Red Tin Noodles

Roger Bresnahan caught Matty in his series year.
He’s given credit as the first to use protective gear.

Ernie Nevers pitched three years, though baseball’s not his game.
He’s better known as fullback in the football Hall of Fame.

Frank Thomas played for sixteen years. The "Big Hurt" he was not.
But in their poor initial year, was one Met who was hot.

Dave Cash was second baseman for the Pirates "family" champs.
His twelve years in the majors were all spent in N.L. camps.

Ken Singleton does Yanks t.v., but broke in with the Mets.
He won a ring with Orioles, lest anyone forgets.

Elias Sosa played twelve years and pitched six hundred games.
Then threw for St. Pete Pelicans, one of the better names.

Floyd Bannister had super stuff, but his career just died.
Gave up too many dingers ‘cuz he wouldn’t pitch inside.

Rick Camp had fifty-six wins in his ten years with the Braves.
Who’d think a guy that homely could have fifty-seven saves?

Bill Virdon was an outfielder and manager of note.
He hit the ball that bounced up and hit Kubek in the throat.

Roy Smalley was a a shortstop with the Cubs, the Braves and Phils.
He had a shortstop son named Roy. It just gives me the chills.

Dave Parker was a Pirate and a two-time batting champ.
He played in those great days when Pittsburgh was a cocaine camp.

Randy Winn switch hit and ran the bases with some flash.
In college he played hoop. His fellow guard was one Steve Nash.

Van Lingle Mungo is the all-time baseball name.
To me he’d be an all star if he never played a game.

Dell Ennis was a menace. Yes, the guy could really hit.
His Phillies homer record lasted up until Mike Schmidt.

Mark "The Blade" Belanger won eight gold gloves with the O’s.
As good as he was at shortstop, he had his batting woes.

Kenji Johjima caught for four seasons in Seattle.
Then decided that Japan was where he’s rather battle.

Herb Score had two great years, then his career seemed to die.
He blamed a changed delivery, not the liner in the eye.

Thurman Munson, catcher, captain, always known as brash,
Climbed the Yankee mountain and then died in a plane crash.

Don Money was just average, though amongst the coolest names.
He had a record at third for the most errorless games.

Heathcliff Slocumb in nine years was always on the go.
Red Sox traded him and got both Varitek and Lowe.

Bill Dickey caught for nineteen years, an all-time Yankee great.
He taught Yogi how to catch and passed on number eight.

Merv Rettenmund won series rings with both the Reds and O’s.
And later, as A’s hitting coach, he’d add one more to those.

Bud Harrelson played good glove shortstop for Amazing Mets.
His fight with Rose in playoff game is one no fan forgets.

Junichi Tazawa is the Red Sox setup man.
He holds ’em for the closer, who is also from Japan.

Jack Chesbro is in the Hall, some say for the wrong reason.
"Happy" may have got the nod for forty-one win season.

Eddie Joost, a shortstop, played for Boston Braves and Sox.
Known mostly for his fielding, though he drew a lot of walks.

Bill Spiers was an infielder with Brewers, Mets and ‘stros.
He once reached base thirteen straight times. And that’s the way it goes.

Russ Ortiz won twenty-one with Braves in his best year.
The rest was all downhill with five more teams in his career.

Phil Linz took over shortstop when the Yanks began to skid.
Remembered more for playing harp than baseball things he did.

Tony Pena caught with a unique defensive style.
He’s coached a lot and even managed K.C. for a while.

John McNamara managed six teams, all over the place.
His albatross is leaving Buckner in to play first base.

Scott Servais, born the same day as Rick Wilkins of Cubs,
Not only was a catcher, too, but once they traded clubs.

Jim Gentile, first sacker, had best years in Baltimore.
Five slams in one season. Only Mattingly has more.

Jim Dwyer played for seven teams, his best years with the O’s.
He got the nickname Pig Pen, perhaps for his dirty clothes?

Carl Everett was an outfielder who seemed to thrive on friction.
Amongst his odd pronouncements was that dinosaurs were fiction.

Steve Lyons, nicknamed "Psycho," was oft prone to bizarre antic.
Retired now, a broadcaster who must make censors frantic.

Jim Maloney threw quite hard and often made Reds proud.
Had three career no-hitters, one later disallowed.

Horace Clarke played second after Richardson retired.
His hitting was a plinking thing, his fielding uninspired.

