#232: Pat Murray

Pat Murray

I) Pat Murray --> '19 Phillies --> Eppa Rixey

II) Rixey --> '33 Reds

And there you have it: I have a Connected Team.

1. Pat Murray played for the 1919 Philadelphia Phillies with Eppa Rixey.
2. Eppa Rixey 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

#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

#230: Jim Bolger

Jim Bolger

Finally! Someone I have a reasonable shot of connecting!

I) Jim Bolger --> '59 Indians and '59 Phillies

I already have the Phillies team connected, so we'll go with the Indians here.

I) Jim Bolger --> '59 Indians --> Jim Perry, Minnie Minoso

II) Minoso --> '80 White Sox
II) Perry --> '75 Indians and '75 Athletics

Even though Minoso has 5 more years than Perry, Perry has the edge. The '75 Indians can get me to Stairs in 2 degrees, while the '80 White Sox needs 3. I'll give the '75 Athletics a fighting chance. If they can't do it in 2, I'm going with Cleveland.

II) Perry --> '75 Athletics --> Dick Bosman, Ken Holtzman, Stan Bahnsen, Tommy Harper, Bert Campaneris, Claudell Washington, Reggie Jackson, Ray Fosse
      III) Bahnsen --> '77 Expos
      III) Bosman --> '76 Indians
      III) Campaneris --> '83 Yankees
      III) Fosse --> '76 Indians
      III) Harper --> '76 Orioles
      III) Holtzman --> '76 Orioles
      III) Jackson --> '76 Orioles
      III) Washington --> '87 Yankees

Nope. Cleveland it is!

1. Jim Bolger played for the 1959 Cleveland Indians with Jim Perry.
2. Jim Perry 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

#229: Charlie Daniels

Charlie Daniels

Admit it. You're looking at this name and "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" is playing through your head, isn't it?

I) Charlie Daniels --> 1884 Boston Reds

Good grief...

I) Charlie Daniels --> 1884 Boston Reds --> Tommy McCarthy

II) McCarthy --> 1896 Brooklyn Bridegrooms

The rule I established in my last post is already paying dividends. So that's 4 straight players I can't connect, and 5 out of my last 6. This is a rough stretch I'm going through...

Degrees of Matt Stairs: Over 6

#228: Harry Koons

Harry Koons

I) Koons --> 1884 Chicago/Pittsburgh --> Frank Foreman

You know you're in trouble when the team didn't even have a name. As it is, I've already tried to connect Foreman without success.

I) Koons --> 1884 Altoona Mountain City --> Germany Smith

II) Smith --> 1898 St. Louis Browns

My new rule: If The 2nd degree doesn't get me out of the 1800's, I'm calling it a dead end.

Degrees of Matt Stairs: Over 6

#227: Jerry Nops

Jerry Nops

I) Jerry Nops --> '01 Orioles --> Roger Bresnahan, Mike Donlin

II) Bresnahan --> '15 Cubs
II) Donlin --> '14 New York Giants

I have faith in neither of these players. I have the '14 Cubs team connected, so that may be a quick dead end. We'll see.

II) Bresnahan --> '15 Cubs --> Bob O'Farrell
      III) O'Farrell --> '35 Cardinals --> Ed Heusser, Dizzy Dean, Joe Medwick, Terry Moore.

Hmmm...that grouping of players looks familiar to me. After a little research, I found why: Frank Foreman. I've previously tried connecting the '02 Orioles, and Bresnahan was player I used there too. Dead end.

Let's try Donlin for kicks, shall we?

II) Donlin --> '14 New York Giants --> Rube Marquard, Walter Holke, Fred Merkle, Milt Stock, George Burns
      III) Burns --> '25 Phillies
      III) Holke --> '25 Phillies and '25 Reds
      III) Marquard --> '25 Boston Braves
      III) Merkle --> '26 Yankees
      III) Stock --> '26 Brooklyn Robins

Marquad and Merkle have been tried before here. The other 3 are good to go.

      III) Stock --> '26 Brooklyn Robins --> Babe Herman
              IV) Herman --> '45 Brooklyn Dodgers --> Ralph Branca, Erv Palica
                     V) Branca --> '56 Brooklyn Dodgers
                     V) Pelica --> '56 Orioles

      III) Holke --> '25 Reds --> Dolph Luque, Hughie Critz
              IV) Critz --> '35 New York Giants
              IV) Luque --> '35 New York Giants

Dead end - Luque, and by extension the '35 Giants, were use here.

      III) Burns --> '25 Phillies --> Jimmie Wilson
              IV) Wilson --> '40 Reds

Say goodnight Gracie, the '40 Reds are a connected team.

Degrees of Matt Stairs: Over 6

#226: Dwight Stone

Dwight Stone

I) Dwight Stone --> '14 Kansas City Packers --> Johnny Rawlings

II) Rawlings --> '26 Pirates --> Joe Cronin, Paul Wagner
      III) Cronin --> '45 Red Sox
      III) Wagner --> '45 Yankees

I recently added Cronin, and know he's no good to me here. Wagner is our only hope.

      III) Wagner --> '45 Yankees --> Al Gettel, Joe Page, Johnny Lindell
              IV) Gettel --> '55 Cardinals
              IV) Lindell --> '54 Phillies
              IV) Page --> '54 Pirates

I don't like my chances here. Only a 10 year jump between the 3rd and 4th links means I have some ground to gain quickly.

              IV) Gettel --> '55 Cardinals --> Lindy McDaniel
                     V) McDaniel --> '75 Royals

              IV) Lindell --> '54 Phillies --> Curt Simmons, Steve Ridzik, Robin Roberts, Smoky Burgess
                     V) Burgess --> '67 White Sox
                     V) Ridzik --> '66 Phillies
                     V) Roberts --> '66 Astros and '66 Cubs
                     V) Simmons --> '67 Cubs and '67 Angels

              IV) Page --> '54 Pirates --> Dick Hall
                     V) Hall --> '71 Orioles

Dead ends all around. Drats.

Degrees of Matt Stairs: Over 6

#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