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The All Time Hardcore Team

Moose Milligan

By Moose Milligan
in MLB

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Moose Milligan Hangout Grand Counsel

Moose Milligan

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Also known as the All Time Hardass Team.

I'm watching Ken Burns' Baseball on the MLB network right now and they're talking about John McGraw and the old Orioles.

I'm sorry to say, but the old school guys did it right. Spiking, sabotaging umpires, brawling, cheating, and just being general bastards. This game would be so much more interesting these days if players still played with the same attitude they did at the turn of the century.

Can you imagine if we could pull a Bill and Ted right now, hop in the phonebooth and bring McGraw to 2009? I mean, check this out:

He seemed to embrace being a manager purely because it gave him a chance to wage psychological warfare on the players under him (one coach on the Giants said McGraw "...eats gunpowder every morning for breakfast and washes it down with warm blood.")

www.cracked.com

Who can you name from todays game that "eats gunpowder for breakfast and washes it down with warm blood?"

Thats right, nobody. Not only is the game devoid of guys who'd run over their own mothers to steal 2nd base, but that type of behavior would be frowned upon today. When Albert Belle hit Vina with a forearm shiver while running to 2nd base? That was probably acceptable back in the day.

So without further ado:

Catcher, Mickey Cochrane: Nicknamed "Black Mike". Bad temper and friends with Ty Cobb. Enough said.

First Base, Chick Gandil: One of the ringleaders of the 1919 Black Sox fix. Described as his contemporaries as a "professional malcontent."

Would you want to mess with a guy that looks like this?

<img src = "http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/27/Chick_gandil_1917.jpg/200px-Chick_gandil_1917.jpg">

He spent time as a boxer and punched out an umpire in 1919 over arguing balls and strikes.

Second Base, Enos Slaughter: Probably best known for his "Mad Dash" in the World Series, Slaughter was named baseballs dirtiest player by the Sporting News.

Known for spiking Jackie Robinson a play at first base, baseball historians agree that this is the way that Slaughter was known to have played the game. "I asked no odds and I give none. A guy got in my way, I run over him."

Bonus points for having the coolest name on the team and living up to it.

Third Base, John McGraw: He played all over the infield, but I'm putting him at third base so he can legwhip someone who's trying to go from second to home on a single.

Back in the day, baseball only used one umpire...so while the umpire was keeping track of the ball, McGraw would do everything in his power to mess up baserunners. Baseball added more umpires to keep an eye on McGraw and his dirty tactics.

Shortstop, Leo Durocher: "What are we at the park for except to win? I'd trip my mother. I'd help her up, brush her off, tell her I'm sorry. But mother don't make it to third."

At least he'd brush her off.

He was a very controversial figure, often described as "brash" and "abrasive". Although a light-hitting shortstop, he had an image as a tough-guy. He was rumored at one point to hang out with gangsters, and was suspended in 1947 for associating with gamblers.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Leo_Durocher

Leo Durocher, O.G.

Outfield, Ty Cobb: "Yeah, Ty Cobb wanted to play. We couldn't stand the son of a *****when we were alive so we told him to stick it! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

Outfield, Lenny Dykstra: Beat the crap out of Rick Dempsey while getting into an argument in 1989.

Check it out starting at 2:05.

Nickname was "Nails". Played with total disregard for his body.

Outfield, Pete Rose: No way would this team be complete without him. Witness his steamrolling of Ray Fosse in the 1970 All Star game and ruining the catcher's career and beating the crap out of Bud Harrelson in the 73 NLCS.

Diving into bases headfirst and flying around the field, Pete Rose was a hardass and played the game the right way.

Pitching Staff: This is where it gets real fun:

Starting pitcher, Bob Gibson: A simply menacing presence on the mound, Gibson was a man that his contemporaries wouldn't mess with.

