The All-Rosenblatt team

Catcher: Bill Freehan. Backup: Ted Simmons

Comment: Freehan played for Denver against the Omaha Dodgers in 1962 before going on to become an 11-time American League All-Star with the Detroit Tigers. He twice finished in the top three in voting for the AL most valuable player award. Simmons played in Omaha in 1969, when he was with Tulsa. He played 21 seasons in the big leagues, was an eight-time All-Star and finished second in the National League in hitting in 1975.

First base: Orlando Cepeda. Backup: Mark McGwire.

Comment: Cepeda played in Omaha when San Francisco visited for a 1959 exhibition game. The 1967 National League MVP, Cepeda hit 379 major league homers and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999. McGwire, who played college baseball at USC, never made it to the College World Series but he did play in Omaha in 1984 with the U.S. national team. He went on to hit 583 homers in the majors, including a record 70 in 1998, but his use of performance-enhancing drugs clouds his legacy.

Second base: Ryne Sandberg. Backup: Frank White.

Comment: Sandberg played at Rosenblatt in 1981 and returned in 2010 as manager of the Iowa Cubs. A 10-time All-Star and a nine-time Gold Glove winner, “Ryno” made it to Cooperstown in 2005. White played 86 games in Omaha in 1973, then began an 18-year career with Kansas City in 1974. A standout defender, he won eight Gold Gloves and played in five All-Star Games.

Shortstop: Ernie Banks. Backup: Luis Aparicio.

Comment: Banks, nicknamed “Mr. Cub,” joined future Hall of Famers Billy Williams and Carl Yastrzemski in a 1965 exhibition appearance in Omaha. Banks gained famed as a power-hitting shortstop before finishing his career at first base. He entered the Hall of Fame in 1977. Aparicio, a slick fielder, made an error in a 1956 game at Rosenblatt. He won nine Gold Gloves, played in 13 All-Star games and joined the Hall of Fame in 1984.

Third base: George Brett. Backup: Mike Schmidt.

Comment: Brett, who played in 133 games in 1973 and 1974 for the Royals, was the first star produced by Kansas City's minor league system. One of four players to collect at least 3,000 hits, slug 300 homers and finish with a career .300 batting average, Brett was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999. Schmidt was a shortstop when he led Ohio University to an appearance in the 1970 CWS. He went on to enjoy a Hall of Fame career with Philadelphia that saw him hit 548 homers and win the NL MVP award three times.

Left field: Richie Ashburn. Backup: Barry Bonds.

Comment: Ashburn's appearance on opening day in 1948 highlighted the inaugural game at Omaha's stadium. A native of Tilden, Neb., Ashburn twice won National League batting championships and routinely led the majors in putouts by an outfielder. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995. Bonds played in Omaha for Arizona State in 1983 and 1984 and earned a spot on the CWS Legends team in 2010. Baseball's all-time leading home run hitter, Bonds' alleged use of performance enhancers could keep him out of Cooperstown.

Center field: Willie Mays. Backup: Billy Williams.

Comment: Mays, considered by some baseball's greatest all-around player, made Omaha appearances in 1958 and 1959. A 24-time All-Star, Mays finished his career with 3,283 hits, 660 homers and a .302 average. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979. Williams played in an exhibition game at Rosenblatt in 1965, seven years into an 18-year career that saw him slug 426 home runs. He made it to the Hall of Fame in 1987.

Right field: Stan Musial. Backup: Carl Yastrzemski.

Comment: Musial was always the top draw when the St. Louis Cardinals played five exhibition games in the 1950s against their Omaha minor league team. “Stan the Man” played on three World Series championship teams, won three NL MVP awards and played in 24 All-Star games. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969. Yastrzemski appeared in a 1965 exhibition at Rosenblatt for the Boston Red Sox. He finished his career with 3,419 hits and 452 homers, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.

Designated hitter: Andre Dawson. Backup: Pete Incaviglia.

Comment: Dawson played at Rosenblatt in 1976 for the Denver Bears. He went on to play 21 seasons in the major leagues, winning the NL MVP award in 1987 when he hit 49 of his 438 home runs. He recently was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Incaviglia, college baseball's all-time home run leader, hit four of his NCAA-record 100 home runs at Rosenblatt while playing for Oklahoma State in the CWS in 1983, 1984 and 1985.

Utility: Dave Winfield. Backup: Paul Molitor.

Comment: Winfield's two dominating pitching performances in the 1973 CWS with Minnesota marked the last time he stepped on to the mound. He might have been the finest all-around athlete ever to play at Rosenblatt — he was drafted four times in three different sports. An outfielder in the major leagues, he is a member of both the Baseball Hall of Fame and the College Baseball Hall of Fame. Molitor also played for Minnesota in the CWS, leading the Gophers to Omaha in 1977. He played every position but pitcher and catcher in a 21-year major league career, and earned first-ballot election to the Hall of Fame in 2004.

