Baseball History: The All Christmas Team

Catcher: Steve Christmas – Steve Christmas did not have a long career, with just 24 major league appearances and nine games behind the plate. He had a .162/.179/.297 batting line over parts of three seasons, spent with three different organizations. Christmas did hit a home run in his 39 plate appearances, and threw out four of eleven would be base stealers. In this case, regardless of how his career was, he had to get a spot on the All Christmas Team.

First Base: J.T. Snow – We all want a white Christmas, and one cannot have that without snow. In this case, J.T. Snow was a sure handed first baseman who spent most of his career with the San Francisco Giants. A six time Gold Glove winner, Snow may be best remembered for his sure hands when it came to saving Dusty Baker‘s son during the 2002 World Series. However, his .268/.357/.427 batting line and 189 homers showed he was far more than a stellar glove man.

Second Base: Cupid Childs – If we decide to put together an All Valentine’s Day team, Cupid Childs would be a member of that one as well. Here, the second baseman gets credit for sharing a name with one of Santa’s reindeer. During his playing days in the 19th century, Childs was known for his ability to get on base, producing a .306/.416/.389 batting line, while drawing 991 walks in 6766 plate appearances over his eleven year career.

Third Base: Billy Klaus – We cannot have Christmas without Santa Claus. In this case, Billy Klaus, who spent eleven years in the majors as an infielder, will have to suffice. A utility infielder, Klaus had 272 games at third, showing above average range and saving nine runs. He also produced a lifetime .249/.335/.351 batting line, hitting 40 homers and 106 doubles. Klaus also holds the obscure record of having he most hits, walks, and strikeouts in a season where that number matches, as he had nine of each in 1960.

Shortstop: Gift Ngoepe – Primarily a shortstop in the minors, Gift Ngoepe made most of his appearances at second base with the Pirates in 2017. However, his six games at short get him the nod here. A brilliant defensive infielder, Ngoepe became the first player born in Africa to become a major leaguer. His bat is not quite where his glove is, having produced a .222/.323/.269 batting line last year, but he has a chance to stick as a utility infielder for the Blue Jays this coming season.