#184: Duke Snider

Duke Snider

Major League Baseball lost another great when Hall of Famer Duke Snider passed away yesterday. In tribute, this post is dedicated to him.

I) Duke Snider --> '64 Giants --> Gaylord Perry

II) Perry --> '83 Mariners
II) Perry --> '83 Royals

A rare chance to add a Mariners team here.

II) Perry --> '83 Mariners --> Spike Owen

R.I.P. Duke!

1. Duke Snider played for the 1964 San Francisco Giants with Gaylord Perry.
2. Gaylord Perry played for the 1983 Seattle Mariners with Spike Owen.
3. Spike Owen played for the 1992 Montreal Expos with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 3

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to our blog muse Matt Stairs, who turns 43 today!

#183: Rollin Cook

Rollin Cook

I) Rollin Cook --> '15 St. Louis Browns

This is a connected team. Done!

1. Rollin Cook played for the 1915 St. Louis Browns with Muddy Ruel.
2. Muddy Ruel played for the 1934 Chicago White Sox with Luke Appling.
3. Luke Appling played for the 1950 Chicago White Sox with Nellie Fox.
4. Nellie Fox played for the 1965 Houston Astros with Mike Cueller.
5. Mike Cueller played for the 1976 Baltimore Orioles with Denny Martinez.
6. Denny Martinez played for the 1992 Montreal Expos with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 6

#182: Cuddles Marshall

Cuddles Marshall

Just my luck! This guy would have been a great Valentine's Day Special. Oh well. It's not like I would have ever thought there would be a ballplayer by the name of Cuddles anyway...

I) Cuddles Marshall --> '50 St. Louis Browns --> Roy Sievers

II) Sievers --> '65 Washington Senators --> Joe Coleman
      III) Coleman --> '78 Blue Jays

Done.

1. Cuddles Marshall played for the 1950 St. Louis Browns with Roy Sievers.
2. Roy Sievers played for the 1965 Washington Senators with Joe Coleman.
3. Joe Coleman played for the 1978 Toronto Blue Jays with Rick Cerone.
4. Rick Cerone played for the 1992 Montreal Expos with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 4

#181: Bob Malloy

Bob Malloy

I) Bob Malloy --> '90 Expos

I've already linked this Expos team, so I'm going to try the only other year he played instead.

I) Bob Malloy --> '87 Rangers --> Mike Stanley

Another easy one.

1. Bob Malloy played for the 1987 Texas Rangers with Mike Stanley.
2. Mike Stanley played for the 2000 Oakland Athletics with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 2

#180: Sean Gallagher

Sean Gallagher

I get an easy one after a tough one.

1. Sean Gallagher played for the 2010 San Diego Padres with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 1

#179: Bill Watkins

Bill Watkins

I) Bill Watkins --> 1884 Indianapolis Hoosiers

Wow. I get an American Association team this time. Horrible odds here.

I) Bill Watkins --> 1884 Indianapolis Hoosiers --> Jim Donnelly

II) Donnelly --> 1898 St. Louis Browns --> Joe Sugden
      III) Sugden --> '12 Tigers

It took me 2 degrees just to get to 1912. Every connected team from the 1910's has required the full 6 degrees. I don't have the energy to go through the paces today...

Degrees of Matt Stairs: Over 7

#178: Ed Donnelly

Ed Donnelly

I) Ed Donnelly --> '59 Cubs

I've already connected the 1959 Cubs.

1. Ed Donnelly played for the 1959 Chicago Cubs with Tony Taylor.
2. Tony Taylor played on the 1976 Philadelphia Phillies with Dave Cash.
3. Dave Cash played on the 1977 Montreal Expos with Gary Carter.
4. Gary Carter played on the 1992 Montreal Expos with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 4

#177 Valentine's Day Edition: Ellis Valentine

Ellis Valentine

In keeping with the holiday themed tradition, I did a player search for Valentine. Quite a few choices, but only one who was an All-Star. It turned out to be easy.

1. Ellis Valentine played for the 1975 Montreal Expos with Gary Carter.
2. Gary Carter played for the 1992 Montreal Expos with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 2

#176: Mike Menosky

Mike Menosky

I) Mike Menosky --> '23 Red Sox --> Jack Quinn, George Murray, Curt Fullerton, Lefty O'Doul, Val Picinich

II) Fullerton --> '33 Red Sox
II) Murray --> '33 White Sox
II) O'Doul --> '34 New York Giants
II) Picinich --> '33 Brooklyn Dodgers
II) Picinich --> '33 Pirates
II) Quinn --> '33 Reds

Wow, lots of choices here! I already have the '33 Dodgers here, so that one is out. I have the '34 Red Sox and '34 White Sox, so those are probably easy. Basically, I think I'm down to my Red Sox bias and adding a player named Lefty. Oh well, Red Sox bias wins out!

II) Fullerton --> '33 Red Sox --> Bucky Walters

As expected, the same connecting player as the '34 team. Done.

1. Mike Menosky played for the 1923 Boston Red Sox with Curt Fullerton.
2. Curt Fullerton played for the 1933 Boston Red Sox with Bucky Walters.
3. Bucky Walters played for the 1950 Boston Braves with Warren Spahn.
4. Warren Spahn played for the 1965 New York Mets with Ron Hunt.
5. Ron Hunt played for the 1974 Montreal Expos with Gary Carter.
6. Gary Carter played for the 1992 Montreal Expos with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 6

#175: Brad Fullmer

Brad Fullmer

Brad Fullmer played on the Rangers two years before Stairs did, making a connection rather easy.