Starting pitchers: Bob Gibson, Satchel Paige, Greg Maddux. Backups: Roger Clemens, Bob Lemon, Steve Arlin.

Comment: Omaha native Gibson started his Hall of Fame career in his hometown stadium before going on to stardom with the St. Louis Cardinals. Hall of Famer Paige, a star in the Negro Leagues, made numerous exhibition appearances in Omaha, the last coming in 1967 at the age of 61. Maddux pitched for the Iowa Cubs at Rosenblatt in 1986, then went on to win 355 major league games. He'll likely be a first-ballot selection to the Hall of Fame in 2013. Clemens made Omaha appearances in 1982 and 1983 with Texas, while Hall of Famer Lemon pitched here in 1958. Arlin never went on to achieve fame in the big leagues but he was dominant on the mound in CWS appearances for Ohio State in 1965 and 1966. He is a member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame.

Relief pitcher: Rich Gossage. Backup: Bruce Sutter.

Comment: Gossage, one of baseball's first dominant closers, showed up in Omaha on a rehab assignment in 1991. He played 22 major league seasons for nine teams, recorded 310 saves and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008. Sutter pitched at Rosenblatt in 1976 while playing for the Wichita Aeros. He won the 1979 National League Cy Young award when he saved 37 games. He finished his career with 300 saves, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.

Manager: Terry Francona. Other: Jack McKeon.

Comment: Francona won the outstanding player award while leading Arizona to the national championship at the 1980 CWS. He turned in 10 solid but unspectacular seasons as a major league player before developing into one of baseball's top managers, twice leading the Boston Red Sox to World Series championships. McKeon was the Omaha Royals' first manager and led the team to league championships in 1969 and 1970. He also managed Omaha in 1971 and 1972 before embarking on a major league managerial career that saw him win 1,011 games with five clubs. In 2003, at the age of 72, McKeon led the Florida Marlins to the World Series championship.

Coaching staff: Earl Weaver, Rod Dedeaux, Augie Garrido, Skip Bertman, Mike Jirschele

Comment: Weaver played for the Omaha Cardinals from 1951 to 1953 but never made it to the big leagues as a player. He did go on to win 1,480 games and one World Series in 17 years with Baltimore and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1996. Between them, Dedeaux (USC), Garrido (Cal State Fullerton and Texas) and Bertman (LSU) won 20 national championships at the CWS. Jirschele has managed the Royals for 11 seasons and is the team's all-time leader in wins and losses.

All-name team: Pork Chop Pough, Bombo Rivera, Joe Zdeb, Skeeter Barnes, Shooty Babitt, Stubby Clapp.

Comment: What else can you say about this group?

General manager: Bill Gorman

Comment: Gorman came to Omaha in 1971 and spent 30 years as the Royals' general manager. He oversaw the day-to-day operation of the club while working for several owners. The Royals reached several attendance milestones under his direction.

Groundskeeper: Frank Mancuso. Assistant groundskeeper: Jesse Cuevas.

Comment: Mancuso served as the stadium's superintendent and groundskeeper for 26 years until he died of a heart attack in 1986. His dedication for keeping the stadium in tip-top shape was legendary. Cuevas started working at the stadium as a ball shagger at the age of 10 in 1969, then succeeded Mancuso in 1987. His work at Rosenblatt has earned him national acclaim.

P.A. announcer: Jack Payne

Comment: The voice of the CWS from 1964 until 2000, Payne is best known for his folksy delivery that helped set the event apart from other NCAA championships.

Official scorer: Lou Spry

Comment: Spry first became associated with the CWS in 1967 as the event's media coordinator. Once the NCAA's chief financial officer, Spry became the official scorer for the CWS in 1981 and continued in that position through this year's championship.

Sportswriter: Bob Williams

Comment: In his 39 years with The World-Herald, Williams covered more than 580 CWS games and also served as the beat writer for the Royals.

Radio announcer: Frank Adkisson

Comment: Adkisson called more than 1,400 games in the 10 seasons he spent as the Royals' play-by-play announcer. He now serves as one of the team's official scorers.

Organist: Lambert Bartak

Comment: Bartak's keyboard stylings have delighted generations of Omaha baseball fans. His biggest claim to fame might have come in 1988 when an umpire ejected Bartak from a Royals game for playing the theme song from “The Mickey Mouse Club” television show during an on-the-field argument.

Concession worker: Stan “The Singing Beer Man” Bartak

Comment: Fans at Royals games in the 1990s became accustomed to hearing Bartak (no relation to the organist) break into tune while selling them a cold one.

— Steven Pivovar

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