began in the old American Association of 1882 and joined the NL in 1892.

8. Cleveland Indians, 16: Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie, Elmer Flick, Addie Joss, Tris Speaker (elected as player but also managed them to a title), Stan Coveleski, Joe Sewell, Earl Averill, Bob Feller, Lou Boudreau, Bob Lemon, Larry Doby, Early Wynn, Gaylord Perry, Al Lopez (manager), Bill Veeck (owner), Jimmy Dudley (broadcaster).

Satchel Paige reached the majors with the Indians, but only pitched 2 seasons for them; although I can count him with 3 different Negro League teams on this list, I can't count him with any major league team.  Indeed, that fact is the reason I've included the Negro League teams on this list, along with moved and defunct major league teams.

Jim Thome will probably make it, but, barring a major shift in voters' attitudes, Manny Ramirez is probably out of luck.

9. Philadelphia Phillies, 16: Billy Hamilton, Ed Delahanty, Sam Thompson, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Eppa Rixey, Dave Bancroft, Chuck Klein, Richie Ashburn, Robin Roberts, Jim Bunning, Steve Carlton, Mike Schmidt, Harry Wright (manager), Pat Gillick (executive), By Saam (broadcaster), Harry Kalas (broadcaster).

Ashburn was also a longtime broadcaster for the Phils.  If Curt Schilling and Jim Thome get in, they can be counted with the Phillies.  Pete Rose, of course, is ineligible.

10. Detroit Tigers, 15: Sam Crawford, Ty Cobb, Harry Heilmann, Henry "Heinie" Manush, Charlie Gehringer, Goose Goslin, Hank Greenberg (the last 3 nicknamed the "G-Men" in those early days of the FBI), Mickey Cochrane (elected as a player, also managed them to 2 Pennants), Hal Newhouser, George Kell, Al Kaline, Jim Bunning, Hughie Jennings (manager, also played for the team), Sparky Anderson (manager), Ernie Harwell (broadcaster).

Jack Morris, Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker are all eligible, but it's doubtful that any of them will ever get in.  Ivan Rodriguez is not yet eligible, and while he's never been publicly revealed to be a steroid user, he's been seriously suspected, so it's a big question mark as to whether he'll ever get in.

Kaline and Kell were also longtime broadcasters.  Longtime owners Frank Navin, Walter Briggs and John Fetzer are not yet in.  Former executive Will Harridge is in, but for what he did as President of the AL, so I can't count him as a Tiger HOFer.

Philadelphia Athletics, 13: Eddie Plank, Rube Waddell, Frank "Home Run" Baker, Chief Bender, Eddie Collins, Herb Pennock, Al Simmons, Mickey Cochrane, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, George Kell, Connie Mack (owner-manager), By Saam (broadcaster).
 11. Baltimore Orioles, 12: Brooks Robinson, Hoyt Wilhelm, Robin Roberts (4 seasons with O's), Luis Aparicio (5 seasons with O's including 1966, his only title), Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray, Cal Ripken, Roberto Alomar, Earl Weaver (manager), Chuck Thompson (broadcaster), Jon Miller (broadcaster).

Although he won his only World Series with the Orioles, we don't usually associate Aparicio with them, but he did play 4 seasons with them, so by my own rule I've got to count him here.  Rafael Palmeiro is eligible, but he's not getting in.  Frank Cashen should be in as an executive.  Dick Williams played enough seasons with the O's to qualify, but was elected as a manager and never managed them, so he doesn't qualify as an O's HOFer.

Washington Senators, 11: Walter Johnson, Bucky Harris (elected as a manager but was also a great player), Sam Rice, Henry "Heinie" Manush, Goose Goslin, Joe Cronin (elected as a player but also managed them to a Pennant), Rick Ferrell, Early Wynn, Clark Griffith (owner), Arch McDonald (broadcaster), Bob Wolff (broadcaster). 

No, you can't count Ted Williams as a manager.

12. New York Mets, 9: Tom Seaver, Gary Carter, Tom Glavine (5 seasons), Casey Stengel (manager), Yogi Berra (manager, also played a few games for them in 1965), Joe Torre (manager), Lindsey Nelson (broadcaster), Bob Murphy (broadcaster), Tim McCarver (broadcaster).  So that's 3 broadcasters, 3 managers, and 3 players.

Still, you didn't realize the Mets had so many, did you? And that's without counting Ralph Kiner, who was elected as a Pirates' player, not as a Mets' broadcaster. Nor can you count Richie Ashburn, Duke Snider, Warren Spahn, Willie Mays or Nolan Ryan -- and why would you want to count Eddie Murray, Rickey Henderson or Roberto Alomar as Mets? As for Torre: Yes, he managed in 4 seasons for them. They were awful then, and there wasn't much he could do about it, but he now counts as a Met Hall-of-Famer. Although I notice that, unlike Yogi and Willie, he wasn't invited to the farewell ceremony at Shea Stadium.

