’Pen Pal
IT'S fun to banter about your favorite things, be it sports, politics or religion. I know some of you, like me, have tried to figure out your favorite lineups for an all-time team, an all-left-handed or right-handed team, or maybe even an all-ugly team or an all-handsome team. Pal picks his
all-time teamSo here are the continuing sagas of "Pal's Picks." This time, it's my overall all-time team and my sentimental all-time team.
My All-Time Team (all of them are in the Hall of Fame):
Right-handed pitcher: Cy Young. He's first in career wins (511), starts (815), complete games (749) and innings pitched (7,356).Left-handed pitcher: Warren Spahn. He's got 363 career wins -- tops for a LHP -- and 13 seasons with at least 20 wins.
Catcher: Johnny Bench. Although his stats aren't listed among the best, Bench set the standard for defensive excellence and power hitting for the catcher position.
First base: Lou Gehrig. The "Iron Man" participated in 2,130 consecutive games until Cal Ripken broke his streak. He had 13 100-RBI seasons, eight 200-hit seasons and the most RBIs in one season in the American League (184).
Second base: Rogers Hornsby. His .424 season average is tops in the modern era. His lifetime .358 batting average is second all-time to Ty Cobb.
Third base: Brooks Robinson. Gets the nod for his defense. He was simply the best fielding third baseman in the history of the game.
Shortstop: Honus Wagner. He had eight National League batting titles, nine 100-RBI seasons and 720 career stolen bases.
Outfield: Cobb. He is the career batting leader with a .366 lifetime average. He had 892 stolen bases and 12 batting titles, nine consecutively.
Outfield: Ted Williams. The greatest hitter of all time. He had a .344 lifetime batting average, and was the last player to hit .400 (.406 in 1941). He also had six AL batting titles.
Outfield: Willie Mays. Possibly the best player to ever play the game. Set the standard for the "five-tool" player. He had 11 30-home run seasons and 10 100-RBI seasons.
Outfield (special mention): Mickey Mantle. Hey, it's my team. How can I leave one of my two favorite players off of it? He was the best switch-hitter of all time, and he had speed and power.
He earned back-to-back MVP awards in 1956 and 1957, and hit 536 career home runs.
Designated hitter: Hank Aaron. No way will I leave the career home run king off my team.
Utility: Babe Ruth. I know you were wondering when the Babe was going to make his appearance on my team. After all, he's the other of my two favorite players. (My KFVE broadcast partner Jim Leahey says I even look like him.) He is 94-46 as a pitcher with a 2.28 ERA, and has a .342 lifetime batting average. He is first all-time with a .690 slugging average, had 11 40-home run seasons and hit 714 home runs. He is among the leaders in numerous offensive categories.
Here's a quick look at my Sentimental All-Time Team:
RHP: Bob Gibson; LHP: Sandy Koufax; Catcher: Bench; 1B: Gehrig; 2B: Joe Morgan; 3B: Robinson; SS: Cal Ripken; OF: Williams, Mantle and Mays; DH: Babe Ruth; Utility: Pete Rose.
Pal Eldredge is a baseball commentator for KFVE
and former varsity baseball coach at Punahou School.
His column runs Mondays during the Major League Baseball season.
Star-Bulletin sports can be reached at 529-4785 or: sports@starbulletin.com