# Your Baseball Team's All-Time "If Only" Team **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 16, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266 "2009-07-16T21:19:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266/1 "2009-07-16T21:19:20Z")
This was brought to mind by the “all-franchise team” thread currently active: I was thinking that I could probably put together a better team of players who the Astros had given away than of players who actually played for them. The idea is to come up with the best team of players who were traded away by your team, lost to free agency, or otherwise lost & who subsequently spent their best years with another team. C: Eddie Taubensee 1B: Phil Nevin 2B: Joe Morgan 3B: Ken Caminiti (technically, played more years with the Astros, but his years in SD were SO much better) SS: Carlos Guillen LF: Luis Gonzalez (see Caminiti, Ken) CF: Kenny Lofton RF: Steve Finley (see Gonzalez, Luis) P: Johan Santana (rule 5 draft) P: Curt Schilling P: Freddy Garcia Tempted to add Randy Johnson, but his all-too-brief stint with the Astros was pretty close to the mid-point of his career. Strangely, I can’t think of a single relief pitcher who blossomed after leaving the Astros. Billy Wagner was already good, Octavio Dotel was never the same after he left, Brad Lidge seems to have issues with year-to-year consistency. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266/2 "2009-07-16T21:49:48Z")
Do players your team could have drafted but passed over count? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266/3 "2009-07-16T21:52:01Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > Do players your team could have drafted but passed over count? I’d say if there was some kind of public speculation about it, particularly if they passed on a JD Drew type for salary reasons… otherwise Mike Piazza would be on every team but the Dodgers. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266/4 "2009-07-16T22:01:47Z")
As good as the Yankees have been, they’ve had some blunders. Among them… SP- Doug Drabek, future Cy Young winner with the Pirates SP- Bob Tewksbury SP- Larry Gura, a future 20 game winner for the Royals. Dumped by the Yankees, in part, because Billy Martin thought he was gay. SP- Stan Bahnsen, given up for the immortal Rich McKinney SP- Scott MacGregor (sent to Baltimore in the worst trade of the Steinbrenner era) RP- Tippy Martinez (sent to Baltimore with MacGregor) C- Rick Dempsey (ALSO sent to Baltimore with MacGregor) 1B- Fred McGriff, traded as a minor leaguer, for Dave Collins (when Steinbrenner was trying to reinvent the Yanks as a speedy team) 3B- Mike Lowell LF- Rickey Henderson, who had some of his best years (including his MVP season) after leaving the Yankees CF- Willie Mays (first discovered by Yankee scouts, but rejected because GM George Weiss was an unrepentant racist). RF- Willie McGee - traded for Bob Sykes… or Jackie Jensen, a future MVP with the Red Sox DH- Jay Buhner (as Seinfed used to remind us) I can’t think of a great 2nd baseman or shortstop they traded away. ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266/5 "2009-07-17T03:15:11Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > . > > RF- Willie McGee - traded for Bob Sykes… or Jackie Jensen, a future MVP with the Red Sox Willie won his MVP with the Cardinals in '85 Retire 51 ---
**Author:** ![tds1273](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266/6 "2009-07-17T17:28:10Z")
Mariners C: Jason Varitek (one of the most notorious trades in Sea history; another name involved will appear here too) 1B: David Ortiz (then known as David Arias; draft in 92 in the farm system till 96) 2B: Jose Vidro (worst DH evar! had some decent years as Mon’s 2b though) 3B: Jeff Cirillo (begining of the end for him here, but he was good in Mil & CO) SS: Rich Aurilia (won an MVP 3 years prior, but horrible here too) LF: Rickey Henderson (easy pick. like Jerry Rice in '04) CF: Adam Jones (was happy about adding Bedard, but seeing Bal highlights lately really hurts) RF: Brad Wilkerson (i guess? wanted to cheat and say Ruben Sierra, but he