Baseball
Related: About this forumPost your teams' All-Star team (players in your lifetime only)
I'll do it for Cleveland, and only for players that appeared on the roster during my lifetime (and actually played a somewhat significant number of games).
Batting order:
Kenny Lofton, CF
Francisco Lindor, SS
Rocky Colavito, LF
Jim Thome, 1B
Manny Ramirez, RF
Jose Ramirez, 3B
Victor Martinez, C
Roberto Alomar, 2B
Starters:
Bob Lemon (R)
Early Wynn (R)
Sam McDowell (L)
Cliff Lee (L)
Corey Kluber (R)
Bullpen:
Andrew Miller (L)
Cody Allen (R)
Colavito played more right than left, but he did play left. He's there because Albert Belle was such a douchebag. Belle could be a DH if anyone absolutely insists. He'd bat 5th. Missed Al Rosen by one year, otherwise he'd be at 3B. Same with Bob Feller in the rotation. He'd replace McDowell, I think.
Response to Auggie (Original post)
kozar This message was self-deleted by its author.
Response to Auggie (Original post)
kozar This message was self-deleted by its author.
DEbluedude
(826 posts)B Robinson 3B
Ripkin SS
R Alomar 2B
E Murray 1B
M Weiters C
F Robinson RF
Paul Blair CF
B Anderson LF
Starters:
Palmer
Cuellar
McNally
Dobson
Bullpen:
O'day (R)
Va Lefty
(6,252 posts)I'd replace Anderson with Don Baylor and add Tippy Martinez to the bullpen.
Algernon Moncrieff
(5,936 posts)I wouldn't start him (he couldn't bat his weight) but Mark Belanger should be on the all-time Oriole team as the late-inning defensive substitution.
Hangdog Slim
(81 posts)Great line-up but I agree with Va lefty to put Don Baylor in left (though I'm tempted to platoon Rhino and Lo-Lo!) And I would add Zack Britton to the bullpen and although Dobson was on that magical four 20 game winner staff I drop him in favor of Mussina. I am missing my baseball dammit!
Auggie
(31,775 posts)you picked the entire rotation from the early 70's -- all four 20 game winners. We'll never see that again.
MyOwnPeace
(17,273 posts)Quite the line-up of pitching that took them into the World Series against the Pirates.
And Roberto Clemente was the MVP from that World Series that the Pirates won in 7 games.
MyOwnPeace
(17,273 posts)(OK, so I go back a bit further )
Batting order:
Dick Groat (ss)
Roberto Clemente (rf)
Barry Bonds (lf)
Willie Stargell (1st)
Andrew McCutchen (cf)
Manny Sanguillen (C)
Bobby Bonilla (3rd)
Bill Mazaroski (2nd)
Pitching:
John Caldelaria (L)
Bob Friend (R)
Harvey Haddix (L)
Vernon Law (R)
Doug Drabeck (R)
Bullpen:
Kent Tekulve
Elroy Face
Can't leave Haddix off of the list - pitched the single greatest game ever!
The Polack MSgt
(13,422 posts)But I was a Buccos fan coming up (I grew up 13 miles from Wheeling in Washington County) so, why Groat and not Jay Bell?
Gold Glover, Solid hitter and a power threat. I'm Jay bell over a bunch of... well everybody else TBH
Manny Sanguillen had big shiny moments at bat in the playoffs/World Series but both Ott and Pena were significantly better catchers IMHO,
It's nit picky I know but I'd like to hear the thinking.
MyOwnPeace
(17,273 posts)Let's share "an Iron" and a few halupkis (gotta' prove my creds!) and discuss this:
Shortstop was tough for me. I could have added Gene Alley, who was probably better than both Groat and Bell. Didn't Bell also play some 3rd base? I probably went with Groat based on his 1960 season when he won the batting title and was a member of the World Series team - and extra credit for being the only major league player to ever play on a major league baseball AND basketball team!
Catching was tough too. Tony Pena certainly was a good one, certainly better behind the plate than Manny. Manny did have the better average, although not as much power. Actually tried to convert to play right field after the death of his great friend, Roberto.
Gotta' thank the OP - great fun and topic!
PS: Gotta' confess - I HATE Iron City Beer!!!!
The Polack MSgt
(13,422 posts)But even then I thought it was gross.
