22. Bullet Joe Rogan

The legend goes like this: A low-level barnstorming team of white minor league ballplayers wearily traveling through the American south-west pull up at a desolate, hot and dusty army post somewhere on the Arizona-Mexico border. The baseball team on this forgotten outpost turns out to be one of the greatest teams the young outfielder of the traveling white team has ever seen, especially a pitcher and catcher named Rogan. He mentally notes the names of the players and when he finally arrives back in his home town of Kansas City all he can do is talk about the great ballplayers he has seen. Unfortunately the great players he has witnessed were all black and the year is 1919. The only man in Kansas City who will listen to young Casey Stengel is J.L. Wilkinson, owner of the all-black Kansas City Monarchs. On his word Wilkinson hires 5 players Casey saw after they are discharged from the Army. These players go on to form the core of the great Monarch teams of the 1920's and 30's.

Makes a great story, but is it true? Not really. Stengel may have played against Rogan and his 25th Infantry Regiment team in Arizona but details are sketchy. Did he recommend the army ballplayers to Wilkinson? Maybe, but Joe Rogan, the pitcher and catcher that Stengel was especially amazed with was actually from Kansas City and had already played for a team owned by Wilkinson back in 1917 while on leave from the service. Chances are Rogan contacted Wilkinson or the other way around and Rogan brought along his other teammates to Kansas City. Black newspapers occasionally ran stories about the black Army baseball teams and Rogan and the 25th Infantry team was fairly well known by 1919. Whatever the truth behind the legend may be, Bullet Joe Rogan became one of the greatest players in history. He was an overpowering and smart pitcher who also hit for power. When ranking ballplayers, I always throw the great Babe Ruth out there to end the discussion for the simple fact that besides being the spectacular hitter he was, the first 5 years of his career was spent as a pitcher and not only did he pitch but he was the best left-hander in baseball. To me that versatility trumps anything any other player can boast and there is only one other player who had that kind of sheer talent, Joe Rogan. Unfortunately his color kept him from competing in the major leagues but we can piece together from the records available that he was every bit as talented as Ruth when it comes to pitching and his hitting became legendary all across the country wherever the Monarchs played ball.

In 1910 Joe Rogan joined the all-black 24th Infantry Regiment and served in the Philippine Islands where he became legendary for his catching and pitching for the regimental team. Discharged in 1914 he soon re-enlisted again, this time with the 25th Infantry at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii which had a powerful ballclub known as the Wreckers. While there he shut out the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League on 3 hits, struck out 13 and hit a double. In 1918 the regiment moved to Camp Little on the Arizona-Mexico border and the team continued its winning record with Sergeant Rogan of the machine gun company credited with an incredible 52 wins in one season. In 1920 Rogan, along with teammates Dobie Moore, Bob Fagan, Oscar Johnson, Hurly McNair and Lem Hawkins went onto form the nucleus of the Kansas City Monarchs, one of the most powerful negro league teams.

21. Fidel Castro

* A Fidel Castro card IS for sale by following the "Buy Now" link below this article or by going to the "Fidel Castro Baseball Card tab below this blog's header. The card is different then the one shown to the left and the one for sale can be seen by going to the "Fidel Castro Baseball Card tab below this blog's header....

Before anyone even starts with me, let me state categorically, I think Fidel Castro is a scumbag dictator and murderer, this card is not meant to glorify him in any way, shape or form.

One of the most enduring baseball legends is the often told story that if only Fidel Castro's fastball had just a little bit more stuff on it, he would have played for the Washington Senators and the whole Cuban Revolution would have been different. The fact of the matter is that Castro was just a mediocre athlete in high school and though he did pitch, did so only as a means to show his dominance over others. He was by most reports a far more superior basketball player and actually did not care much for baseball. He did try out for his college team at the University of Havana but did not come close to making even the JV squad. Back in the forties when Castro was in college, scouts from the Washington Senators scoured the island looking for anyone with an ounce of talent and signed them to contracts so they could fill the spots vacated by American players drafted into the service. The Senators and their farm teams during the war were filled with Spanish speaking players so if Castro had any bit of talent chances are he would have been signed by the Senators. But like everything else during a Communist dictatorship the truth is hard to come by and after the Cuban Revolution and Castro's rise to complete power his baseball career has taken on a life of its own, some due to the usual communist propaganda and some of it due to players stretching the truth in order to make a good story. And I gotta say, as a history buff, it is tempting to believe that fate of an entire country hinged on how fast a single college student could throw a little leather ball. The following is the truth behind Castro's alleged baseball career and the origin of the myth of him pitching in the Cuban League.

