The Cooperstown League

[WooBallFan43]

Who's gonna be the extra Sox added?

[Nick Soulis]

Originally Posted by WooBallFan43

Who's gonna be the extra Sox added?

I went with Tim Wakefield, unless you have another suggestion.

[WooBallFan43]

Love it! RIP to the Knuckle-Master.

[Nick Soulis]

Kansas City Royals – Cooperstown League Franchise Preview

The Kansas City Royals enter the Cooperstown League with a roster built around speed, defensive excellence, deep pitching, and disciplined contact hitting, reflecting the organizational identity established during the franchise’s most successful eras. Under Hall of Fame manager Whitey Herzog, this club is constructed to pressure opponents relentlessly — manufacturing runs, controlling the strike zone, and preventing extra bases in the expansive outfield of Kauffman Stadium. The roster blends the championship backbone of the 1970s and 1985 clubs with the athletic dominance of the 2014–2015 pennant teams, while incorporating modern superstar upside in the middle of the diamond.

This is a balanced roster designed to win tight postseason games, with strong run prevention, situational hitting, and a bullpen capable of shortening contests dramatically.

Manager
Whitey Herzog

Few managers better represent the traditional Royals style of play than Whitey Herzog. His teams emphasized defensive precision, intelligent baserunning, lineup balance, and tactical adaptability. Herzog helped transform Kansas City into a perennial contender in the late 1970s, and his philosophy aligns perfectly with the strengths of this roster. With multiple high-IQ players and strong defensive personnel, Herzog is well-positioned to maximize matchup advantages across a long season.

Ballpark
Kauffman Stadium



Kauffman Stadium provides an ideal environment for this roster’s construction. Its spacious outfield gaps reward athletic defenders and line-drive hitters, while limiting cheap home runs. The park’s geometry encourages aggressive baserunning and rewards pitchers who trust their defense. The combination of speed in the outfield and strong command pitching should allow the Royals to maximize their home-field advantage.

Starting Lineup and Position Players
Catchers

Salvador Perez
Darrell Porter

Perez anchors the lineup with power and leadership, providing elite durability behind the plate along with proven postseason performance. Porter offers excellent on-base ability and strong game-calling experience, giving the pitching staff a reliable secondary option.

First Base

Eric Hosmer
Mike Sweeney

Hosmer brings defensive excellence and postseason pedigree, providing stability at first base while contributing balanced offensive production. Sweeney supplies one of the best pure bats in franchise history, delivering consistent contact and gap power well suited for Kauffman Stadium.

Second Base

Frank White
Cookie Rojas

White provides elite defense and long-term consistency, forming a critical part of the club’s run prevention strategy. Rojas adds contact hitting and versatility, strengthening middle infield depth.

Shortstop

Bobby Witt Jr.
Freddie Patek

Witt introduces explosive power-speed capability to the middle of the lineup and brings modern superstar upside. Patek offers reliable defense and situational hitting ability, ensuring strong depth at a premium defensive position.

Third Base

George Brett (Captain)

Brett serves as the emotional and competitive core of the franchise. His combination of elite bat control, gap power, and leadership presence makes him the natural captain of the club. Few players in baseball history match his consistency and ability to deliver in key moments.

Designated Hitter

Hal McRae

McRae lengthens the lineup with disciplined contact hitting and doubles power, reinforcing the club’s ability to sustain rallies and pressure opposing pitchers.

Outfield

Alex Gordon
Carlos Beltrán
Willie Wilson
Amos Otis
Bo Jackson

This outfield group combines elite defensive range, speed, and offensive versatility. Gordon’s Gold Glove caliber defense complements Wilson’s game-changing speed and Otis’s balanced production. Beltrán provides superstar middle-order production, while Jackson offers dynamic athleticism and power potential off the bench.

Few teams in the Cooperstown League will match this combination of defensive range and baserunning pressure.

Pitching Staff
Starting Rotation

David Cone
Bret Saberhagen
Kevin Appier
Johnny Cueto

Cone leads the staff as a swing-and-miss power ace capable of dominating elite lineups. Saberhagen brings Cy Young pedigree and elite command, while Appier provides durability and consistent run prevention. Cueto adds another high-end arm with proven postseason success and strong ERA+ performance.

This rotation offers a strong mix of strikeout ability, command, and postseason experience.

Swing Starter

Paul Splittorff

Splittorff provides reliability and depth, capable of stepping into the rotation when needed while maintaining consistent performance.

