Dream Lineup for the last 25 years!!

[Noles_1335]

Came upon an article this morning on ESPN about dream lineup so I thought we could have a little fun with this. Based on offense and defensive metrics and has to be in the last 25 years!

1) Henderson-LF.. 2) Cano-2B.. 3)Arod-SS.. 4) Miggy-3B.. 5) Manny- DH.. 6) Pujols-1B.. 7) Griffey- CF.. 8) Pudge-C..9) Ichiro-RF

SP- Pedro

SP- Maddux

Closer- Rivera

[bkzwhitestrican]

If we don't care that some players took steroids then this would be my full team and lineup:

 

1. Mike Trout OF

2. Ken Griffey Jr OF

3. Alex Rodriguez SS

4. Barry Bonds DH

5. Albert Pujols 1B

6. Manny Ramirez OF

7. Miguel Cabrera 3B

8. Robinson Cano 2B

9. Mike Piazza C

 

BNCH Chase Utley 2B/UTL

BNCH Ivan Rodriguez C

BNCH Chipper Jones 1B/3B

BNCH Ichiro Suzuki OF/DH

 

 

SP1. Pedro Martinez

SP2. Roger Clemens

SP3. Greg Maddux

SP4. Randy Johnson

SP5. Roy Halladay

SP6. Justin Verlander

 

RP Mariano Rivera

RP Trevor Hoffman

RP Aroldis Chapman

RP Craig Kimbrel

RP Billy Wagner

RP Francisco Rodriguez

RP Joe Nathan

[notin]

Rickey Henderson was pushing 40 twenty five years ago. I’ll take Bonds in LF...

[Noles_1335]

If we don't care that some players took steroids then this would be my full team and lineup:

 

1. Mike Trout OF

2. Ken Griffey Jr OF

3. Alex Rodriguez SS

4. Barry Bonds DH

5. Albert Pujols 1B

6. Manny Ramirez OF

7. Miguel Cabrera 3B

8. Robinson Cano 2B

9. Mike Piazza C

 

BNCH Chase Utley 2B/UTL

BNCH Ivan Rodriguez C

BNCH Chipper Jones 1B/3B

BNCH Ichiro Suzuki OF/DH

 

 

SP1. Pedro Martinez

SP2. Roger Clemens

SP3. Greg Maddux

SP4. Randy Johnson

SP5. Roy Halladay

SP6. Justin Verlander

 

RP Mariano Rivera

RP Trevor Hoffman

RP Aroldis Chapman

RP Craig Kimbrel

RP Billy Wagner

RP Francisco Rodriguez

RP Joe Nathan

 

I should've put a few * in there.... steroid free Arod and I could not bring myself to put Bonds in there since his best seasons were tainted. I prob should have selected another LF. I went strictly by the position that the player played.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

The premise of ESPN's article was supposed to be a team put together if you needed to win one game. In other words, not just the greatest players all-time, but the best under pressure in an elimination game.

 

In such a scenario, I'd have to go with Schilling over Pedro. No matter his politics (something we can all avoid discussing on a baseball forum), Big Schil's postseason stats are hard to top: 11-2 W-L, 2.23 ERA, 0.968 WHIP vs. Pedro 6-4, 3.46, 1.080.

 

The other modern choice or if we add a lefty to the staff is MadBum 8-3, 2.11, 0.899. Depending on how far back you want to go, there's always Koufax -- whose only postseason numbers are from the World Series: 4-3, but 0.95 and 0.825.

[moonslav59]

No way Utley, IRod, Jones and Suzuki make my team.

[notin]

No love for Carlos Beltran? Dude has been a postseason monster.

 

Ditto Big Papi and Daniel Murphy...

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

No love for Carlos Beltran? Dude has been a postseason monster.

 

Ditto Big Papi and Daniel Murphy...

 

You can be sure Papi is my DH for one game with the universe at stake. Beltran was also a great postseason player... but taking that third-strike curve from Wainwright to end the Mets' season will also follow him (more in lore, I surmise, than stealing signs with a system devised by the Houston analytics dept).

[Kimmi]

No love for Carlos Beltran? Dude has been a postseason monster.

 

Ditto Big Papi and Daniel Murphy...

 

Clutch players?

[notin]

You can be sure Papi is my DH for one game with the universe at stake. Beltran was also a great postseason player... but taking that third-strike curve from Wainwright to end the Mets' season will also follow him (more in lore, I surmise, than stealing signs with a system devised by the Houston analytics dept).

 

He hit 3 HRs and had an OPS over 1.000 in that series. But, hey, one at bat...

[notin]

Clutch players?

 

If I’m looking for great postseason players, history is on the side of all three...

[notin]

Clutch players?

 

Personally I think the only clutch player in MLB history is Pat Tabler.

 

Career OPS: .724

Career OPS with bases loaded : 1.198

[mvp 78]

Personally I think the only clutch player in MLB history is Pat Tabler.

 

Career OPS: .724

Career OPS with bases loaded : 1.198

 

HOF numbers

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

He hit 3 HRs and had an OPS over 1.000 in that series. But, hey, one at bat...

 

Game Seven NLCS, bottom of the 9th, trailing 3-1, bases loaded, two outs, pennant on the line... bat on shoulder

[notin]

Game Seven NLCS, bottom of the 9th, trailing 3-1, bases loaded, two outs, pennant on the line... bat on shoulder

 

So therefore it discounts his entire postseason career?

 

Did you know Mariano Rivera only pitched one time in Game Seven of the World Series? And he blew a 2 run lead. Does that mean he wasn’t a good postseason pitcher, too?