Hank Aaron told Dusty Baker:

"'Don't dig in against Bob Gibson, he'll knock you down. He'd knock down his own grandmother if she dared to challenge him. Don't stare at him, don't smile at him, don't talk to him. He doesn't like it. If you happen to hit a home run, don't run too slow, don't run too fast. If you happen to want to celebrate, get in the tunnel first. And if he hits you, don't charge the mound, because he's a Gold Glove boxer.' I'm like, 'Damn, what about my 17-game hitting streak?' That was the night it ended."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Gibson

In 1992, Reggie Jackson touched up Gibson for a home run at an old timers game during the all star break. The next year, Gibson brushed Jackson back. Even in retirement and approaching his 60's, Gibson was a hardass.

Starting pitcher, Don Drysdale: Drilled 154 batters in his career, still a National League record. And in this modern day wussification of the great American pasttime, chances are that the record will never be broken.

Drysdale would drill a batter instead of issuing an intentional walk, citing that he didn't want to waste 3 additional pitches. When asked about the rival San Fransisco Giants, Drysdale said: "For every Dodger they knock down, I'll knock down three Giants--and they won't be .220 hitters, either."

Starting pitcher, Dock Ellis: In addition to pitching a no hitter on LSD, Ellis went nuts in a 1974 game against the Reds in order to fire up teammates. He drilled the first three batters in a row and only walked Tony Perez since Perez was able to tap dance out of the way. He was pulled after two balls into the next at bat after unsuccessfully trying to hit Johnny Bench in the head with both pitches.

Starting pitcher, Early Wynn: "I took 'em two for one," Wynn would say. "Hit one of mine, I hit two of yours. Hit two of mine, I hit four of yours." How fair is that? Wynn was once accused of being nasty enough to hit his own mother with a pitch and simply replied, "Only if she was digging in."

Yikes.

Starting pitcher, Nolan Ryan:

<img src = "http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/sportatorium/Nolan%20Ryan.jpg">

<img src = "http://blogs.chron.com/sportsupdate/archives/ryan_ventura.jpg">

The last of a breed, Nolan Ryan was a certified badass. Pitchers nowadays would walk off the mound after getting hit in the mouth with a blistering grounder hit by Bo Jackson. Who in todays game would stay on the mound?

Ryan took it like a man, finished the inning with a blood pouring out of his lip and onto his uniform, got stitched up and continued the game.

Three years later, he kicked the living crap out of Robin Ventura, someone roughly half his age. Ventura was probably the only player stupid enough to charge Nolan Ryan in his career.

Relief pitcher, Alan Mills: For nothing else than throwing and landing a vicious haymaker at Strawberry in '98. Cause we're Orioles fans, dammit.

Relief pitcher, Stan Williams: Apologized to Hank Aaron for hitting him in the head. Then told him he was aiming for his neck.

Relief pitcher, Al Hrabosky: The Mad Hungarian. Worked himself up in a frenzy between batters into an altered state called his "controlled hate routine." His routine played a part in sparking a brawl with Bill Madlock.

According to his website, there was only one batter that struck fear into the heart of the Mad Hungarian. But because of old timers games, he still won't tell who it is.

Relief pitcher, Rob Dibble: A month or so after throwing a pitch behind Astros SS Eric Yelding and touching off a brawl, Dibble drilled Doug Dascenzo.

But the thing is that Dascenzo wasn't in the batters box. He had dropped a bunt and Dibble fielded it cleanly and threw it at him as he was running up the line.

Ring leader of the late 80's "Nasty Boys."

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That rounds out the team. Feel free to add players I've missed. I know there are some glaring omissions.

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Migrant Redbird All-Star

Migrant Redbird

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... That rounds out the team. Feel free to add players I've missed. I know there are some glaring omissions.

How could you have left off Sal "The Barber" Maglie? From a review of his biography:

To the batters who faced him, pitcher Sal Maglie looked like the hurler from hell. Tall and sinister in appearance, with glowering dark eyes and a formidable five-o'clock shadow, the famed righthander earned the nickname "Sal the Barber" for his high-inside fastball that cut dangerously close to the batter's chin.