Frank Cashen should be in as an executive.  Mike Piazza will probably get in eventually.  If John Franco is ever elected, you can count him.

Chicago American Giants (Negro Leagues), 8: Andrew "Rube" Foster (also manager and owner), Bill Foster (a.k.a. Willie Foster, Rube's brother), Cristobal Torriente, Pete Hill, George "Mule" Suttles, John Henry "Pop" Lloyd, Norman "Turkey" Stearnes, Willie Wells.
 Kansas City Monarchs (Negro Leagues), 8: Jose Mendez, Leroy "Satchel" Paige, James "Cool Papa" Bell, Wilber "Bullet" Rogan, Norman "Turkey" Stearnes, Andy Cooper (also manager), Hilton Smith, J.L. Wilkinson (owner).

Bell played 3 seasons for them, but because Negro League players bounced around as much as international soccer players do, and also like club soccer there were often loan deals involved, I'll bend my 4-season rule.  John "Buck" O'Neil, first baseman and manager, is not in the Hall of Fame, a terrible oversight, especially given that his contributions to the game include what he did in the last 15 or so years of a very long life.

Jackie Robinson played his first season in professional baseball, 1945, with the Monarchs.  They were also the first pro team of Ernie Banks.

13. Oakland Athletics, 8: Jim "Catfish" Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers, Rickey Henderson, Dennis Eckersley, Dick Williams (manager), Tony LaRussa (manager), Lon Simmons (broadcaster).

Mark McGwire is eligible, but he's not getting in.  Owner Charlie Finley is eligible, but I don't think he'll ever get in, either.  I am bending the rule slightly for Williams, who only managed 3 seasons for the A's, but got them into the postseason in all 3, including 2 World Championships.

14. Los Angeles Dodgers, 8: Duke Snider (played 5 seasons for them in L.A.), Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax, Don Sutton, Walter Alston (manager), Tommy Lasorda (manager), Walter O'Malley (owner), Vin Scully (broadcaster), Jamie Jarrin (broadcaster).

Steve Garvey is not getting in.  I think Mike Piazza eventually will, and if he does, he can be counted as a Dodger.

Homestead Grays (Negro Leagues), 7: Cumberland "Cum" Posey (pitcher, then manager, then owner), Smokey Joe Williams, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, James "Cool Papa" Bell, Jud Wilson, Ray Brown.

Oscar Charleston and Judy Johnson each played 2 seasons for them, but I'm not willing to bend the rules THAT much.  Gibson was known as the Black Babe Ruth, Leonard as the Black Lou Gehrig, and together they were known as the Thunder Twins or the Dynamite Twins.  Williams was sometimes known as Cyclone Joe, sometimes as Smokey Joe (but never as Smokin' Joe like boxer Frazier).

As for Posey, "Cum" was short for "Cumberland," and it is possible that, like James "Pud" Galvin, his nickname was not considered sexually explicit in his time.  As an athlete, he was probably better in football, and Wendell Smith, the leading black sportswriter of the between-the-wars years and a winner of the Hall's Taylor Spink Award for media work, called him "the smartest man in Negro baseball and certainly the most successful."

Newark Eagles (Negro Leagues), 7: George "Mule" Suttles, Ray Dandridge, Leon Day, James "Biz" Mackey (also manager), Monte Irvin, Larry Doby, Effa Manley (owner, the only woman in the Baseball Hall of Fame).  Don Newcombe also played for the Eagles, and if his service there is counted, I believe that it makes him worthy of election to the Hall.

15. San Diego Padres, 7: Dave Winfield, Ozzie Smith, Rollie Fingers, Rich Gossage, Tony Gwynn, Dick Williams (manager), Jerry Coleman (broadcaster).

Yes, the Wizard and the Goose each played 4 seasons in Mission Valley.  Considering how many they have in a comparatively short history, you shouldn't also count Willie McCovey, Gaylord Perry or Roberto Alomar.  Longtime owner Ray Kroc, who saved the team from being moved to Washington in 1974, is not in. Steve Garvey, who is not my Padre, is not getting in.

16. San Francisco Giants, 7: Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry, Lon Simmons (broadcaster), Jon Miller (broadcaster).

Barry Bonds is eligible, but who's kidding who? And I'm surprised that longtime owner Horace Stoneham isn't in, and that neither is his son-in-law, Chub Feeney, a Giant executive who became President of the NL.

17. Atlanta Braves, 7: Hank Aaron, Phil Niekro, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, Bobby Cox (manager), Joe Torre (managed them in between Cox's 2 tenures there, also a player), Milo Hamilton (broadcaster).

