Baseball History: The All Christmas Team

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It is that time of year where we get to sit back and enjoy the holidays with friends and family. What better way to do so than to go back through baseball history and determine the All Christmas Team?

The holidays can be a fun time. We get to visit with family and friends, enjoying the season with our loved ones. Of course, there are those family members that we all want to avoid, from the creepy uncle to the overbearing aunt, or that sibling who has been unable to get their life together, but still feels the need to criticize everyone else. Those people are why there are so many seasonal beers, helping us take the edge off those encounters.

Of course, it is a time to try to hide oneself away and avoid those people as well. We have a long weekend, and maybe, after spending the past couple of days around others, we need a break. If so, then it is the perfect time to take a look through baseball history, and find those players who best personify the season with the All Christmas Team.

In this case, the players selected were picked by their names, not for their accomplishments on the field. Each player has a specific tie in to the season, and the festivities thereof. Some players may be a bit more of a stretch than others, but there will be explanations if need be.

So, let us take a look through baseball history, and enjoy 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.

Outfield: Masao Santa – Of course we needed to have Santa on this list. Masao Santa was a light hitting outfielder in Japan, posting a .149/.232/.168 batting line over his two seasons. Unfortunately, Santa was not able to build on his performance, as he was conscripted into the military during World War Two. His career came to an end at 20 years old, as Santa was killed in action during the war.

Outfield: Mickey Mantle – How does Mickey Mantle make this list? Well, his nickname was the Commerce Comet, giving him a name in common with one of Santa’s reindeer. Of course, the great Mantle is easily the star of the team, a 20 time All Star and three time MVP who produced a .298/.421/.557 batting line with 536 homers and 1509 RBI over his Hall of Fame career. After some of the light hitters on the roster, having a star like Mantle is definitely needed.

Outfield: David DeJesus – With plenty of players named Jesus, David DeJesus gets the nod as the third outfielder. A solid all around player, DeJesus had a bit of speed and pop, hitting double digit homers three times in his career, and stealing more than ten bases twice. Overall, he had a .275/.349/.412 batting line, hitting 99 homers and stealing 66 bases. He played all three outfield spots as well, a solid piece on any roster.

Designated Hitter: Matt Holliday – One cannot have a holiday list without having Holliday. Matt Holliday has been a solid outfielder over his career, posting a .299/.378/.511 batting line with 314 homers and 108 steals over his 14 year career. Holliday has been a power threat over his time in the majors, with ten seasons of 20 or more homers. Even though his career is winding down, he is still a threat to hit for power, with 19 homers in 427 plate appearances in 2017.

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Starting Pitcher: Dick Rudolph – A decent pitcher for 13 years with the Giants and Braves, Dick Rudolph twice won over 20 games in his career, and finished seventh in the MVP vote in 1914. In 1915, the second of his 20 win seasons, he led the league with 19 losses, despite posting a 2.37 ERA. An excellent control artist, Rudolph had a 121-109 record, along with a 2.66 ERA and a 1.158 WHiP. In his 2049 innings, Rudolph struck out 786 batters while issuing only 409 walks. He was also one of the 17 pitchers to be grandfathered in to throw the spitter after it was banned in 1920.

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Starting Pitcher: Candy Cummings – Although he pitched for only six years in the majors, Candy Cummings left his mark on the history of the game. While no one may ever know the truth, he is credited with being the first pitcher to throw a curve, a pitch that he had reportedly perfected in the 1860s. Cummings had great command of the new pitch, which was illustrated in 1875, when he issued only four walks in 418 innings. He struck out 82 batters that year, leading to an incredible 20.5 K:BB rate. In those six seasons, Cummings posted a 145-94 record, along with a 2.42 ERA and a 1.228 WHiP, walking only 113 batters in 2149.2 innings. In honor of his contributions in baseball history, Cummings was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1939.

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Relief Pitcher: Al Clauss – Another Claus, Al Clauss also does not spell his name the way Santa Claus would. However, his name is close enough, giving the pitcher for the 1913 Detroit Tigers a spot on the list. He posted a 0-1 record in his five games, including one start, as he finished three other contests. The lefty had a 4.73 ERA, but a 1.725 WHiP. Although he allowed only 11 hits in his 13.1 innings, Clauss was done in by his lack of command, issuing 12 walks. He pitched for a couple of more years in the minors, but was done with organized baseball by the end of the 1914 campaign.

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