Who would make your all-time 25 man roster?

[SJ24]

Here is mine:

C- Johnny Bench, Cincinnati Reds
1B- Willie McCovey, San Francisco Giants
2B- Joe Morgan, Cincinnati Reds
SS- Alex Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners/Texas Rangers
3B- Mike Schmidt- Philadelphia Phillies
LF- Barry Bonds- San Francisco Giants
CF- Willie Mays- San Francisco Giants
RF- Ken Griffey Jr.- Seattle Mariners
DH- Babe Ruth- New York Yankees

OF- Hank Aaron- Atlanta Braves
OF/DH- Ted Williams- Boston Red Sox
C- Josh Gibson- Negro Leagues

SP- Sandy Koufax- Los Angeles Dodgers
SP- Bob Gibson- St. Louis Cardinals
SP- Clayton Kershaw- Los Angeles Dodgers
SP- Greg Maddux- Atlanta Braves
SP- Pedro Martinez- Boston Red Sox

P- Steve Carlton- Philadelphia Phillies
P- Jim Palmer- Baltimore Orioles
P- Tom Seaver- New York Mets
P- Warren Spahn- Atlanta Braves
P- Dwight Gooden- New York Mets
P- Randy Johnson- Arizona Diamondbacks

SU- Dennis Eckersley- Oakland Athletics
CL- Mariano Rivera- New York Yankees

The toughest decision was Aaron or Ruth at DH.

Notice some big omissions: Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Cy Young, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Reggie Jackson, Yogi Berra, Honus Wagner, Rogers Hornsby, George Brett, Eddie Mathews, Roberto Clemente, Ernie Banks, Ty Cobb, Frank Robinson, Al Kaline, Hank Greenberg, Roger Clemens, et al.

I am a bigger fan of some of those than others. I think guys who just missed are Clemente, Robinson, Jackson, and Brett.

Interested to see other thoughts.

[smootness]

C - Bench
1B - Gehrig
2B - Hornsby
SS - Wagner
3B - Schmidt
RF - Ruth
CF - Mays
LF - Williams

Bench - Piazza, Aaron, Cobb, Bonds, Ozzie Smith

SP - Koufax
SP - Young
SP - Pedro
SP - Gibson
SP - Maddux

RP - W. Johnson
RP - Seaver
RP - Mathewson
RP - Spahn
RP - Grove
SU - Rivera
CL - R. Johnson

ETA: If we have a DH, I'm putting Ruth there and moving Bonds into RF. I hate having Aaron out of the lineup, though.

I think your inclusion of McCovey over Gehrig is arguably the craziest thing ever posted on this board.

[SJ24]

C - Bench
1B - Gehrig
2B - Hornsby
SS - Wagner
3B - Schmidt
RF - Ruth
CF - Mays
LF - Williams

Bench - Piazza, Aaron, Cobb, Bonds, Ozzie Smith

SP - Koufax
SP - Young
SP - Pedro
SP - Gibson
SP - Maddux

RP - W. Johnson
RP - Seaver
RP - Mathewson
RP - Spahn
RP - Grove
SU - Rivera
CL - R. Johnson

ETA: If we have a DH, I'm putting Ruth there and moving Bonds into RF. I hate having Aaron out of the lineup, though.

I think your inclusion of McCovey over Gehrig is arguably the craziest thing ever posted on this board.

Lou Gehrig was 6' 200 lbs. No way he plays 1B in today's age. He was also facing all white players and worse pitching. Notice I only have Babe and Ted Williams on the roster from that far back.

McCovey was 6'4 and thin, yet he still was cranking out 40 dingers in his prime. He would be a perennial All-Star 1B today. A good argument for 1B would be Pujols or Miggy, but not Gehrig.

I constructed this roster in the context of winning the most possible games in a single season in the modern era.

[smootness]

Gehrig was one of the greatest hitters of all-time. I can only judge players in the era they played, and Gehrig was far more separated from the other players in his era than McCovey was in his. But anyway, my statement was mostly a joke. I believe it, but it doesn't really matter, this is all for fun.

But if we're going with only players since integration, my team becomes this:

C - Bench
1B - Pujols
2B - Morgan
SS - ARod
3B - Schmidt
RF - Aaron
CF - Mays
LF - Bonds

Bench - Piazza, Musial, Rickey Henderson, Griffey, Ozzie

SP - Koufax
SP - Pedro
SP - Gibson
SP - Maddux
SP - Seaver

RP - Spahn
RP - Clemens
RP - Carlton
RP - Kershaw
RP - Ryan
SU - Rivera
CL - R. Johnson

[JCarbo76]

Gehrig was one of the greatest hitters of all-time. I can only judge players in the era they played, and Gehrig was far more separated from the other players in his era than McCovey was in his. But anyway, my statement was mostly a joke. I believe it, but it doesn't really matter, this is all for fun.

