Inspired by this inspired thread (“2 super goofy questions about baseball rules.”)
You’ve been chosen as a general manager for a baseball game between the Marvel and DC universes.
You have first choice of which team you want to pick, Marvel or DC. You have only 9 slots: each defensive position and just one pitcher (NL rules apply; no DH). For the duration of this game, a truce has been called between superheroes and villains, so you have free choice of any denizen of either universe.
The only restrictions are that only physical prowess is in play here, meaning no manipulating the ball with magical powers (so no teleporting the ball over the fence or “influencing” it to bounce funny or otherwise behave unnaturally), and only players that could reasonably fit inside a standard batter’s box, so no Galactus or the like. I’d say Juggernaut would be at or near the upper limits of physical size allowable, and that’s probably pushing it. Still, that leaves an awful lot of very powerful and skilled players available.
Pitcher, Superman.
Catcher, Superboy.
First Base, Supergirl.
Second Base, Wonder Woman.
Shortstop, the Flash.
Third Base, Mon-El.
Left Field, Colossal Boy.
Centre Field, Plastic Man.
Right Field, Elongated Man.
1B Willy Lumpkin
2B Wyatt Wingfoot
SS Millie the Model
3B Paste Pot Pete
LF The Impossible Man
CF Fin Fang Foom
RF Dr. Bong
C Ruby Thursday
P Night Nurse
Re the OP: Juggernaut’s physical prowess, IIRC, is magically based.
Re the suggestion of Daredevil and Alicia Masters as umpires by Elmer J. Fudd: I see (ha, ha) what you did there, but Daredevil would actually be terrific as an umpire, with his radar sense.
Actually, the best umpire might be the Hulk. Who’s going to argue with him?
Some years ago, the East and West Coast Avengers used to have an annual baseball game, which tended to get interrupted. IIRC, Thor used his hammer instead of a bat.
I know. That’s not a problem. Perhaps “magical powers” wasn’t the proper term to use.
The idea of the restriction is to prevent things like Jean Gray using her powers on the ball to make it stop in mid-air over the plate or Nightcrawler catching the ball in the outfield then teleporting himself (and the ball) to tag out the runner. Basically, no using powers directly on the ball in an unfair manner. There are plenty of other pretty unfair things these people can do already.
Hank Pym can fit inside the batter’s box as The Man With No Strike Zone, and after drawing the walk can get tall enough to steal second from first base, eventually stealing home with ease.
So Nightcrawler and Superman can both throw the ball as hard as they can, and run as fast as they can, but Nightcrawler can’t teleport to the outfield to catch the ball (which Supes can run to do at near light speed) and Kurt is stuck with whatever fraction of 100 mph he can get on his fastball while Kal-El’s only limitation on speed is what the ball will take before disintegrating?
This seems capricious.
I would complain, were it not for the following:
I bet on Marvel.
The climactic play took place off panel.
Squirrel Girl was at bat.
I am sure that the DC team manager, Batman, will be ready for her next time.