John Smoltz, Fred McGriff, Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones will be listed with them if they are elected.  Don Sutton broadcasts for the Braves, but can't be counted among their HOFers.  Former owners Bill Bartholomay and Ted Turner are not in, nor do I ever expect them to be elected.
 Baltimore Orioles, AA & NL 1882-1899, 6: John McGraw, Wilbert Robinson, Hughie Jennings, Willie Keeler, Joe Kelley, Ned Hanlon (manager).

While McGraw, Robinson and Jennings were all elected as managers, all could have been elected on the basis of their playing for the old Orioles.  Indeed, to this day, McGraw has the highest lifetime batting average of any 3rd baseman, .334.  Dan Brouthers played 2 seasons with them, the 1894 and '95 Pennant seasons, but can't be counted with them.
 St. Louis Browns, 6: Bobby Wallace, George Sisler, Rogers Hornsby (also managed them), Rick Ferrell, Branch Rickey (executive), Bill Veeck (owner).

Rube Waddell, Goose Goslin, Heinie Manush and Satchel Paige just miss, each having played 3 seasons for the Browns.  That was also the length of time that Veeck owned the team, but since he (and his one-at-bat midget Eddie Gaedel) are now the people most identified with this team, I'm bending the rule for him.

Pittsburgh Crawfords (Negro Leagues), 5: Oscar Charleston, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, James "Cool Papa" Bell, WIlliam "Judy" Johnson.
 18. Minnesota Twins, 5: Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Bert Blyleven, Kirby Puckett, Herb Carneal (broadcaster).

Tom Kelly could be elected as a manager, but Tony Oliva seems unlikely to ever be elected as a player.  No, you can't count Dave Winfield, Paul Molitor, or, if he ever gets in, Jack Morris: Although hometown heroes, none played 4 seasons with the Twins.  Founder Calvin Griffith is not in, nor should he be.

19. Houston Astros, 5: Joe Morgan, Nolan Ryan, Gene Elston (broadcaster), Milo Hamilton (broadcaster), Harry Kalas (broadcast 6 seasons for them before joining the Phillies' broadcast team).

Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio are eligible, and both should already be in.  Roger Clemens is eligible, but even with a legal exoneration, he may never get in.

Milwaukee Braves, 4: Warren Spahn, Eddie Matthews, Hank Aaron, Red Schoendienst. Joe Torre began his playing career with them, but can't be counted here.

Buffalo Bisons (NL 1879-1885), 4: Dan Brouthers, Jim "Orator" O'Rourke, James "Deacon" White, James "Pud" Galvin.

20. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 4: Nolan Ryan, Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson, Bert Blyleven. Jim Edmonds is not yet eligible.  Founder-owner Gene Autry is not in, but should be.

21. Milwaukee Brewers, 4: Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Rollie Fingers, Bob Uecker (broadcaster).  No, you can't count Hank Aaron.  And I hope former owner, now Commissioner, Bud Selig is never elected, but he probably will be.

Montreal Expos, 4: Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, Dick Williams (manager), Dave Van Horne (broadcaster).  If Tim Raines and Larry Walker get in, they can be counted with the Expos.  Duke Snider could not, although he broadcast for the Expos and had played in Montreal for the Dodgers' farm team, the Montreal Royals.  So did Tommy Lasorda.

22. Texas Rangers, 3: Ferguson Jenkins, Gaylord Perry, Nolan Ryan.  Bert Blyleven pitched just 2 seasons for them.  Ivan Rodriguez is not yet eligible.  Rafael Palmeiro and Juan Gonzalez are, but who's kidding who? No, you can't count Ted Williams as a manager.  And I sure hope former owner George W. Bush is never elected; since the team won nothing while he was in control, it seems safe.

Lincoln Giants/Brooklyn Royal Giants (Negro Leagues), 3: Louis Santop, Smokey Joe Williams, John Henry "Pop" Lloyd.  Imagine that, a Brooklyn team called the Giants.  What the heck, from 1944 to 1948 the NFL had a Boston Yanks (defunct), and in the 1961-62 season the NBA had a Chicago team called the Packers (today's Washington Wizards).

Cuban Giants (Negro Leagues, based in New York), 3: Frank Grant, Sol White, Pete Hill.  Unlike the later Cuban Stars and New York Cubans, both also based in New York, this 1880s-90s team had no Cubans: They were called "Cuban" so their all-black roster would be better accepted.  Grant has been called the best black player of the 19th Century.

Cuban Stars (Negro Leagues, based in New York), 3: Jose Mendez, Martin Dihigo, Alex Pompez (owner).

Detroit Stars (Negro Leagues), 3: Pete Hill, Andy Cooper, Norman "Turkey" Stearnes.  Stearnes now has a statue at Comerica Park, alongside several Tiger greates.

