FCM All-Time Team: Bench

BENCH

Catcher

Josh Jarmel (CHW) – 13 Seasons

1,921 Hits 938 R 393 2B 258 HR 1,018 RBI 28 SB .282/.343/.463

5 All-Star Games, 3 Gold Gloves

This was probably the closet position race. Like I said above, Gamora wins out because he had slightly better numbers and one more Gold Glove. Before people start talking about how Coors helped out Gamora, let’s remember Comiskey and GABP aren’t exactly pitcher friendly either. Back onto Jarmel, from ’22 to ’28 he was a very reliable catcher – winning all of his Gold Gloves and 4 of his 5 All-Star appearances during that time.

Corner Infielder

Manny Capestany (WSN) – 16 Seasons

1,984 Hits 1,260 R 390 2B 470 HR 1,363 RBI 42 SB .264/.367/.510

4 All-Star Games

Capes may be my favorite player in the league. He was always overshadowed by the likes of Steve Miller, James Aitkenhead, and Jose Rabena to name a few. However, he quietly put together some very impressive numbers. How long he’ll stay on this list is a question. I also have to wonder what Capes’ numbers would’ve looked like had he not played in such a bland hitting park.

Middle Infielder

Rudy Delgado (CLE) – 16 Seasons

2,340 Hits 1,125 R 441 2B 143 HR 1,097 RBI 110 SB .299/.366/.423

3 All-Star Games, 2 Gold Gloves

Delgado moved around a bit during his career, but got things going in Cleveland – winning his two Gold Gloves in “The Mistake By The Lake.” His slash line isn’t that impressive, but remember he’s an infielder. Where his job is to scoop up baseballs an get on-base. He did those two things and he did them quite well throughout his career.

Outfielder

Mike Gartner (CIN) – 13 Seasons (Active)

1,920 Hits 1,147 R 364 2B 353 HR 1,240 RBI 71 SB .299/.394/.536

6 All-Star Games, 1 MVP Award, 4 Gold Gloves

Back in the 2020’s it was Miller, Gartner, and Eason in the heart of Cincinnati’s lineup. That may go down as the best 3-4-5 trio the league will ever see. The all-around ability that Gartner displays is phenomenal. He can hit for average, power, walk, and play good defense. It's possible he could overtake one of the “starting” positions in the future, but he appears to be in sharp decline. If he falls off too quickly I doubt he’ll have good enough numbers.

Up Next:
FCM All-Time Team: Rotation
FCM All-Time Team:Bullpen
FCM All-Time Team: League Vote
FCM All-Time Team: Final Wrap-up