The Alltime Argument Starter

“A great baseball disagreement,” writes Tom Verducci in the article accompanying the selection by Sports Illustrated of the Alltime All-Star team, “generates more disagreement than resolution.” Verducci could have added that those disagreements have fueled countless bar discussions over the years, not to mention heated arguments on fantasy/rotisserie baseball draft day.

SI tags the following as their greatest of all time, and there are few selections worth quibbling about. The ground rules they followed: 25 players; seven starting pitchers; two relievers; two catchers; seven infielders; seven outfielders; one manager and two coaches.

First Base – Lou Gehrig, Stan Musial
Second Base – Rogers Hornsby, Jackie Robinson
Shortstop – Honus Wagner, Alex Rodriguez
Third Base – Mike Schmidt
Catcher – Yogi Berra, Johnny Bench
Outfield – Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Babe Ruth
Starting Pitchers – Warren Spahn, Cy Young, Roger Clemens, Lefty Grove, Sandy Koufax, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson
Relief Pitchers – Dennis Eckersley, Mariano Duncan
Manager – John McGraw
Coaches – Joe McCarthy, Casey Stengel

My only quibbles, immediately minor, would be with the selections of Alex Rodriguez (too early), and Jackie Robinson – my guess is that his historical importance vaulted him onto the list, but strictly based on what happened on the field, Joe Morgan would have been my second selection. But in the end, it’s hardly worth arguing about.

Starting to put together my own list, I decided to change the ground rules and make it a list of the greatest players that I’ve seen since I began watching baseball, and who had their primes begin after that time – about 1968, in other words. So Willie Mays and Hank Aaron aren’t on the list, as well as other luminaries who I saw but enjoyed their primes before I began to pay attention. With that in mind, and without further ado:

First Base – Willie McCovey, Eddie Murray
Second Base – Joe Morgan
Shortstop – Cal Ripken Jr., Ozzie Smith
Third Base – Mike Schmidt, George Brett
Catcher – Johnny Bench, Mike Piazza
Outfield – Barry Bonds, Rickey Henderson, Robin Yount, Tony Gwynn, Ken Griffey Jr., Kirby Puckett
Starting Pitchers – Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, Tom Seaver, Jim Palmer, Steve Carlton, Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson
Relief Pitchers – Dennis Eckersley, Mariano Duncan
Manager – Earl Weaver
Coaches – Joe Torre, Tony La Russa
General Manager – Billy Beane
Consultant – Bill James

I wish I could have found a place for Paul Molitor, always one of my favorites; but this is a tough crowd to break into.