The Gary Carter All-Stars

Last week, the baseball world lost one of its most prominent faces from the 1970s and 1980s when Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter succumbed to brain cancer.

Much of the commentary and remembrances about Carter focused, naturally enough, on the man himself and his personality. Many noted how much Carter seemed to genuinely love playing the game, as he always was willing to show his emotion on the field. He had enough natural joy and exuberance on the field that people liked watching him play because he seemed to have so much fun doing so.

Admittedly, Carter always had his critics during his playing days of people who thought his act was over-the-top or cloying. But his overall reputation was always as one of the good guys. By and large, people liked seeing Carter’s sense of thrill on the field.

There aren’t many players you can say that about. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying most men are unemotional or joyless out there. That would be inappropriate. But most athletes are more buttoned down with their emotions. To pick a random example, Derek Jeter will engage in the occasional fist pump or celebration, but he comes off more professional than joyfully exuberant in his demeanor.

The question comes up: Who else can you say played with sheer joy and exuberance? Surely Gary Carter isn’t the only one. Let’s figure this out: Who are the “Gary Carter All-Stars?”

A few ground rules as to who belongs:

– The key defining featuring is someone playing with joy and exuberance on the field. It’s people you want to see play because they seem to like playing so much.

– Let’s stick with prominent players if we can. They’re the ones we want to see.

– While going for players who are more emotional than most, you want people bringing a positive vibe. At lot of guys who are really emotional and joyful sometimes are really emotional and obnoxious other times. In his good moments, Carlos Zambrano fits the criteria so far, but—my oh my—does he ever have his bad moments.

– It’s not always possible to fill out a lineup as best you can. If the three best infielders out there are all shortstops, well, then improvise.

So, with those ground rules in mind, here are the Gary Carter All-Stars:

Catcher: Gary Carter

Well…yeah. Sure would be silly if I left the guy off his own team, right?
image
The man they called Kid.

First baseman: Ernie Banks

Though famous as a shortstop, Banks actually played more games at first base. Besides, there is tough competition at shortstop.

Banks was one of the sunniest of superstars in his career. Early on, the two-time MVP was famous for saying, “Let’s play two!” out of his joy of watching the game. Sure enough, he played every chance he could, at one point appearing in 717 consecutive games.

Even later in his career, when his knees were shot, Banks would try to play as often as he could, and more often than Cub manager Leo Durocher wanted him to. But Durocher didn’t dare pull him. In his autobiography, Durocher claimed that people loved Banks too much for him to be benched.

Second baseman: Rabbit Maranville

He’s another shortstop, but he also played some second base in his career and, frankly, I couldn’t find a real second baseman that I liked as much as Maranville.

A Hardball Times Update
Goodbye for now.

Maranville was one of the game’s great characters. In the New Historical Abstract, Bill James provides a bunch of great stories about Maranville. He’d draw laughter from the crowd by imitating an umpire on the field during the game. He’d sit on a runner whom he had just tagged out at second. If Maranville was on base when a pitcher took too long to work, Maranville would do a pantomime routine that included leaning against an imaginary wall and then falling on the bag.

He had fun out there, and the crowds loved him for it. When his teams traded him or sent him to the minors, fans frequently protested, despite the fact that he couldn’t hit.

Shortstop: Ozzie Smith

I guess it’s the ultimate compliment to Ozzie Smith that he gets the nod over Banks and Maranville at shortstop. Smith was one of the most likable, perhaps the most likable player of the 1980s.

He was a great talent and supposedly a great person. And he certainly was a joy to watch on the field with his great fielding and penchant for backflips.

image
The wizard of Oz.

Third baseman: Damned if I know. Maybe Pete Rose. Maybe Ron Santo. Maybe someone else. I’m open to suggestions.

As noted up top, sometimes it’s tricky to fill out a lineup.

Want someone with exuberance and passion? Hey, Pete Rose was nicknamed “Charlie Hustle” because he was the sort of guy who would run to first base after drawing a walk. He was always in go-go-go mode, and fans liked that. Sure, some thought he was bush league, and the nickname was originally meant as a putdown, but then again, I can recall people thinking Carter was a phony.

The real problem with putting Rose here is that his unsavory side became more pronounced. Hey, the guy is banned from the game. That’s not quite the image we’re going for here.

Ron Santo was also a fiery, emotional sort. Famously, after every home victory during the 1969 season, Santo clicked his heels in triumph. He was a fan favorite when he played in Chicago.

Yeah, but he also has his downside for this team. A lot of guys thought he was bush league when he played, and his emotional nature rubbed a lot of guys the wrong way. He had a well-publicized clubhouse explosion in 1971 that manager Leo Durocher said was the angriest he ever saw someone in all his years in baseball.

