Shackamaxon's 25th Anniversary Team (Part 2 of 3)

(This is part two of a three part series. Here's part one.)

The early dynasty was fueled by the initial league draft, where eight of the players on this 25^th Anniversary Team joined the nascent Stockholm Sluggers. Since that initial draft, only two first round draft picks by the franchise have made the Anniversary Team, infielder Bill Turek (2005) and closer Junior Cuomo (2003).

The four outfielders selected for the 25^th Anniversary Team are:

Outfielder Christopher Hartsell (2002-2008)

Selected in the 15^th round of the initial league draft, Hartsell was an established 28-year-old veteran on the Sluggers team, and helped the team win its four consecutive Cecil Cups from 2004-2007. In 2005, he hit a walk-off two-run homerun to complete the four-game sweep against hated rival Seattle and win the franchise’s second Cecil Cup. During his time with the team, he hit a respectable .287 batting average and an .808 OPS.

Outfielder Joseph Denn (2002-2005)

Joseph Denn was the second player selected by the team in the initial draft, and entered the league as a 35-year-old slugger in the twilight of his career. While there was a requirement for the 25^th Anniversary Team that a player was on the team for five seasons, an exception was made for Denn. In three and a half seasons, before the wheels fell off, Denn was a slugger non compare. He hit 123 homeruns, with a .282 batting average and a .848 OPS. He won the 2003 Outstanding Batter award and helped the team win its first two Cecil Cup titles in 2004 and 2005.

Outfielder Sherman Evanoff (2014-2024)

A solid player for eleven seasons (second most in franchise history, behind Ricky Peppers), Evanoff was acquired in 2009 for another Anniversary Team member, Troy Nelson (more about him tomorrow), and slugged his way through the minor leagues before debuting in 2014. He holds the one offensive record that Peppers does not, for most walks in team history, and he hit 320 homeruns with a .857 OPS during his time with the team.

Outfielder Sean Arant (2004-2008, 2014-2016)

During two stints with the franchise, Arant was a solid outfielder and a consistent hitter (.308 batting average) and base stealer (209 stolen bases), Arant won the 2006 Outstanding Newcomer award, and won two Cecil Cups with the team, in 2006 and 2007.