Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Yankee Pride

Was talking to Britt the last few days about our "Dream Team" of MLB Players over the course of our baseball-watching lives (a bit over two decades). Thought it might be a fun exercise as far as the Bombers go, so I'll go ahead and throw out my team (listed by how I would make out the lineup):

LF Rickey Henderson
SS Derek Jeter
1B Don Mattingly
3B Alex Rodriguez
RF Dave Winfield
CF Bernie Williams
DH Paul O'Neill
C Jorge Posada
2B Robinson Cano
Bench: Steve Sax, Roberto Kelly, Tino Martinez, Jason Giambi, Scott Brosius

SP David Cone
SP Andy Pettitte
SP Jimmy Key
SP Chien-Ming Wang
SP Mike Mussina
RP Mariano Rivera
RP Joba Chamberlain
RP Mike Stanton
RP John Wetteland
RP Dave Righetti
RP Ramiro Mendoza

I'm sure I'm forgetting some but I'll leave it to others to fill in the blanks.

Two more games for a rainy day: (1) The best team we can assemble made up only of players to never have made an All-Star team and (2) The best team we can assemble of former Yankees (minor or major leagues).

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are these our favorite players... or the best possible team?

Anonymous said...

I'd put Soriano at 2B over Cano.

Roberto Kelly has no place on this team unless you're asking for fan favorites. If that's the case, Matsui should make the bench for Japanese marketing purposes.

Back-up catcher... Stanely, Leyritz or Nokes?

Potential bench players... Strawberry, Tartabull, Velarde, Cecil Fielder, Boggs

The pitching staff looks good to me.

priv8pete said...

Come on now, you'd take Moose over El Duque?!? You both are crazier than Stephen Jackson.

Anonymous said...

I'd definately take Moose over El Duque for his consistancy. Aside a great commercial with David Cone in the men's room, he'd been no more productive that Moose.

Are you going to argue for Melido Perez or Sterling Hitchcock next?

joe said...

Best team. Good call with Soriano over Cano.

Roberto Kelly is my defensive replacement/pinch runner.

Backup catcher -- I'd go with Stanley.

And yes, Moose over El Duque.

priv8pete said...

Upon further number crunching of their Yankee years, Moose has been a more productive pitcher than El Duque. It seems that Duque was just much more lucky in the postseason than Moose since his WHIP and K/BB are worse that Mike's. But it's that 2.68 ERA and 9-3 record that sticks out in my mind compared to Moose's 3.86, 5-7 record.

I'll concede the point, but I'd still probably replace Mr. Almost with El Duque on my list just for panache.

Anonymous said...

After reading Jason Whitlock's most recent "the world is racist" piece, I decided to start a list of my most disliked writers, on-air sports personalities, etc.

Tim McCarver... anyone that has a website devoted to shutting them up is officially big time (www.shutuptimmccarver.com).

Michael Kay - perhaps the cockiest person on the planet... and he brings absolutely nothing to the table.

Jason Whitlock - I don't think it's physically possible for him to write about anything other than race. I think his hands cramp up and he just bashes the keyboard like a walrus until a racially motivated thought comes to mind.

Chris Berman - I know it's cool to have tag lines... but 20 years of listening to the same schtick is getting old.

Stephen A. Smith (though this is a love-hate relationship)- How can one man be annoying on so many levels, yet I still secretly like him. His voice is nasal, he looks funny, his attitude sucks, yet I'll still listen.

Stuart Scott - Boooyeah! I'm the gangsta Jim Cramer.

Mike Lupica - I'd like to see him inside the octagon with Stephen A. Smith.

joe said...

Not to hijack the thread or anything, but that list needs to include Joe Buck.

Michael in New York said...

I say no to Soriano -- he's not a good part of a team, despite his flair. I spent several years watching Soriano refuse to work hard, refuse to get better - and then saw him go to other teams and behave like a punk. Impressive stats don't always mean a player that makes your team better -- his intangibles are poisonous and awful.

Anonymous said...

So assuming that both players are healthy and they would cost your franchise the same amount, you'd choose Cano over Soriano?

Excuse me... let me cough"HOMER"... sorry about that.