#263: Hank Greenberg

Hank Greenberg

Hooray! A Hall of Famer! This is only my third randomly generated Hall member.

I) Hank Greenberg --> '47 Pittsburgh Pirate --> Cal McLish

McLish sounded familiar to me. Fortunately, through the miracle of search, I found a half-hearted attempt to use him here. From that post, I get:

II) McLish --> '64 Phillies --> Rick Wise
      III) Wise --> '82 Padres --> Tony Gwyn

We'll continue from here.

              IV) Gwynn --> 2001 Padres --> Damian Jackson, D'Angelo Jimenez, Phil Nevin, Rickey Henderson, Dave Magadan, Emil Brown, Kevin Jarvis, Adam Eaton, Jay Witasick, Jimmy Osting, Rudy Seanez
                     V) Brown --> 2005-06 Royals
                     V) Eaton --> 2006 Rangers, 2008 Phillies
                     V) Henderson --> '98 Athletics
                     V) Jackson --> 2004 Royals
                     V) Jarvis --> '99 Athletics
                     V) Jimenez --> 2006 Rangers
                     V) Magadan --> '97-'98 Athletics
                     V) Nevin --> 2006 Rangers
                     V) Osting --> 2002 Brewers
                     V) Seanez --> 2004 Royals, 2008 Phillies
                     V) Witasick --> '96-'98 Athletics

I could have easily stopped at Rickey, but since I saved some time by finding McLish, I went through with it.

1. Hank Greenberg played for the 1947 Pittsburgh Pirates with Cal McLish.
2. Cal McLish played for the 1964 Philadelphia Phillies with Rick Wise.
3. Rick Wise played for the 1982 San Diego Padres with Tony Gwynn.
4. Tony Gwynn played for the 2001 San Diego Padres with Rickey Henderson.
5. Rickey Henderson played for the 1998 Oakland Athletics with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 5

#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!

#248: Dick Williams

Dick Williams

The Hall of Fame Manager of the 1967 "Impossible Dream" Boston Red Sox has passed away. This one is dedicated to the man who helped make baseball in Boston matter again.

I) Dick Williams --> '64 Red Sox

I didn't know he played with that very team just a few years earlier.

I) Dick Williams --> '64 Red Sox --> Carl Yastrzemski

Wow, that just seems appropriate, you know?

II) Yastrzemski --> '83 Red Sox --> Dennis Eckersley, Wade Boggs

Two more Hall of Famers here. I have already used Eckersley here, so we'll try and add Boggs.

      III) Boggs --> '99 Devil Rays --> Fred McGriff, Miguel Cairo, Jose Canseco, Tony Graffanino, Jim Mecir, Scott Aldred
              IV) Aldred --> '93 Expos
              IV) Cairo --> 2009 Phillies
              IV) Canseco --> '95 Red Sox
              IV) Graffanino --> 2004 Royals
              IV) McGriff --> 2001 Cubs
              IV) Mecir --> 2000 Athletics

It seems like I'm always short-changing the Royals for better options. It's time to give some respect to KC.

1. Dick Williams played for the 1964 Boston Red Sox with Carl Yastrzemski.
2. Carl Yastrzemski played for the 1983 Boston Red Sox with Wade Boggs.
3. Wade Boggs played for the 1999 Tampa Bay Devil Rays with Tony Graffanino.
4. Tony Graffanino played for the 2004 Kansas City Royals with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 4

R.I.P. Mr. Williams

#231: Harmon Killebrew

Harmon Killebrew

Baseball lost another of its all time greats today. For this post, all I have to do is cut and paste from here. RIP Mr. Killebrew...

1. Harmon Killebrew played for the 1975 Kansas City Royals with George Brett.
2. George Brett played for the 1993 Kansas City Royals with Mike Macfarlane.
3. Mike Macfarlane played for the 1999 Oakland Athletics with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 3

#186: Miller Huggins

Miller Huggins

Hooray! A Hall of Famer! My first randomly generated Hall member since Frank Chance.

I) Miller Huggins --> '16 St. Louis Browns --> Rogers Hornsby

From one Hall of Famer to another, Hornsby has been connected before.

