Now Batting: Jim Gosger, of the Oakland Athletics!

Mediocre Major League Baseball Players -- Jim Gosger
Jim Gosger busted his butt each and every second to make the most of his limited Major League Baseball ability. Sort of like a Pete Rose without the batting skills or aberrant behavior, Gosger ended up with a .226 career average playing for the Boston Red Sox, Kansas City and Oakland Athletics, New York Mets and Montreal Expos from 1963 to 1974. He was an excellent outfielder -- playing all three positions -- and occasional first baseman, making only 17 errors in 590 games. This scrappy player could have been legendary if he could only hit. Could you imagine if you combined Jim Gosger and Manny Ramirez into one player -- you'd have one of the greatest hitters with a work ethic beyond reproach! That this middling baseball player could last 11 years in the majors speaks volumes about the value of someone who works hard for the team.

Now Batting: Don Mincher, of the Minnesota Twins!

Mediocre Major League Baseball Players -- Don Mincher
Don Mincher was one of my all-time favorite slow, power-hitting first basemen. He whacked 200 home runs, none of them seemingly cheap. He fielded his position quite well (what he could get to), seemed like a nice guy in radio interviews, and was named to two all-star teams, one playing for the California Angels and the other for the now defunct Seattle Pilots. Mincher primarily played for the Minnesota Twins (from1961 to 1966). I remember his 1970 season with the Oakland Athletics when he smacked 27 home runs!

He was named "Minch' but was perhaps best known as the "Mule." He was born in Hunstville, Ala., and enjoyed hunting and fishing, according to the 1971 Sporting News Baseball Register!

Mincher was no McCovey, but, to me, was just as enjoyable to watch. There's nothing like a power-hitting first baseman hitting the tar out of the ball and striking out all too often. I actually enjoyed Mincher striking out, as it made me think: Gosh, what if he made contact with that ball? Was it possible to hit a ball from Minnesota to Boston?"

The Mule hit 249 in 13 big league seasons, but, boy, did those hits ever make an impact on the viewer and wherever the ball landed!

Now Batting, Carmen Fanzone of the Chicago Cubs!

Mediocre Major League Baseball Players -- Carmen Fanzone
He had a name that sounded more like an opera singer and looked like a member of Vanilla Fudge with that bushy mustache, but this 224 lifetime hitter somehow sticks in mind as contributing positively to the game of baseball. Maybe it was because he hit .273 for the Chicago Cubs in 1973, or that he was on my favorite team, the Boston Red Sox in 1970. Maybe it was because he would do anything to help the team -- playing in the outfield, first base, second base and third base. Or maybe it's because my memory is failing, and I was confusing him with Willie Mays. We might have to come back to this posting later for a more reasonable explanation. Right now, I have to go. I have more important things to do, like write about Don Mincher.