#254-255: 2011 Hall of Fame - Roberto Alomar, Bert Blyleven

Today, the Baseball Hall of Fame inducts 3 more members - 2B Roberto Alomar, SP Bert Blyleven and executive Pat Gillick. Gillick never played professionally, but I dedicate this post to the other two.

Roberto Alomar

I) Roberto Alomar --> 2004 Diamondbacks, White Sox

I have yet to use the Diamondbacks as a team, so that makes them the easy choice.

I) Roberto Alomar --> 2004 Diamondbacks --> Brent Mayne, Richie Sexton, Greg Colbrunn, Elmer Dressens, Scott Service< Chad Durbin, Mike Fetters, Jeff Fassero, Shane Nance

II) Colbrunn --> '92-'93 Expos
II) Dressens --> 2006 Royals
II) Durbin --> 2006 Tigers, 2009 Phillies
II) Fassero --> '92-'93 Expos, 2001 Cubs
II) Fetters --> '98 Athletics
II) Mayne --> '97 Athletics
II) Nance --> 2002 Brewers
II) Service --> '92 Expos, 2000 Athletics
II) Sexton --> 2002 Brewers

Wow. A lot of choices here, including 3 guys who played with Stairs on 2 separate teams. The honor goes to All-Star.

1. Robert Alomar played with the 2004 Arizona Diamondbacks with Richie Sexton.
2. Richie Sexton played with the 2002 Milwaukee Brewers with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 2

Bert Blyleven

I) Bert Blyleven --> '92 Angels

I'm surprised. 1992 was Stairs' first season, so I was sure I'd find someone on this Angels team who had played with him. Not one, not a single one. This is going to be a 3-degree chain. Fortunately, there is a connected player on here I can use.

1. Bert Blyleven played for the 1992 California Angels with Gary Gaetti.
2. Gary Gaetti played for the 2000 Boston Red Sox with Tim Wakefield.
3. Tim Wakefield played for the 1995 Boston Red Sox with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 3

Welcome to the Hall, gentlemen!

#251: Vince Coleman

Vince Coleman

Vincent Van Go is one of those players you always remember with one team, in this case the Cardinals. He ended his career as a journeyman, playing his last games as a Tiger.

I) Vince Coleman --> '97 Tigers --> Raul Casanova, Phil Nevin, Curtis Pride, Omar Olivares, Todd Jones, Kevin Jarvis

II) Casanova --> 2002 Brewers
II) Jarvis --> '99 Athletics
II) Jones --> 2006 Tigers
II) Nevin --> 2006 Rangers
II) Olivares --> '99-2000 Athletics
II) Pride --> '93 Expos

Brew Crew is the low team on the totem pole.

1. Vince Coleman played for the 1997 Detroit Tigers with Raul Casanova.
2. Raul Casanova played for the 2002 Milwaukee Brewers with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 2

#199: Jim Hoey

Jim Hoey

It shouldn't be too difficult finding a teammate who played with Stairs here.

I) Jim Hoey --> 2007 Orioles --> Ramon Hernandez,Miguel Tejada, Corey Patterson, Paul Bako, Tike Redman, J.R. House, Alberto Castillo, Jaime Walker, Victor Zambrano

II) Bako --> 2002 Brewers
II) Bako --> 2006 Royals
II) Castillo --> 2004/2005 Royals
II) Hernandez --> '99/2000 Athletics
II) House --> 2003 Pirates
II) Patterson --> 2001 Cubs
II) Redman --> 2003 Pirates
II) Tejada --> '97-2000 Athletics
II) Walker --> 2006 Tigers
II) Zambrano --> 2007 Blue Jays

See, the hardest part was going through 49 names to get these 9. Of all these teams, the Brewers are represented the least. I'll give them some love.

1. Jim Hoey played for the 2007 Baltimore Orioles with Paul Bako.
2. Paul Bako played for the 2002 Milwaukee Brewers with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 2

#190: Joe Kelly

Joe Kelly

I) Joe Kelly --> '28 Cubs --> Guy Bush, Johnny Moore

II) Bush --> '45 Reds
II) Moore --> '45 Cubs

Let's stick with the Cubbies.

II) Moore --> '45 Cubs --> Andy Pafko
      III) Pafko --> '59 Milwaukee Braves --> Hank Aaron

It'll be an honor to add Mr. Aaron to my group.

              
IV) Aaron --> '76 Brewers --> Tom Murphy, Steve Bowling, Bill Castro, Pedro Garcia, Tim Johnson, Robin Yount
                     V) Bowling --> '77 Blue Jays
                     V) Castro --> '81 Yankees
                     V) Garcia --> '77 Blue Jays
                     V) Johnson --> '79 Blue Jays
                     V) Murphy --> '79 Blue Jays
                     V) Yount --> '93 Brewers

1. Joe Kelly played for the 1928 Chicago Cubs with Johnny Moore.
2. Johnny Moore played for the 1945 Chicago Cubs with Andy Pafko.
3. Andy Pafko played for the 1959 Milwaukee Braves with Hank Aaron.
4. Hank Aaron played for the 1976 Milwaukee Brewers with Robin Yount.
5. Robin Yount played for the 1993 Milwaukee Brewers with John Jaha.
6. John Jaha played for the 2000 Oakland Athletics with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 6

#187: Bruce Ruffin

Bruce Ruffin

My last 3 players - Hullet, Huggins, and Ruffin - almost a tongue twister there!

