1. Assign a team/franchise to the position where it’s placed stars (HOFers, MVPs, All-Stars & Cy Youngs) throughout its history.

2. Use each team/franchise just once.

3. Arrange the franchise positions into a batting order based on each’s composite offensive skills.

1. SS Pittsburgh Pirates (Vaughn, Wagner, Groat)

2. 2B St. Louis Cardinals (Hornsby, Schoendienst, Herr)

3. LF Boston Red Sox (Williams, Yaz, Rice, Ramirez)

4. CF New York Yankees (Combs, DiMaggio, Mantle)

5. 1B NY/San Francisco Giants (Terry, Mize, McCovey, Clark)

6. 3B Boston/Milw./Atl. Braves (Matthews, Pendleton, Jones)

7. RF Detroit Tigers (Heilmann, Kaline, Gibson)

8. C Cincinnati Reds (Lombardi, Bench)

9. SP Brooklyn/LA Dodgers (Roe, Drysdale, Koufax, Sutton, Valenzuela, Hershiser)

RP Phila./Oakland A’s (Fingers, Eckersley, Street)

Have a better lineup?  Send it to me!

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The Cubs completed a series sweep of the Braves as both teams combined for 22 hits on Sunday. Glenn Beckert went 4 for 5, Billy Williams had a 3-run homer, and winning pitcher Ken Holtzman rapped a 2-run homer and an RBI single to lead Chicago’s charge.

Cubs 8, Braves 4.  W: Holtzman (16-8)  L: Niekro (18-12)

The Mets split a doubleheader at Candlestick. Tom Seaver cruised in game one, shutting out the Giants. Ron Swoboda and Jerry Grote each drove in two runs in a five-run 4th. Bud Harrelson and Rod Gaspar both had two hits, and Al Weis drove in a pair.

In game two, the Mets tied it with two runs in the 7th but then lost when Ron Taylor walked Dave Marshall with the bases loaded in the 11th. Jim McAndrew started and gave up just two runs in nine innings pitched.

Mets 8, Giants 0 (1). W: Seaver (19-7)  L: McCormick (9-8)

Giants 3, Mets 2 (2, 11 inn.). W: Linzy (13-6)  L: McGraw (7-3)

NL EAST                          W    L    T   PCT    GB  
Chicago Cubs                   82   52    1  .612     -  
New York Mets                  76   54    0  .585   4.0

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The Cubs held on to take a second game of a weekend series in Atlanta. Handed a 3-0 lead, Chicago starter Dick Selma got just two outs and gave up two runs before Leo Durocher pulled him in favor of Ken Johnson. The veteran Johnson earned his first win of the season by going 5 1/3 before handing things over to Phil Regan. Don Kessinger and Billy Williams had two hits, one run, and one RBI apiece, and Ernie Banks struck a two-run homer, his 21st of the season.

Cubs 5, Braves 4.  W: Johnson (1-2)  L: Reed (13-9)  SV: Regan (15)

Don Clendenon hit a 10th-inning home run off Gaylord Perry and Tug McGraw finished off the game with two scoreless frames to put the Mets over the Giants.  Ken Boswell had three hits and scored twice for New York, who got 7 1/3 strong innings from starter Don Cardwell.

Mets 3, Giants 2.  W: McGraw (7-2)  L: Perry (16-11)

NL EAST                          W    L    T   PCT    GB   
Chicago Cubs                    81   52    1  .609     -  
New York Mets                   75   53    0  .586   3.5

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Bill Hands outdueled Pat Jarvis in Atlanta to give the Cubs their second consecutive win. Don Kessinger went 3 for 4 and scored once, Ron Santo went 2 for 4, and Jim Hickman hit his 17th home run of the year.

Cubs 2, Braves 1.  W: Hands (16-11) L: Jarvis (10-9)

Gary Gentry got off to a rough start in San Francisco and gave up four runs in the first inning, including three on a home run by Bobby Bonds. His counterpart, Juan Marichal, dominated the Mets in yielding just four hits while striking out seven. Bobby Pfeil was 2 for 4 for New York.