Frankly, a lot of guys didn’t like him when he played. It’s possible that helped keep him out of Cooperstown for a while. He mellowed as he got older, and his subsequent image as broadcaster dominates his memory, but Santo isn’t quite a great fit, either.

But I don’t know who else would go in. There are some good guys who played third, some classy guys, but I’m stuck finding someone I like for this team. Maybe I’m missing someone.

For now, I’ll go with Rose. Some of the other players here also had their images take hits after their playing career. Maybe we’ll have Santo do color commentary on the radio for the team.

Left field: Willie Stargell

Memory time: As a young kid—I must have been seven years old—I remember watching a Cubs-Pirates game on TV. During the game, this big fat guy came to the plate for the visiting Pirates, and the Wrigley Field faithful erupted in cheers. I’d never seen that before, the hometown fans cheering for a visiting player.

It was Willie Stargell, of course. It’s possible it was his last game there. That’s always been my guess, given the level of applause for him.

Stargell always had a very likable image. He was team captain for the 1979 world champion Pirates, a club that promoted a feel-good vibe so heavily that the top of its dugout didn’t say “Pittsburgh” or “The Pirates” but “The Family” instead. Stargell once noted that the umpire didn’t say “Work ball!” at the start of every game but “Play ball!” He always kept that in mind on the field.

Center field: Willie Mays

Has anyone ever had a reputation for playing with such élan, natural grace, and joy as a young Willie Mays? The Say Hey Kid is the very definition of the sort of ballplayer who people want to see in part because he seems so lively and joyous out there.

As he’s aged, he’s reportedly become increasing bitter and cantankerous, but that initial blast of youthful enthusiasm he injected into the game ensures his spot here.

Right field: Kirby Puckett

He’s really a center fielder, but I ain’t kicking Mays out of center.

Remember how I noted that Ozzie Smith might have been the most likable player of the 1980s? His only competition is Kirby Puckett. He was so popular that the road around the Metrodome was named in his honor.

His public image took a huge hit in his post-playing career, with an ugly divorce and reports of domestic violence, but his playing days’ image is a perfect fit for this team.

Designated hitter: Babe Ruth

I don’t know if Babe Ruth found joy and exuberance from playing baseball as much as he found it in being Babe Ruth, but being a ballplayer was central to being Babe Ruth. He had charisma and an image so bigger than life than “Ruthian” has become an adjective.

If you want an actual DH, you might want to go with David Ortiz and maybe put Ruth on the mound. But Ruth belongs on this team, and if you’re going to put Ruth on it, you have to give him a bat.

Starting pitcher: Pedro Martinez

It’s tough to find pitchers for this list. Part of a pitcher’s job is to be the guy who stops things from happening. He’s something of an intimidator. I don’t mean that all pitchers are headhunters, but that you have to have a definite non-cuddly vibe out there. And if a pitcher is too exuberant after a big out, hitters can get really angry about it.

That said, Pedro Martinez also really seemed to enjoy playing baseball. He had a passion for it, and it showed, hence his inclusion here. That said, some of the other pitchers on this team aren’t as prominent as the position players because it’s harder for a pitcher to have that much emotion and still be as effective as he needs to be.

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Pedro in Philly.

Starting pitcher: Mark Fidrych

He only had a brief bit of glory with the Tigers in the 1970s, but what a glorious stretch it was. His eccentricities, such as talking to the ball on the mound, just endeared the kid to many.

He also was so widely popular that his managers let him complete his starts rather than run the risk of widespread booing from the stands that would come from yanking him during a game. People loved them some Fidryich.

Starting pitcher: Jose Lima

How could you have this team and not include some Lima Time?

Starting pitcher: Lefty Gomez

Gomez is one of the great after-dinner speakers in baseball history, and there are a host of funny anecdotes about him, usually coming from him.

Here’s one example: In a Yankees-Indians came, Gomez came to the plate to face young Cleveland fireballer Bob Feller in the late afternoon. In the era before ballpark lights, Gomez brought up a lit match with himself to the plate. “What’s the matter,” the ump asked, “can’t you see Feller well enough?” “Sure,” Gomez replied, “I just want to make sure he can see me well enough.”

Starting pitcher: Rube Waddell

There are more Rube Waddell stories than there are Lefty Gomez stories. He truly was one of a kind. The stories portray him as some sort of overgrown man-child who wouldn’t even be able to function in modern-day society. He would run after fire engines and step off the mound to watch airplanes. He once left the team to wrestle alligators. Though he could be a headache, he never meant any harm, and people loved the star fastaballer, in part for his oddities.

Dizzy Dean might belong on this rotation, too. I originally intended to put him on but left him off in a borderline call due to one concern. Though the brash and bigger-than-life Dean has a great public image, that wasn’t always the case when he played. In 1934, he bolted the team to protest a fine, and the public was irate about it.