On July 24, 1959 before a regular game between the Havana Sugar Kings and Rochester Red Wings, Fidel Castro took the mound for the aptly named Los Barbudos team (The Bearded Ones). Castro’s team played a two inning exhibition against a team from the Military Police. The police team pitcher, Camilo Cienfuegos wisely joined the Barbudos team saying “I never oppose Fidel in anything, including baseball.” 25,000 screaming fans watched El Jefe pitch both innings, striking out two and grounding out to shortstop in his only at bat. This was extent of Castro’s baseball career which Cuban propaganda has greatly exaggerated. The most common lie is that the Washington Senators were scouting the young Fidel when he was a hot-shot right handed pitcher for the University of Havana team. Not only were scouts uninterested in him but he didn’t even make the University of Havana baseball team.

Requests?

I really appreciate all the emails from you guys who enjoy what I am doing here and from time to time I'm asked if I take requests. Sure, why not? So, if you have a player you really want to see, drop me a line at info@cieradkowskidesign.com and tell me who you think should be part of The Infinite Baseball Card Set. I can't promise I will draw it up any time soon, but I'd like to see who YOU want! Keep checking in, I may have an announcement in the next couple of weeks regarding real limited edition sets of cards available...

20. Lefty Grove

Back when there were only 16 major league teams and all were located east of the Mississippi River, the minor leagues were often a baseball fan's only option to see professional baseball. During the 1910's and 20's most minor league teams were unaffiliated with major league teams and because of this autonomy were able to keep players longer than just a year or two like today. The Baltimore Orioles were in the International League, arguably the highest and most professional of the minor leagues. Owned by Jack Dunn the Orioles created a powerful dynasty starting in 1919 that saw the O's win 7 straight league championships. It got to the point where in 1923 the other International League team owners forced Dunn to start selling off some of his players to the majors or else they would all sign a contract with major league baseball giving them the right to purchase any player at a flat fee. They were willing to sell short their profits rather than continue to keep losing to Baltimore! How good was the Orioles of the early twenties? Maybe not as great as the Yankees or the Giants, but they were certainly able to compete with the lower ranked major league teams at the time. Baltimore would often play exhibition games against major league all-star teams and win, so they were definitely up there in the talent department. Those Oriole teams had some great players back then, most of whom were eventually sold off to the Philadelphia Athletics, forming the nucleus of their dynasty of the late twenties and early thirties. George Earnshaw, Joe Boley, Max Bishop, Jack Bentley, Tommy Thomas, and others all went to the majors. The pitching on those teams were amazing, John Ogden going 31-8 in 1921, Jim Parnham winning 33 games in 1923, Tommy Thomas winning 32 in 1925 and of course the unrivaled Lefty Grove who lead the league in strike outs for 4 years in a row.

Signed by the independent Baltimore Orioles in 1920, Lefty Groves became a starter the next season and led the International League in strikeouts for the next four years. He quickly became an integral part of the great Baltimore Oriole dynasty and the team finished in first place every year he played with them. Oriole owner Jack Dunn refused to sell Grove to a major league team until after the 1924 season when he made the Philadelphia Athletics pay a record $100,500 for his services. It was around this time Lefty dropped the “s” at the end of his last name because newspaper sportswriters continually used “Grove” instead of “Groves”.

Anyone wanting to learn more about the Baltimore Orioles from 1903 to 1953 should pick up a copy of Jimmy Keenan's book called "The Lystons" about his grandfather who played on the 1921 Orioles and is a great narrative of the minor leagues and semi-pro circuit during the 1920's. Available at www.keenanbaseball.com

19. Martín Dihigo

Here is a player that I have received numerous requests for. I went back and forth on this drawing because I could not decide what team to have him represent on the card. Dihigo (pronounced "DEE-go") played for so many teams in so many countries it makes your head spin. He also had a career that spanned 1923 to 1945 so it is hard to even decide what part of his career to dipict him in. I eventually picked the 1939-40 Cienfuegos Elefantes, the main reason being the snazzy green and white uniform and the fact that the team had the best tag line in the history of the game: "The tread of The Elephant is slow but crushing."

