Santa Claus All-Star Team
SANTA CLAUS LOOKALIKE ALL-STARS
Here are my picks for the top 10 all-time baseball players who could have certainly found a second job in the local mall playing Santa Claus at Christmas time.
9. ERNIE LOMBARDI: His nickname was "Schnozz" and, at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Lombardi would have no trouble passing for the big fella in the red suit. All he needed was a long white beard. Lombardi took some abuse in his playing days because of his physical stature. He obviously wasn't a base stealing threat, with a total of eight stolen bases in his 17-year career. But, he was a heck of a catcher! He could hit and he could play defense. He led the National League eight times in games caught. In 1938, he won the MVP award with the Cincinnati Reds after hitting a league-leading .342 with with 95 RBI. In 1942 with the Boston Braves, he again led the Senior Circuit in batting average with a .330 mark. He caught 1,544 games in his
career and Lombardi is the only catcher ever to win two batting titles as far as I know. By the way, one of my favorite baseball cards is Lombardi's 1934 Goudey issue. I have one and it's beautiful!
8. RICK REUSCHEL: Reuschel certainly wasn't known for his sleek frame. At 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, he would look mighty fine driving Santa's sleigh. Reuschel was deceptive enough to pitch in the big leagues for 19 years, mostly for the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. I can't recall what kind of pitcher Reuschel was, i.e. fastball pitcher, junkballer, etc. Like I said, he was deceptive. In 1977 with the Cubs, he went 20-10. In 1988 with the Giants, he was 19-11. Because of his deceptiveness, Reuschel would be great at sneaking into houses in the middle of the night to lay presents under the tree. But, going down the chimney could be difficult.
7. KENT HRBEK: Herbie was one of my favorite players growing up. He was a big man at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds - hence his place on this list. He had a sweet swing, too. In 14 years in the majors (all with the Minnesota Twins), Hrbek hit .282 with 293 homers and 1,086 ribbies. His best year was 1984 when he hit .311 with 27 homers and 107 RBI. Hrbek helped the Twins win two World Series - in 1987 and '91. I always liked Hrbek, and because he seemed like a good guy when he played, I think he would make a great Santa.
6. BOB "FATS" FOTHERGILL: Anyone with the nickname of "Fats" has got to receive consideration for this team. And, Fothergill lived up to his nickname, too. He was 5-foot-10 and he weighed 230 pounds. He could hit - lifetime average of .325. In 1927 for the Detroit Tigers, Fothergill busted the ball at a robust .359 clip with 114 RBI. He nails down a spot on this team, no doubt about it.
5. TOMMY LASORDA: What would this team be without the leadership and managerial skills of Lasorda? He bled Dodger blue - and also red and white after he managed the U.S. Olympic baseball team to the gold medal at the 2000 Olympics in Australia. Lasorda kept his Santa suit filled out by eating tons of pasta. And, with a lifetime Dodger record of 1,599 wins and 1,439 losses, Lasorda enjoyed more postgame feasts on the winning side rather than on the losing end. Two World Series titles in 1981 and '88 kept Lasorda in the holiday spirit for a long time and made him a jolly old fellow.
4. CECIL FIELDER: One glimpse of Fielder in a Santa suit would be enough to put even the worst grinch in the Christmas mood. I remember Fielder's great wry smile; he looked like the kid who played Webster on TV. Fielder was huge at 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds. His bat was scary as evidenced by his 51 homers for the Detroit Tigers in 1990 (and another 44 in '91). He led the AL three straight seasons in RBI - with totals of 132, 133, and 124 from 1990-92. Fielder was one of the highest-paid players in the game during his prime. So, playing a mall Santa probably wouldn't be the type of gig to keep Fielder living the lifestyle he's come accustomed to. Still, if the suit fits...
3. GREG "BULL" LUZINSKI: This is a no brainer. Anyone who remembers the Phillies of the 1970s knows what I'm talking about here. Luzinski was big just like Santa at 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds - though I think he was bigger than that. He also had the round face and cherub cheeks. Luzinski was also one of my favorite players in my younger days - and still is. In 1975, he hit .300 with 34 homers and an NL-leading 120 RBI. With a .276 average, 307 homers and 1,128 career ribbies, Luzinski made it easy for me to root for him. When the Phillies played the Oklahoma City 89ers in an exhibition game in 1979, my dad gave $20 to a kid we knew who had grabbed one of Luzinski's broken bats during batting practice.
Now, that's one of the cheapest yet best toys any baseball fan could hope to own! The gift of giving...
2. JUMBO BROWN: The name just gives it away. Yes, Brown is the heaviest player in major league history (according to my research) at 295 pounds. He stood 6-foot-4 and pitched 12 years, mostly for the New York Yankees and Giants. He was somewhat effective. In 1940, he led the NL with seven saves and, in '41, he did it again with eight more. I don't know much else about Brown, but with a name like Jumbo (a.k.a. Walter George), you've got to like his chances at filling out the big red suit that belongs to the bearded wonder of the night. Might need some alterations, though.
1. BABE RUTH: Who else? I'm not picking the Babe because of his physical dimensions. Yes, he was a big guy and got bigger as he got older. He was officially listed at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds. I'm going on his past history. I've seen video clips of Ruth in a Santa suit before. And, with his magic around kids, nobody else in major league baseball history could do a better job than Ruth at playing every little kid's favorite hero. It's just another thing that makes Ruth the greatest baseball hero ever. HO, HO, HO!
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