#225: Bud Metheny

Bud Metheny

I) Bud Metheny --> '46 Yankees --> Yogi Berra

Yogi makes another appearance here. I get the feeling he is going to be the top guy in a lot of Yankee teams from this era.

1. Bud Metheny played for the 1946 New York Yankees with Yogi Berra.
2. Yogi Berra played for the 1965 New York Mets with Ron Hunt.
3. Ron Hunt played for the 1974 Montreal Expos with Gary Carter.
4. Gary Carter played for the 1992 Montreal Expos with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 4

#224: Jack Cameron

Jack Cameron

I) Jack Cameron --> '06 Boston Beaneaters --> Tom Needham, Al Bridwell, Johnny Bates

Needham is connected.

II) Bridwell --> '15 St. Louis Terriers
II) Bates --> '14 Baltimore Terrapins

Wow, what a choice here. Two long forgotten team names. I'll take my chances with the Terriers first.

II) Bridwell --> '15 St. Louis Terriers --> Grover Hartley

Hartley is connected too. On to the Terrapins!

II) Bates --> '14 Baltimore Terrapins --> Jack Quinn

Again, we are halted by another connected player - Quinn. in each case, the player was part of a successful chain, but appeared in the first or second link. None of these will do here. Dead end.

Degrees of Matt Stairs: Over 6

#223: Elmer Miller

Elmer Miller

I) Elmer Miller --> '22 Yankees
I) Elmer Miller --> '22 Red Sox

Gee, I wonder which team I'll try first?

I) Elmer Miller --> '22 Red Sox --> Jack Quinn, Herb Pennock, Curt Fullerton, Muddy Ruel

II) Fullerton --> '33 Red Sox
II) Pennock --> '34 Red Sox
II) Quinn --> '33 Reds
II) Ruel --> '34 White Sox

The Reds team is the only one I don't have

II) Quinn --> '33 Reds --> Si Johnson, Rollie Hemsley, Ernie Lombardi
      III) Hemsley --> '47 Philles
      III) Johnson --> '47 Boston Braves
      III) Lombardi --> '47 New York Giants

All three of these teams have been used before. I now know I can connect, and it'll take the maximum 6 degrees. Let's see what the Yankees team can offer.

I) Elmer Miller --> '22 Yankees --> Waite Hoyt

II) Hoyt --> '38 Brooklyn Dodgers

Another connected team. By going with the first path, I can add two teams, but if I go with the second path, I add a Hall of Famer. Red Sox bias breaks the tie! (Looks like I get to add a Hall of Famer anyway - Lombardi!)

1. Elmer Miller played for the 1922 Boston Red Sox with Jack Quinn.
2. Jack Quinn played for the 1933 Cincinati Reds with Ernie Lombardi.
3. Ernie Lombardi played for the 1947 New York Giants with Whitey Lockman.
4. Whitey Lockman played for the 1960 Cincinati Reds with Frank Robinson.
5. Frank Robinson played for the 1976 Cleveland Indians with Rick Cerone.
6. Rick Cerone played for the 1992 Montreal Expos with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 6

#222: Herb Welch

Herb Welch

I) Herb Welch --> '25 Red Sox

I've used this team already as part of my Thanksgiving Special. Done!

1. Herb Welch played for the 1925 Boston Red Sox with Red Ruffing.
2. Red Ruffing played for the 1947 Chicago White Sox with Dave Philley.
3. Dave Philley played for the 1961 Baltimore Orioles with Brooks Robinson.
4. Brooks Robinson played for the 1977 Baltimore Orioles with Dennis Martinez.
5. Dennis Martinez played for the 1993 Montreal Expos with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 5

#221: Brian Bohanon

Brian Bohanon

I) Brian Bohanon --> 2001 Rockies --> Neifi Perez, Larry Walker, Terry Shumpert, Jose Ortiz, Alex Ochoa, Brent Mayne, Sal Fasano, Scott Elarton, John Wasdin, Todd Belitz, Bobby Chouinard

II) Belitz --> 2000 Athletics
II) Chouinard --> '96 Athletics
II) Elarton --> 2006 Royals
II) Fasano --> 2000 Athletics and 2007 Blue Jays
II) Mayne --> '97 Athletics
II) Ochoa --> 2002 Brewers
II) Ortiz --> 2000 Athletics
II) Perez --> 2006 Tigers
II) Shumpert --> '95 Red Sox
II) Walker --> '92 and '93 Expos
II) Wasdin --> '96 Athletics and 2006 Rangers

Lots of choices here, but only one Red Sox player.

1. Brian Bohanon played for the 2001 Colorado Rockies with Terry Shumpert.
2. Terry Shumpert played for the 1995 Boston Red Sox with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 2

#220: Ed Wineapple

Ed Wineapple

I) Ed Wineapple --> '29 Washington Senators --> Joe Cronin, Nick Altrock

II) Cronin --> '45 Red Sox
II) Altrock --> '33 Washington Senators

Cronin's my only choice here, but I added Nick Altrock here for a reason. As I was looking through the '29 Senators team, a number next to Altrock stuck out for me - 52. It was under the age column! Altrock's career spanned 35 years until his last season in 1933 at the age of 56. Remarkable! This guy was Minnie Minoso before there was a Minnie Minoso! I may have to look into this player further, but I may have an outside chance to connect someone who played in the 1800's.

Back to Cronin...

