The 10 Spot By Pete McEntegart

The 10 Spot takes a look at the most outrageous characters ever to play for this year's World Series teams. For the Red Sox:

1. Bill Lee (1969--78) The Spaceman was in an orbit all his own. At various times he wore--on the field--a gas mask, a Daniel Boone cap and a beanie. Long a devoted pot smoker, he claims to have toked with George W. Bush. Of course, he also says that the CIA has a dossier on him, that the Bible is fiction and that the royal Stuart family of Scotland is directly descended from Jesus Christ.

2. Dennis (Oil Can) Boyd (1982--89) The Can delighted Sox fans, flinging pitches from a skinny 145-pound frame. His mound strutting dismayed opponents but revved up the Fenway faithful. "I got color. I got character. I'm the Caaaan," he said. (Boyd was from Meridian, Miss., where beer cans were known as oil cans.) Sox fans were less delighted in 1986 when, upset over being left off the All-Star team, he temporarily left the team.

For the Cardinals:

1. Al Hrabosky (1970--77) The Mad Hungarian entered games at Busch Stadium to the strains of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, and that's when the show really began. Before each pitch he'd retreat to the rear of the mound, turn his back to the batter, smack the ball into his mitt after muttering to himself and storm back onto the hill. With his Fu Manchu and intimidating fastball, he cut an imposing figure.

2. Pepper Martin (1928--44) The Wild Horse of the Osage was the emotional leader of the Gashouse Gang. Martin reportedly wore nothing under his uniform, not underwear or even a protective cup, which for a third baseman qualifies as very brave or very foolhardy. Martin organized and fronted the Mudcat Band, a country music outfit that played such ditties as Possum Up a Gum Stump on radio shows. Despite his quirks, Martin was a terrific clutch player, batting .500 in the 1931 World Series.

• Pete McEntegart's 10 Spot--and a Daily Blog maintained by SI writers--appears every day at SI.com/scorecard.

COLOR PHOTO

HEINZ KLUETMEIER (LEE)

B/W PHOTO

ART SHAY (HRABOSKY)