A Wahoo-esque theme team...

[Cruiser]

...in other words, a theme team I put together that's playing in a regular league.

The team is the Krakatau Volcanoes, and I went for players who were known as particularly tough, or rough, or downright mean sons of guns.

Of course, this all hinged on getting Ty Cobb as my first choice, which I did. I had to compromise a bit with the bullpen and the bench, but here's the starting lineup.

C Andy Seminick
1B Jackie Robinson
2B Frankie Frisch
3B Pete Rose
SS Larry Bowa
LF Frank Robinson
CF Fred Snodgrass (compromise)
RF Ty Cobb

SP Roger Clemens
SP Lefty Grove
SP Carl Erskine (compromise)
SP Early Wynn

CL Goose Gossage

I don't mind Snodgrass - anyone who could have as good a career with "the Snodgrass Muff" hanging over him had to be tough. And "Carl Erskine" just [i:ee916351cd]sounds[/i:ee916351cd] like a tough guy. I'll need to go reread [i:ee916351cd]The Boys of Summer[/i:ee916351cd].

Anyway, at the risk of jinxing them, the Volcanoes are off to a 13-2 start (easily the best start I've ever had), and Larry Bowa is one of the offensive leaders. Go figure.

[NEILKAHN]

8) How can I not respond to this? At the risk of being accused of threadjacking, and by way of supporting the hypothesis that not nice people finish first, I offer my team featuring, although not exclusively made up of, criminals, and miscreants.http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/atg2/team/team_other.html?user_id=44554[/url][url]http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/atg2/team/team_other.html?user_id=44554[/url]

[NEILKAHN]

The Volcanoes have some great additions that I omitted. Who can forget the time Clemons threw the bat at Piazza? Some "accident." And Grove was legendary for ripping new ones on his team mates who booted balls behind him. Yes, Bowa is phlegmatic, by all accounts. Drysdale could be added for sheer nastiness, as could Gibson on the hill. Sigh. Those were the good old days, when the mound was high, and the chin music was sweet. I have to put a plug in here for my daughter, a softball pitcher for her high school team. A latecomer to the position, she struggled initially with her control, if not her velocity. In one of her early outings, she smacked a girl in the shoulder, hard. I do not think she was seriously injured, but the next batter dribbled weakly to the mound to end the inning....standing none to close to the plate. Worried that her psyche may have been ruffled by hitting the girl, I was reassured to hear her comment about it after the inning. With a wry smile, she observed, " I think I got BONE on that one." That's my girl!

[Cruiser]

:lol:
You go girl!

Drysdale and Gibson were on my draft card, but someone else nabbed them. Grove was actually the consolation prize, so I was pretty pleased with that.

I saw Bowa almost get into a fight at a Phillies charity basketball game once.

Andy Seminick I remember from an article in Baseball Digest that I read as a kid. The details are hazy, but as I recall it, the opposing pitcher decked Seminick, or some such thing. Seminick took it out on the four infielders, methodically forcing collisions with each guy and sending them limping away.

[Moriarity]

Too bad there's no Carlton Fisk who told Deon Sanders what a bush leaguer he was. :(

[NEILKAHN]

I think that was Tim McCarver. He was interviewing in the locker room, and Deion threw beer or some sort of liquid on him. McCarver had all of his microphones and other audio equipment on, and at least said he thought there might be an electrocution risk.