Potomac Nationals Release 35th Anniversary Team
The fans voted Jorge Posada as the best catcher in franchise history. A five-time All-Star, Posada played in 17 seasons with the New York Yankees. He hit 275 homers with over 1000 RBI in 1,829 games all with the Bronx Bombers. Posada played in seven World Series winning five World Championships with New York retiring after the 2011 season. In 1993 as a Prince William Yankee, Posada hit .259 with 17 homers and 17 stolen bases in 118 games as a 21-year old.
Three-time NL MVP Albert Pujols beat out 2010 NL MVP Joey Votto to be voted the best first baseman in franchise history. A two-time World Champion, Pujols has been named an all-star nine of his first 12 years in the big leagues. His .325 career average is the best of any current major leaguer and Pujols has recorded 99 or more RBI in each full season while also hitting at least 32 home runs. Playing for the 2000 Potomac Cannons, Pujols hit .284 over 21 games. After just three games in AAA, Pujols earned 2001 NL Rookie of the Year and finished fourth in MVP voting.
In the closest race of any position, current Los Angeles Dodger Adam Kennedy was named the second baseman for the team. A 14-year MLB veteran, Kennedy was part of the 2002 World Champion Anahiem Angels hitting .312 for the Halos in the regular season before being named 2002 ALCS MVP. Kennedy played in 52 games over 1997 and 1998 for the Prince William Cannons as a Cardinal affiliate sporting a .296 average with 34 RBI.
Rafael Belliard barely beat out Jack Wilson to be voted the franchise all-time shortstop. Belliard played in 17 season for Pittsburgh and and Atlanta. He played on six playoff teams with the Braves including the 1995 World Series Champion club. The only Alexandria Duke on the team, Belliard stole 42 bases in 1981 as a 20-year old in the Carolina League.
Six-time All-Star Bobby Bonilla was voted the third baseman. Bonilla was a career .279 hitter for 16 years with nine different teams. He twice finished top 3 in MVP voting and played for six playoff teams including the 1997 World Champion Florida Marlins. As a member of the 1985 Prince William Pirates, Bonilla hit .262 in 39 games in his final year of minor league baseball along side Barry Bonds.
Top position player vote getter Bernie Williams patrols center field for the franchise team. Williams was a key cog for four Yankees World Championship teams playing all 16 years in the bigs with New York. He was named to five straight All-Star games from 1997-2001 helping the Yankees to 12 straight playoff appearances from 1995 to 2006. Williams finished his career with 2,336 hits and a .297 average. He played in 121 playoff games and was named 1996 ALCS MVP. In 1988 with the Prince William Yankees, Williams had 113 hits in just 92 games hitting .335 to go along with 29 steals as a 19-year old in the Carolina League.
Considered the greatest left fielder of all-time, Home Run King Barry Bonds is the left fielder for the team. In a career that spanned 22 seasons with Pittsburgh and San Francisco, Bonds set all-time marks in home runs (762), walks (2,558) and intentional walks (688). He also won a record seven NL MVPs while playing in 14 All-Star games earning 12 starts. Bonds holds the all-time single season records in home runs (73, 2001), OBP (.609, 2004), Slugging (.863, 2001), OPS (1.421, 2003), walks (232, 2004) and intentional walks (120, 2004). Bonds also finished his career with 514 stolen bases to be the only member of the 400/400 and 500/500 clubs. Bonds played his first professional baseball game as a 1985 Prince William Pirate. He finished his time in Woodbridge hitting .299 with 13 homers and 15 stolen bases in 71 games.
Recently retired Magglio Ordonez is the lone representative from the Chicago White Sox era as a Prince William affiliate on the team as it's right fielder. Named to six All-Star teams, Ordonez finished his career of 15 years with the White Sox and Tigers as a .309 hitter. He won the 2007 AL Batting Crown hitting .363 and drove in 100 or more runs in seven years. Ordonez played with the 1995 Prince William Cannons hitting 12 homers over 131 games as a 21-year old.
The team includes two pitchers including leading vote getter Andy Pettitte. Currently back with the Yankees, Pettitte has played in eight World Series (seven with New York, one with Houston) over the course of his 17 year career. The lefty has finished in the top six of Cy Young voting five times and started a record 42 playoff games. His 243 career wins is the most of any active pitcher. Pettitte, pitching primarily to Jorge Posada, won a team-high 11 games sporting a 3.04 ERA for the 1993 Prince William Yankees.
Righty Dan Haren rounds out the All-time team as the second pitcher. A current member of the the LA Angels, Haren has been named to three All-Star games over ten seasons with four organizations. Haren has led the majors in K/BB radio three time while also leading the league in starts three times. As a Cardinals farmhand with the 2002 Potomac Cannons, Haren had a 3.62 ERA over 14 starts striking out 82 batters in 92 innings.
Potomac Franchise 35th Anniversary Team
C - Jorge Posada (1993) 1B - Albert Pujols (2000) 2B - Adam Kennedy (1997-8) SS - Rafael Belliard (1981) 3B - Roberto Bonilla (1985) OF - Bernie Williams (1988) OF - Barry Bonds (1985) OF - Magglio Ordonez (1995) P - Andy Pettitte (1993) P - Dan Haren (2002)