Bullpen

Closer – Dan Quisenberry
Setup – Wade Davis
Middle Relief – Greg Holland
Middle Relief – Jeff Montgomery
Left-Handed Specialist – Charlie Leibrandt
Long Relief – Mark Gubicza

Quisenberry anchors the bullpen with one of the most effective relief careers in baseball history. Davis and Holland provide dominant late-inning strikeout capability, while Montgomery adds consistency and experience. Leibrandt offers matchup flexibility against left-handed hitters, and Gubicza supplies multi-inning stability when extended relief is required.

This bullpen is capable of shortening games considerably, particularly when holding late leads.

Team Captain
George Brett

Brett embodies the competitive spirit of the franchise, serving as a bridge between eras and a consistent offensive force capable of anchoring the lineup in any situation.

Strengths

The Royals possess exceptional defensive range, particularly in the outfield, where Gordon, Wilson, Otis, and Beltrán can cover significant ground. Team speed creates constant pressure on opposing defenses, allowing the offense to manufacture runs even against elite pitching.

The pitching staff features multiple high-level starters with strong ERA+ profiles, supported by a bullpen capable of protecting late leads. The combination of Quisenberry and Davis provides two historically dominant late-inning arms.

Lineup balance between contact hitters and power threats ensures the offense can adapt to multiple game situations.

Weaknesses

Compared to some Cooperstown League teams, the Royals may not feature as many traditional 40+ home run sluggers in the heart of the lineup. The offense relies more heavily on sequencing hits and baserunning efficiency than pure power output.

Additionally, several position players derive significant value from defense and athleticism rather than elite OPS production, placing importance on maintaining strong run prevention.

Outlook

The Kansas City Royals enter the Cooperstown League as a highly cohesive and disciplined club built to succeed in postseason-style baseball. With elite leadership, strong pitching depth, and excellent defensive structure, this roster is capable of competing with any team in the field. If the pitching staff performs to its historical norms and the lineup consistently pressures opposing defenses, Kansas City projects as a dangerous contender capable of advancing deep into the tournament.

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

Nick,

If Whitey Herzog's here, who's managing the Cardinals? Please tell me it's not Tony "Dufus" La Russa. I don't want La Russa anywhere near my Cardinals, for sure. If I were picking the Cardinals manager, Whitey would probably be my guy.

Also sent you some PM's, but apparently you haven't seen them yet. Something's messed up with the PM system, it seems, and I can't currently see my sent messages, for some reason or reasons unknown to me, for that matter.

Would like to know what you think of my suggestions from those PM's, please, if possible, fairly soon. CD out.

[WooBallFan43]

Agree with CD here. Whitey's better suited for STL, and KC has another all time manager in Ned Yost.

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

Or Howser, perhaps, I think. But I still think we were robbed, at least in part, in 1985, in any case, to be honest. CD out.

[Nick Soulis]

Originally Posted by Clovidequano Dovatha

Or Howser, perhaps, I think. But I still think we were robbed, at least in part, in 1985, in any case, to be honest. CD out.

Ok so then what will we be doing with LaRussa? He isnt going to Oakland because of the great Connie Mack. I think LaRussa should be in the game. White Sox to replace Ozzie?

[Nick Soulis]

A quick note on team pictures, these may not reflect the actual final rosters as we made tweaks and adjustments along the way. I do not want to go back and keep uploading new pictures every time I make a change.I will make an official roster update after all initial rosters are created so you see all the final adjustments.

Thank you

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

Greinke for Cone on the Royals would be a better fit. Cone would be a better fit for the Mets or Yankees, in my view. More time with the Royals than the Astros, for starters, which makes him a better fit for the Royals than the Astros. As for who'd replace Greinke, there might be other good fits, but I'm not sure who those would be, at the moment, if Ryan's with the Rangers or Angels. Maybe Rader could fit with the Rangers too, I think. CD out.

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

Cueto's another questionable pick for the Royals too, seeing as he only spent part of 2015 with them, it seems. He'd be a better fit for the Reds or Giants, actually. I'd suggest going more 1970's and 1980's for the Royals, pitching-wise, unless you want to include Ventura, or whoever the Royals lost about five to ten or so years ago rather tragically, for instance, like they did. CD out.

P.S. Bud Black and Charlie Leibrandt might be good picks for the Royals' pitching staff, and what about U.L. Washington or Buddy Biancalana for the Royals as a shortstop? CD out.

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

As for that dufus, yes, the White Sox might be a better fit for him. Have Guillen backing up La Russa, instead. Or even Al Lopez, perhaps, might be the best fit for the White Sox managerial position, at that, if not Comiskey himself, come to think of it. CD out.

[WooBallFan43]

White Sox for LaRussa? Guillen meant more for ChiTown then LaRussa ever did. And while I'm not opposed with Cueto as a Royal, he would definitely be a better fit on Cincy. I would also agree with replacing Cone, I didn't even know he played with KC.

