Greatest team of the greatest players

[tyronebiggums35]

C:
1B:
2B:
SS:
3B:
LF:
CF:
RF:
DH:

SP:
CP:



If you could choose any players for their position (flexibility for DH position especially) from any era who would you choose?

[tyronebiggums35]

Re: Greatest team of the greatest players

C: Johnny Bench
1B: Lou Gehrig
2B: Jackie Robinson
SS: Honus Wagner
3B: Mike Schmidt
LF: Ted Williams
CF: Willie Mays
RF: Hank Aaron
DH: Babe Ruth

SP: Cy Young
RP(CP): Mariano Rivera

[BunnyHardaway]

Re: Greatest team of the greatest players

I think this might be a repeat topic, but I'll post anyway.

C: Johnny Bench
1B: Lou Gehrig
2B: Rogers Hornsby
SS: Honus Wagner
3B: Brooks Robinson
LF: Ted Williams
CF: Ty Cobb
RF: Babe Ruth
DH: Paul Molitor

SP: Walter Johnson, with Clemens a close 2nd
CP: Mariano Rivera (although he did blow 2 HUGE games, 2004 ALCS Game 4 and 2001 World Series Game 7)

[Psyblast]

Re: Greatest team of the greatest players

C: Johnny Bench
1B: Lou Gehrig
2B: Jeff Kent
3B: Brooks Robinson
SS: Ozzie Smith
LF: Ted Williams
CF: Joe DiMaggio
RF: Babe Ruth
DH: Edgar Martinez

SP: Roger Clemens
CP: Dennis Eckersley

[ab713]

Re: Greatest team of the greatest players

C: Johnny Bench
1B: Lou Gehrig
2B: Ryan Sandberg
SS: Alex Rodriguez
3B: Brooks Robinson
LF: Ted Williams
CF: Willie Mays
RF: Mickey Mantle
DH: Babe Ruth

SP: Roger Clemens
CP: Mariano Rivera

[Happy29]

Re: Greatest team of the greatest players

There is know way to ever compile such a team because everyone has their own opinion on what makes a player great so here is mine

C: Mike Piazza
1B: Lou Gehrig
2B: Ryne Sandberg ( I'm naming my son due august 14 after him)
SS: Nomar Garciaarra ( I'm just a big fan of him)
3B: Ron Santo (He isnt given enough credit for how good he was)
LF: Ted Williams
CF: Andruw Jones (mostly for his glove)
RF: Micky Mantle
DH: Babe Ruth

SP: Greg Maddux (His glove is like having an extra infeilder)
CP: Dennis Eckersley

[SPTO]

Re: Greatest team of the greatest players

Hm let's see

C: Johnny Bench
1B: Lou Gehrig
2B: Robbie Alomar
SS: Ozzie Smith
3B: Brooks Robinson
LF: Ted Williams
CF: Willie Mays
RF: Babe Ruth
DH: Hank Aaron

SP: Nolan Ryan (even tho he sometimes has a defiency in allowing runs, with this lineup he shouldn't have too many problems having a lead)

CP: Lee Smith

Manager: Miller Huggins

PBP: Vin Scully

Stadium: Ebbetts Field

[mjb2124]

Re: Greatest team of the greatest players

Starters and then runner up's in ():

C: Johnny Bench (Mickey Cochrane)
1B: Lou Gehrig (Jimmie Foxx)
2B: Rogers Hornsby (Eddie Collins or Nap Lajoie)
SS: Honus Wagner (Arky Vaughn)
3B: Mike Schmidt (Eddie Mathews)
LF: Ted Williams (Stan Musial)
CF: Willie Mays (Ty Cobb)
RF: Babe Ruth (Hank Aaron)
DH: Hank Aaron (Mickey Mantle)

SP: Walter Johnson (Lefty Grove)
CL: Hoyt Wilhelm (Mariano Rivera)

[Birdsonbat]

Re: Greatest team of the greatest players

C: Johnny Bench
1B: Lou Gehrig
2B: Rogers Hornsby
SS: Cal Ripken Jr.
3B: George Brett
LF: Ty Cobb
CF: Mickey Mantle
RF: Babe Ruth
DH: Stan Musial

SP: Bob Gibson
CP: Mariano Rivera

[prvev2]

Re: Greatest team of the greatest players

subs in ( )

C-Johnny Bench (Ivan Rodriguez)
1st-Lou Gherig (Ernie Banks)
2nd-Roger Hornsby (Ryne Sandberg)
3rd-Mike Schmidt (Brooks Robinson)
SS- Honus Wagner (Ozzie Smith)
OF-Ted Williams (Stan Musial)
OF-Willie Mays (Rickey Henderson)
OF- Babe Ruth (Mickey Mantle)

DH- Hank Aaron

SP- Lefty Grove (Bob Gibson)
CP- Mariano Rivera

[SPTO]

Re: Greatest team of the greatest players

How can Rogers Hornsby play two positions at once?

[mjb2124]

Re: Greatest team of the greatest players

How can Rogers Hornsby play two positions at once?

Easy. He was just that damn good!!

[prvev2]

Re: Greatest team of the greatest players

Yea, sorry, I meant Wagner at short. I should..change that.

[Dice]

Re: Greatest team of the greatest players

Since I've never seen legends like Babe Ruth or Willie Mays play I'm going to go with the players that I've seen play.

C: Ivan Rodriguez - The 'Johnny Bench' of today's game. A combination of elite fielding behind the plate AND top notch hitting at the plate. No other catcher in his era has come close to all star hitting and catching like him.

1B: Rafael Palmeiro - No disrespect to McGwire BUT Palmerio has been a consistent hitter throughout his career. You can count on him to bat over .300 OR hit 40+ HR/100+ RBI OR do both. And he owns a couple of gold gloves in his mantle.

