i have several editions of the baseball encyclopedia and i am not sure either of those linked a moment ago are the definitive book i own, but from way way back when i was just a teeny weeny hand held calculator i was in love with statistics and baseball provided so many wonderful ways to use the many numbers recorded over the years and many times i created my all-time baseball team and ooops, i did it again... this time i went down to the fifteenth team (twenty though the last five have a few missing pieces), forty starting pitchers and thirty relief pitchers... yeah, the team of the gods, or something like that... in any case, here are the first, second, and third all-time teams based on memory and stats (about fifty-fifty, though memory of stats makes stats more influential, i mean, without going into the algorithms and other mental constructs that went into the selection process... you really must be a numerophile to get my brain)...
| C 1B 2B 3B SS LF CF RF P RP DH PR | First Team Bill Dickey Lou Gehrig Rogers Hornsby Pie Traynor Honus Wagner Ted Williams Ty Cobb Babe Ruth Christy Mathewson Mariana Rivera Hank Aaron Vince Coleman | C 1B 2B 3B SS LF CF RF P RP DH PR | Second Team Mickey Cochrane Jimmy Foxx Nap Lajoie Wade Boggs Derek Jeter Stan Musial Willie Mays Hank Aaron Walter Johnson Bob Wagner Joe DiMaggio Willie Wilson | C 1B 2B 3B SS LF CF RF P RP DH PR | Third Team Yogi Berra Hank Greenberg Eddie Collins George Brett Nomar Garciaparra Barry Bonds Joe DiMaggio Willie Keeler Rube Waddell J Papelbon Tris Speaker T Brown |
yes, even provided a DH if we so choose to have one and and Pinch Runner because they are quite valuable, after all... and granted, i did not take fielding into account nearly as much as i would if i was going for 100% accuracy in optimal statistical validation of the rankings of each position, but based on about 80% batting and running stats (and 90% pitching stats), this is the dream teams of all dream teams in us baseball for all-time (until now, at least)... there is so much room for discussion, of course... and if you are wondering about the next seventeen teams, well, here are the next five...
| C 1B 2B 3B SS LF CF RF P RP DH PR | 4th Team Mike Piazza Albert Pujols Pete Rose Brooks Robinson Cal Ripkin Ed Delahanty Tris Speaker Mickey Mantle A Joss Trevor Hoffman Billy Hamilton T Brown | 5th Team Ted Simmons Frank Thomas Charlie Gehringer Alex Rodriguez J Cronin Manny Ramirez Billy Hamilton Roberto Clemente Ed Walsh R Hernandez Cap Anson Ozzie Nixon | 6th Team Ivan Hernandez Cap Anson Frankie Frisch Mike Schmidt J Sewell Al Simmons Ed Averill Frank Robinson Ed Plank T Henke George Sisler D Hoy | 7th Team Joe Torre George Sisler Robinson Cano Clipper Jones Luke Appling J Medwick Mickey Mantle Paul Waner Sandy Koufax Joe Nathan Dony Gwynn H Duffy |
| C 1B 2B 3B SS LF CF RF P RP DH PR | 8th Team Johnny Bench Billy Terry Joe Morgan David Wright G Davis Goose Goslin Duke Snider Tony Gwynn Grover Alexander Rollie Fingers Eddie Mathews B Butler | 9th Team G Harnett Eddie Collins C Childs Eddie Mathews Robin Yount Willie Stargell Ken Griffey Mel Ott Cy Young Hoyt Wilhelm Rod Carew Ceasar Cedeno | 10th Team Eddie Lombardi Rod Carew Chase Utley A Ramirez Miguel Tejada Ricky Henderson G Van Haltren Babe Herman Nolan Ryan J Franco Miguel Cabrerra P Donovan | 11th Team Carlton Fisk Miguel Cabrerra Roberto Alomar Greg Nettles Joe Cronin Carl Yaztremski Kirby Puckett Vlad Guerrero Randy Johnson R Nen Harmon Killabrew Ichiro Suzuki |
oh, you didn't ask for the 8th through 11th teams?... well, never mind then...
of course there is so much room for debate we could spend years discussing the justifications and validities and statistical anamolies and so much more, i mean, if anyone was that into numbers and stats, that is...
anyway, that's how i spent my summer vacation, how about you?...
narf :)
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