As for who would replace them? Well Greinke's an obvious one. But for that last one, let me suggest Danny Duffy.

Now, with the open spot in Houston's rotation, Keuchel slides nicely into that vacant spot, but we do need someone for that spot starter role... Maybe Lance McCullers Jr. or Wandy Rodriguez?

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

I'd prefer not to see La Russa anywhere, actually, but if I had to choose, it would be with the White Sox. As for Cueto, leaving the fact aside that he basically ended Jason LaRue's career with his kicking at him during that brawl between the Cards and Reds some length of time ago, if memory serves, I'd rather have him somewhere other than KC here.

I'd not suggest putting anyone on these teams who hasn't had at least 3 years of service time with the relevant applicable team in question. Yes, I know that nearly disqualifies Sutter as a Cardinal, but he did get to spend at least 1982 through 1984 with the Cards, although the case could be perhaps made for Sutter to be on the Cubs, to be honest, due to his longer service time with the Cubs and his Cy Young with them. However, Sutter won a championship with the Cards, so that tips the needle towards the Cardinals in relation to Sutter for me, at least enough for me to suggest him being on the Cardinals here. I don't know much about Duffy, but if he got at least 3 good years in with the Royals, then perhaps he should be considered for KC, if there are no better available options. As much as I'd rather have Porter on the Cardinals to team with Sutter, he fits better with the Royals, and the Cardinals have other good options for themselves at catcher, even if Ted Simmons were to be placed on the Brewers here for this scenario.

Did Luis Aparicio play in the Negro Leagues, by any chance? If so, then maybe he could be on the Kansas City Monarchs somehow. Just a thought here, that's all. CD out.

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

Also, Omar Vizquel has to go somewhere here, clearly. Best fit for him might just be the Cleveland Indians, and if not Cleveland, then perhaps Seattle, I think. I believe he was an excellent defender during his career, so if either of those two teams needs a good defender at shortstop, perhaps they could use him on their team in this scenario. CD out.

P.S. How about Jack Tobin for the Orioles, as another Browns player on the team for them? High batting average, and a lot of hits and a lot of runs scored, and not a bad defender, too, I think, quite possibly. CD out.

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

Braves are also missing Hugh Duffy, it seems. Out with Acuna and in with Duffy, I would suggest here. A lot more stolen bases and better hitting for Duffy, compared to Acuna, so Acuna gets the bump off or down to a potential reserve roster slot, if I were creating the Braves here instead of Nick Soulis doing so here.

As for the Cubs, you can't have the best possible roster for them without at least somehow actually having the famous Tinker, Evers, and Chance trio here, I think, if not also Steinfeldt, for that matter. At least, that's this Cardinals fan's opinion here, in any case. CD out.

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

Darryl Kile should fit with the Astros, especially if the Astros are in the National League for this scenario as they should be here instead of the Brewers, who properly belong in the American League, in my view, if the Rockies aren't in play here, I think. He died too young, and besides, he was with the Astros longer than he was with both the Rockies and Cardinals together, for that matter. If he'd not actually died rather tragically as young as he did, he probably could have played several more years, I think. CD out.

P.S. When I think of Washington, I think of it primarily, if not entirely, as an American League city, so maybe the Monarchs could be in Washington's place in the NL, or something? Just a thought here, that's all. CD out.

[Nick Soulis]

A reminder about the rules and objective of this league. Even if player has played one day with a franchise he is eligible to be on their roster. The goal is to build competitive balance across this league so that ALL teams have a chance and not a league dominated by the Yankees, Red Sox, and Cardinals.

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

So no Billy Goodman, on the Red Sox, in place of, say, Lowell, who might perhaps better fit on the Marlins, if I'm not too mistaken here? Marlins might need a good third baseman with Lowell, who's possibly their best third baseman in franchise history here, if I'm not too mistaken about that here. Plus, why not put Boudreau or Hargrove as Cleveland manager, for that matter? CD out.

[Nick Soulis]

COOPERSTOWN LEAGUE
LOS ANGELES ANGELS
Franchise Preview

Few franchises in baseball history present the fascinating blend of elite top-end talent and deep complementary pieces that define the Cooperstown League Los Angeles Angels. Guided by long-time manager Mike Scioscia, this roster reflects a club built on pitching strength, defensive reliability, and disciplined offensive balance. From the expansion-era foundation of Jim Fregosi to the modern dominance of Mike Trout, the Angels present a roster capable of competing across eras. The structure of the team mirrors the identity of Scioscia’s best clubs — strong up the middle, dependable starting pitching, and a bullpen capable of shortening games to six innings.

