Grid 232

The ’62 Mets' record will be challenged by the Minnezona Twinbacks

ERIK: The slot in today’s grid with the lowest accuracy percentage—by far—is Twins/Diamondbacks: just 33%.

Twins/DBacks also has the lowest number of possible answers: just 45 guys played for both teams. Next lowest is DBacks/Phils: 55. But the accuracy score there is pretty good (61%), because, I assume, one of the guys who played for both teams is kinda well-known: Curt Schilling. He’s not only the No. 1 answer for that square, he also accumulated the most WAR. For both teams. Position players included. A not insignificant amount of WAR, either: 36.8 for the Phils, 25.9 for the DBacks. No one’s close to him on either team.

Here’s the point, and I thought of it looking over the 45 guys who played for Twins/Diamondbacks. I guess it’s less point than question:

Which team, made up only of players who played for two Major League teams, would be the worst?

I think Twins/DBacks have a shot.

All of this came about because I wanted someone fun to have for Twins/DBacks next time around—no offense, Tony Batista—and when I clicked the link and looked at the 45 guys … .Well, there’s not much there.

The highest career bWAR among them, I believe, is Jeff Cirillo at 34.5, most of that obviously with the Brewers. Then it’s Orlando Hudson and Greg Swindell, both around 30. Livan Hernandez I thought would be higher than Swindell but no, not close. Terry Mulholland, not close. Plus you’re stuck with Fernando Rodney as your closer. Rodney, Tim, Rodney! He’s actually one of the best players they have!

Here’s a guess at a lineup:

• C: Damian Miller

• 1B: Greg Colbrunn? Jason Kubel?

• 2B: Orlando Hudson

• SS: Eduardo Escobar

• 3B: Jeff Cirillo

• LF: ???

• CF: Quinton McCracken?

• RF: Midre Cummings?

• SP: Greg Swindell

• C: Fernando Rodney

If you come across a worse potential starting lineup at the fulcrum of two teams, Tim, let me know.

Concurrently, what would be the best? Yankees/Boston? Cards/Phillies because they traded so much?

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TIM: Hey, I like that. Great idea. I’ll ponder it while I put up my answers for today’s grid:

Given my incomprehensible brain cramp on the first box, Twins/Tigers, not a bad overall score. I had Hunter quickly, then nothing else. Not even Jack Morris. Which is inexcusable, really. I mean, Jacque Jones. Rondell White. Dan Gladden. C’mon, brain. Factor in the Senators and I could have used Whitey Herzog, for cryin’ out loud. 49% score and 30 of it is Torii Hunter. Oh well.

Tony Batista is similarly the only name I had for Twins/D’Backs, but I’m OK with that. I like some of your picks—Eisenreich, from the ’94 castoff Phils, and Schoolboy Rowe! I’d barely heard of him, could never have told you who he played for, but such a curious nickname. In looking him up I was disappointed to see the name came just from being the kid still in school on a team of older guys, not because he was a bookworm or annoyed teammates with multisyllabic conversation.

OK, your player lineup for the Minnezona Twinsnakes seems about right. I’d definitely go with Colbrunn at 1B, go with Batista over Cirillo at 3B (unless we’re prioritizing defense), and put Kubel in LF. And they’d get pummeled by the St. Lophia Phidinals:

Tim McCarver, C
Bill White, 1B
Tommy Herr, 2B
Scott Rolen, 3B
Placido Polanco, SS
Lonnie Smith, LF
Milt Thompson, CF
Bake McBride, RF
Steve Carlton, SP
Joe Hoerner, CL

The bullpen is STL/PHI’s weakness. To try and even the field a little bit you could put Heathcliff Slocumb in as closer, or Ricky Bottalico. You’ve got a fantastic full rotation and bench, though: Larry Jackson, Grover Alexander, Harvey Haddix; Dick Allen, Andy Van Slyke, Gregg Jefferies, Mark “Hittin’” Whiten. You’d put Van Slyke in center and move Milt to left for late-inning defense.

The Bosyork Red Yanks are maybe not quite as good:

Elston Howard, C
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Ben Chapman, 2B
Wade Boggs, 3B
Joe Dugan, SS
Rickey Henderson, LF
Johnny Damon, CF
Babe Ruth, RF
Roger Clemens, SP
Tom Gordon, CL

You might have to sub in Stephen Drew or Rey Sanchez at the keystone while Chapman heals from getting clobbered after constantly starting fights with Elston and Rickey and setting IL records. Middle infield is a problem area, your backup SS is Spike Owen. Defense isn’t great.

Challenging the Twinbacks for the bottom of the standings might be the Kansiami Maryals:

Benito Santiago, C
Jeff Conine, 1B
Emilio Bonafacio, 2B
Terry Pendleton, 3B
Mike Aviles, SS
Josh Willingham, LF
Jim Eisenreich, CF
Jorge Soler, RF
Luis Aquino, SP
Leo Nunez (aka Juan Oviedo), CL

That’s a sad team that’ll give up a zillion runs. In a seven-game series between the Maryals and the Twinbacks, I’ll take the Twinbacks in six.

Anyway, that’s a fun little diversion. Back to it tomorrow.