Thanks for the response M,O,P,
kozar
(2,813 posts)RF Ichiro
3B Edgar Martinez
CF Griffey JR
SS Alex Rodriguiz
2B Robinson Ca
LF Raul Ibananez
1B John Olerud
C Dan Wilson
DH ( added ) Gorman Thomas)
Pitchers
Gaylord
Randy J
Felix hernandez
Hisashi Iwakuma
Freddy Garcia
Bull pen
Norm Charlton
Jeff Nelson
The Polack MSgt
(13,422 posts)Stan Musial retired the year I was born, but I am required by St Louis customs and courtesies to mention him in all lists
Batting order:
Lou Brock Outfielder
Vince Coleman Outfielder
Albert Pujols 3rd Base - he played 3rd his rookie year and occasionally later. Hush, I needed to leave 1st open for
Mark McGuire 1st Base
Jim Edmonds Outfielder
Yadier Molina Catcher - Ted Simmons hit better at C but Yadi MUST be on this roster
Kolten Wong 2nd - We've had better hitting 2nd baseman but Kolten is a generational defender and great base runner
Ozzie Smith SS - And the trend is complete - Better hitters must sit because of gold glove talent ahead of them
Bench Infielder Jose Oquendo
Bench Outfielder Willie McGee
Bench Catcher Ted Simmons
Bob Gibson SP
Joaquin Andujar SP
Chris Carpenter SP
Adam Wainright SP
Steve Carlton SP
Bullpen
Lee Smith
Jason Isringhousen
Bruce Sutter
Auggie
(31,775 posts)CaptYossarian
(6,448 posts)If Flood had continued playing, he might have gotten enough HOF votes.
Torre was a tremendous player (check out what he did in the years around 1970-72). He was a catcher, then 3B and finished at 1B.
The Polack MSgt
(13,422 posts)I know that Joe Torre was a monster while he was in the Lou, but who can I take off? Maybe it's recency bias but Joe misses out. I was actually banging my head over leaving out Scott Rolen more than Joe
In the outfield, Curt Flood was an allstar consistently (at his peak) - But I also left out Andy Van Slyke and Matt Holiday and once again- who do I pull?
In truth, since I saw Andy play so often in St Louis and Pittsburgh if i was gonna change anything (and this hurts me to type...) it would be to switch A.V.S. for Willie McGee as the 4th outfielder
MyOwnPeace
(17,273 posts)You DO know that "Stan the Man" played outfield too, right?
You'd have Coleman before him?
Besides, he was from Donora, PA - yeah, shoulda' been a Pirate!!!
You've been hitting "the Iron" early!
The Polack MSgt
(13,422 posts)Doesn't feel right to include him in a "In YOUR Lifetime" posts.
Yes he was another Polack from coal country western PA, and my he was father's favorite player.
That's kinda my point he is my father's player.
Side note:
I was at the Stand for Stan game the year he received the Medal of Freedom and as he went around the stadium he received aa moving standing ovation.
That moment cemented my wife and I as Cardinals fanatics - "Stans" as they say now.
This game:
They showed this on the video screens prior to bringing him out for that lap around the park
CaptYossarian
(6,448 posts)The Polack MSgt
(13,422 posts)But they were run by a criminal (Ok, never INDICTED) who treated the franchise like a cattle ranch.
In 05 the Cards won 105 games in 06 they won the Series.
Done, I'm a redbird fan since then...
Since then, they have remained a competitive and often pennant contending team. Winning 4 NL Pennants and 2 series since I came here.
It's remarkable that they keep trotting out new kids that come up and contribute year after year.
Which is fortunate because they can't pick a free agent wort ass - See taking Ozuna and not Yelich or giving Brett Cecil a 4 year $60 million contract right before he collapsed into a bloody pile.
Got Goldschmidt just in time for his worst season as well
CaptYossarian
(6,448 posts)The Polack MSgt
(13,422 posts)Well, to be fair last year was OK-ish... Just a tick or 2 below his average pre-Cardinals offensive output.
That doesn't really make up for 2018, when he was the worst starting position player in the NL.
It's unfortunate too because I like Dexter as a guy.
By all accounts, he is a solid dugout citizen and teammate.
He reports to Spring training in shape and ready
He works hard at all aspects of the game.
Those are all things that are important to me - and Dexter checks all the boxes.
But he looks bad at the plate way too often, and all our young outfielders are better gloves at this stage of his career.
