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List of Major League Baseball replacement players

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This is a list of Major League Baseball replacement players. The Major League Baseball, an American and Canadian baseball league, has used replacement players during two strikes: the 1912 Detroit Tigers strike, and the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike.

1994–95 Major League Baseball strike

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The following Major League Baseball players appeared as strikebreakers during spring training in 1995, crossing picket lines during the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike. Some had not yet been placed on a 40-man roster, and as such were not eligible to join the baseball players' union at the time of the strike, while others were former MLB players who had retired before the strike. The list does not include replacement players who never appeared in regular-season MLB games.

Several players who were part of World Series-winning teams were not permitted to have their names or likenesses on commemorative merchandise because they were declared replacement players for having participated in the 1995 spring training: Shane Spencer of the 1998, 1999, and 2000 New York Yankees, Damian Miller of the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks, Brendan Donnelly of the 2002 Anaheim Angels, and Brian Daubach and Kevin Millar of the 2004 Boston Red Sox.[1]

The names or likenesses of replacement players, since they are not permitted to join the MLBPA, are also in some cases not included in merchandise that derives its license from the MLBPA, such as video and tabletop games. Many games nevertheless include them, with blank or fictional names and different appearances similar to how Jon Dowd was used to replace Barry Bonds in MVP Baseball 2005 after he left the MLBPA in 2003.[2]

Replacement players

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This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

No MLB experience before strike

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† Chimelis was briefly called up by the San Francisco Giants in June 1995, but never appeared in an MLB game, making him a phantom ballplayer.

Had MLB experience before strike

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1912 Detroit Tigers strike

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Main article: Detroit Tigers replacement players (May 18, 1912)

On May 15, 1912, Detroit Tigers star Ty Cobb went into the stands and assaulted a fan who had been heckling him. Cobb was suspended by American League President Ban Johnson. The other Tigers refused to play unless Cobb was reinstated. Johnson threatened Tigers owner Frank Navin with a stiff fine if he did not field a team. Thus, manager Hughie Jennings quickly recruited a pickup team of sandlot, semi-pro, and college baseball players.[65]

This replacement team played one game, on May 18, 1912, after which the Tigers players relented and returned to play future games (under threat of lifetime banishment).[66]

The following players appeared in the May 18, 1912 game,[67] which the Tigers lost to the Philadelphia Athletics, 24–2.[68]

Sugden and McGuire were Tigers coaches who had had long baseball careers. This game was their last major league appearance. Jennings was the Tigers manager; he also had had a long career and was later elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.[69] He appeared as pinch hitter in the ninth inning.[67]

None of the other players ever appeared in another major league game before or after, except Maharg, who appeared in one other game[69] as a courtesy in the last game of the 1916 season.[70] He was later deeply involved in the Black Sox Scandal.[70] Smith played two innings in the field, but had no plate appearances and consequently no batting average. Irwin was the only recruit to have a hit; the Tigers coaches also each had one hit. Irwin had two triples, and so retired with a major league batting average of .667 and slugging average of 2.000. Travers's 24 runs allowed is still the American League record for a complete game.[66][69]

Arthur "Bugs" Baer, who later went on to become a noted journalist and humorist, was a member of the team, recruited as a backup bench player. He did not appear in the game.[65]

