Here is a lineup that could tee off against even some of the best pitchers. The squad, consisting of players whose last names begin with T, contains several Hall of Famers as well as some future first ballot selections.
First Base – Jim Thome: Still active, Thome has smashed 564 career homers and 1565 RBIs. He was a key slugger in the Cleveland AL championship lineup in the 90s as well as a major cog in the Phillies and White Sox contenders in the 00s.
Second Base – Cesar Tovar: The well-rounded Tovar was a Renaissance man of baseball. He maintained a career .278 average and swiped 226 bases while playing all over the field for the playoff contending Twins of the 60s. He even played all nine positions in one game.
Shortstop – Miguel Tejada: The 2002 MVP put up remarkable numbers for a shortstop. He has slugged 285 career home runs, drove in 1185 runs, and batted .289 for the A’s, Orioles and Astros.
Third Base – Pie Traynor: This Hall of Famer made hitting look as easy as his obvious choice of dessert. He had a career.320 batting average and was a star for the 1920s Pirates.
Catcher – Joe Torre: The legendary manager won the MVP as a Cardinal in 1971, and he was a well-rounded hitter. He hit over .360 once, and finished with a .297 career batting average. He also had power, amassing over 250 career homers.
Outfield 1 – Bobby Thomson: The Giant who hit the shot heard around the world to beat the Dodgers for the NL championship did a lot more than just that. He totaled almost 300 homers and over a thousand RBIs en route to the Hall of Fame.
Outfield 2 – Frank Thomas: The first slugger with this name to make a huge impression in baseball hit nearly 300 home runs and drove in almost a thousand for the Pirates of the 50s.
Outfield 3 – Gorman Thomas: One of the popular bashers of the AL champion Brewers in 1982, Thomas led the league in homers several times and finished his career with 268 of them.
Designated Hitter – Frank Thomas: As the White Sox first baseman and future Hall of Famer, Thomas won back to back MVPs in ’93 and ’94. His career numbers are staggering: 521 homers, 1704 RBIs, and a .301 batting average.
Pitcher 1 – Luis Tiant: The eccentric hurler helped the Red Sox to contend consistently in the 70s, earning close to 250 career wins and fanning almost 2500.
Pitcher 2 – Frank Tanana: His fastball was paired with fellow Angel Nolan Ryan in the 70s, when he struck out most of the 2000 plus of his career. Later he solidified the Tigers rotation without the heat, quipping that he “threw in the 90s in the 70s and threw in the 70s in the 90s.” Both speeds were equally effective, since he went on to win 233 games.
Pitcher 3 – Virgil Trucks: This legendary Tigers hurler won 177 games and struck out over 1500 batters during the 40s and 50s.
Relief Pitcher – Kent Tekulve: 184 saves The closer on the ’79 World Series Champion Pirates led the bullpen with a quirky sidearm delivery and extremely thin frame. The unusual approach and lanky body netted great results for Tekulve and the Bucs, as in almost 200 saves.