Manager

Mike Scioscia

The winningest manager in franchise history, Scioscia led the Angels to the 2002 World Series championship and six American League West titles during his eighteen-year tenure. His clubs were known for discipline, situational hitting, strong defensive fundamentals, and deep pitching staffs capable of controlling the tempo of the game. Scioscia’s managerial style aligns perfectly with the structure of this roster, which emphasizes balance, versatility, and consistent execution over reliance on any single dimension of play.

Ballpark

Angel Stadium of Anaheim



Angel Stadium has served as the franchise’s home since 1966 and provides a balanced playing environment suitable for both power hitters and strike-throwing pitchers. The ballpark hosted the Angels’ 2002 World Series championship team and remains one of the most recognizable venues in the American League. Its neutral characteristics complement a roster built on a combination of contact hitting, timely power, and strong pitching depth.

Position Players
Catcher

Bob Boone
Brian Downing

Boone provides elite defensive stability behind the plate, winning seven Gold Gloves during his Angels tenure and earning a reputation as one of the premier game-callers of his generation. Downing complements Boone with strong defensive skills and experience Together, they form a reliable defensive foundation for a strong pitching staff.

First Base

Wally Joyner
Don Baylor

Joyner brings consistency and strong contact ability, hitting .289 over a long Angels tenure. Baylor, the 1979 American League MVP, adds right-handed power and run production capability, giving the club depth at the position and lineup flexibility.

Second Base

Rod Carew
Howie Kendrick

Carew is one of the greatest pure hitters in baseball history, posting a .328 career batting average and winning seven batting titles. His presence near the top of the order provides consistent on-base ability and offensive stability. Kendrick provides versatility and a high-contact approach, hitting .294 across his career and offering valuable positional flexibility.

Shortstop

Jim Fregosi
David Eckstein

Fregosi represents the early identity of the franchise, earning six All-Star selections and providing strong offensive production from a premium defensive position. Eckstein contributes championship pedigree and situational hitting ability, serving as a high-energy presence capable of filling multiple infield roles.

Third Base

Troy Glaus
Carney Lansford

Glaus supplies middle-of-the-order power and postseason credibility as the 2002 World Series MVP. Lansford, a batting champion, brings exceptional contact ability and provides strong depth at the hot corner.

Outfield

Mike Trout
Garret Anderson
Jim Edmonds
Bobby Bonds

Trout anchors the roster as the premier player in franchise history, combining power, patience, and defensive excellence. Anderson provides lineup balance and durability, holding multiple franchise offensive records. Edmonds contributes elite defensive range and middle-order production during his Angels tenure, while Bonds brings power-speed impact and significant career value, strengthening the lineup’s overall offensive ceiling.

Designated Hitter

Tim Salmon

Salmon, one of the most consistent hitters in franchise history, provides on-base ability and power from the DH role. A key contributor to the 2002 championship team, Salmon lengthens the lineup and provides additional middle-order presence.

Pitching Staff
Starting Rotation

SP1 — Nolan Ryan
One of the most dominant pitchers in baseball history, Ryan’s strikeout ability and power arsenal establish the competitive tone for the rotation.

SP2 — Don Sutton
A model of durability and consistency, Sutton brings Hall of Fame credibility and veteran command to the front of the staff.

SP3 — Chuck Finley
Finley’s longevity and strikeout ability make him one of the most accomplished starters in franchise history.

SP4 — Dean Chance
One of the best season's of anyone in 1965 when he won the AL Cy Young.

Swing Starter — Bartolo Colon
Colon’s Cy Young pedigree and long career durability make him an ideal option to fill rotation gaps and provide quality innings.

Bullpen

Closer — Troy Percival
Setup — Don Aase
High Leverage — Francisco Rodriguez
Middle Relief — Donnie Moore
Long Relief — Dean Chance
Left-Handed Specialist — Frank Tanana

Team Captain

Captain — Mike Trout

Trout serves as the central figure of the franchise and the standard for performance. His combination of elite production, consistency, and professionalism makes him the natural leader of this roster.

Strengths

The Angels possess exceptional top-end talent in both the lineup and rotation. Trout, Glaus, Bonds, Salmon, and Anderson provide significant run production potential, while Carew and Kendrick contribute elite contact ability. The rotation is particularly strong at the front, with Ryan and Sutton providing Hall of Fame credentials supported by durable high-strikeout arms in Finley and Langston. The bullpen features multiple pitchers with closer-level ability, allowing Scioscia to shorten games effectively. Defensive strength in the outfield, led by Trout and Edmonds, enhances run prevention.

Weaknesses

While the roster features strong peak talent, several players had relatively shorter tenures with the Angels compared to other franchise builds. The lineup leans more toward balanced offensive production than overwhelming home run power outside of Trout and Glaus. The rotation relies heavily on durability and depth, placing pressure on Ryan to anchor the staff against elite opposing lineups.