References

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  1. ^ Baer, Bill (August 12, 2019). "Players who crossed picket line in 1995". NBC Sports. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  2. ^ Monagan, Matt (November 20, 2020). "The video game creator who became Barry Bonds". MLB.com. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah "Replacement Players". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved October 11, 2006.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Kurkjian, Tim (August 29, 2002). "The Replacements". ESPN. Retrieved October 11, 2006.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Five years later, replacements still feel the heat". May 23, 2000. Archived from the original on September 20, 2001.
  6. ^ "Catchers' Agendas Differ". Miami Herald. February 19, 1995. p. 16C. Retrieved May 22, 2012. (subscription required)
  7. ^ a b c d e f Chass, Murray (November 17, 1996). "Spoils to the Victors, Grudgingly". The New York Times. Retrieved October 19, 2007.
  8. ^ Roderick, Joe. "IT COULD BE A CHILLY SPRING FOR GIANTS WHO CROSSED LINE", The Contra Costa Times, January 27, 1996, page D1. [dead link]
  9. ^ Blum, Ronald (December 16, 1995). "Union snubs replacements". Bay City Times. Associated Press. p. 2B.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Johnson, Chuck (September 21, 1995). "Replacements resented: Presence angers players, but GMs won't budge". USA Today. p. 3C. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Walker won't let decision stop him". Topeka Capitol-Journal. May 4, 1997. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011.
  12. ^ "'Bad Karma' Vetoes Move -- Padres Won't Recall Replacement Player". Seattle Times. July 17, 1995.
  13. ^ Curry, Jack (April 2, 1995). "BASEBALL; Living on a Yankee Tightrope". The New York Times.
  14. ^ a b c Shea, John. "Royal contract clause for Sweeney, The San Francisco Chronicle, June 8, 2003.
  15. ^ a b Etkin, Jack (April 10, 1995). "What happens when big leaguers, replacements cross paths?". Waterloo Courier. Scripps Howard News Service. p. B3. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  16. ^ "Donnelly could be snubbed". The Arizona Republic. June 22, 2003. p. C10. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  17. ^ Finnigan, Bob (July 30, 1995). "M's Have Lots Of Company Seeking Starting Pitching". Seattle Times.
  18. ^ "Extra effort". CNNSI.com. Associated Press. September 23, 1998. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2006.
  19. ^ "Instead Of Solidifying Family Ties, Baseball Pulling Them Apart". Chicago Tribune. March 26, 1995. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  20. ^ a b Chass, Murray (May 25, 1995). "ON BASEBALL; Credibility Test for Players' Union". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rutter, Joe (March 6, 2005). "Major replacements". The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Archived from the original on January 7, 2008. Retrieved October 19, 2007.
  22. ^ Hoynes, Paul (March 30, 1995). "Tigers drop Diaz but adds power hitter and pitcher". Cleveland Plain Dealer. p. 2-D. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  23. ^ Zolecki, Todd (August 13, 2006). "On baseball: There aren't many strikes against 1995 scabs". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. C-6. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  24. ^ Bradley, John Ed (August 11, 1997). "Honor thy father: Pete Rose Jr. has struggled through nine years in the minor leagues, driven partly by a dream of drawing closer to his distant father". Sports Illustrated., Ed. "Honor Thy Father", Sports Illustrated, August 11, 1997.
  25. ^ "Bagwell Breaks Hand Again, Probably Will Miss 3-4 Weeks". Seattle Times. Associated Press. July 31, 1995.
  26. ^ Haudricourt, Tom (February 27, 1995). "Brewers Bring back Bates for Spring Training". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
  27. ^ Horrigan, Jeff (March 31, 1995). "Johnson suddenly likes revamped 'fun little team'". The Cincinnati Post. p. 2B. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  28. ^ "Astros 7, Mets 4". The News-Press. Fort Myers, Florida. March 8, 1995. p. 3C. Retrieved August 27, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  29. ^ a b c d Odum, Charles (April 1, 1995). "Braves fans have mixed feelings". Clarion-Ledger. pp. C1, C4.
  30. ^ a b c d Chass, Murray (April 18, 1995). "Union Lists Those Who Did Not Back Strike". New York Times. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013.
  31. ^ Beaton, Rod (March 13, 1995). "Following the balancing ball". USA Today. p. 6C. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  32. ^ "Pedro Borbon: In Memoriam". MLB.com (Press release). Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  33. ^ Rhoden, William C. (July 8, 1999). "Sports of The Times; Oil Can Boyd at Peace With His Own Team". New York Times. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023.]", The , .
  34. ^ Madden, Bill (March 6, 1995). "Blame Game, Not Bystrom". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on September 9, 2014. Retrieved September 8, 2014.