Indianapolis ABCs (Negro Leagues), 3: Oscar Charleston, Ben Taylor, James "Biz" Mackey.  A later team, the Indianapolis Clowns, was the first professional team of Hank Aaron.

Philadelphia Giants (Negro Leagues), 3: Sol White, Pete Hill, John Henry "Pop" Lloyd.

Philadelphila Hilldale (Negro Leagues), 3: Martin DiHigo, James "Biz" Mackey, William "Judy" Johnson.

St. Louis Stars (Negro Leagues), 3: George "Mule" Suttles, James "Cool Papa" Bell, Willie Wells.

23. Kansas City Royals, 3: George Brett, Whitey Herzog (manager), Denny Matthews (broadcaster).  Founder-owner Ewing Kauffman, surprisingly, is not in.

24. Toronto Blue Jays, 3: Roberto Alomar, Pat Gillick (executive), Tony Kubek (broadcaster).  No, you can't count Dave Winfield, Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor or Frank Thomas.  Or Roger Clemens, if he ever gets in.

Providence Grays (NL 1878-1885), 2: John Montgomery Ward, Charlie "Old Hoss" Radbourne.  Their 1879 Pennant was managed by original 1869 Cincinnati Red Stocking George Wright, but he only played with them for 2 seasons.

Cleveland Spiders (NL, 1887-1899), 2: Cy Young and Jesse Burkett.

Detroit Wolverines (NL, 1881-1888), 2: Sam Thompson, Ned Hanlon (elected as a manager but played 8 seasons for them).  Dan Brouthers and Deacon White played 3 seasons for them.

25. Miami Marlins, 2: Felo Ramirez and Dave Van Horne (both broadcasters).  If Gary Sheffield gets in, he can be counted as a Marlin, but I don't think he's getting in.  No, you can't count Miami native Andre Dawson, although he did close his career with the club and is now working in their front office.  So is Tony Perez, who briefly managed the team, but you can't count him, either.

Baltimore Black Sox (Negro Leagues), 2: Jud Wilson, Ben Taylor.  This team is not to be confused with the Elite Giants.
 Washington/Baltimore Elite Giants (Negro Leagues), 2: James "Biz" Mackey (also manager), Roy Campanella. And that's pronounced EE-light, not the usual Eh-LEET.

Birmingham Black Barons (Negro Leagues), 2: George "Mule" Suttles, Satchel Paige.  Willie Mays played his first professional season, 1948, for the Black Barons.

Kansas City Stars (Negro Leagues), 2: James "Cool Papa" Bell, Willard Brown.

New York Cubans (Negro Leagues), 2: Martin DiHigo, Alex Pompez.  Although DiHigo and Pompez were also involved with the Cuban Stars, and that team was also based in New York, it was not the same team as the New York Cubans.  Like several of the Negro League owners, Pompez got some funding from the black organized crime bosses of the era, and eventually turned state's evidence to avoid prison.  He later worked as an unofficial scout for the New York/San Francisco Giants, helping to sign Hispanic stars like Orlando Cepeda, Juan Marichal, and the Alou brothers.

Philadelphia Stars (Negro Leagues), 2: James "Biz" Mackey, Jud Wilson.

26. Seattle Mariners, 1: Pat Gillick (executive).  Ken Griffey Jr. and Randy Johnson are not yet eligible.  Edgar Martinez is, but I don't think he'll ever get in.  If Lou Piniella is elected as a manager, I'll have a decision to make as to whether to count him as a Mariner HOFer, since he was good but not HOF quality for them.

27. Washington Nationals, 1: Frank Robinson, their first manager, was already in the Hall long before MLB returned to D.C., but he did manage for them for 5 years, 1 more than my rules allow, and I do have to abide by my own rules.  But you can't count the HOFers from their previous incarnation, the Montreal Expos.

Bacharach Giants (Negro Leagues), 1: John Henry "Pop" Lloyd.  This team played its home games in Atlantic City, and were named for Harry Bacharach, who was that city's Mayor on and off from 1912 to 1935.  He's played by John Rue on the TV series "Boardwalk Empire." Lloyd stayed in Atlantic City after he retired, died there, and a youth baseball facility there is named for him.

Harrisburg Giants (Negro Leagues), 1: Oscar Charleston.
 San Antonio Black Bronchos (Negro Leagues, pronounced like Broncos), 1: Smokey Joe Williams.

28. Arizona Diamondbacks, none: If Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling get in, both can be counted with them.

29. Tampa Bay Rays, none: If Fred McGriff gets in, he can be counted with them.  Wade Boggs cannot.  Nor, if he is ever elected as a manager, can Lou Piniella.

30. Colorado Rockies, none: If Larry Walker gets in, he can be counted with them.

Kansas City Athletics, none: No player in the Hall of Fame was with the A's in their K.C. tenure for at least 4 seasons.