With Noah Syndergaard’s first pitch in Game 3 last night (Saturday, October 30, 2015), the World Series got REALLY interesting, even for those who aren’t fans of either the New York Mets or the Kansas City Royals. For me, the World Series this year went from a fringe event where I’ll try to catch what I can to a “can’t miss” spectacular where I’m setting my DVR and turning my phone off if I’m not home. I love baseball but with my team, the Philadelphia Phillies, being dreadful this year and hitting the tee boxes almost a month ago, I figured I’d catch some World Series highlights and watch games when the kids were asleep. Now I’m all in! Since I’m also a crazy Disney fan and my job is all Disney (and other types of vacations! I am a FULL SERVICE travel agent), all the time, I had a silly thought last night about which Disney characters would make a great starting nine players in the World Series. I mean, do you load up on young arms like the Mets? Do you field a team that gets on base a ton like the Royals? Here’s my World Series: My Disney Starting 9.
1. Bolt from Bolt – Center Field – Bolt’s speed seems unmatched in the Disney universe. He would give any team a heck of a leadoff hitter and he’d be an absolute terror on the base paths. Plus, he’s a little dog, so his strike zone is almost non-existent! Imagine how many walks he could get and how high his On Base Percentage would be in the World Series? Plus, I think he’d be able to track ANY ball down in center field (again, he’s a really fast dog!) and would have no problem dealing with the pressure of the big stage since he’s already a movie star.
2. Baymax from Big Hero Six – Right Field – Baymax is the perfect two-hitter because he’s completely unselfish and would give himself up in a heartbeat to move a runner into scoring position. Remember when he sacrificed himself to save Hiro and the evil scientist’s daughter? He didn’t even blink. Baymax knows it’s all about the team and he’s the kind of guy you want on a World Series roster. Plus, in right field, he actually has a rocket arm!
3. Fix-It Felix Jr. from Wreck-It Ralph – Shortstop – Felix is the epitome of a three-hole hitter. He makes contact with absolutely everything and oftentimes with power. He can hit a home run when you need it (fixing Vanellope Von Schweetz’s race car), or he’ll stand in there and work a tough at bat (hitting himself in the face with a hammer repeatedly to get out of the NesQuick sand) in order to get on base for the big bats that are coming up behind him. He’d also be fantastic at short because no one would be able to break up a double play against him – he fixes everything!
4. Hercules from Hercules – First Base – The most legitimate power hitter in any Disney lineup, Hercules would be the guy I’d want to try to drive everyone in. He’s got ridiculous hand-eye coordination, can handle a sword (really close to a bat!), and wants to be up there with the game on the line (you’d just have to make sure his girlfriend, Megara, isn’t in his line of sight at the plate, she makes him a little nervous). He would also make a big target over there at first base so there shouldn’t be any problems with the infielders getting him the ball on routine grounders.
5. Captain Gantu from Lilo & Stitch – Catcher – Captain Gantu is huge, extremely strong, and would be fantastic protection for your cleanup hitter. Would you pitch around Hercules to get to a 20-foot tall alien with a never-say-die attitude? I don’t think so! Plus, a catcher is normally one of the leaders on a good World Series team, so who better to lead a team than a military-like hard worker like Captain Gantu. He tracks Stitch down several times throughout the movie using technology and video screens. I’m sure he’d use that same hard work and dedication to study film in the video room and learn the opposing hitters’ tendencies. I’d be extremely comfortable with Captain Gantu calling a game for me!
6. Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy – Left Field – Traditionally, left fielders can’t move very well so that’s why I’d put Groot out there. He is literally a tree so he’s not exactly fleet of foot. But as a six hitter, I think he would be a solid RBI guy (he’s MADE of wood, by the way, so he’s getting wood on ANYTHING that comes near him!) He’d also probably be a nice leader in the clubhouse. He sits quietly and doesn’t say a whole lot, but when he says something it’s usually pretty powerful (“I am Groot!”)
7. Prince Hans from Frozen – Second Base – Every winning team needs that hard-nosed, never quit kind of player who is going to get in the other team’s heads. That’s Prince Hans. He teeters on the edge between playing hard and playing dirty, and he’s always looking for an edge out there on the field. Sure, he conned Princess Anna and tried to kill Queen Elsa in the movie, but doesn’t that translate to him going all out and doing whatever it takes to win?! He’s the kind of guy that the media would go to for a sound bite after the game because he would never tell the truth and would almost always throw a teammate under the bus. He’s the Jeff Kent of the Disney universe.
8. Thumper from Bambi – Third Base – With a name like Thumper, he might add a little much needed pop from the bottom of the lineup. I know he doesn’t get shaken easily, as he’s there for Bambi when his mom gets shot. He probably wouldn’t let the bright lights or the crowd get to him. Being a rabbit (and a completely restless one), he’s going to be really light on his feet down at the hot corner and he’ll probably be able to field anything that comes his way. You really need a solid third baseman to rely on in the World Series, and I think Thumper would be your guy.
9. Elsa from Frozen – Pitcher – I know what you’re thinking. Elsa would crack under the pressure in a World Series game. You’re saying that she’s unsure of herself, she cries a lot, and she wears gloves on both hands (which is problematic if you’re a pitcher, especially). But here’s the thing, I wouldn’t want that Elsa. I’m talking about the confident, building ice castles out of nowhere 25 minutes into the movie Elsa. Nothing bothers her (not even the cold!) She’d be completely unflappable out there and she shoots ice at an amazing speed out of her hands. Just imagine what she could do with a baseball! You wouldn’t even need a bullpen because I’m pretty sure she’s ambidextrous. I’m sure you’ve heard about a big game pitcher needing to have “ice water in their veins”. Elsa literally has that! Put her on the mound in a World Series game and forget about it.
So that’s my starting 9. I chose not to go with the Designated Hitter here (remember, I’m a National League Guy) but if I had to choose one it would probably be someone like Gaston (confident, could use him in a big spot), Stitch (lots of hands, fantastic bat control), or David Ortiz (how is he still doing it at this age?) I don’t think this lineup would lose even one World Series game, so they’d be going for a sweep. Speaking of a “sweep”, maybe I could get Cinderella to be the closer?
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