Back before the integration of the game, there were always stories of great players who, if only they were lighter skinned would be the greatest players of all-time. You heard reports of mysterious players who hit home runs in Philadelphia that were caught for outs the next day in Pittsburgh, pitchers who struck out every batter they faced in a game on a regular basis, runners so fast they could score from first base on a bunt that didn't leave the infield. If only they could play in the major leagues they would be stars. Well most of these guys were stars, just only in countries other than the United States. Down in Cuba, the winter months saw a very vibrant league operating and stars from not only the Caribbean but Americans both black and white flocked down there for good money and to keep in shape during the off season. Black players from the negro leagues loved playing in Cuba because of the equal treatment they received. Major League teams often held spring training in Cuba and regularly played exhibition games against the local Cuban League teams. More often than not the big leaguers were lucky to break even and their managers were left lamenting the fact that they could not sign these great players because of the color of their skin. One of these banned players who became a star in every country he played in was Martín Dihigo.

Often referred to the most versatile player in the history of the game, Martín Dihigo began as a second baseman in his native Cuba. His natural talent soon saw him playing year round in the United States, Venezuela, Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic or wherever his services were needed. Dihigo began playing first and 3rd base and as he got older switched to the outfield. He was a solid hitter, great speed, strong arm and superior range in the field. As a stunt he would sometimes play all 9 positions in a single game. His batting average in the negro leagues during the 1920’s was always above .350 and occasionally he topped .400. In the late 1930’s he began concentrating on pitching and was 18-2 with a 0.90 E.R.A. in Mexico in 1938 while also batting .387. Known to all as a warm and helpful man, Dihigo belongs to The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cuba the United States, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Venezuela.

18. Overton Tremper

Overton who? Overton Tremper, that's who. Never heard of him? Well, don't feel so bad, unless you lived in Brooklyn in the 1930's chances are you would have never heard of him or his team, the Bushwicks of Brooklyn. Back during the 1920's up until the advent of televised games in the 1950's semi-pro baseball was a big thing for many parts of the country where there was no chance of seeing a real major league game in person. Thousands of real talented teams sprung up all over the land and most major league players began their careers playing for teams like the Bushwicks. Semi-pro teams were also a place where over-the-hill major leaguers could wring a few extra dollars more out of their career before retiring from the game. Grover Cleveland Alexander, Rogers Hornsby and Dazzy Vance are 3 Hall of Famers who did just that. But the Brooklyn Bushwicks were a little bit better than most semi-pro outfits. Owner Max Rosner put lots of money into his team and even had their own stadium, Dexter Park. Teams travelled far and wide to challenge the Bushwicks, more often than not returning in defeat but slightly richer as Dexter Park regularly drew crowds of 12,000 during its heyday. The Bushwicks battles with the best negro league teams were legendary and real big league stars often stopped by to play a game or two with the "Kandy Kids" as they were known for their blue and orange uniforms. Dazzy Vance, Babe Ruth, Joe Dimaggio all played games for the Bushwicks and a young college kid, Lou Gehrig tried out but failed to make the team. But the regular roster players, such as Overton Tremper, were as equally well known and idolized.

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in economics, Tremper played parts of 2 seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers before being sent down to the minors. Deciding that it wasn’t the lifestyle he wanted he returned to Brooklyn where he became a high school teacher. On weekends and nights from 1931 to 1934, Tremper was the star outfielder for the semi-pro powerhouse Brooklyn Bushwicks who played major league caliber baseball against all levels of teams. Many ballplayers were actually able to earn more money playing for the Bushwicks than they could playing in the majors as well as having a regular paycheck from their day job. Many major league stars played for or against the Bushwicks and their games against the best negro league teams were legendary. Tremper later earned a master's in education from N.Y.U. in 1938 and coached various semi-pro teams on Long Island. He died in 1996.

