Randy Hundley thinks Leo Durocher should have rested the Cubs regulars more in 1969:
“Leo played his starting lineup every stinking day,” said Hundley, who caught 151 games that season. “There were guys on the bench who could have very well taken somebody’s spot for a game or two to give a guy a rest.
“Twenty years after I was out of the game, I still felt I should have been catching every day. But I don’t believe that now. … It absolutely wears you out.”
On top of that, the Cubs were still playing nothing but day games at Wrigley Field then, meaning they didn’t get to play in the cooler evening weather that other teams did. The Cubs had five regulars play over 150 games that season.
Compare that to the Mets, who caught them and, in addition to having Seaver, Koosman, and Gentry, had platoons at catcher, first, second, and third, and maybe right (Swoboda didn’t have a full season’s worth of at bats but I can’t think who the other RF would have been).
Yes, Gil Hodges liked to platoon. I’m pretty sure Swoboda platooned with Art Shamsky, who was a left-handed hitter. I think he had a strong year in 1969.
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