II) Cronin --> '45 Red Sox --> Jim Wilson
      III) Wilson --> '58 White Sox --> Norm Cash, Johnny Callison, Luis Aparicio
              IV) Aparicio --> '73 Red Sox
              IV) Callison --> '73 Yankees
              IV) Cash --> '74 Tigers

The Yankees and Tigers teams are connected, not that I wouldn't have picked a Hall of Famer on a Red Sox team above them anyway.

              IV) Aparicio --> '73 Red Sox --> http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifCarlton Fisk
                     V) Fisk --> '93 White Sox --> Jason Bere, Frank Thomas, Tim Raines
                         VI) Bere --> 2001 Cubs
                         VI) Raines --> '99 Athletics
                         VI) Thomas --> 2007 Blue Jays

Done, although this makes the Altrock rambling a moot point. If I could have completed this in 5 or less, it would have been worth exploring.

1. Ed Wineapple played for the 1929 Washington Senators with Joe Cronin.
2. Joe Cronin played for the 1945 Boston Red Sox with Jim Wilson.
3. Jim Wilson played for the 1958 Chicago White Sox with Luis Aparicio.
4. Luis Aparicio played for the 1973 Boston Red Sox with Carlton Fisk.
5. Carlton Fisk played for the 1993 Chicago White Sox with Frank Thomas.
6. Frank Thomas played for the 2007 Toronto Blue Jays with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 6

#219: Jim Hughey

Jim Hughey

I) Jim Hughey --> 1900 Cardinals --> Bobby Wallace

II) Wallace --> '18 Cardinals

I already have this team listed. I'll miss Stairs by one degree.

Degrees of Matt Stairs: Over 6

#218: Tony Murphy

Tony Murphy

Another 1800's era player.

I) Tony Murphy --> 1884 New York Metropolitans --> Tim Keefe

II) Keefe --> 1893 Phillies --> Sam Thompson, Lave Cross
      III) Cross --> '07 Washington Senators
      III) Thompson --> '06 Tigers

Once again, Lave Cross shows up again. In searching through my old posts, I found Sam Thompson has too. In fact they both showed up together in a previous post. I'm done.

Degrees of Matt Stairs: Over 6

#217: Tommy Fine

Tommy Fine

I) Tommy Fine --> '50 St. Louis Browns

I already connected this team, so I'm going to try the only other team he played for.

I) Tommy Fine --> '47 Red Sox --> Chuck Stobbs, Billy Goodman

II) Goodman --> '62 Houston Colt .45's
II) Stobbs --> '61 Twins

Billy Goodman is a connected player. The '61 Twins are a connected team. Twins get me to Stairs quicker.

1. Tommy Fine played for the 1947 Boston Red Sox with Chuck Stobbs.
2. Chuck Stobbs played for the 1961 Minnesota Twins with Jim Kaat.
3. Jim Kaat played for the 1980 New York Yankees with Rick Cerone.
4. Rick Cerone played for the 1992 Montreal Expos with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 4

#216: Rich Barnes

Rich Barnes

I) Rich Barnes --> '83 Indians --> Otto Velez, Julio Franco, Toby Harrah, Andre Thorton

II) Franco --> 2007 Braves
II) Harrah --> '84 Yankees
II) Thorton --> '76 Expos
II) Velez --> '79 Blue Jays

I'm going to try and not use a Big 3 link here.

II) Franco --> 2007 Braves --> Tim Hudson, Ron Mahay, Mark Redmond, Craig Wilson, Matt Diaz, Mike Gonzalez, Wil Ledezma
      III) Diaz --> 2005 Royals
      III) Gonzalez --> 2003 Pirates
      III) Hudson --> 2000 Athletics
      III) Ledezma --> 2006 Tigers
      III) Mahay --> 2000 Athletics
      III) Redmond --> 2006 Royals
      III) Wilson --> 2003 Pirates

Only one of these guys has been used before.

1. Rich Barnes played for the 1983 Cleveland Indians with Julio Franco.
2. Julio Franco played for the 2007 Atlanta Braves with Ron Mahay.
3. Ron Mahay played for the 2000 Oakland Athletics with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 3

#215: George Glinatsis

George Glinatsis

I) George Glinatsis --> '94 Mariners --> Reggie Jefferson, Mike Blowers, Bill Haselman, Torey Luvullo, Jerry Willard

II) Blowers --> '98 Athletics
II) Haselman --> '95 Red Sox
II) Jefferson --> '95 Red Sox
II) Luvullo --> '96 Athletics
II) Willard --> '92 Expos

Bias showing through!

1. George Glinatsis played for the 1994 Seattle Mariners with Reggie Jefferson.
2. Reggie Jefferson played for the 1995 Boston Red Sox with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 2

Another Year of Stairs!

It's official! In the 3rd game of the year for the Washington Nationals, Matt Stairs came in as a pitch hitter. He is officially a Nat now, meaning he has now played for a record 13 different teams! Congratulations, Matt, on your accomplishment! Have a great year!

#214: Steve Torrealba

Steve Torrealba

If Joe Torre and Jessica Alba had a child, would he look like Torrealba?

That'll be my only bad joke today. I promise.

I) Steve Torrealba --> 2002 Braves --> Aaron Small, Kevin Millwood

II) Millwood --> 2006 Rangers
II) Small --> '97 Athletics

Giving the edge to one still pitching (assuming the Yankees call him up sometime this year...)

1. Steve Torrealba played for the 2002 Atlanta Braves with Kevin Millwood.
2. Kevin Millwood played for the 2006 Texas Rangers with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 2