17. Jackie Robinson

It often happens that an historical figure gets so obscured by their own fame that we fail to truly see and appreciate the things that made them so famous in the first place. Jackie Robinson falls into that category. Sure, his famous number 42 is officially retired on all major league teams and everyone celebrates him every season. But man, if you really look closely at Jackie Robinson, you get acquainted with a talented, brave, complicated man the likes of which no other country than America can produce. This was a guy who put human nature aside and kept his mouth shut when confronted with the worst slights and actions ignorant racist fans and players could throw at him. It was his sheer will that enabled blacks to get back into organized baseball and it was on Jackie's broad shoulders that the cause for civil rights was brought forward by leaps and bounds. I can't think of anyone that had more of a direct impact on civil rights than this man. In the course of maybe 3 years he brought blacks into American homes that were once kept negligent of them. In a precious few short years it became alright for a white boy to have as his sports idol a black man and for once a black boy growing up in America could look upon Jackie Robinson and know that with the right amount of talent and drive he too could become a major league ballplayer. Or anything else for that matter. America was taught that people of all color could sit together in one place without rioting and a person of color is just as talented as a white man. In today's day and age it is hard to relate to the way people thought back then. Jackie had to overcome things like his manager in Montreal saying that he wasn't even sure a negro was a human being or opposing players in Baltimore releasing a black cat onto the field to taunt him. In those few years Jackie bore all that weight and pressure and in turn changed the mindset and outlook of both his fellow players and fans. Clay Hopper, his Montreal manager later became instrumental in bringing up and tutoring black ballplayers in the Dodger organization. Southerners like Pee Wee Reese had their eyes opened to the racism Robinson had to endure and came to his side as a friend. I don't know, I could go on forever singing the praises of this man and what he did for this country of ours and how sometime everyone should sit back and thank God we have men like Jackie Robinson. As my tribute to this giant of a man, I give you Jackie Robinson in his first season of organized baseball playing for the Montreal Royals of the International League.

Signed by Brooklyn, Jackie Robinson spent 1946 with the Dodgers’ AAA minor league team, the Montreal Royals and on April 18, 1946 in Jersey City, N.J. Jackie Robinson became the first black ballplayer in the 20th century to play in organized baseball. He promptly went 4 for 5, including a three-run home run, scored four runs, drove in three, and stole two bases. Overcoming immense racial pressure, Jackie won over his teammates and fans with his natural physical ability and immense drive to win. Sparked by his play the Montreal Royals won the International League Championship and then went on to beat Louisville in the Little World Series of 1946. Through his sheer determination Jackie Robinson paved the way for the desegregation of the Major Leagues.

16. Eddie Gaedel

This was a card I have wanted to do for a long time, but I wanted to do it the right way. As many might know, eccentric baseball team owner, Bill Veeck hired midget Eddie Gaedel to bat in a game for his St. Louis Browns back in 1951. Comical, yeah, I guess so back then, but today you couldn't do anything near that, A.C.L.U. lawyers and crazed advocates would descend on your ballpark before you knew what time it was. But back in 1951, a midget dressed up in a little uniform with the number 1/8 on the back, holding a toy bat and batting in a real game was fun stuff. Veeck undoubtedly used Eddie Gaedel as a cheap trick to get fans to see his sub-par team and over his long career as a team owner would do other crazy stunts to get fans to come out to the park. But I do think that Veeck genuinely cared about his smallest ballplayer. He continued to employ Gaedel over the next decade for promotions and Eddie far from felt used by his one major league at bat. He actually made a nice profit from appearances on radio and t.v. milking his career as a big leaguer. When I decided to do a card of him, I didn't want to use the standard picture of Eddie batting, everyone has seen it before and it has appeared on cards in the past. And I didn't want to portray him as a joke. I wanted to show him before he batted, surveying the stadium, leaning on his bat taking in his one moment of baseball stardom. It is Sunday, August 19, 1951 and he is about to become a big league ballplayer. Hopefully I did Eddie justice.

St. Louis Browns’ owner Bill Veeck found midget Eddie Gaedel through a talent agency in Chicago where he formerly worked as Mercury Records mascot. Gaedel was secretly signed to a major league contract and on August 19, 1951 pinch hit for Frank Saucier in a game against Detroit. Tigers pitcher John Cain laughed hysterically and threw 4 straight pitches, all balls, for it would be nearly impossible to pitch to Gaedel’s one and a half inch strike zone. Gaedel took his base and was then taken out for pinch runner Jim Delsing. Gaedel never played again but stayed close to Bill Veeck who used him in various stunts during the 1950’s. He later took to drinking heavily and died at the age of 36 after being badly beaten in a robbery on Chicago’s South Side.

