[MIJB#19]

75th season anniversary: 50 Legends, Louie Flannery era
To celebrate the 75th season of the Maassluis Merchantmen, I selected 50 players that I consider the legends of that time span from 2004 until the start of the 2078 season. I split the list of players into 5 groups, each being a time period of roughly 15 seasons. We'll start with episode 1: the Louie Flannery era.

DT #78 Charles Gomez 2004-2014
Charles Gomez was the first selection of the Merchantmen in the league draft in 2004. A 25-year old defensive tackle, Gomez was the whole package: strong, fast, endurable. Gomez was text book example of what should be expected from the position. For 11 seasons, Gomez was the center piece of the fearsome Merchantmen defense. He kept linemen busy to make room for the defensive ends to make the sack and on running downs forced opponents to go outside tackle a lot, but surely running up the gut wasn't an option. In 169 regular season games, Gomez made an astonishing 706 tackles and 254 assists, 72.5 sacks and 206 hurries. Gomez ranks 2nd all-time in the IHOF in tackles amongst defensive linemen (the number one was moved from linebacker to defensive end late in his career). From 2005 through 2010 Gomez was an All-IHOF 1st or 2nd team selection. To the disappointment of the Merchantmen management, Gomez wasn't selected into the Hall of Fame.

QB #3 "Fumblin'" Justin McDavid 2004-2017
Justin McDavid was the 9th pick of the Merchantmen in the 2004 league draft. Then considered a rookie, 23-year old McDavid was the most promising, or perhaps the least dreadful option as quarterback for the Merchantmen in 2004. Despite sitting out week 1, McDavid was considered the first starting quarterback for the franchise. He quickly earned the dishonorable nickname "Fumblin' Justin" leading the league that season with 13 fumbles. In his second season the quarterback battle with 1st round pick Leonard Lyon was initially won by McDavid, but eventually a career devastating injury determined his faith as a career backup. In 2008 he made a two-game comeback to replace injured Louie Flannery. From there on, McDavid was demoted to third string, later on in a mentor role to young backups to Flannery. McDavid got one final play in week 16 of the 2016 season, knee dropping for the victory.

LB #50 Cody Cluff 2004-2016
Cody Cluff was the Merchantmen's 13th pick in the 2004 league draft. Then considered a rookie, the 23-year old Cluff immediately made a name by earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Cluff was mostly a run stopper, teaming up with Charles Gomez in the middle to force opponents to run outside tackle. Cluff wasn't much of a pass rusher, but usually stayed behind to support the pass defense by covering tight ends or picking up on receivers from the backfield. Cluff made 23 interceptions (currently tied for 10th within the franchise) and forced 25 fumbles (third most amongst tMerchantmen players), making him one of the best turnover forcing players in Merchantmen history. He finally earned All-IHOF honors in his next to last season. Cluff was also the first player to break 1,000 tackles and as of the start of the 2078 season ranks 9th all-time in the IHOF in tackles.

S #46 Lincoln Gilmore 2004-2014
Lincoln Gilmore was the Merchantmen's 23rd pick in the 2004 league draft and only 23 years back then. Behind Charles Gomez and Cody Cluff, as the strong safety Gilmore was the last resort for the Merchantmen to stop the run. On top of that, Gilmore was a reliable pass defender, supporting his cornerbacks where ever needed, or picking up on the tight end if Cluff was otherwise occupied. Gilmore ranks 2nd in Merchantmen history in pass defense rating for players with over 2,000 pass plays, and 6th for those with at least 1,000 pass plays.

K #8 Al Bettis 2006-2019
As a 23-year old, Al Bettis went through the draft without being selected. However, after the draft the Merchantmen decided to give Bettis a chance to make the team as an exclusive kickoff specialist, with Cary Coles sticking around for field goals and extra point attempts. Bettis impressed enough to make the team and ended up sticking around for as many as 14 seasons in that role. Only in his rookie season did he once get a chance to show his points racking skills, nailing his only field goal and extra point attempts. Bettis built a tremendous reputation as a kickoff specialist, racking up the touchbacks and being a crucial element in the Merchantmen's field position battle strategy of having elite special teams specialists. Albeit stats have gone lost over time, Bettis used to be all-time best in kickoff distance and touchback percentage.

QB #14 Louie Flannery 2006-2021
The first franchise quarterback in Maassluis, 24-year old Louie Flannery was the Merchantmen's 5th overall choice in the 2006 draft. Struggling with interceptions, Flannery never had the accuracy or determination to be considered amongst the best amongst his peers. Despite that, Flannery racked up the numbers, being the full-time starter for 14 seasons in Maassluis and still sticking around to mentor successor Russell Harrison for 2 more seasons. Flannery guided the Merchantmen to their first AOC Championship game in 2007 and despite his gun slinger reputation rarely threw for more interceptions than touchdowns. His 327:223 touchdown to interception ratio supports that. Flannery had 4 4,000-yard seasons. Despite never getting any All-IHOF honors and a 115-102 record as a starter, Flannery was inducted in the league's Hall of Fame.

LT #63 "Indestructible" Ivan Jacques 2007-2015
After an unimpressive 3-year stint with the Brooklyn Fightin' Bums, the Merchantmen saw their chance to acquire Ivan Jacques in the 2007 off-season through trade. The 27-year old Jacques was hired to be the left tackle of Louie Flannery and stuck around as the starter in that role for 8 seasons. Despite being brittle, as Jacques missed at least 2 games in 7 of 9 seasons in Maassluis, he was called "Indestructible Ivan" in Maassluis after allowing only 1 sack in 12 games in his first season in Maassluis. He continued to be reliable, never allowing more than 4 sacks in a season. Jacques was a complete lineman though, getting credit for key run blocks more often than the guards he played with and being on par with the center. Never an All-IHOF selection, but Merchantmen fans knew what to expect and when he was in the field, Jacques was there to protect his quarterback and make room for the running backs to do their job.

WR #81 Alfredo Bass 2012-2014
Before coming to Maassluis, Alfredo Bass was an All-IHOF first or second team selection 4 times. The Merchantmen acquired Bass aged 32 through trade in 2012 from the Minnesota Miners, hoping to give Louie Flannery a true WR1 to throw to. Bass quickly became Flannery's favorite target always having at least 80 catches for 1,000 yards and 9 touchdowns. Bass was an All-IHOF second teamer in his first season in Maassluis, being the first to have a 1,000-yard receiving season in franchise history. His stay in Maassluis was shorter than hoped, as Bass retired in the 2015 off-season, months before celebrating his 35th birthday.

WR #83 Vince McAlister 2015-2018
Then 26-year old Vince McAlister was acquired from the Boulder Blizzard in the 2015 off-season. The former 3rd round draft pick had been in a backup role for 2 seasons, making just 2 catches for 31 yards in that 2nd season. Despite not being highly rated by scouts, the Merchantmen saw potential in McAlister's speed and agility, even hoping to have a suitable replacement for recently retired Alfredo Bass. McAlister surprisingly delivered, making 77 catches for 1,116 yards and 7 touchdowns in his first season in Maassluis. He missed some time in the second season, but in the third season, despite playing opposite Gabe Springer, McAlister set new personal records with 78 catches for 1,191 yards and 10 touchdowns. In week 9 of the 2018 season disaster struck, McAlister blew out his knee. He was released in the 2019 off-season and spent a couple of days on the training field in the 2020 season, but never saw the field at game time again. He retired from football at the age of 30.