Wednesday, January 14, 2015

NASOMA Championship Rings

I was pointing out to the Fungoman that John Jaso had just won back-to-back titles on different teams, and it got me to wondering which players had been on the title winners the most often - and especially which of the good luck charms had brought their winning ways to multiple franchises. So, I put together a list of the rosters of the NASOMA champions. Well, almost all of them: I don't have rosters (or stats) for the 1984 & 1987 Strangers or the 1988 Bandits. But not counting those three clubs, there are 20 players who have earned 4 or more rings. There are a few of the names you would expect on the list, but a couple of surprises as well.

Here's the list:
7 - Mark McGwire
6 - Barry Larkin, Greg Maddux, Curt Schilling
5 - David Cone, Paul Molitor, Arthur Rhodes, Robin Yount
4 - Mike Cameron, Will Clark, Keith Foulke, Steve Garvey, Tony Gwynn, Toby Harrah, Andruw Jones, Ryan Klesko, Jorge Posada, Albert Pujols, Russ Springer, David Wells

Of these, there are six players who have won with 3 different teams. They are: Tony Gwynn (Buckeyes, Cletes*, Pigs), Andruw Jones (Pigs, Drillers, Zaps), Ryan Klesko (Drillers, Pigs, Buckeyes), Jorge Posada (Pigs, Drillers, Zaps), Arthur Rhodes (Pigs, Snakes, Zaps), and David Wells (Buckeyes, Pigs, Drillers).

There were also four players not on the above list who won 3 titles - all with 3 different teams: Chipper Jones (Zaps, Bees, Pigs), Jesse Orosco (FFTs, Cletes*, Pigs), Tim Raines (Buckeyes, Cletes*, Snakes), and Scott Sanderson (FFTs, Buckeyes, Pigs).

Greg Maddux won with the Cletes* in 1993, then won with the Warpigs in 95/96/97 and again in 99 for 5 titles in 7 years.

But the good luck charm award is a tie between two guys you wouldn't guess: One is the old righty reliever  Keith Foulke, who is the only player to win the league in 4 straight years. He helped the Drillers win in 2000 & 2001, then was traded to the Warpigs where he won titles in 2002 & 2003. The other is another old right-handed reliever, Russ Springer, who won 4 titles with 4 different teams, the Snakes in '98, the Drillers in '00, the Bees in '08, and the Pigs in '09.

Now... Toby Harrah won with the Buckeyes in 1982 & 1983. He repeated the back-to-back titles with the FFTs in 1985 and back with the Buckeyes in 1986. If I find he was on that mysterious 1984 Stranger team, we have a new winner.

Good luck charms, indeed.


2 comments:

Fungoes said...

Awesome stuff Pigman!

Norm said...

Who would have guessed Arthur Rhodes had "One for the Thumb"? Pujols now the only active player poised to join that club.