2B: Roberto Alomar - Speed, power, hitting for avergae AND fielding. In my opinion no one, including Ryan Sandberg, has combined all these consistently thoughout his career. Sandberg may have had a little more power and probably on Alomar's level as a fielder BUT he's not the hitter and doesn't have the speed Alomar had.

SS: Cal Ripken Jr. - This was close between him and Barry Larkin. I didn't get to see Ripken play his entire career BUT I was fortunate enough to see him play his best season in 1991 when he won league MVP. Larkin would have been my choice BUT he kepted getting hurt which made me considered the stat of 'Games Played' AND no one beats the 'Iron Man' in this category.

3B: Scott Rolen - Unfortunately from this position I got to see Mike Schmidt play at the tail end of his career so I had to consider this. Who's a 3rd baseman who consistently gives you good hitting with good pitching thoughout their career? There were many to consider. BUT to me Rolen since his first complete major league season has fulfilled my requirements better than any 3rd basemen I've seen play.

LF: Barry Bonds - Yes, Mr. 'Roids makes my team. Even over Rickey Henderson. Bonds to me was a better all around player before the roids and would have been in the Hall of Fame before 1997. Never has been a guy regardless of position has combined the complete tools of a superior baseball player than Bonds. In the late-90's he slowly started to go from a do-it-all player to becoming just a slugger. He went from being a 5 tool player to just becoming a 'TOOL'. But regardless, he's still a HOF player.

CF: Ken Griffey Jr. - 'The Kid' had the world in his hands in the early to mid 90's. Then going to the late 90's to 2000 the injuries started to pile on. He would have been the greatest baseball player I've seen play BUT his injuries got in the way. BUT dispite the injuries, there has been no CF I've seen tape hit measure homers, play the field like there were four fielders AND have a cannon arm like Roberto Clemente other than Ken Griffey Jr.

RF: Larry Walker - Yes, his numbers were inflated playing in Colorado. But remember this, he started his career in Montreal and his average numbers through his full five season playing in Montreal: .283 average, 19.8 HR/yr, 76 RBI/yr, AND 19 steals. People forget he was a base-stealing threat in the beginning of his career. BUT despite the inflated number in Colorado he still would have had decent numbers for HOF consideration. Juan Gonzalez would have been a consideration because he's a better hitter than Walker. Jose Canseco(in his prime) also was up for consideration because of the combination of power a speed. BUT Walker was not too far behind both of these guys AND he supprasses both Gonzalez and Canseco in fielding by a mile.

DH: Frank Thomas - In the 90's he was one of the most feared hitters in baseball. Never did I see a guy cover the plate as good as he did. In the prime of his career I rarely saw him get dominated in an At Bat. Yeah, maybe there was a pitcher out there made him look foolish during that time BUT I'm willing to bet you that picther was either a CY Young winner or contending for the Cy Young. Thomas captialized on more mistake pitches than any hitter I've seen in baseball.

SP: Greg Maddux - The only reason why he beat out Roger Clemens is because of consistency. Remember, in the early 90's Clemens career took a minor turn. His numbers were decent BUT not Clemens type numbers. Looking at his numbers in the late 80's and mid-to-late 90's that's were Clemens posted the bulk of his HOF numbers. Maddux on the other hand has been consistent thoughout his career. Outside of his terrible first two seasons he has posted at least 15 wins for 17 STRAIGHT SEASONS! 4 straight CY Young awards to is not a bad thing either.

CP: Mariano Rivera - It's a travesty that Rivera is the greatest pitcher never to win a Cy Young. I've seen at least 4 relievers win Cy Young awards in the last 20 years. Willie Hernandez in 1984 who was a one year wonder. Mark Davis is 1989 who couldn't hold Rivera's jock strap. Dennis Eckersley in 1992 who was the 2nd best closer behind Rivera. And Eric Gagne in 2003 who still has a LONG WAY to go before he even gets consdieration. I've said it many time on this board that closers is the most overrated position. One of the reasons is because great closers come-and-go quickly than any other position in baseball. The guys I recently named outside of Eckersley proves my point. Rivera also bucks the trend. Rivera's worst season as a closer? in 2000, he had 36 saves and an ERA of 2.86. Most closers would kill for that stat line.

[Stu]

Re: Greatest team of the greatest players

Good post Dice. I'm also going to post a team of the best I've seen play rather than all time.

C - Mike Piazza. Not the fielding catcher Pudge is, but is one of the best hitting catchers of all time.
1B - Frank Thomas. Probably the 2nd best hitter of my generation so far, after Griffey.
2B - Roberto Alomar. Like Dice, said he gave you everything. Contact hitting, could hit for power, great fielder and got on base a lot.
3B - Chipper Jones. Career OBP over .400 and one of the best switch hitters of all time.
SS - Omar Vizquel. Best fielder i've ever seen and was respectable at the plate. Honorable mention: Nomar Garciaparra. People forget how scary a hitter he was in his prime.
LF - Barry Bonds. I don't like putting a cheater on my team, but I can't leave him off.
CF - Ken Griffey Jr. Best all around player of my generation. Without the injuries, he'd be up over 600 HR's
RF - Tony Gwynn. The only modern player to rank in the top 20 in career batting average. Won 8 batting titles
DH - David Ortiz. Sorry Edgar Martinez, but I have to go with the homer pick here.

SP - Pedro Martinez. It's a close race between him and Maddux, but Pedro in his prime is the most dominating pitcher I've ever seen and probably ever will see.
Closer - Mariano Rivera. Best closer ever and even better in the playoffs.