Hall-of-Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt is joined by fellow Cooperstown inductees Buck Ewing, Johnny Bench, and Heinie Manush as well as the underrated Wally Berger, and the very solid sluggers Ryan Howard, Jim Edmonds, and Ron Gant. I expect a lot of home runs and have no idea who will make it to Round 5.
Played as: Mike Schmidt
Full Name: Michael Jack Schmidt
Nicknames: Schmitty, Herbie
Played as: Buck Ewing
Full Name: William Ewing
Nicknames: “Buck” came from his childhood nickname, “Little Buck,” disparagingly: Bread and Butter Buck
Played as: Johnny Bench
Full Name: Johnny Lee Bench
Nicknames: Little General, Hands, Binger Banger, (as part of the 1970’s Cincinnati Reds: The Big Red Machine)
Twitter: @JohnnyBench_5
Played as: Wally Berger
Full Name: Walter Anton Berger
Nicknames: Biff, Walt
Played as: Heinie Manush
Full Name: Henry Emmett Manush
Nicknames: “Heinie” was a common nickname for players of German heritage
Played as: Ryan Howard
Full Name: Ryan James Howard
Nicknames: Big Piece, Rhino
Played as: Jim Edmonds
Full Name: James Patrick Edmonds
Nicknames: Jimmy Baseball, Jimmy Ballgame, (along with Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen: MV3)
Played as: Ron Gant
Full Name: Ronald Edwin Gant
Nicknames: None (unless you count the Bermanism: “Extrava”
The Results
In an HR-soaked season, and in a surprising turn of events, Wally Berger out-homered everyone and won 101 games along the way, finishing well ahead of second-place Mike Schmidt. Manush and Bench join them in Round 5. Jim Edmonds lost on the final day of the season, coming up one victory short of qualifying. He and the others try their luck in Round 4.
Season Highlights
- Wally Berger took the batting title with a .319 average.
- Mike Schmidt led the league with an impressive 49 HRs and 109 RBIs. 8 batters – 6 Bergers and a pair of Schmidts – topped 40 HRs.
- Gant5 was 21-0 in SB attempts.
- Wally Berger2 went 7-for-7 including 2 HRs and 2 doubles good for 8 RBIs in a 14-inning game.
- Ryan Howard8 struck out 6 times in 7 at-bats in a 16-inning game.
- Berger, Berger2, and Gant2 had 3-HR games.
- No-Hitters
6/ 3 Cy Young1 of the Heinie Manush team no-hit Mike Schmidt.