Good grief, I really miss baseball
CaptYossarian
(6,448 posts)No way.
The Polack MSgt
(13,422 posts)He's still a good defender and base runner (When he gets on), the issue is that Dylan Carlson, Tyler O'Neil, Harrison Bader etc are better defenders - Harrison Bader is Gold Glove level in fact (But he swings at every pitch within 5 feet of the plate)
None of them have proven that they can hit in the bigs unfortunately - which is a problem on a big league team
CaptYossarian
(6,448 posts)Why do we still have hitting coaches?
I'm a fundamentals guy. Zobrist was my god.
The Polack MSgt
(13,422 posts)I still like him.
Man I miss baseball
CaptYossarian
(6,448 posts)Never marry a gospel singer who only knows 9 Commandments.
Docreed2003
(17,759 posts)When I was in college in the late 90's my roommate and I regularly drove up from our university in West TN to St Louis for Cardinals games. We were lucky enough to catch so many of the McGuire homer games during that season chasing Maris. Anyway, we drove up for a Saturday game and got to old Busch super early. Wasn't anything open around the stadium and we were waiting for the gates to open and decided to walk over to the players entrance. We were shaking hands with all these cards players and even the astros players coming in to the stadium, when this car pulls up and this older guy steps out. I immediately recognized him as Stan Musial but at first none of the other fans around us did. Got to shake his hand and chat for a sec...was really great. My roommate, a big baseball fan but he grew up in Guiana, had no idea who Musial was until after he had walked away. Was a pretty cool experience.
The Polack MSgt
(13,422 posts)He was active around town until the very end. And all the stories are like yours. Down to earth easily approachable nice guy.
He is still a saint in St Louis. I don't remember where I heard this quote but it sums him up "A Stan Musial autograph is only worth the memory. He signed everything put in front of him for 70 years, they are not rare"
Thanks for the story
Docreed2003
(17,759 posts)Kingofalldems
(39,196 posts)C-Ramos
1b--Kendrick
2b--Murphy
SS--Trea Turner
3b--Rendon
LF--Soto
CF--Harper
RF--Werth
P--Strasburg
P--Scherzer
P-J Zimmermann
P--P Corbin
P--Doug Fister
Bullpen
R--Tyler Clippard
L--Sean Doolittle
If you want to include the Senators I could put some HOFers in the lineup.
The Polack MSgt
(13,422 posts)Put Martinez in the rotation!
Kingofalldems
(39,196 posts)CaptYossarian
(6,448 posts)jayschool2013
(2,462 posts)This goes for all of Kansas City MLB history because the A's contributed nobody during their 14 losing seasons in town. Players who debuted for the KC A's such as Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Bert Campaneris and Sal Bando left town right before the team got good. (That was so Kansas City)
We also don't get to count great players such as Carlos Beltran, Jermaine Dye or Johnny Damon because we stupidly traded them away:
BATTING ORDER
1. Willie Wilson RF
2. Hal McRae DH
3. George Brett 3B
4. Mike Sweeney 1B
5. Amos Otis CF
6. Alex Gordon LF
7. Salvador Perez C
8. Frank White 2B
9. Fred Patek SS
STARTING ROTATION
Kevin Appier
Bret Saberhagen
Mark Gubicza
Zack Greinke
Dennis Leonard
BULLPEN
Closer: Dan Quisenberry
Set-up: Jeff Montgomery
ProfessorGAC
(69,745 posts)By Batting Order
SS Javy Baez
3B Bill Madlock
2B Ryne Sandberg
RF Andre Dawson
CF Billy Williams
1B Ernie Banks
C Randy Hundley
LF Dave Kingman
Pitchers
Fergie Jenkins, Greg Maddux, Rick Sutcliffe, Ken Holtzman
Relievers
Bruce Sutter & Lee Smith
I cheated on the Billy Williams thing. The only really good CF I remember the Cubs having was Fowler, & I don't believe he made the all-star team. Billy played a handful of games in center so I used him. I know King an was a strike out artist, but batting him 9th (after the pitcher) would get him pitches to hit. Few pitchers would want to walk him and face those next 6 hitters.
Auggie
(31,775 posts)I chose players in my lifetime because I remember most of them -- or at the very least, was influenced by the legend they created.
ProfessorGAC
(69,745 posts)Think I'm good though. It was tough leaving Santo off, but I just liked the idea of having a batting champion at third.