I) Bruce Ruffin --> Mike DeJean, Curt Leskanic, Tim Scott, Jamey Wright, John Vander Wal, Eric Young, Larry Walker,Neifi Perez

II) DeJean --> 2002 Brewers
II) Leskanic --> 2004 Royals
II) Perez --> 2006 Tigers
II) Scott --> '93 Expos
II) Vander Wal --> '92 Expos
II) Walker --> '93 Expos
II) Wright --> 2002 Brewers
II) Young --> 2001 Cubs
II) Young --> 2002 Brewers

I'm giving the nod to an All-Star who wasn't with the Expos.

1. Bruce Ruffin played for the 1997 Colorado Rockies with Eric Young.
2. Eric Young played for the 2002 Milwaukee Brewers with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 2

#128: Mark Ciardi

Mark Ciardi

Ciardi played one year for a team I've already connected. Looking back at that post, I see I had tried to connect to the 1993 Sox team, but because I was looking for Tim Wakefield, I went in another direction and connected through a "Big 3" player. In retrospect, I could have still used that Boston team with the same number of degrees as I ended up with. Time to rectify that oversight.

1. Mark Ciardi played for the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers with Rob Deer.
2. Rob Deer played for the 1993 Boston Red Sox with Mike Greenwell.
3. Mike Greenwell played for the 1995 Boston Red Sox with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 3

#123: Sparky Anderson

Sparky Anderson

Paying tribute to Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson, who passed away yesterday.

I) Sparky Anderson --> '59 Phillies --> Chris Short

II) Short --> '73 Brewers --> Pedro Garcia, Tim Johnson
      III) Garcia --> '77 Blue Jays
      III) Johnson --> '79 Blue Jays

1. Sparky Anderson played for the 1959 Philadelphia Phillies with Chris Short.
2. Chris Short played for the 1973 Milwaukee Brewers with Tim Johnson.
3. Tim Johnson played for the 1979 Toronto Blue Jays with Rick Cerone.
4. Rick Cerone played for the 1992 Montreal Expos with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 4

Rest in peace, Sparky.

#113: Mike Bell

Mike Bell

Mike Bell is a third generation baseball player. He's got one team to his name.

I) Mike Bell --> 2000 Reds --> Ken Griffey Jr., Norm Charlton

Two players I've already connected, but I going for a more direct link here.

I) Mike Bell --> 2000 Reds --> Benito Santiago, Sean Casey, Pokey Reese, Dmitri Young, Michael Tucker, Alex Ochoa, Manny Aybar, Scott Sullivan, Dennys Reyes

II) Casey/Young --> 2006 Detroit Tigers
II) Ochoa --> 2002 Milwaukee Brewers
II) Reese/Reyes --> 2003 Pittsburgh Pirates
II) Aybar/Tucker --> 2001 Chicago Cubs
II) Reyes/Santiago/Sullivan --> 2004 Kansas City Royals

Good grief! It's a Matt Stairs alumni reunion! So far I have yet to document Stair's time with the Brewers, so this makes picking a winner easy.

1. Mike Bell played for the 2000 Cincinati Reds with Alex Ochoa.
2. Alex Ochoa played for the 2002 Milwaukee Brewers with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 2

#59: Sixto Lezcano

Sixto Lezcano

Randomness can be funny sometimes. Yesterday, I followed a path that essentially used Hank Aaron''s years as a Brewer and took that all the way to a possible Stairs connection. I didn't use it because I could complete the chain in fewer degrees by going another route. Well, Lezcano was also a Brewer during that time, so I can recycle my work from last my last post and complete this link.

1. Sixto Lezcano played for the 1980 Milwaukee Brewers with Robin Yount.
2. Robin Yount played for the 1993 Milwaukee Brewers with John Jaha.
3. John Jaha played for the 2000 Oakland Athletics with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 3

#44: Jim Paciorek

Jim Paciorek

I) Jim Paciorek --> '87 Brewers

There's not a whole lot to choose from here. I recognize a few names that were at one time Red Sox, so I'll try that route first.

I) Jim Paciorek --> '87 Brewers --> Ernie Riles, Rob Deer
    II) Riles/Deer --> '93 Red Sox

Nope, they fell one year short of joining Stairs with the Red Sox. I guess I'll have to click through the Brewers roster and see if I can find anything.

I) Jim Paciorek --> '87 Brewers --> Rick Manning, Dale Sveum
    II) Manning --> '75 Indians
    II) Sveum --> '93 Athletics

Manning was on a connected team, while Sveum played for Oakland the year before Stairs joined. I'll go with Manning here.

1. Jim Paciorek played for the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers with Rick Manning.
2. Rick Manning played for the 1975 Cleveland Indians with Rick Cerone.
3. Rick Cerone played for the 1992 Montreal Expos with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 3