[Noles_1335]

Guys this was your dream lineup for 25 years... you guys are bringing in postseason stats and one game scenarios. If you built a team in the last 25 years who would it be. And to Moon... why no love for I-Rod or Ichiro. The best defensive catcher possibly ever and the hitting machine that was Ichiro! Step back and take a look at his stats, the guy averaged over 220 hits a season for a 10 year span and the batting average was .320 or better for that time frame. Not to mention the rocket attached to that shoulder.

[notin]

Guys this was your dream lineup for 25 years... you guys are bringing in postseason stats and one game scenarios. If you built a team in the last 25 years who would it be. And to Moon... why no love for I-Rod or Ichiro. The best defensive catcher possibly ever and the hitting machine that was Ichiro! Step back and take a look at his stats, the guy averaged over 220 hits a season for a 10 year span and the batting average was .320 or better for that time frame. Not to mention the rocket attached to that shoulder.

 

Agreed. I’d pick

 

C: Rodriguez

1b: Pujols

2b: Utley (Yes, Utley)

3b: C Jones

SS: ARod

LF: Bonds

CF: Griffey

RF: Ichiro

DH: Ortiz

SP: Pedro, Maddox, Johnson

CL: Rivera

 

 

And I want Pat Tabler on my bench in case I need a big hit with the bases loaded

[Kimmi]

If I’m looking for great postseason players, history is on the side of all three...

 

I don't discount that history is on their side.

 

However, choosing a player because of great postseason play?

[Kimmi]

If we are counting defense, I can't have Miggy on my team.

[Kimmi]

Agreed. I’d pick

3b: C Jones

 

Post of the Day!

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

I don't discount that history is on their side.

 

However, choosing a player because of great postseason play?

 

I didn't mean to hijack, I was just referring to the ESPN article of assembling a team you'd want for one big game. For me, such a lineup wouldn't necessarily include the best career players, but the guys who could usually be counted on to perform when it really mattered; for example, Jeter instead of ARod (or if you go back to the 80s, Dave Stewart over Roger).

[moonslav59]

One could argue Pujols's last few years have lowered him enough to not be on the roster.

 

1B OPS leaders since 1995:

1.113 McGwire

.970 Thome

.960 Bagwell

.953 Helton

.949 Thomas

.941 Votto

.927 Pujols

 

DH/1B

.970 Edgar Martinez

.931 Ortiz

 

If you go by OPS only, not that I'm saying this is best, the best line-up might be:

 

1. Bonds RF

2. Trout CF

3. Ramirez DH

4. McGwire 1B

5. Walker LF

6. Cabrera 3B

7. ARod SS

8. Kent 2B

9. Piazza C

 

Subs for consideration (listed by best OPS):

C: Stanley/Posada/Lopez/Mauer

1B: E Martinez/Thome/Bagwell/Helton/Votto

2B: Cano/Alomar/Altuve/Utley/Biggio

3B: (ARod) Jones/Arenado/Donaldson

SS: Nomar/Tulo/HRam/Larkin/Jeter (yuk!)

OF: Belle/Berkman/Sheffield/Vlad

 

SP: Pedro, Maddux, Johnson, Clemens, Verlander, Kershaw/Sale/deGrom/Scherzer

RP: Rivera, Wagner, Hoffman, Uehara, Kimbrel, Chapman

 

[mvp 78]

C Mike Stanley

1b Mo Vaughn

2b Mark Loretta

SS Pokey Reese

3B Bill Mueller

RF JD Drew

CF Jay Payton

LF Troy O'Leary

DH Reggie Jefferson

SP Matt Clement

SP Hideo Nomo

SP Bret Saberhagen

SP Julian Tavarez

RP Rich Garces

RP Derek Lowe

[Kimmi]

I didn't mean to hijack, I was just referring to the ESPN article of assembling a team you'd want for one big game. For me, such a lineup wouldn't necessarily include the best career players, but the guys who could usually be counted on to perform when it really mattered; for example, Jeter instead of ARod (or if you go back to the 80s, Dave Stewart over Roger).

 

Well 5GG, it seems that you are talking about taking players who are 'clutch'. Without starting that whole debate again, IMO, you have to go with the better players. I would have to go with ARod over Jeter.

[mvp 78]

David Ortiz played 44 combined games in the 2004, 2007, and 2013 World Series runs.

 

His 162-game pace in those three postseasons:

- .375 / .508 / .724 / 1.231

- 47 home runs

- 44 doubles

- 209 hits

- 158 walks

- 154 runs batted in

- 405 total bases

[Kimmi]

David Ortiz played 44 combined games in the 2004, 2007, and 2013 World Series runs.

 

His 162-game pace in those three postseasons:

- .375 / .508 / .724 / 1.231

- 47 home runs

- 44 doubles

- 209 hits

- 158 walks

- 154 runs batted in

- 405 total bases

 

What are you trying to say?

[Kimmi]

"Ortiz gives away Red Sox tickets for life to Boston medical workers"

 

"...four seats for life to Boston Red Sox home games"

 

Well done David.

[mvp 78]

What are you trying to say?

 

1. The numbers are amazing because he's facing the best competition.

2. He deserves to be in the dream lineup.

3. HOF

4. Clutch

[Kimmi]

1. The numbers are amazing because he's facing the best competition.

2. He deserves to be in the dream lineup.

3. HOF

4. Clutch

 

 

1. Yes

2. Yes

3. Yes

4. Not a chance. Anecdotal evidence not allowed.

[mvp 78]

Lol, that’s direct evidence.