14. Jud Wilson

Baseball, more than any other sport lays claim to the best player nicknames. "Moonlight" Graham. "Catfish" Hunter. "Oil Can" Boyd. "Blue Moon" Odom. "Duke" Snider. The list goes on and on. Hall of Famer Jud Wilson is no exception.

Called “Boojum” because of the sound his line drives would make hitting the outfield wall, many consider Jud Wilson to be the most dangerous hitter in black baseball history. He was a fiery player and often as feared for his temper as for his bat. Wilson played on some great clubs but it was with the Baltimore Black Sox teams of the 1920’s that his reputation was made. The Black Sox was a talented and rough outfit that over the course of its prime boasted quite a few players that would go on to become legends of black baseball... Crush Holloway, Oliver Marcelle, Rap Dixon, John Beckwith and Hall of Famers Pete Hill, Satchel Paige, Oscar Johnson and of course Jud Wilson. He played for more than 25 years, year-round and consistently hit in the high .300’s. In the field he played third in a crude manner, just getting in front of and knocking down anything that came his way. It was rough, but effective. He often played through injuries and his competitive drive fueled any team he was on. Off the field Jud was surprisingly gentle and affable, the exact opposite of the impression he liked to give when he had the uniform on. And speaking of uniforms, how about these 1929 Baltimore Black Sox jerseys and caps? Pretty Smart looking, huh?

13. Walter Johnson

I remember watching the opening credits for one of those MLB produced documentaries on baseball greats when I was a kid and being fascinated by the short clip of Walter Johnson pitching. He'd bring his right arm back like a whip and throw the ball almost sidearm in the most fluid, natural motion I ever saw. It looked so perfect that it didn't appear like there was any effort given by Johnson, just a quick, well-oiled whip-snap of a throw. It was this delivery that propelled Johnson on his way to becoming the greatest right handed Major League pitcher of all time. He pitched for 20 years and his strike out totals stood for more than 50 years. Playing for the lousy Washington Senators made his winning totals even more special and at times it seemed as if he won games just through his pitching as his team rarely finished in the first division. Imagine if he had pitched for a good team or played in a major market like New York or Chicago. At any rate Walter Johnson was well respected by his peers and his kindness was legendary. He was known for giving up a hit to a rookie player so they could say they got a hit off the Great Walter Johnson and give them confidence. Could you imagine Roger Clemens or Pedro Martinez caring enough to do that?

So anyway, everyone starts somewhere and the Big Train is no exception. Hall Of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson’s first taste of professional baseball was with the Olinda (later Anaheim) Oil Wells of the Southern California League. Even fresh out of high school he was a dominant pitcher averaging 10 strike outs per game in his first season. He played minor league ball for Weiser, Idaho in 1906 and returned in the winter to take up with the Oil Wells again. He struck out 15, 17 then 21 batters in games throughout the season. In the spring he went back to Weiser where he pitched a record 57 straight scoreless innings. Initially he was disregarded as a prospect because of the way he brought back his pitching arm, revealing what pitch was coming. Fortunately he was so fast knowing what was coming really didn’t matter if it was unhittable.

11. Satchel Paige

Sometimes there are stories that seem too good to be true and when you are talking about Satchel Paige, the bar measuring incredulity is raised even higher. This is one of those stories and it goes like this:

In 1937 the Dominican Republic was ruled by a nasty dictator named Rafael Trujillo who found his control over the island nation slightly slipping. Opposition groups formed in distant parts of the country and one rival in particular began gaining in popularity, partly through his alliance to a powerful baseball team in the Dominican Baseball League. What better way to regain the heart and minds of a baseball-mad country than field an even greater team to represent the capitol city, Ciudad Trujillo (one of the perks of being dictator is you get to rename the capitol city after yourself).