had only one game in RF here) SP: Randy Johnson (yeah his back sure had nothing left after '98, eh Woody?) SP: Derek Lowe (the other name in that afore mentioned trade) SP: Tim Lincecum (the perfect draft example for **Rysto**. hometown hero; from UW to [del]Sea[/del] SF?! this convinced me that Bavasi was still working as a mole for LAA) SP: Gaylord Perry (another HOFer with end of career stop in NW) SP: Rich “Goose” Gossage (ditto, Perry & Henderson) RP: Brian Feuntes (went on to be a solid closer for CO and now LAA) B1: Omar Vizquel (won one GG w/Sea, went on to win 10 more; eight consecutive after 1st) B2: Richie Sexton (had typical, solid first two years, but then fell off quick) B3: Ruben Sierra (had a nice early career with Tex) Manager: Dick Williams (don’t know him, but in HOF as a manager for Oak) ETA: Though A-Rod went on to greater things, I kept him off because of his 40/40 year here. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266/7 "2009-07-17T17:36:37Z")
> [@tds1273](#): > > Mariners Heh, I can add a name to that list, as the Astros stole Mike Hampton from the Mariners in a trade of minor-leaguers. ---
**Author:** ![tds1273](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266/8 "2009-07-17T17:41:38Z")
Ran out of edit time… I kept A-Rod off because of his 40/40 and other equally great years here. He went on to keep hitting and put up even bigger numbers, but he also went on to be an even bigger douche. Plus they went on to that amazing '01 season the year after he left. What I’m trying to say is, well, screw A-Rod. ETA… > [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > Heh, I can add a name to that list, as the Astros stole Mike Hampton from the Mariners in a trade of minor-leaguers. Nice one. Yeah, it seems like ex-Mariners are always popping up around the league doing good things. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266/9 "2009-07-17T18:12:19Z")
(hoping someone will do the Montreal Expos …) ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266/10 "2009-07-17T18:20:00Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > As good as the Yankees have been, they’ve had some blunders. Among them… > 1B- Fred McGriff, traded as a minor leaguer, for Dave Collins (when Steinbrenner was trying to reinvent the Yanks as a speedy team) Didn’t the Yanks have both McGriff and Cecil Fielder in their minors, and basically gave them both away for nothing? ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266/11 "2009-07-17T18:23:24Z")
> [@](#): > > C: Eddie Taubensee > 1B: Phil Nevin > 2B: Joe Morgan > 3B: Ken Caminiti (technically, played more years with the Astros, but his years in SD were SO much better) > SS: Carlos Guillen > LF: Luis Gonzalez (see Caminiti, Ken) > CF: Kenny Lofton > RF: Steve Finley (see Gonzalez, Luis) > > . Got to find a home for Abreu there. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266/12 "2009-07-17T18:24:11Z")
> [@Hawkeyeop](#): > > Got to find a home for Abreu there. _smacks forehead_ true. Steve Finley has to go to the bench. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266/13 "2009-07-17T19:15:37Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > (hoping someone will do the Montreal Expos …) God, yeah. First approximation: 1B Andres Galarraga 2B dunno (both Delino DeShields and Mike Lansing belong on the opposite of this team - the “better to trade a year too early than a year too late” team or something like that). SS Wil Cordero?? (slim pickings) 3B Sean Berry (not spectacular) LF Moises Alou CF Larry Walker RF Andre Dawson C Gary Carter Bench: Ken Phelps, Cliff Floyd, Milton Bradley, Matt Stairs… if only some of them could play middle infield. SP (R) Pedro Martinez SP (L) Randy Johnson RP Tim Wetteland Pitching actually gets very thin - best I can come up with is Ted Lilly, Omar Daal, and Jeff Fassero. Or Javier Vasquez, I guess, though he’s been pretty unimpressive since leaving les expos. And Jeff Reardon in the bullpen, though his best years were with Montreal. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266/14 "2009-07-17T19:21:09Z")