Sal was once quoted as saying that hitters who crowded the plate were stealing food out of his children's mouths. (Couldn't locate the exact quotation.)

Maglie won 23 games for the Giants in 1951, and was the starting pitcher in the game which Bobby Thompson won with the "shot heard round the world". Maglie had surrendered 4 runs through 8 innings and would have been the loser if not for a tiring Don Newcombe, who was relieved by Ralph Branca.

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Lucky Jim Hangout Grand Counsel

Lucky Jim

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What, no Joey Belle?

How many modern players nail a fan with a thrown baseball AND refuse to go to first when hit by a pitch so they can finish their at bat?

And you call yourself an Oriole fan.

Belle was involved in several controversial incidents during his baseball career. In 1986, he went after a heckler in the stands who was shouting racist insults at him; he was suspended while his team played in the College World Series. In 1990, he threw a baseball into the stands, where it struck a fan who had taunted him by yelling, "Keg party at my house, Joey," a reference both to Belle's prior nickname and his stints in alcohol rehabilitation. He was suspended in 1994 for using a corked bat. He was fined in 1996 for knocking down Brewers infielder Fernando Viña, who had blocked his way on the basepaths (though many observers felt the collision was a legitimate play). He also had unpleasant interactions with the public. He also chased down rowdy trick-or-treating vandals who were celebrating Halloween by throwing eggs at his home; Belle ended up bumping one of the vandals with his car.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Belle

Funny, Belle was in the National Honor Society, was an Eagle Scout and ran mischief-makers down with his car. A rare trifecta.

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McNulty Hangout Grand Counsel

McNulty

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How could you have left off Sal "The Barber" Maglie? From a review of his biography:

Sal was once quoted as saying that hitters who crowded the plate were stealing food out of his children's mouths. (Couldn't locate the exact quotation.)

Maglie won 23 games for the Giants in 1951, and was the starting pitcher in the game which Bobby Thompson won with the "shot heard round the world". Maglie had surrendered 4 runs through 8 innings and would have been the loser if not for a tiring Don Newcombe, who was relieved by Ralph Branca.

Moose and I were throwing names back and forth on AIM, and I almost suggested this guy to him as I was reading up on some older pitchers.

Frank Robinson belongs on this team.

Yea, I think we dropped the ball on this one.

What, no Joey Belle?

How many modern players nail a fan with a thrown baseball AND refuse to go to first when hit by a pitch so they can finish their at bat?

And you call yourself an Oriole fan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Belle

Funny, Belle was in the National Honor Society, was an Eagle Scout and ran mischief-makers down with his car. A rare trifecta.

We definitely threw Belle's name around.

Somebody has to manage these hoodlums and keep them PO'd.

How about Earl? ("There should be bad blood between all clubs.")

We both agreed on Earl as the manager of this team too. I'm sure we can add in these requests.

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scOtt Hangout Grand Counsel

scOtt

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Great post Moose! but I must spread rep around before giving it to you again... This discussion HAS to start with John McGraw, the hardest hardass probably to ever play the game.

Ok, him or Ty Cobb... a tossup.

I forget the exact details, but McGraw is the reason the 1904 WS wasn't held. I think he had some grudge against the AL, so he just refused to play them.

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sakata_catching Major Leaguer

sakata_catching

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Second Base, Enos Slaughter: Probably best known for his "Mad Dash" in the World Series, Slaughter was named baseballs dirtiest player by the Sporting News.

Known for spiking Jackie Robinson a play at first base, baseball historians agree that this is the way that Slaughter was known to have played the game. "I asked no odds and I give none. A guy got in my way, I run over him."

Bonus points for having the coolest name on the team and living up to it.

Slaughter was an outfielder, not 2B.

This opens up the position to the true titleholder for the position: Rogers Hornsby.

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