Now Dasher! On Cupid! Hey Rudolph, you’re pitching
5:23 AM UTC
A version of this story originally ran in December 2021.
It’s the holiday season, so it’s our obligation to put together a full starting lineup of holiday-themed names. We’ve covered every position (although some players may not be playing in their go-to slot) and delved deep into baseball’s past for a few you may not have heard of. Check out the squad, sing some Carrolls, let it Snow and everyone, please, have a very happy Holliday.
C – Steve Christmas: We could’ve subbed some longer-tenured big leaguers in this spot, but when your name is Christmas, you kind of need to be on the All-Holiday Team. Christmas appeared in 24 Major League games from 1983-86, batting .364 in ’84.
1B – J.T. Snow: The holiday season means snow for many of us, and we’re lucky enough to have a pretty good first baseman by that name. Jack Thomas Snow played 16 seasons in the Majors, tallying more than 1,500 hits and six Gold Gloves in that span. But ’tis the season of good deeds, and Snow is probably most famous for saving a certain manager’s son from near-disaster at home plate during the ’02 World Series.
2B – Cupid Childs: Childs was quicker than a reindeer. The speedster played 13 seasons in the Dead Ball Era, mostly with the Cleveland Spiders in the 19th century, and finished his career with more than 100 triples and 1,000 runs. He also hit a nifty .306.
3B – Pedro Feliz: What’s one of the greatest Christmas songs of all time? Yes, that’s right: Feliz Navidad by José Feliciano — a man who himself has a deep baseball connection. Pedro Feliz wasn’t the greatest third baseman of all time, but he had some decent offensive seasons in the mid-2000s for the Giants and was a top defender in the league for a few years. He also helped the Phillies get their first World Series win in ’08.
SS – Dasher Troy: Troy wasn’t much of a hitter and only played five years in the bigs from 1881-85, but he did once hit a walk-off home run after drinking an entire beer. Plus, can you imagine a DP combo of two guys named Cupid and Dasher?
LF – Corbin Carroll: After making his debut in 2022, Carroll really broke out in 2023, helping his upstart D-backs squad make an improbable run all the way to the World Series and then capping his season with the NL Rookie of the Year Award. He’s not the only Carroll who’s ever graced a Major League field, but his name is the one you’re going to want to remember.
CF – Ángel Pagán: Angel? Pagan? Both certainly could qualify as Christmas terms. Pagán was an important part of the Giants’ World Series championships in 2012 and 2014,