Game to Pass the Time: Your All-Time Lineup

HowBoutDemSox

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Aug 12, 2009
10,103
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.)?
 

CarolinaBeerGuy

Don't know him from Adam
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Mar 14, 2006
9,419
Kernersville, NC
Willie Mays - CF
Rogers Hornsby - 2B
Barry Bonds - LF
Hank Aaron - RF
Lou Gehrig - 1B
George Brett -3B
Johnny Bench - C
Honus Wagner - SS
Pedro Martinez - P
Mariano Rivera - Closer
Babe Ruth - DH
 

Was (Not Wasdin)

family crest has godzilla
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Jul 26, 2007
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The Short Bus
1. Ty Cobb, (L) RF
2. Willie Mays, (R) CF
3. Barry Bonds, (L) LF
4. Rogers Hornsby (R)
5. Mike Schmidt, (R) 3B
6. Lou Gehrig, (L)1B
7. Alex Rodriguez, (R) SS
8. Johnny Bench, (R) C
9. Pedro, SP

RP Mariano
Bench: Trout, Ruth, Honus Wagner, Joe Morgan
 

PC Drunken Friar

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Sep 12, 2003
14,542
South Boston
Joe Morgan- 2B
Willie Mays- CF
Ted Williams- DH
Barry Bonds- LF
Hank Aaron- RF
Alex Rodriguez- SS
Mike Schmidt- 3B
Albert Pujols- 1B
Josh Gibson- C
Pedro- SP

I tend to undervalue early century players.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
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Oct 31, 2013
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LF Barry Bonds
DHTed Williams
1B Lou Gehrig
RF Babe Ruth
C Josh Gibson
SS Alex Rodriguez
CF Willie Mays
3B Mike Schmidt
2B Rogers Hornsby

P Pedro

If P hits and no DH I'm going Gibson or Maddux though. Or P Ruth and bring in Aaron
 

The Gray Eagle

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Aug 1, 2001
16,724
I'll let Carig have his team-- he took whoever he wanted before I got a single pick, but that's okay.
I'll take this team:

1976 Joe Morgan, 2B
1955 Willie Mays, CF
1967 Yaz, LF
1933 Josh Gibson, C
2006 David Ortiz, DH
1980 George Brett, 3B
1922 George Sisler, 1B
1967 Roberto Clemente, RF
1987 Ozzie Smith, SS
1934 Satchel Paige, SP

Oh by the way, since Carig got all his picks first, I will choose the ballpark we play in: 1987 Humphrey Metrodome, with the same fan system, grounds crew and ballpark staff they had at the time. I'm the home team. KInd of a tough break for him that his DP combo never played on astroturf before. Oh well.

Bring it on!
 

Yelling At Clouds

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Jul 19, 2005
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Most of you seem to be picking players who are dead or elderly or many years retired, which I would think would put you at a distinct disadvantage in a must-win game. That’s cool. I’ll take:

RF - Betts
SS - Lindor
CF - Trout
LF - Yelich
1B - Alonso
DH - Bellinger
3B - Chapman
2B - Baez
C - Realmuto
P - deGrom
 
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Savin Hillbilly

loves the secret sauce
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Jul 10, 2007
18,783
The wrong side of the bridge....
Since we've already covered most of the obvious GOAT.position candidates, I'll throw in a Peak Year All-Stars squad. These are guys none of whom sustained greatness for long enough to be realistic candidates for GOAT or even in most cases for the HoF, but for at least one shining season, they were ridiculously good. Put that guy from that year at each position, and you have a squad that can compete with the best of them. Here 'tis:

CF - Jacoby Ellsbury 2011 (needs no introduction; 8.3 brWAR, MVP-2)
C - Joe Mauer 2009 (.365/.444/.587 slash, 7.8 brWAR, MVP-1)
LF - George Foster 1977 (52 HR, 1.013 OPS, 8.4 brWAR, MVP-1)
3B - Al Rosen 1953 (180 OPS+, 43 HR, 10.2 brWAR, MVP-1)
1B - Will Clark 1989 (175 OPS+, 8.6 brWAR, MVP-2)
RF - J.D. Drew 2004 (31 HR, 118 BB, 157 OPS+, 8.3 brWAR, MVP-6)
2B - Chuck Knoblauch 1996 (14 triples, .965 OPS, 8.7 brWAR)
SS - John Valentin 1995 (27 HR/20 SB, 81 BB/67 K, 138 OPS+, 8.3 brWAR, MVP-9 and shoulda been higher)

SP - Wilbur Wood 1971 (42 GS/334 IP, 1.91 ERA, 11.8 brWAR, CYA-3, MVP-9)
RP - John Hiller 1973 (125 IP, 1.44 ERA, 7.9 brWAR, CYA-4, MVP-4)
 
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Jul 5, 2018
430
How about the GOAT, home grown Red Sox team:

C. Fisk
1B. Vaughn
2B. Pedroia
SS. Nomar
3B. Boggs
LF. Yaz
CF. Lynn
RF. Mookie
DH. Williams

P. Clemens
 

HowBoutDemSox

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Aug 12, 2009
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How about the GOAT, home grown Red Sox team:

C. Fisk
1B. Vaughn
2B. Pedroia
SS. Nomar
3B. Boggs
LF. Yaz
CF. Lynn
RF. Mookie
DH. Williams

P. Clemens
I tried to flip this around, best roster of non-home grown Red Sox players (criteria of having played in the majors for another team before the Red Sox, so no Varitek or other players acquired while in the minors):

1B: Jimmie Foxx
2B: Jerry Remy
SS: Joe Cronin
3B: Adrian Beltre (close call here with Mike Lowell)
LF: Manny Ramirez
CF: Johnny Damon
RF: JD Drew
C: Victor Martinez
DH: David Ortiz
P: Pedro

Interesting, you can assemble an incredible starting rotation (Cy Young, Lefty Grove, Schilling, Beckett, Sale, etc.) but some of the other positions were somewhat tricky.
 

HowBoutDemSox

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Aug 12, 2009
10,103
Also, the “can’t believe they let him get away” lineup:

1B: Bagwell
2B: Moncado, maybe? Hardest position by far.
SS: Hanley
3B: Boggs
LF: Lynn
CF: Speaker
RF: Mookie
C: Fisk
DH: Ruth
P: Clemens
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
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Oct 31, 2013
72,442
The all-boo team:

1B: Offerman
2B: Grebeck
SS: Lugo
3B: Panda
LF: Cordero (HM: Crawfid)
CF: Darren Lewis
RF: Verdugo (HM: Wily Mo Pena)
DH: Alcantara
SP: Matt Young
RP: Urbina
 
Jul 5, 2018
430
All Californian team:

C. Jim Pagliaroni
1B A. Gonzalez
2B. Pedroia
3B. Langford
SS. Nomar
LF. Reggie Smith
CF. Lynn
RF. Evans
DH. Williams
P. Eck
 

BornToRun

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Jun 4, 2011
17,319
Off the top of my head, all time Sox team:

1. Wade Boggs 3B
2. Nomar SS
3. Ted Williams LF
4. Jimmie Foxx 1B
5. Papi DH
6. Dwight Evans RF
7. Fred Lynn CF
8. Pudge C
9. Pedey 2B
Pedro on the mound. I also have a thing for relievers so I’m going with a three headed monster of Paps, Koji, and Radatz at the back end.
 
Jul 5, 2018
430
Off the top of my head, all time Sox team:

1. Wade Boggs 3B
2. Nomar SS
3. Ted Williams LF
4. Jimmie Foxx 1B
5. Papi DH
6. Dwight Evans RF
7. Fred Lynn CF
8. Pudge C
9. Pedey 2B
Pedro on the mound. I also have a thing for relievers so I’m going with a three headed monster of Paps, Koji, and Radatz at the back end.
In credible line-up, but MLB records for DPs and guys thrown out at home.