Not an original idea, but to pass the time during the extended off-season, Marc Carig at the Athletic posted his "lineup for a baseball game that you absolutely must win" and challenged others to top it. Here's his team:
View: https://twitter.com/MarcCarig/status/1239324276609757185
LF Rickey
RF Ruth
CF Trout
1B Gehrig
3B Chipper
2B Hornsby
C Yogi
SS Wagner
P Pedro
Carig's rules are no DH, but this being the board dedicated to an AL team, I think we can fudge that one. Standard questions - old players v. modern players, PEDs, pre-integration players - are subject to the usual arguments and recrimination. Each player would be a version of himself from his prime playing days.
The linked Athletic piece lists some responses he got, and also some clever twists, variations and themed teams. I particularly liked Rustin Dodd's team of Negro League players, which looks like it could kick some serious ass:
View: https://twitter.com/rustindodd/status/1239399255447666689
2B Jackie Robinson
LF Willie Mays
CF Oscar Charleston
RF Hank Aaron
C Josh Gibson
1B Buck Leonard
SS Ernie Banks
3B Ray Dandridge
P Satchel Paige
To get the ball rolling, here's my team. Clearly, I didn't care about PEDs and was ok with older players getting the nod:
1B: Gerhig
2B: Morgan
SS: ARod
3B: Schmidt
LF: Williams
CF: Mays
RF: Bonds
DH: Ruth
C: Gibson
P: Pedro
Toughest cuts were Schmidt over Boggs and in the outfield, where I could easily have gone with Trout or Aaron. Pitcher is obviously the easiest to figure out.
So, what’s your all-time team? Themed team (only Red Sox, only switch hitters, only mustachioed players, etc.)?
View: https://twitter.com/MarcCarig/status/1239324276609757185
LF Rickey
RF Ruth
CF Trout
1B Gehrig
3B Chipper
2B Hornsby
C Yogi
SS Wagner
P Pedro
Carig's rules are no DH, but this being the board dedicated to an AL team, I think we can fudge that one. Standard questions - old players v. modern players, PEDs, pre-integration players - are subject to the usual arguments and recrimination. Each player would be a version of himself from his prime playing days.
The linked Athletic piece lists some responses he got, and also some clever twists, variations and themed teams. I particularly liked Rustin Dodd's team of Negro League players, which looks like it could kick some serious ass:
View: https://twitter.com/rustindodd/status/1239399255447666689
2B Jackie Robinson
LF Willie Mays
CF Oscar Charleston
RF Hank Aaron
C Josh Gibson
1B Buck Leonard
SS Ernie Banks
3B Ray Dandridge
P Satchel Paige
To get the ball rolling, here's my team. Clearly, I didn't care about PEDs and was ok with older players getting the nod:
1B: Gerhig
2B: Morgan
SS: ARod
3B: Schmidt
LF: Williams
CF: Mays
RF: Bonds
DH: Ruth
C: Gibson
P: Pedro
Toughest cuts were Schmidt over Boggs and in the outfield, where I could easily have gone with Trout or Aaron. Pitcher is obviously the easiest to figure out.
So, what’s your all-time team? Themed team (only Red Sox, only switch hitters, only mustachioed players, etc.)?