I) Brad Fullmer --> 2004 Rangers

Rather than list everybody who played with Stairs, a quick look at the 2004 team reveals a choice that's easy for me to make - former Padre and new Red Sox star Adrian Gonzalez!

1. Brad Fullmer played for the 2004 Texas Rangers with Adrian Gonzalez.
2. Adrian Gonzalez played for the 2010 San Diego Padres with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 2

#174: Dummy Stephenson

Dummy Stephenson

I know society in the late 1800's is a lot different than it is now, but what a cruel nickname to be stuck with!

I) Dummy Stephenson --> 1892 Phillies --> Sam Thompson, Lave Cross

II) Cross --> '07 Washington Senators
II) Thompson --> '06 Tigers

Unusual names are helpful. I remember trying to use Lave Cross once before here. No sense repeating a dead end. I'll try Thompson though, just for kicks.

II) Thompson --> '06 Tigers --> Charlie O'Leary
      III) O'Leary --> '34 St. Louis Browns

Wow. O'Leary came back 21 years after his last full season and got one hit in one at bat at the age of 51.

Unfortunately, the at bat was with the '34 Browns, who I've connected already. I'd need 5 degrees from that point. my quest is at an end.

Degrees of Matt Stairs: Over 6

#173: John Papa

John Papa

Someone who played with the Orioles in the 1960's. No challenge here.

1. John Papa played for the 1962 Baltimore Orioles with Brooks Robinson.
2. Brooks Robinson played for the 1977 Baltimore Orioles with Dennis Martinez.
3. Dennis Martinez played for the 1992 Montreal Expos with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 3

#172: Homer Spragins

Homer Spragins

I) Homer Spragins --> '47 Phillies

I have the '46 Phillies team already, so there's a chance I can use the same connecting player.

I) Homer Spragins --> '47 Phillies --> Curt Simmons

II) Simmons --> '67 Cubs
II) Simmons --> '67 Angels

I already have the Angels team, so we;ll go with the Cubs.

II) Simmons --> '67 Cubs --> Fred Norman, Joe Niekro, Ken Holtzman
      III) Holtzman --> '76 Orioles
      III) Niekro --> '88 Twins
      III) Niekro --> '87 Yankees
      III) Norman --> '80 Expos

Just on a whim, I'm going to try the Twins team.

      III) Niekro --> '88 Twins --> Eric Bullock
              IV) Bullock --> '92 Expos

Done!

1. Homer Spagins played for the 1947 Philadelphia Phillies with Curt Simmons.
2. Curt Simmons played for the 1967 Chicago Cubs with Joe Niekro.
3. Joe Niekro played for the 1988 Minnesota Twins with Eric Bullock.
4. Eric Bullock played for the 1992 Montreal Expos with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 4

#171: Pat Burke

Pat Burke

I) Pat Burke --> '24 St. Louis Browns --> Boom-Boom Beck

Boom-Boom Beck! I recall trying to use that name in a chain once before. It took some digging, but I was able to find him here. That saves a lot of work for me.

What I'm going to do is essentially copy what I had before and revisit it.

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      III) Beck --> '45 Reds --> Herm Wehmeier, Hank Sauer
              IV) Wehmeier --> '58 Cardinals
              IV) Wehmeier --> '58 Tigers
              IV) Sauer --> '59 Giants

      III) Beck --> '45 Pirates --> Bob Elliott, Preacher Roe
              IV) Elliott --> '53 Browns
              IV) Elliott --> '53 White Sox
              IV) Roe --> '54 Dodgers
----------

Since this post, I've only added the '53 White Sox team.

----------
Lots of choices here, but I'm going to ignore the '45 Pirates branch, since the '45 Reds give me an extra 5 years.

              IV) Sauer --> '59 Giants --> Willie MCCovey
                     V) McCovey --> '80 Giants
              IV) Wehmeier --> '58 Cardinals --> Lindy McDaniel
                     V) McDaniel --> '75 Royals
              IV) Wehmeier --> '58 Tigers --> Al Kaline
                     V) Kaline --> '74 Tigers
----------

I've also added the '74 Tigers and '75 Royals. That makes the '80 Giants a logical choice. My path so far:

II) Beck --> '45 Reds --> Hank Sauer
      III) Sauer --> '59 Giants --> Willie McCovey
              IV) McCovey --> '80 Giants

Two degrees to get to Stairs. I think I can do it.

              IV) McCovey --> '80 Giants --> Ed Whitson, Max Venable, Jack Clark
                     V) Clark --> '92 Red Sox
                     V) Venable --> '91 Angels
                     V) Whitson --> '91 Padres

Red Sox for the win!

1. Pat Burke played for the 1924 St. Louis Browns with Boom-Boom Beck.
2. Boom-Boom Beck played for the 1945 Cincinati Reds with Hank Sauer.
3. Hank Sauer played for the 1959 San Francisco Giants with Willie McCovey.
4. Williw McCovey played for the 1980 San Francisco Giants with Jack Clark.
5. Jack Clark played for the 1992 Boston Red Sox with Mike Greenwell.
6. Mike Greenwell played for the 1995 Boston Red Sox with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 6