[Big Six]

A few "real" baseball stars crashed and burned bigtime in Pat's world. Eddie Cicotte, who won all of three games in his career, is the first name who comes to mind. Another Hall of Famer, Red Faber only got in eight years in Pat's universe. Among the position players, Joe Tinker was never a regular shortstop, although he stuck around as a benchwarmer for ages.

Some active players who SHOULD be good are not quite what they should be. Goose Goslin is currently only 24, but he should be taking flight by now. Instead, this Goose is still very much a Goslin(g), spending all his time in the barnyard. During Goslin's first pro season, The Senators decided they'd rather have Del Gainer, and traded him to the Athletics. Goose has amassed exactly 14 major league at-bats, and has never started a game. Instead, he has been terrorizing AAA pitching while waiting for Shoeless Joe Jackson to retire.

To be fair, Goslin's development has been stalled while he recovers from Torn Calf Muscle, Bruised Cheekbone, and Scratched Cornea Eye. I'm seriously tempted to play Supreme Deity, free the Goose from his prison in the A's organization, and give him to a team who'll give the poor guy a chance. The Braves have sucked for so long that they could use a boost...

Perhaps the saddest tale of all, however, is that of Pie Traynor. If he doesn't stop putzing around in the minor leagues, he's never going to make it to the Show at all. Pie remained on the menu in Single A for FOUR years, until the Pirates gave up on him and traded him to the Phillies for Braggo Roth.

In his new organization, Traynor has finally moved up to AA at age 26. He's raking, but agemates like George Grantham and Jim Bottomley are All-Stars already, younger players like Bill Terry are becoming solid major leaguers, and even slow starters like Kiki Cuyler have turned the corner. Short of a major turnaround, this will turn out to be one very unpalatable Pie.

On the other hand, Dave Brain ripped over 2,000 hits in his career, and Simon Nicholls retired at the end of the 1924 season with almost 2,700 base knocks and a lifetime average of .296. George Moriarty hit .308 lifetime, with almost 2800 hits and over 800 stolen bases. The exploits of Roy Hitt and Del Mason are well-known to any fan of Pat's universe, too.