Giants 5, Mets 0.  W: Marichal (16-9)  L: Gentry (9-11)

NL EAST                          W    L    T   PCT    GB    RS   RA
Chicago Cubs                    80   52    1  .606     -   614  471
New York Mets                   74   53    0  .583   3.5   498  456

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Jerry Grote went 3 for 4 with 2 RBI on the day, including the game-winning double in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the Dodgers. Don Cardwell pitched well (1 ER in 7 1/3 IP) as did Jim Bunning (2 ER in 7 IP) before they turned the game over to the bullpens.

Mets 3, Dodgers 2.  W: Taylor (7-4)  L: Brewer (4-6)

 Jim Hickman struck two home runs and five RBI, and Ron Santo and Ernie Banks combined for two HR and 5 RBI as the Cubs blasted the Astros.

Cubs 11, Astros 5.  W: Holtzman (15-7)  L: Gladding (2-4)

Team                             W    L    T   PCT    GB  
Chicago Cubs                    77   48    1  .616     -  
New York Mets                   70   52    0  .574   5.5 

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Ken Henderson’s RBI triple plated the game-winning run in the 11th after the Mets had comeback from a 4-run deficit with 3 in the 7th and 1 in the 9th to send the game into extra innings. Tommie Agee had a home run and 3 RBI, Ron Swoboda knocked in two, and Cleon Jones has 3 hits for New York.

Giants 7, Mets 6.  W: McMahon (1-1)  L: Taylor (6-4)

Jim Britton allowed just one unearned run across nine innings and Hank Aaron hit his 33rd home run of the year as the Braves topped the Cubs. Glenn Beckert went 2 for 4 for Chicago. 

Braves 3, Cubs 1.  W:Britton (7-4)  L: Hands (15-10)

Team                             W    L    T   PCT    GB   
Chicago Cubs                    76   47    1  .618     -  
New York Mets                   68   52    0  .567   6.5

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Sunday, August 17, 1969

The Mets complete a rare 4-game sweep in 2 days, as they took a second consecutive doubleheader from the San Diego Padres at Shea. Duffy Dyer’s 3-run shot in the 5th proved the difference in the first game, and Bud Harrelson’s 2-run triple in the 7th was the big blow in the second game.

Mets 3, Padres 2 (1). W: Koosman  (10-8)  L: J. Niekro (6-11)

Mets 3, Padres 2 (2). W: Cardwell (5-9)  L: Kirby (3-16)  SV: Taylor (12)

The Cubs split a Sunday doubleheader in San Francisco. Willie Mays clocked a 3-run homer off Bill Hands in the first game. Billy Williams went 2 for 3 with a run and RBI in the second. 

Giants 5, Cubs 3 (1). W: Linzy (10-6)  L: Hands (15-9)

Cubs 3, Giants 1 (2).  W: Selma (12-4)  L: Bryant (2-1)  SV: Regan (14)

Saturday, August 16, 1969

The Mets pitchers stymied the San Diego lineup in a doubleheader at Shea. Tom Seaver pitched 8 scoreless innings in the first game, and Jim McAndrew limited the Padres to 1 run in 7 innings in the nightcap. Ron Taylor and Tug McGraw combined for 3 shutout innings of relief in the doubleheader. Bobby Pfeil went 3 for 4 in the first game, and Cleon Jones was 2 for 3 with a HR in the second.

Mets 2, Padres 0 (1). Seaver (17-7)  L: Sisk (0-7)  SV: Taylor (11)

Mets 2, Padres 1 (2). W: McAndrew (4-5)  L: Ross (1-10)  SV: McGraw (8)

Fergie Jenkins and Gaylord Perry each went a full nine at Candlestick. The Cubs emerged victorious with a 3-run rally in the top of the ninth, aided by Ron Hunt’s error. Jim Hickman singled in the winning run.

