My MLB "A" Team All-Stars

A recent scoreboard stumper at the local ballpark asked about four sluggers, whose last name started with M, hitting 40 or more homers in a season. I nailed three of the four right away, as did nearly everyone else in the stadium. The obvious ones were McGwire, Mantle and Maris. I thought of Bill Melton, a third baseman for the 70s White Sox, but I am still not sure if he was the other right answer.

I had gone to the bathroom and forgotten to check for the answer in the bottom half of the inning.

I did, however, begin to consider the various players whose names started with the same letter. I decided to see if I could come up with an all-star list of such players, one for each position on a diamond. Naturally, I started with players whose names began with A. My all-star "A" team is comprised of the following players.

First Base - Felipe Alou: The only Alou brother who hit with power, Felipe spent most of his career with the Braves. He played some outfield, but was primarily a first baseman.

Second Base - Roberto Alomar: The only member of his baseball family to hit for either power or average, Roberto consistently put up MVP type numbers. He played with many different teams, but I always associate him with the Orioles.

Shortstop - Luis Aparichio: I've never been convinced that his stats warrant his inclusion in the Hall of Fame, but Luis was a pioneer in some respects. He played outstanding defense for the White Sox, and he made base running an important part to a winning team.

Third Base - Richie Allen: He was an outstanding hitter as the Phillies third baseman nearly a decade before he became the Dick Allen who won an MVP playing first for the White Sox.

Outfield 1 - Henry Aaron: The Braves' multi-tooled Hall of Famer held the career home run record (756) for over thirty years.

Outfield 2 - Richie Ashburn: This Hall of Famer was a hitting machine for the Phillies, always hitting above .300.

Outfield 3 - Bob Allison: At 6'4'' and weighing over 220 pounds during his playing career, this Senator who moved with the team when they became the Twins was definitely the biggest guy in my "A" lineup. The pure power hitter amassed over 500 career extra base hits and drove in over 1000 runs.

Catcher - Cap Anson: Granted, Anson caught only occasionally, being primarily a corner infielder. As manager of this "A" team, though, he's catching regularly for me and yielding third to Richie Allen. Cap hit .329 in over twenty seasons for the White Stockings and Colts.

Starting Pitcher 1 - Grover Cleveland Alexander: The Hall of Famer pitched for the Phillies, Cubs and Cardinals, and he was the league's most dominant hurler throughout the second decade of the 20^th century.

Starting Pitcher 2 - Red Ames: Ames is one of the fewer players who literally is what he is - a Red. He also pitched for the Giants, Cardinals and Phillies. His career ERA of 2.65 is tied for best ever with Cy Young.

Starting Pitcher 3 - Joaquin Andujar: Despite his melt-down in the 1985 Series against Kansas City, the Cardinal starter was one of the most dominant pitchers in the 80s.

Relief Pitcher - Rick Aguilera: The closer for the Twins '91 Series championship team finished his career with 318 saves.