Dean normally popular as a player and became more popular afterwards when he worked as a broadcaster, but I wonder if we project all his post-career popularity during his career. Maybe not, maybe I’m over thinking things. He’s a good enough candidate to mention, but he’s not quite on the team.

Relief ace: Dan Quisenberry

He had a strong reputation as a funny and personable player during his heyday with the Kansas City Royals, so he makes this team.

Manager: Wilbert Robinson

He was so popular as a manager that the Brooklyn Dodgers were temporarily renamed the Brooklyn Robins in his honor. He liked to have little children crawl on the bench to add to the sense of happiness on the team. He wasn’t the greatest manager and probably doesn’t deserve to be in Cooperstown, but he was a widely liked man.

Coach/scout: Buck O’Neil

Joe Posnanski wrote a book about Buck O’Neil called The Soul of Baseball. Now, what does that tell you about the man? Many met O’Neil over the decades, and I don’t think anyone had a bad word to say about him. Tons of folks went away feeling he sure was something special. O’Neil easily could be the manager instead of Robinson, but this way I can put them both on the team.

References & Resources
The New Historical Abstract by Bill James provided the stories on Rabbit Maranville.

I had some trouble thinking up a second baseman, third baseman, and some pitchers, and so I asked for some help at Baseball Think Factory’s forums. Among the primates offering suggestions were: scotto, Bernal Diaz, Handle’s Messiah, Lloyd Moseby, Paul D, Gold Star for Robot Boy and Urban Bovine Knievel. From them, I got the ideas of Ron Santo, Pedro Martinez and Jose Lima, as well as the suggestions for Dizzy Dean and David Ortiz. They also suggested a few others players I already had under consideration, such as Mark Fidrych.


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Barry Levine
12 years ago

I’d put A-Rod at 3rd.  I’ve never seen a player show his enthusiasm and terrific attitude on the field.  I know this is contrary to popular thought about him, but the popular thought about him is just plain wrong.

Brandon
12 years ago

Sean Casey probably deserves a bench spot. While he career took a quick decline, the Mayor was very well liked and always had a big smile on his face.

John Fox
12 years ago

Why not Pepper Martin at 3rd base?  The Gashouse gang Cardinals were surely one of the most exuberant teams of all time, and Pepper was probably the most exuberant of all

Detroit Michael
12 years ago

I’d put Orlando Hudson in the line-up, shifting Maranville to 3B if you’re inclined to keep him on the squad.  Hudson was always chattering, always having a good time.  He’s a bit short of the caliber of player you want, more in the Jose Lima class than the Hall of Fame crowd that dominates this team.

A-Rod looks grouchy to me, but some of that is because his mouth is full of sunflower seeds or something.

ettin
12 years ago

You should really add Vladimir Guerrero to this list. He almost always had a big smile on his face in the clubhouse and while on base and you can clearly see he loves the game he plays.

mando3b
12 years ago

Fun article! I agree with putting Pepper Martin at third. (Hudson at second, Maranville at third works for me, too.) The trouble with Pete Rose is, in my experience, everybody outside of Cincy viewed him as a flaming a-hole: that’s not true of anybody else who’s on this list, who seem to have been universally loved, regardless of who they played for. Alas, for the same reason, I would have to leave Santo off the list, even though he was my boyhood idol. (True story: after Santo got traded to the South Side, I was watching a White Sox game with my brother-in-law, who was a big fan. “You’re cheering for Ron Santo?!” my nephew asked. “I thought you hated him!” “Well”, my brother-in-law answered with a chuckle, “I guess he’s okay now!”) As for A-Rod—ahh, no: A-Rod seems to take joy only in being A-Rod. How about putting Honus Wagner at third? He seems to have taken real joy in playing, and been universally loved as a player, too. (But—three shortstops in the infield?!)

AaronB
12 years ago

Nice list Chris.  Lot’s of potential names at 1st…Mark Grace, “Sunny Jim” Bottomley, & Casey are all good.

OF:  Larry Walker, Berkman, Griffy Jr., Clemente

3B:  I like the Pepper Martin suggestion.  This one is a bit off the radar, but how about Mike Shannon?  Was nicknamed the Moon Man after all.

Brian D
12 years ago

Don’t forget the juniors-

Ken Griffey Jr

Cal Ripken Jr

Brian D
12 years ago

Sammy Sosa smiled a lot in the late 90’s and early 2000’s- genuine enthusiasm or a side effect of the roids?

Tom T
12 years ago

Johnny Danon is always smiling.

Michael
12 years ago

Satchel Paige should be in the starting rotation.

Chris J.
12 years ago

A lot of really good suggestions here.  I especially like Pepper Martin nailing down third base. 

The outfield I have I’m really set with, but Griffey, Sosa, and others would be good. 

Like I said, a lot of good suggestions here.