Cubs 3, Giants 0.  W: Jenkins (17-10)  L: Perry (15-9)

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The Astros completed a 3-game series sweep of the Mets at Shea. Tom Seaver allowed just 1 earned run in seven innings, but that was enough for Houston. ’stros starting pitcher Tom Griffin held the Mets scoreless through eight innings, and closer Fred Gladding came on to pitch the ninth and record his third save in two days.

Astros 2, Mets 0.  W: Griffin (7-4)  L: Seaver (15-6)  SV: Gladding (22).

***

The Cubs lineup rapped out 12 runs on 12 hits and Fergie Jenkins recorded his 14th win of the season. Ernie Banks, Randy Hundley, and Billy Williams each homered, and Ron Santo also drove in 2 runs against the Giants.

Cubs 12, Giants 2.  W: Jenkins (14-9)  L: Bolin (5-7)

Team Name                        W    L    T    GB  
Chicago Cubs                    64   41    1    -  
New York Mets                   55   44    0   6.0  

Wednesday, July 30, 1969

It was a disastrous day at Shea as the Mets dropped a doubleheader to the Houston Astros. In both games, Mets pitchers allowed at least 10 runs in one inning.

In the first game, a close 5-3 contest suddenly turned into a rout as the Astros scored 11 runs in the ninth off relievers Cal Koonce and Ron Taylor. Both Denis Menke and Jimmy Wynn struck  grand slams in the inning.

The Mets lost big in the second game, too, despite 3 hits and 4 RBI from Ed Kranepool. This time, Houston blew out New York early with a 10-run rally in the third, highlighted by Curt Blefary’s triple with the bases loaded and a 2-run home run by starting pitcher Larry Dierker.

The inning also witnessed some tension when Houston’s Johnny Edwards doubled into leftfield and the Mets’s Cleon Jones gingerly pursued the ball on the muddy Shea sod. Manager Gil Hodges, who didn’t like the way Jones went after the ball, walked the entire way from the dugout out to Jones, talked with his player for a few moments, and then had Jones (who stands at second in the National League with a .346 average) follow him back to the dugout. Ron Swoboda took Jones’s place in rightfield.

Astros 16, Mets 3 (1). W: Wilson (12-7)  L: Koosman (8-6)  SV: Gladding (20)

Astros 11, Mets 5 (2). W; Dierker (13-8) L: Gentry (9-9)  SV: Gladding (21)

***

Gaylord Perry not only pitched a complete game but doubled and scored what proved to be the winning run in the 9th inning. Dave Marshall’s single drove home Perry, and Bob Burda’s double added two insurance runs.

Don Kessinger had 3 hits and scored twice for Chicago.

Giants 6, Cubs 3.  W: Perry (13-7)  L: Nye (2-5)

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Willie Mays tripled in the go-ahead run and then scored an insurance run in the seventh inning as the Giants beat the Cubs.  Chicago starting pitcher Jim Colburn lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 7 hits and 1 walk.  Bobby Bonds had 3 hits and scored twice for San Francisco.  Frank Linzy got the win after pitching 4 shutout innings out of the ‘pen.  Ron Santo and Don Young collected 2 hits apiece for the Cubbies. 

Giants 4, Cubs 2.  W: Linzy (9-6)  L: Abernathy (4-3)

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The Giants looked like they’d won this game with a run in the top of the 10th inning, but then the Cubs struck back for two in the bottom of the frame to send the Wrigley faithful home happy.

With the score tied 2-2 after nine, Willie Mays singled in Bobby Bonds for the go-ahead run. It could have been worse but Rich Nye came on and got Ken Henderson to ground into a bases-loaded double play, third to catcher to first, to end the inning.

Starter Juan Marichal, still going in the tenth inning, retired the first two Cubs batters and was just one out away from victory. But Willie Smith walked and then Don Kessinger, Glenn Beckert, and Billy Williams all singled to score the tying and winning runs.

Bill Hands had started for Chicago and gave up just 2 runs in 8 2/3 innings.

Cubs 4, Giants 3 (10 inn.)  W: Nye (2-4)  L: Marichal (13-6)

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