The crew over at Fansided has just released their All-Time Major League Baseball 25 Man roster, and I reviewed it and decided to make my own. While some are no-brainers, the staff at Fansided and I do disagree on a number of positions. The teams listed is the team for which the player spent the most time playing, or is generally associated with.
Here’s my roster:
Catcher:
Johnny Bench, Cincinnati Reds 1967—1983
Johnny Bench set the standard behind the plate. He was a 14-time All Star, a two-time Most Valuable Player of the National League, a 10-time Gold Glove winner, and has over 2,000 hits, 389 home runs, and 1,700+ RBIs. He was an integral part of two World Series Championship teams in 1975 and 1976.
Other Candidates:
Carlton Fisk, Yadier Molina, Ivan Rodriguez, Yogi Berra
1st Base:
Lou Gehrig, New York Yankees, 1923—1939
This position may be one of the most difficult to pick the “ best ever,” but after long consideration, I decided to go with Lou Gehrig. The man who “considered himself the luckiest man on the face of the earth” may have thought that because he was a huge part of some of the best baseball teams of all time. Alongside Babe Ruth, the Yankees of the 20’s and 30’s won six World Series Championships behind “Murderers Row,” the combination in the middle of the lineup of Gehrig, Ruth, and others. Gehrig, who most notably held the consecutive games played record for 56 years until Cal Ripken, Jr. did the unthinkable and bested 2180 consecutive games played. Gehrig was no slouch at the plate either, finishing his career with a .340 batting average, 493 home runs, and 1,995 RBIs.
Other Candidates:
Harmon Killebrew, Jimmie Foxx, Albert Pujols, Frank Thomas, Stan Musial
2nd Base:
Eddie Collins, Philadelphia Athletics, 1905—1930
With all due respect to Jackie Robinson, who by his actions alone probably deserves to be on this list, Eddie Collins is the most productive 2nd baseman to ever play the game. Playing in the dead ball era, where the ball didn’t fly as well as it does today, Collins excelled at putting the ball in play, getting on, and reeking havoc on the bases. He finished with a .333 batting average, 3,314 hits, and 745 stolen bases.
Other Candidates:
Joe Morgan, Craig Biggio, Rogers Hornsby, Jackie Robinson
3rd Base:
Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies, 1972—1989
Michael Jack Schmidt just beat out George Brett and Chipper Jones for this spot, but he is well deserving. A member of the 500 home run club, Schmidt finished his career with 548 homers, the most all-time from a 3rd baseman. Schmidt was named to 13 All Star teams, won 3 MVPs, and a World Series Championship in 1980.
Other Candidates:
George Brett, Chipper Jones, Brooks Robinson, Eddie Mathews
Left Field:
Stan Musial, St Louis Cardinals, 1941—1963
Stan The Man is immortalized outside of the left field gate in St. Louis with a statue that reads, “Here stands baseball’s perfect warrior. Here stands baseball’s perfect knight.” That speaks to the type of man that he was, and how much St. Louisans love him. On the field, Stan was the best to ever put on the Birds On The Bat, finishing his illustrious career with 3,630 hits, 475 home runs, 24 All-Star selections, and an impact on the city of St. Louis that will last forever. I could ramble on about Musial for pages and pages, but I’ll leave that for another day. If you want a great story of Stan Musial’s life and career, watch Bob Costas give the eulogy at Stan’s funeral on Youtube.
Other Candidates:
Ted Williams, Rickey Henderson, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, Barry Bonds*
Center Field:
Willie Mays, New York/San Francisco Giants, 1951—1973
This is the easiest pick of any of the eight field positions. Willie Mays is the best baseball player to ever lace up the cleats. The best defensive center fielder of all time, Mays won 12 Gold Gloves, and made one of the most memorable plays in baseball history, running a ball down in deep center field of the 1957 World Series in the vast expanse of the Polo Grounds. Mays was the embodiment of a five-tool player, ranking fifth all time with 660 home runs, and he also stole 338 bases.
Other Candidates:
Ken Griffey, Jr., Ty Cobb, Mickey Mantle, Tris Speaker
Right Field:
Hank Aaron, Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, 1954—1976
As easy as the pick for the all time best center fielder was, the pick in right field is just the opposite. But in the end, Hank Aaron beat out everyone as the best right fielder of all time. Hammerin’ Hank, in my opinion, is still the home run king of professional baseball. For the better part of two decades, Hank was the most feared slugger in all of baseball. Finishing his career with records for home runs (755), RBIs (2,297), total bases (6,856), and extra base hits (1,477).
Other Candidates:
Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, Roberto Clemente, Frank Robinson
Pitching Rotation:
Cy Young
Greg Maddux
Nolan Ryan
Randy Johnson
Bob Gibson
Closer: Mariano Rivera
The bench:
Backup Catcher: Ivan Rodriguez
Utility Infielder: Pete Rose
Infield: Chipper Jones
Outfield: Mickey Mantle
Outfield/Emergency Pitcher: Babe Ruth
Extra: Rickey Henderson
Extra/Emergency Catcher: Craig Biggio
Bullpen:
Billy Wagner: Lefty Specialist
Trevor Hoffman: Set-up Man
Lee Smith: Middle Relief
Dennis Eckersley: Long Relief
Rollie Fingers: Middle Relief
