You have $35 to build an all-time MLB lineup

The Game Room
1

This is based on this NBA post and this previous attempt at an MLB version

Rules:
1 - You have $35 to pick 8 position players, 3 starting pitchers, and one closer.
2 - You may also pick players who are not on my list; the price is $1 for the first one, $2 for the second, $3 for the third, and so on.
3 - You can’t play any player at a position if they have played at least 600 games there, or if they don’t have 600 games at any position, at whatever position they played the most games. Arod can play SS or 3B; Craig Biggio can only play 2B; Pete Rose can play 1B-LF-2B-3B.
3a - I have Stan Musial listed at RF instead of LF below basically for balance reasons.
4 - Negro League players are eligible; Japanese league players are not.

You can treat PEDs (and pre-integration players) any way you want - myself, I’m disregarding them. Feel free to mention your approach but please do not debate it here.

Left Field
$5 - Barry Bonds
$4 - Ted Williams
$3 - Rickey Henderson
$2 - Manny Ramirez
$1 - Charles Yastrzemski

Center Field
$5 - Willie Mays
$4 - Ty Cobb
$3 - Mickey Mantle
$2 - Mike Trout
$1 - Tris Speaker

Right Field
$5 - Babe Ruth
$4 - Hank Aaron
$3 - Stan Musial
$2 - Frank Robinson
$1 - Roberto Clemente

Third Base
$5 - Mike Schmidt
$4 - Eddie Mathews
$3 - Wade Boggs
$2 - George Brett
$1 - Brooks Robinson

Shortstop
$5 - Alex Rodriguez
$4 - Honus Wagner
$3 - Cal Ripken
$2 - Derek Jeter
$1 - Ozzie Smith

Second Base
$5 - Rogers Hornsby
$4 - Joe Morgan
$3 - Eddie Collins
$2 - Rod Carew
$1 - Nap Lajoie

First Base
$5 - Lou Gehrig
$4 - Albert Pujols
$3 - Jimmy Foxx
$2 - Hank Greenberg
$1 - Jeff Bagwell

Catcher
$5 - Josh Gibson
$4 - Johnny Bench
$3 - Ivan Rodriguez
$2 - Gary Carter
$1 - Mike Piazza

Starting pitcher (pick 3)
$5 - Walter Johnson
$5 - Roger Clemens
$5 - Cy Young
$4 - Tom Seaver
$4 - Greg Maddux
$4 - Lefty Grove
$3 - Pete Alexander
$3 - Randy Johnson
$3 - Bob Gibson
$2 - Pedro Martinez
$2 - Satchel Paige
$2 - Christy Mathewson
$1 - Old Hoss Radbourn
$1 - Justin Verlander
$1 - Sandy Koufax

Closer
$5 Mariano Rivera
$4 Craig Kimbrel
$3 Dennis Eckersley
$2 Goose Gossage
$1 Billy Wagner

2

My team:

1 - Nap Lajoie 2B ($1)
2 - Honus Wagner SS ($4)
3 - Barry Bonds LF ($5)
4 - Babe Ruth RF ($5)
5 - Mickey Mantle CF ($3)
6 - Jimmy Foxx 1B ($3)
7 - George Brett 3B ($2)
8 - Gary Carter C ($2)

SP1 - Lefty Grove $4, SP2 - Randy Johnson $3, SP3 - Pedro Martinez $2 RP - Billy Wagner $1

3

Huh, rereading, number 3 should say “can”, not “can’t”.

4

LF - Rickey Henderson ($3)
2B - Eddie Collins ($3)
CF - Willie Mays ($5)
RF - Babe Ruth ($5)
1B - Hank Greenberg ($2)
SS - Honus Wagner ($4)
C - Gary Carter ($2)
3B - Brooks Robinson ($1)

SP1 - Pedro Martinez ($2)
SP2 - Christy Mathewson ($2)
SP3 - Greg Maddux ($4)

RP - Goose Gossage ($2)

5

The team I put together, strictly off the players listed at the positions listed, not having read all your rules:

$4 - Ted Williams – easy choice, as much as I like Rickey
$3 - Mickey Mantle – good value at $3
$5 - Babe Ruth – I’d take him at $8
$5 - Mike Schmidt – one of my all time favorites; Brett would be good value here too
$1 - Ozzie Smith – value pick. Lord know I’ve got enough offense
$4 - Joe Morgan – none of the others excited me, could use a leadoff type since I didn’t take Rickey
$3 - Jimmie Foxx – was going to take Greenberg at $2, realized I had an extra dollar left over.
$1 - Mike Piazza – crazy good value at $1. Not that Gibson at $5 would be a bad choice – could see going with Brett/Gibson instead of Schmidt/Piazza
$4 - Lefty Grove
$2 - Satchel Paige
$2 - Pedro Martinez – all undervalued (especially Pedro), as is Koufax.
$1 - Billy Wagner – why spend money here?

Now having read the rules, I can see switching things around slightly - Oscar Charleston at CF, Gibson at C, Brett at 3B… but I think I’ll stay with the team I have.

Lineup:
Morgan
Mantle
Ruth
Williams
Foxx
Schmidt
Piazza
Smith

6

Yeah this is way better done than the previous guys rankings. I can see why you have Trout in there still but I woulda gone with DiMaggio or Charleston in center especially since you took off Miguel Cabrera at first base.

7

My lineup:

Joe Morgan, 2B - $4
Jeff Bagwell, 1B - $1
Babe Ruth, RF - $5
Barry Bonds, LF - $5
Alex Rodriguez, SS - $5
Ken Griffey, Jr, CF - $1*
Johnny Bench, C - $4
George Brett, 3B - $2

Pedro Martinez, SP - $2
Sandy Koufax, SP - $1
Tom Seaver, SP - $4

Billy Wagner, RP - $1

I really like the bargains of Bagwell, Griffey, and Koufax at $1 each. Griffey, in particular, I think is a steal both offensively and defensively. Using those three lets me grab Ruth, Bonds, and A-Rod, which is a pretty potent middle of the lineup - and I’ve got 40 home run guys in the 2 and 6 holes, as well. Morgan can lead off.

Seaver makes the team because I’m a Mets fan, and I have to have a representative. If we got to get a specific year’s worth of a player, though, Doc Gooden 1985 would be my $5 player in a heartbeat.

8

Bonds $5
Mays $5
Ruth $5
Brett $2
Jeter $2
Morgan $4
Bagwell $1
Piazza $1

Mathewson $2
Koufax $1
Clemens $5

Wagner $1

I went with the $15 outfield, but could swap Griffey in there to upgrade to Bench, but Piazza isn’t bad value at all. Koufax and Mathewson for $3 total is a steal.

9

C. Mike Piazza…$1.00…best offensive catcher ever.
1B. Jimmy Foxx…$3.00…2nd best first baseman (slightly ahead of Pujols)
2B. Nap Lajoie…$1.00…I’d say he’s the best bargain out of anyone.
SS. Honus Wagner…$4.00…Easily the best shortstop ever
3B. Goerge Brett…$2.00…As good of value as Boggs
LF. Ted Williams…$4.00…argument for best left fielder
CF. Tris Speaker…$1.00…another bargain
RF. Babe Ruth…$5.00…easily best rightfielder
SP1. Walter Johnson…$5.00…Very rarely is he ranked as the second best pitcher alltime.
SP2. Roger Clemens…$5.00…with no ped deduction, he’s easily second best pitcher of alltime.
SP3. Pete Alexander…$3.00…my 3 starters are all arguably top 5 pitchers of alltime.
RP. Billy Wagner…$1.00…His alltime whip and k rate is better than Rivera. He’s very underrated historically and a great bargain for this.

10

SP- Sandy Koufax
SP- Randy Johnson
SP- Christy Mathewson
RP- Goose Gossage
C- Mike Piazza
1B- Jimmy Foxx
2B- Eddie Collins
SS- Homus Wagner
3B- Mike Schmidt
LF- Rickey Henderson
CF- Mickey Mantle
RF- Babe Ruth

11

Looking at this now, I would change out Boggs for Schmidt and Clemens for Mathewson.