Chris Waters
12 years ago

Nice article as always, Chris. How in the heck do you have time for this? I teach History at the college level also, among all things, but I barely have the energy to type this.
By the way, I have no idea how the “good” image of Ozzie Smith came about, but he was far more surly than Garry Templeton, especially when he was in California. Most of the guys are like that, it seems: great smile when things go their way, and not so much otherwise ( Sosa, Griffey ). Puckett was a media fraud, and we all bought into it. Clemente was a great player but he sure looked pained when he played. McCovey and Cepada were all smiles. Marichal, too. People here are confusing “intense” with “enjoyment”. Santo was such a decent guy in the 60’s, and seemed get so grumpy in the 70’s. His teammate, Billy Williams, also. Maybe it was the Durocher influence.

mike
12 years ago

not just “more surly” than Templeton, but “far more surly”.  That’s harsh.

rcberlo
12 years ago

It’s maybe a bit early, but how about Pablo Sandoval at third?

gdc
12 years ago

I thought Gomez or some later player was the airplane watcher.  Airplanes in Waddell’s day would probably get everyone on the field watching.

Scottso
12 years ago

Roger McDowell was always considered to be a clown in the dugout and a ball of excitement on the mound.

Since Babe Ruth was never a DH, let’s add someone like Big Papi to the mix.

Not the best player of all time (or his generation) but Joe Randa always smiled at 3B.  here’s a link to prove it http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050723&content_id=1141796&fext;=.jsp&c_id=mlb

mike
12 years ago

Chris W.,

I am not disagreeing with you.  In the pre-internet, pre-cable, pre-USA Today age, games in San Diego did not exist outside the Pacific time zone, and I have no idea of what Smith was like or what happened.

Garry Templeton may not have talked down to the fans, but he was willing to make gestures at them.

KJB
12 years ago

Jay Johnstone was always a crack-up.

toratoratora
12 years ago

How bout Brooks at third?
The man was legendary for his sunny disposition

Chris Waters
12 years ago

Mike: You had be in the stand to believe how much so. The contrast with his image in St. Louis is so stark that I was shocked, then Tony LaRussa came in and Ozzie started going back to his earlier persona.
Templeton was really a pompous guy, but he never seemed to talk down to fans, at least not the non-rude ones. Joe Morgan was a lot like Ozzie except he was much, much better at dealing with the media, and Joe could always turn on the charm when need be.

Michael Caragliano
12 years ago

I’d like to see Dave Henderson on this roster. Always exuberant and smiling, played hard for several years no matter where he played, was a minor star, had two memorable big home runs in the 1986 post-season. I always remember him with a smile on his face; nothing ever seemed to get him down.

Take a look at him catching the second out of the bottom of the tenth in Game Six; he’s already celebrating the Red Sox winning the Series with that ear-to-ear grin as he casually fling the ballback to the infield, yet because of his bubbly nature, you know he’s not crowing. Just being himself. Of course, we all know how that game turned out, and everything ties into a neat bow when you realize who the next batter was that started the rally that wiped the smile off Henderson’s face- Gary Carter.

tigerlily
12 years ago

Fun article. I’d nominate Minnie Minoso for one of the outfield spots.

Gordon Danning
12 years ago

Mickey Hatcher at third?  He was really more of a utility man, but he certainly belongs on this list

Ebessan
12 years ago

A team about “joy and exuberance”, and an open slot at 3B… and no Jim Thome?

Robert Haymond
12 years ago

I saw Kirby Puckett playin Minnesota.  Before a game, when running, he literally bounced.  I think it was in joy.

Roger Lett
12 years ago

Great call on Pablo Sandoval, who is a unique personality.  If we knew them all—perhaps combining our knowledge, including some old-timers—I think we would find a ton of candidates.

As a Giants fan, I loved watching Willie Mays play.  The smile and high-pitched laugh. Calling everybody “Say Hey.” The hat flying off.

There are other Giants candidates—and I’m sure every team has about this many.

Juan Marichal—Talk about an infectuous smile and speaking voice (which just enough accent).  Maybe the Roseboro incident disqualifies him, but he and Johnny later became fast family friends—with Juan ultimately speaking lovingly at Johnny’s funeral.

Tim Lincecum—The ultimate free spirit (perhaps with the exception of Spaceman Lee).  Actually will talk to reporters before the game on the day he pitches.  Has the enthusiasm and actually looks like a kid when he runs on the field in celebration.

Andres Torres—Andres has a learning disability that may affect his concentration on the field, but it is said that like Sandoval, he has a good word for everyone around him.

I’ll bet others here can add scores of other candidates from their favorite team.

Great call on Ernie (Let’s Play Two) Banks, and how about Negro League player Buck Leonard, who became one of the game’s great ambassadors?

I’m guessing Eddie (The Brat) Stanky nor Billy Martin qualifies.