Can you believe I started shopping at Family Dollar when the stadium naming rights were announced. I don’t usually think of myself as someone swayed by advertisements but when it came to Charlotte baseball I was kind of a sucker, I guess. When they changed from being the Cougars to the Flyers, it took me a minute to get used to but I love it now. So, anyway, like I said, I’m a huge fan. And this season, I’m going to fulfill a lifelong dream. I’m going on the most epic road trip of all time. I've been following the Flyers all season. I’ve been saving up for this and it’s finally time. Oh, and thanks to all of you who have signed up for my Patreon to help make this happen too. You are not only making my dream a reality, but it also means I can give you the best coverage of this team imaginable.
Ok. Time to dig in and let you know some of my big Flyers thoughts.
Jeffrey’s Top All-Time Player at Each Position:
Catcher: Roelof Klooster-I mean, the guy hit 6 home runs and had 18 RBI in 18 playoff games from 46-48. And I loved watching him behind the plate too. Love that guy.
First Base: It’s gotta be Bob Irwin-The guy was our first baseman for so long, and he was good, man. I remember he had two great playoff runs, and even though he wasn’t as good the other year, hitting .365 in the playoffs over three seasons is pretty special. And he was fast too. He had 127 stolen bases with Charlotte. I love stolen bases.
Second Base: Maybe there’s some recency bias but Dallas “Firecracker” Dixon is the man! The year he just had was incredible. Led the Johnson in batting average and steals. So much fun to watch.
Third Base: We haven’t really had amazing guys at the hot corner but I think Banger “The Great Piano Man” Dan could be the guy. He was kind of up and down this year but he can play some defense for sure. And he had some really good hits this year too. The other possibility here was Rafael Gutierrez. He was all right for us but was never like, the best, you know.
Shortstop: Duh, it’s obviously Robert “Tosser” Menzies. He’s the best, man. Every time I get to see him play, I’m excited. He’s gettin’ kinda old now, so he keeps gettin’ hurt and stuff, but I love the guy so much. And he just keeps givin’ back to Charlotte man. I hope he coaches for us when retires or somethin’. That guy is Charlotte baseball. For real.
Left Field: It’s probably Bret Powers. He didn’t play for us that long, but he hit over 30 bombs for us three times. He was fun to watch.
Center Field: Has to be Victor Frazier. He catches everything, man Some of the catches he makes are incredible. And he doesn’t always get the most hits but he sure gets some big ones. He’s got that dawg in him, you know. Like, that home run in game 163 and the way he hit against the Blazers in the playoffs with 3 homers in 5 games. I’m glad he’s on our team. I’m really lookin’ forward to watchin’’ him everyday this season.
Right Field: Ramon “Waco” Pagan He wasn't a great fielder but he mashed the ball. He hit 121 homers for Charlotte. He was just fun to watch.
Starting Pitcher: I think has to be Kyle Smallwood even though he wasn’t ever very good in the playoffs. He was Rookie of the Year and an All-Star a few times. In ‘47, when he went 18-6 with a 2.94 ERA, I didn’t ever miss one of his starts. He was electric those first three years. Then he kind of lost it, but he was amazing when he first came up. I’ll never forget it.
Relief Pitcher: Keijo “Coach” Reini He started some games, but I think of him as a dominant reliever. He won the Eagan one year and was top three for it a few other times. He led the league in strikeouts twice, as a reliever. That’s awesome!
That’s it for today. I’ll be back soon with another blog post. Go Flyers!
