Watching the All-Star game reminded me of how many great players the Cardinals have had over the years. That got me thinking about putting together a roster based on your team’s all time best players. One at each position (no DH!), one lefty starter, one righty starter, 1 reliever, and 3 bench guys. I’ll start with the Yankees:
SS - Jeter
2B - Lazzeri
RF - Ruth
1B - Gehrig
LF - Mantle (hey, I’m sure he could play Left…)
CF - DiMaggio
C - Berra
3b - Nettles
SP (L) - Whitey Ford
SP ® - Allie Reynolds
RP - Rivera
Bench - Bill Dickey
Bench - Don Mattingly
Bench - Earle Combs
RF Lou Brock
2B Rogers Hornsby
LF Stan Musial
1B Albert Pujols
CF Jim Edmonds
3B Ken Boyer
C Ted Simmons
SS Ozzie Smith
SP (R) Bob Gibson
SP (L) Steve Carlton (the one that got away…)
RP Bruce Sutter
Bench Red Schoendienst
Bench Enos Slaughter
Bench Mark McGwire (if you want power off your bench - plenty of other options for this spot too)
Tigers
1st-Hank Greenberg
2nd Gehringer
3rd George Kell
SS Trammel
lf Sam Crawford
Rf Al Kaline
Cent Ty Cobb
Catcher Bill Freehan
DH Kirk Gibson
pitcher Jack Morris/Denny McCain
bench
Cecil Fielder
Willie Horton
Lance Parrish
Relief Willie Hernandez
Aurilio Lopez
MGr Sparky Anderson
I’d be confident with this team going up against any other all-time team. In one of those countdown shows of the best teams in baseball history, the '72-74 A’s were ranked 6th. They may not have had Babe Ruth, but they could play. Add a few from the late 80s and early 00s and it works.
LF - Rickey Henderson
CF - Dwayne Murphy (six gold gloves)
RF - Reggie Jackson
1B - Mark McGwire
SS - Miguel Tejada (I know in previous posts I was Campy all the way, but…)
3B - Eric Chavez (six gold gloves and more power than Lansford or Bando)
C - Terry Steinbach
2b - Tony Phillips
SP - Catfish Hunter ®
SP - Vida Blue (L)
RP - Rollie Fingers
Eckersley was great, but Fingers was better in the post season. Gibson '88 and Alomar '92 are two of the most heartbreaking moments in A’s history.
I think you’re entitled to take Philadelphia As as well, which really does wonders for that pitching staff and the right side of the infield. And Home Run Baker, even!
I’d throw Sliding Billy Hamilton, Sam Thompson and Ed Delahanty out there in the outfield, and Grover Cleveland Alexander and Chief Bender as a couple of righties to go with Carlton, and we can consider the historical depth taken care of.