Hehehe, this will be a hands down winner for the Cubs, I’m thinking… ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266/15 "2009-07-17T19:58:09Z")
tds1273: > [@](#): > > Mariners > > RF: Brad Wilkerson (i guess? wanted to cheat and say Ruben Sierra, but he had only one game in RF here) Wouldn’t Danny Tartabull be better here? After a great 1986 rookie year (albeit overshadowed by monster rookie years from Jose Canseco and Wally Joyner), traded to the Royals for non-entities Mike Kingery and Scott Bankhead, performing incredibly for the Royals, and later, the Yankees. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266/16 "2009-07-17T20:13:16Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > SS Wil Cordero?? (slim pickings) Chris Speier, Orlando Cabrera > [@](#): > > 3B Sean Berry (not spectacular) Larry Parrish > [@](#): > > Bench: Ken Phelps, Cliff Floyd, Milton Bradley, Matt Stairs Vladimir Guerrero, Tim Raines, Marquis Grissom, Rusty Staub ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266/17 "2009-07-17T20:34:05Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Chris Speier, Orlando Cabrera > > Larry Parrish > Vladimir Guerrero, Tim Raines, Marquis Grissom, Rusty Staub \*doh, forgot about Vlad. He should probably replace Andre Dawson (who had most of his good years, though not his MVP, with Montreal) in the starting lineup. Raines I considered and rejected because his best years were in Montreal. Grissom I just don’t think is as good as the other guys who left (though he’s more of a CF than most of them). And I was under the impression Staub was in MTL later in his career - but in any case I need to add him to the Astros team. ---
**Author:** ![tds1273](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266/18 "2009-07-17T21:02:11Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Wouldn’t Danny Tartabull be better here? After a great 1986 rookie year (albeit overshadowed by monster rookie years from Jose Canseco and Wally Joyner), traded to the Royals for non-entities Mike Kingery and Scott Bankhead, performing incredibly for the Royals, and later, the Yankees. Works for me. I kinda figured there had to be a better pick than Wilkerson. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266/19 "2009-07-18T00:08:18Z")
The Mets probably could field two teams. 1B – John Olerud 2b – Jeff Kent SS – Tim Foli 3B – Hubie Brooks (though getting Gary Carter in return made it worthwhile). LF – Kevin Mitchell CF – Amost Otis/Paul Blair/Len Dykstra RF – Ken Singleton C – Jesus Flores (the Mets have done well acquiring catchers (e.g., Grote, Carter, Piazza), but losing Flores was inexcusable). SP – Nolan Ryan (actually a good deal for the Mets at the time)\* SP – Scott Kazmir SP – Mike Scott RP – Jeff Reardon RP – Rick Aguilera RP – Heath Bell - There isn’t anyone in baseball at the time – or anyone who didn’t know how the deal worked out – who didn’t think this was a good trade for the Meta. Ryan was absolutely horrible the year before, especially in the second half of the season, and Fregosi looked like a potential Hall of Famer (he had more win shares than Derek Jeter, for instancce, at comparable points in their careers). But Fregosi started getting injured, and Ryan turned things around. ---
**Author:** ![Stringer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Stringer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringer)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2009, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266/20 "2009-07-18T01:32:48Z")
I’m a Sox fan but I’ll do the Cubs because that’s way more fun. They traded away some of the best closers of the 80s. 1B – Raphael Palmiero 2B – Manny Trillo (meh) SS – ?? 3B – Bill Madlock LF – Cy Williams (meh) CF – Billy North (meh) RF – Lou Brock (worst by far) SP – Greg Maddox (still had some good years with the Cubs, but they should have never let him go) SP – Dontrelle Willis SP – Jon Garland RP – Dennis Eckersley RP – Bruce Sutter RP – Willie Hernandez RP – Lee Smith [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-baseball-teams-all-time-if-only-team/503266.md?page=2)