  35. ^ a b Hoynes, Paul (April 2, 1995). "No strikes, replacements are out". Cleveland Plain Dealer. pp. 1-D, 10-D. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  36. ^ a b c d e "The heart of the replacement teams". The Akron Beacon Journal. April 2, 1995. p. D10. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  37. ^ Nightengale, Bob. "The first half has been a learning experience", The Sporting News, July 17, 1995. [dead link]
  38. ^ a b c "Game's cancelled; Marlins replacements figure they're next". News-Press. Associated Press. April 2, 1995. p. 8C. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  39. ^ Sullivan, Paul (April 2, 1995). "Sox outfielder Cotto hoping decision to play pays off". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 1, 2025. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
  40. ^ Bonfatti, John F. (February 28, 1995). "Pain fails to deter Todd Cruz". Pottsville Republican. Associated Press. p. 9. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  41. ^ a b c d Fraley, Gerald (February 26, 1995). "Strange lineups form from replacement players". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Dallas Morning News. p. C12. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  42. ^ a b Reaves, Joseph A. (March 4, 1995). "Cubs Opener: No Pickets, No Protests - Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013.
  43. ^ Parker, Rob (March 9, 1995). "Dunbar plays; new dream is to coach". Detroit Free Press. pp. D1, D2.
  44. ^ Horst, Craig (February 26, 1995). "KC replacement liking special treatment". The Salina Journal. Associated Press. p. 39.
  45. ^ a b c d Rieper, Max (February 26, 2015). "The Royals replacement players of 1995". Royal Review. SB Nation.
  46. ^ a b c d Wyche, Steve (March 2, 1995). "Yankees open with uncertainty, replacements". The Miami Herald. pp. 10D. Retrieved May 15, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  47. ^ Hertzel, Bob (March 2, 1995). "Eufemia Playing For Purest Motives". The Record (Bergen County). Frank Eufemia once was a major league pitcher. Today the right-hander from Bergenfield becomes a replacement pitcher.
  48. ^ Niedzielka, Amy (February 19, 1995). "Reluctant replacement". The Miami Herald. pp. 16C. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  49. ^ Niedzielka, Amy (March 24, 1995). "Ford's stroke of irony". The Miami Herald. pp. 7D. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  50. ^ a b c "Meet the 1995 Omaha Royals". Omaha World Herald. April 6, 1995. p. 28.
  51. ^ a b c d e f g h Frey, Jennifer (February 18, 1995). "BASEBALL; Met Camp Attractive To Players In Need". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  52. ^ a b c Kaegel, Dick (March 26, 1995). "Royals pitcher a blast from past". The Kansas City Star. p. C-10. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  53. ^ Guest, Larry (March 26, 1995). "Mauch: replacements part of healing process". Orlando Sentinel. pp. C-1.
  54. ^ "Yankee replacement bitter at union". The Tennessean. Gannett. March 6, 1995. pp. 2C. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  55. ^ Lee, Victor (March 12, 1995). "Ex-Marlin Lyden gets a Royal opportunity". Palm Beach Post. p. 8C.
  56. ^ a b c d e Rock, Steve (March 31, 2001). "Who were these guys?". Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on January 4, 2002. Retrieved October 11, 2006.
  57. ^ Street, Jim (March 30, 1995). "Replacement players' pay may take a hit". The Indianapolis Star. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. E7. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  58. ^ Newhan, Ross. "Strike Throws Curve Into Start of Spring Training.", Los Angeles Times, published February 16, 1995, accessed July 29, 2010.
  59. ^ a b LaRue, Larry (March 29, 1995). "Replacement players believe the end is near". The News Tribune. p. C3. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  60. ^ Riesgo, Nikco; Cohen, Russ (2010). Strike Three! - A Player's Journey Through the Infamous Baseball Strike Of 1994. Strike Three. ISBN 978-0-557-24643-4. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  61. ^ Kram, Mike (July 2, 1998). "He's (still) available". Philadelphia Daily News. pp. 76-77. Retrieved December 5, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  62. ^ "Slusarksi returns to majors". Cleveland Plain Dealer. August 23, 1995. p. 4-D.
  63. ^ Robinson, Tom (April 5, 1995). "The Tides Have Talent". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on January 7, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2006.
  64. ^ Harrington, Mike (June 24, 1995). "Bison have bounced back nicely from rocky start". The Buffalo News. pp. B1, B5 – via newspapers.com.
  65. ^ a b Holtzman, Jerome (January 24, 1995). "REPLACEMENT TEAM IN COBB'S DAY LACKED SOMETHING: QUALITY". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  66. ^ a b Livacari, Gary. "Allan Travers". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  67. ^ a b Forrester, Wade (May 18, 2014). "May 18, 1912: Replacement Players Take The Field For The Striking Tigers". On This Day In Sports. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  68. ^ Andrew Godfrey (September 3, 2009). "1912 Tigers Pickup Team Loses 24-2". Bleacher Report. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  69. ^ a b c "Baseball Stats and History". Baseball Reference. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  70. ^ a b Lamb, Bill. "Billy Maharg". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
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