Gene Michael was nicknamed "Stick." It referred to his size.
As two-time manager of Yanks, he made moves deemed as wise.

Marshall "Sheriff" Bridges liked to joke and kid and scam.
He was the first A.L.er to give up a series slam.

Dean Chance won twenty and a Cy in nineteen-sixty-four.
Had one more good year with the Twins, then heard from nevermore.

Randy Hundley was a catcher known for his defense.
He thought up fantasy camps, which have become immense.

Derek Lowe helped Red Sox finally overcome the Curse.
He beat skin cancer, now retired, looking none the worse.

Carlos Zambrano, big as a piano, was core of Cubs rotation.
Was feared at bat and often called in pinch hit situation.

Ray Washburn pitched nine years for Cards, helped them to series twice.
His hot year was in sixty-eight, no-hitter adding spice.

Tippy Martinez saved games in years when O’s were winning.
Back in eighty-three picked off three Blue Jays in one inning.

Kenny Lofton played one season each, ten different teams.
His seven years in Cleveland were his stable times, it seems.

Jake Peavey won a Cy with Padres. Strikeouts were his thing.
Now he’s on the hill for Boston, where he won his ring.

"Turkey" Donlin played the outfield in the dead ball age.
The hard-hitting playboy gave up baseball for the stage.

"Turk" Lown took White Sox to the series, pitching late relief.
After baseball he became a mailman. Fame is brief.

Ed Rakow pitched six years, four teams.
His nickname, now, is "Rock," it seems.

Manny Ramirez acted out, "being himself" the reason.
He won two series with the Sox, has most home runs, post-season.

John Kennedy first time up for Senators hit a tater.
Born same day as JFK, but twenty-four years later.

"Blue Moon" Odom pitched in threepeat series wins for A’s.
A battler, he was known to fight with teammates in those days.

Eric Davis looked like he would dominate the sport.
But injuries and cancer cut his outfield career short.

Jerry Hairston, Jr.’s dad and grandpop both played ball.
Was cited once for steroid use but never took the fall.

Warren Giles for eighteen years was reigning N.L. chief.
He let two teams move from New York and caused a lot of grief.

Kirk Gibson hit a big home run and limped around the bases.
Amongst the baseball gods he’s got one of the better faces.

Bill Doran said "Yes, I can," in eight years with the ‘stros.
His second sacker records are all now Craig Biggio’s.

Jhonny Peralta, Cardinal shortstop, also plays third base.
Says he’s the only Johnny with the "H" in the right place.

"Pinky" Higgins managed Red Sox, but his rule was lax.
One thing made clear by his roster: he did not like blacks.

Jerry Kindall played nine years of infield, long and lean.
He had some pop, but awful lifetime average: two-thirteen.

Jeff Bagwell was an Astro for his fifteen year career.
He had great numbers. Whether they’re enhanced is still not clear.

Frank Thomas, in his sixteen years with White Sox, smoked the ball.
The "Big Hurt’s" big statistics land him this year in the Hall.

Darrell Evans helped out last time Tigers won it all.
He hit four hundred homers but he’s still not in the Hall.

Jim Frey took K.C. and the Cubs both to division crowns,
Elevating teams which had seen their fair share of downs.

Kevin Kennedy took Sox to playoffs, lost in three.
From managing he went on to a career on t.v.

Rob Murphy pitched for eight teams as a lefty set up guy.
And now he raises horses with a handicapper’s eye.

Martin Dihigo, Cuban star, could dominate a game.
Might be the only player who is in five Halls of Fame.

John Montefusco was a rookie of the year.
"The Count" threw one no-hitter in a good twelve-year career.

Bob Knepper was an N.L. lefty known for being glib.
He threw some ugly comments at both gays and women’s lib.

Miguel Tejada won a home run derby with the O’s.
Whether he lied ’bout age and ‘roids, it seems that no one knows.

Ellie Rodriguez had his moments, splitting catching chores.
He was behind the plate for Nolan’s no-no number four.

Bobby Brown was not the Doc nor A.L. President.
From Jays to Yanks to Mariners, then Padres: how he went.

Rob Ducey was Canadian and broke in with the Jays.
His final club was Montreal, and then they parted ways.

Brad Penny pitched for six teams, two of them a series winner.
He threw quite hard and always looked as though he’d just had dinner.