1. Miller Huggins played for the 1916 St. Louis Browns with Rogers Hornsby.
2. Rogers Hornsby played for the 1937 St. Louis Browns with Bob Muncrief.
3. Bob Muncrief played for the 1951 New York Yankees with Mickey Mantle.
4. Mickey Mantle played for the 1968 New York Yankees with Stan Bahnsen.
5. Stan Bahnsen played for the 1981 Montreal Expos with Gary Carter.
6. Gary Carter played for 1992 Montreal Expos with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 6

#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

#146: Bob Feller

Bob Feller

Hall of Fame Great Bob Feller passed away yesterday. Here's to you, Mr. Feller...

I) Bob Feller --> '56 Indians --> Hank Aguirre

II) Aguirre --> '70 Cubs --> Larry Gura, Ken Holtzman, Ken Rudolph
      III) Gura --> '85 Royals
      III) Gura --> '85 Cubs
      III) Holtzman --> '76 Orioles
      III) Rudolph --> '77 Orioles

The Orioles way is the quickest way.

1. Bob Feller played for the 1956 Cleveland Indians with Hank Aguirre.
2. Hank Aguirre played for the 1970 Chicago Cubs with Ken Rudolph.
3. Ken Rudolph played for the 1977 Baltimore Orioles with Dennis Martinez.
4. Dennis Martinez played for the 1992 Montreal Expos with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 4

#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.

#54-55: 2010 Hall of Fame - Andre Dawson, Whitey Herzog

Today, 3 new members of Baseball's Hall of Fame are sworn in - outfielder Andre Dawson, manager Whitey Herzog, and umpire Doug Harvey. In honor of them, I've hand-picked them as today's links. Although umpire Harvey never played in the Major Leagues, I can at least do Dawson and Herzog.

Andre Dawson

Hawk is an easy one.

1. HoF Andre Dawson played for the 1976 Montreal Expos with HoF Gary Carter.
2. HoF Gary Carter played for the 1992 Montreal Expos with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 2

Whitey Herzog

Herzog turns out to be an easy one too - he played on one of my Connected Teams.

1. HoF Whitey Herzog played for the 1959 Kansas City Athletics with Lou Klimchock.
2. Lou Climchock played for the 1970 Cleveland Indians with Ray Fosse.
3. Ray Fosse played for the 1976 Cleveland Indians with Rick Cerone.
4. Rick Cerone played for the 1992 Montreal Expos with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 4

Welcome to the Hall, gentleman!

#10: Frank Chance

Frank Chance

Whoo-Hoo! My first Hall of Fame player!

I) Frank Chance --> '14 Yankees --> Joe Harris, Roger Peckinpaugh

II) Harris --> '28 Pirates
II) Harris --> '28 Robins
II) Peckinpaugh --> '27 White Sox

Joe Harris played with a previous link, Ty Tyson, on that '28 Robins team. I know I can get to Matt Stairs that way, but it won't be within 6 degrees. That leaves me with two branches left.

II) Harris --> '28 Pirates --> Dick Bartell, Rollie Hemsley
      III) Bartell --> '46 Giants --> Marv Grissom, Bobby Thomson
              IV) Grissom --> '59 Cardinals
              IV) Thomson --> '60 Orioles
              IV) Thomson --> '60 Red Sox
      III) Hemsley --> '47 Phillies --> Curt Simmons
              IV) Simmons --> '67 Cubs
              IV) Simmons --> '67 Angels

Harris to Hemsley to Simmons seems like my best bet here, although I am intrigued by the possibility of 1960 Orioles team, especially if there's someone who played all the way to 1976 with the team. Let's try that one first:

              IV) Thomson --> '60 Orioles --> Brooks Robinson

There we go! Robinson played until 1977, just long enough to play with "Big 3" Denny Martinez...

1. HoF Frank Chance played for the 1914 New York Yankees with Joe Harris.
2. Joe Harris played for the 1928 Pittsburgh Pirates with Dick Bartell.
3. Dick Bartell played for the 1946 New York Giants with Bobby Thomson.
4. Bobby Thomson played for the 1960 Baltimore Orioles with Brooks Robinson.
5. Brooks Robinson played for the 1977 Baltimore Orioles with Dennis Martinez.
6. Dennis Martinez played for the 1992 Montreal Expos with Matt Stairs!

Degrees of Matt Stairs: 6