So in the spring of 1937 Dominican agents recruited Satchel Paige and about 8 other Negro and Cuban League stars to play for the Dragones de Ciudad Trujillo. The players lived like celebrities, their every wish catered to, but as the short, hotly contested 2-month season wore on, Trujillo left nothing to chance and practically kept his players under house arrest as he tried to prevent anything like drinking and women from stopping his team from winning. Paige and his teammates were escorted to and from the games by an armed soldiers and threats were soon being made about winning the championship "or else". During this time Trujillo began massacring people of Haitian descent along the border as he solidified his tyrannical grip over the island. Amongst all this political drama, the season comes down to the climactic final game and Paige takes the mound in a ballpark tailor-made for home runs and filled with armed soldiers and fans. Of course Ol' Satchel tosses the game of his life, wins the championship, and the players quickly flee the island that night for the cherished freedom of the Good Ol' U.S.A.

The real story is a little less dramatic. Paige did assemble the team and take them to the Dominican Republic, but the part about the armed guards watching over them turns out was just for their own protection as the Americanos were very popular with the baseball-crazy citizens and were mobbed everywhere they went. The Dragones boasted the best black players at that time, Josh Gibson, Sam Bankhead, Leroy Matlock, Cy Perkins, Cool Papa Bell, Bob Griffith and Chet Williams. The players really lived a great vacation lifestyle spending their free time fishing and swimming and were probably not even aware of Trujillo being a murderous dictator. The Dragones won the championship, but Paige actually only pitched in relief and after giving up 3 runs in the 9th held on to win the game 8-6. After the season Paige took the team, now called "The Trujillo All-Stars" on a barnstorming tour of the United States culminating in winning the coveted Denver Post Baseball Tourney.

If you want to know more about the actual career of Satchel Paige and not just the myths, you must buy Larry Tye's recent book "Satchel." It is the most balanced book on this larger-than-life figure I've ever read and he has done some real groundbreaking research for this welcome edition to any baseball bookshelf.

10. Josh Gibson

When you first start learning about the history of baseball, you soon start hearing faint stories of all these great black ballplayers who were banished behind the curtain of racial segregation. A pitcher who was so good he would call his whole team off the field because he would strike out the side. The player who was so fast he could turn the light switch off and be under the covers before the room was dark. And the guy who was so powerful he hit a ball clean out of Yankee Stadium. Now of course when it comes to the negro leagues a lot of stories are just that, stories. A lack of complete press coverage by white newspapers made it so many stories about these ballplayers were told word of mouth and handed down from one fan to another across time. But when you dig deep you see that these fantastic stories were really rooted in truth.

Take Josh Gibson. Arguably the most well known pre-Jackie Robinson black ballplayer, he really did hit a ball out of Yankee Stadium. This was in 1931 around the beginning of his great career. The next year he joined the Pittsburgh Crawford team run by numbers boss Gus Greenlee. He scoured the country signing the best ballplayers money could by and by 1932 he had a superstar team in place which he named after his restaurant, the Crawford Grill. He built his team their own ballpark, Greenlee Field and the Crawfords dominated the competition and played everywhere and anywhere. As members of the Negro National League they played about 60-70 games in a season and the rest of the time rode around the country in a bus taking on anyone who would play them. It was on these barnstorming tours that the legend of Josh Gibson the great slugger was born. Tales were repeated by white and black fans alike about this big, electrifying catcher who could hit the ball a mile and possessed an arm like a rifle. It was during his time with the Crawfords that Gibson was credited with hitting 84 home runs in a season. This statistic, though often repeated is not entirely correct. The total was made up of games against all levels of talent from major league all-star teams to town teams. There is no denying that Gibson could hit the ball and had he been born 10 years later he most likely would have gotten his chance in the major leagues. Major league players who saw Gibson play confirm his great reputation and he was often referred to as "The Black Babe Ruth" and when the Hall Of Fame opened its doors to negro league players, Josh Gibson was the second one in, right after his old Crawford teammate, Satchel Paige.

When Josh Gibson was recruited by Gus Greenlee’s Pittsburgh Crawford team in 1932 he became part of what many claim was the greatest baseball team of all time. Gibson caught pitchers Satchel Paige, Ted Radcliffe, and Leroy Matlock and the lineup included Cool Papa Bell, Sam Bankhead, Oscar Charleston and Judy Johnson. Although statistics from this time period are sketchy, Gibson’s grass-roots reputation as a slugger was born with this great team and along with teammate Satchel Paige he became the negro leagues most popular player. The stats below are for league games only of which usually 70-80 were played each season.