But if we're going with only players since integration, my team becomes this:

C - Bench
1B - Pujols
2B - Morgan
SS - ARod
3B - Schmidt
RF - Aaron
CF - Mays
LF - Bonds

Bench - Piazza, Musial, Rickey Henderson, Griffey, Ozzie

SP - Koufax
SP - Pedro
SP - Gibson
SP - Maddux
SP - Seaver

RP - Spahn
RP - Clemens
RP - Carlton
RP - Kershaw
RP - Ryan
SU - Rivera
CL - R. Johnson

It's all in fun, but here goes my 5 deep since 1900 (Pick your own 25):

C: Bench, Piazza, Berra, Campy, Carter
1b: Gehrig, Foxx, Pujols, Thomas, Bagwell
2b: Hornsby, Morgan, Collins, Gehringer, J. Robinson
SS: Wagner, ARoid, Ripken, Ozzie, Vaughan
3B: Schmidt, Mathews, Brett, Larry, Boggs
LF: Williams, Bonds, Musial, Rickey, Yaz
CF: Mays, Cobb, Mick, Junior, edit: Speaker over Duke
RF: Ruth, Hammer, F. Robinson, Ott, Reggie
RHP: W. Johnson, Mathewson, Seaver, Maddux, Clemens
LHP: Grove, R.Johnson, Carlton, Koufax, Spahn
Relief: Rivera, Eck, Gossage, Wilhelm, Fingers

[bravesfanMatt]

So Pete Rose didn't make anyone's list? seems like he could have fit at a few different positions.. especially if you are going 5 deep

[smootness]

It's all in fun, but here goes my 5 deep since 1900 (Pick your own 25):

C: Bench, Piazza, Berra, Campy, Carter
1b: Gehrig, Foxx, Pujols, Thomas, Bagwell
2b: Hornsby, Morgan, Collins, Gehringer, J. Robinson
SS: Wagner, ARoid, Ripken, Ozzie, Vaughan
3B: Schmidt, Mathews, Brett, Larry, Boggs
LF: Williams, Bonds, Musial, Rickey, Yaz
CF: Mays, Cobb, Mick, Junior, Duke
RF: Ruth, Hammer, F. Robinson, Ott, Reggie
RHP: W. Johnson, Mathewson, Seaver, Maddux, Clemens
LHP: Grove, R.Johnson, Carlton, Koufax, Spahn
Relief: Rivera, Eck, Gossage, Wilhelm, Fingers

There's pretty much nothing to disagree with there. Do better next time.

[SJ24]

It's all in fun, but here goes my 5 deep since 1900 (Pick your own 25):

C: Bench, Piazza, Berra, Campy, Carter
1b: Gehrig, Foxx, Pujols, Thomas, Bagwell
2b: Hornsby, Morgan, Collins, Gehringer, J. Robinson
SS: Wagner, ARoid, Ripken, Ozzie, Vaughan
3B: Schmidt, Mathews, Brett, Larry, Boggs
LF: Williams, Bonds, Musial, Rickey, Yaz
CF: Mays, Cobb, Mick, Junior, edit: Speaker over Duke
RF: Ruth, Hammer, F. Robinson, Ott, Reggie
RHP: W. Johnson, Mathewson, Seaver, Maddux, Clemens
LHP: Grove, R.Johnson, Carlton, Koufax, Spahn
Relief: Rivera, Eck, Gossage, Wilhelm, Fingers

Walter Johnson's strength was his fastball that topped out at 92 mph, and you are going to take him over Pedro Martinez?

[Horsehide Harry]

Lou Gehrig was 6' 200 lbs. No way he plays 1B in today's age. He was also facing all white players and worse pitching. Notice I only have Babe and Ted Williams on the roster from that far back.

McCovey was 6'4 and thin, yet he still was cranking out 40 dingers in his prime. He would be a perennial All-Star 1B today. A good argument for 1B would be Pujols or Miggy, but not Gehrig.

I constructed this roster in the context of winning the most possible games in a single season in the modern era.

This is why I think these things are fairly pointless and hugely subjective (but fun to speculate about).

Yes, Gehrig only played against White players, BUT baseball was THE dominant sport of the time and everyone played. What was the percentage of players who EVER played at any level vs the percentage who actually made it. There were less teams. There were only day games. They used one ball over and over. The equipment was different as was medicine and travel.

It's hard to gauge player worth ve different eras.

Would Papa Bell have had a legendary career if he HAD been able to play in the ML? Maybe, maybe not. You can never really know but everyone takes the position that of course he would.

Would Babe Ruth hit over 700 HR in todays game? Could he even remain playing without being banned for life today?

Each era has their hero's.

But, I would say that chances are that I could take an All-Star team from today (my choice) and have a decent chance of beating an All-Star team made up of players from the beginning of baseball to say 1985 because nutrition, training, magic drugs, medicine, etc are all much better today than they have ever been before.

[Carp]

I think it's funny when people say Honus Wagner was better than Alex Rodriguez. Heck, I'd take Corey Seager right now over prime Honus.

I also would take about 20 2B over Rogers Hornsby. Robinson Cano, Robbie Alomar, et al.

This is silly. You have no clue how Wagner, Hornsby, or any other legend would do in today's game. These guys were not just the premiere baseball players of their time, but also the premiere athletes of their time. If Lebron James was born 100 years ago, he likely wouldn't have been a basketball star. Baseball was by far the primary sport and the best athletes played baseball.

Not to mention we've seen what parks like Petco and Safeco do to the stats of even the best hitters, like Cano. But 100 years ago, huge parks were the norm, and these guys still raked.

Imagine if today's hitters had to play with inferior/reused equipment in scorching hot heat with no a/c to cool them down, or when it's spitting snow and there is no heat to keep them warm.

[Carp]

As far as my list:

C. Berra
1b. Gehrig
2b. Hornsby
SS. Ripken
3b. Brett
LF. Teddy Ballgame
CF. Mantle
RF. Ruth


Rotation

Maddux
Seaver
Randy Johnson
Koufax
Pedro


BP (using only relievers or pitchers who spent a significant time in relief)

Smoltz
Eckersley
Wagner
Lee Smith
Percival
Sparky Lyle
Rivera

Bench:

Johnny Bench
Gwynn
Jeter
Chipper
Aaron

Edit: just realized I left off Ruth. DUH!!