This is something I do every year, and is usually one of the most controversial posts of the year because I always accidentally leave someone out and people with hit me with things like “didn’t you know Player X’s grandmother was Irish” etc.
The rules? Be Irish, have Irish Ancestry….or be “close enough” that we can include you (you’ll see what I mean soon enough). No birth certificates will be checked.
I don’t think we have any new players on the All-Irish Team this season, but let’s keep an eye on Tanner Murphy and Matt O’Neill down at AAA.
With that, let’s send it down to the field as Bob Murphy introduces the team.
And it is a Happy St. Patrick’s Day from William A. Shea Stadium (and a big thanks to Bill Shea for giving us the gift of baseball). Tim McCarver is up in the TV booth.
Our manager and coaches. Please welcome back our old friend Terry Collins, along side bench coach Regis Philibin.
Introducing the pitchers:
Our starters: Nolan Ryan, Tim Leary, Terry Leach, Jim McAndrew, and David Cone. (Half-Irish Matt Harvey has a photo shoot and is unable to join us today.).
The bullpen: Sean Patrick Gilmartin, Colin McHugh, Tim Burke, Greg McMichael, Chuck McElroy, Tug McGraw, P.J. Conlon & Roger McDowell. Sam McWilliams joins the AAA All Irish Team in case we need to bring someone up mid-season, and Sean Reid-Foley has a shot at making the squad.
Behind the plate: James McCann. Mike Fitzgerald, Todd Hundley, Duffy Dyer and of course Charlie O’Brien
Third base: Daniel Murphy gets moved over to cover. Murph is a good guy always willing to switch positions to help the team.
Shortstop: Roy McMillan
Second base: Jeff McNeil has taken over for past incumbent Doug Flynn
First base: he is part-Irish on his mother’s side, The Captain, Keith Hernandez
In left: Kevin McReynolds
In Center: Brian McRae
And the Right Fielder: Dave Gallagher
We have room for five players in the bench: Super-sub Joe McEwing, Justin Turner (with that hair I am assuming he is Irish), Jeff McKnight, Doug Flynn, WBC Team Israel’s star Tyler Patrick Kelly (son of Patrick Kelly), and Tom O’Malley is depth at AAA All Irish Team.
Pete Flynn will take care of the grounds, so let’s play ball!
Every year I miss somebody, let me know who.
LGM
