DRAFT -- DRAFT -- DRAFT
New York Yankees All-Time Team
Without doubt, the Yankees are the most
successful and well-known team in all of professional sports. They've won 26
championships and 39 AL pennants. The franchise actually started as the
Baltimore Orioles (believe it or not) with the birth of the American League in
1901. For the 1903 season they moved to New York and went by the name of the
Highlanders until 1913 when they became the Yankees. They didn't win any
pennants until 1921, the year after Babe Ruth joined the club. This means that
they have won their amazing 39 pennants in only the past 84 years -- almost
half of the time! Naturally, their All-Time team will be loaded with talent,
and some hard decisions will keep very deserving players off the roster. And of course, given the club's popularity, this chapter has the most "other lists" to compare my own with.
1st Base:
The greatest 1B of all time, who
played his entire career in the bigs with one team, will be the starter for
that team. Lou Gehrig (.340, 2721 H, 535 D, 493 HR, 1888 R, 1995 RBI,
.632 Slg, 7 AS) was the Iron Horse, until ALS disease took him away. Virtually
everyone knows he played in 2130 consecutive games, the longest streak of its
kind until Cal Ripken broke it in 1995. He batted cleanup behind the Babe,
providing protection which no doubt aided the Bambino's HR numbers. Batting
fourth for Murderer's Row also boosted his RBI numbers: he averaged 153 RBIs
for 11 seasons from 1927 to 1937! He won the triple crown in 1934, with 49 HR,
165 RBI, and a .363 average.
The backup to Gehrig really can't be contested
either. As far ahead as Lou Gehrig is as starter, Don Mattingly (.307,
1007 R, 1099 RBI, 442 D, 222 HR, 6 AS, 9 GG) is that far ahead of the other
viable candidates for the backup spot. Mattingly played the second most games
at 1B for the Yankees, and was MVP in 1985 with 35 HR, 145 RBI, .324, and 48 D.
He played his entire career with the Yankees, nabbing 9 gold gloves and having
five 100+ RBI seasons. Although a back injury led in part to an early
retirement, he does rank eighth in games played for NY.
Wally Pipp (.282) led
the AL in HRs twice during the dead ball era, with 12 in 1916 and 9 the
following year -- not exactly impressive accolades. Clearly he shouldn't have
let Gehrig take over his job in 1925! Hal Chase (.284, 248 SB) was a consistent
1B who preceded Pipp, but he never accomplished much as a Yankee. Bill
"Moose" Skowron (.294, 165 HR, 5 AS) was an All-Star from 57-61 for the
Yankees, and four times had over 20 homers. Joe Pepitone (.252, 166 HR, 3 AS) took over for Skowron in 1963, hit for a lower average, but managed 20+ HRs four times and was three times an All-Star. Chris Chambliss (.282, 1 AS, 1GG) was the 1B for the Yanks during their strong 1970s campaigns, but his production was solid but not spectacular. He never hit more than 20 HRs, but three times had 90+ RBIs.
Taking over for Mattingly in 1995 after being acquired by trade from the Mariners, Tino Martinez (.276, 192 HR, 1 AS) provided five seasons of 100+ RBI production. His best year was 1997, when he hit .296 with 44 HR and 141 RBI, coming in second in the AL MVP vote.
2nd Base:
Murderer's Row wasn't all Ruth and Gehrig, as Tony
Lazzeri (.293, 952 R, 1154 RBI, 169 HR, 1 AS) was a slugging 2B not only for the
famous '27 club, but well into the 1930s as well. He had moderate power, but was
a regular RBI threat managing 100+ RBIs seven times. He regularly posted double-digit HR and SB in the same season. He hit for a pretty high average too, with
.332 in 1928 and .354 in 1929 as his best.
Playing in more games at 2B, but
less of an offensive force, is backup Willie Randolph (.275, 1027 R, 251
SB, 5 AS). Consistent, but not particularly durable (he only once topped 150 G
in 13 seasons for NY), Randolph was a five-time All-Star with a keen eye at the
plate and some speed on the bases too.
Many readers will also think of Bobby
Richardson (.266, 7 AS, 5 GG) as a good Yankee second baseman, as he was a
seven-time all-star and won five gold gloves. But he played nearly 300 fewer
games than Randolph and retired at the age of 31 in 1966. Horace Clark (.257)
took over where Richardson left off, but had an even shorter and less impressive
career. Joe Gordon's (.271, 6 AS) career with the Yanks was even shorter,
though he put up some great numbers for a middle infielder. Some were no doubt
surprised when he won the 1942 MVP award with 18 HR, 103 RBI, and a .322 BA --
in a year in which Ted Williams took the Triple Crown. If you like Gordon's
brief but brilliant numbers then you could make him the backup, and I wouldn't
argue with you too much if you vote for Richardson over Randolph either.
Lastly, Gil McDougald (.276, 5 AS) split time at 2B, 3B, and SS from 1951-60.
He made five all-star teams and was AL Rookie of the Year in 1951, but doesn't
have quite enough credentials to make the team at any of these positions.
3rd Base:
Third base is not a strong point for this team,
though Graig Nettles (.253, 250 HR, 5 AS, 2 GG) is certainly no slouch.
He was an All-Star five times for the Yanks and was well-known for his good
glove at the hot corner. He regularly hit 20+ homers, topping a light league
with 32 in 1976 and was runner-up the next year with 37.
The backup has to be Red
Rolfe (.289, 942 R, 4 AS). He had a short
career, but managed to play in more games at 3B than any Yankee other than
Nettles. He was an All-Star from 1937-40, and was a consistent run scorer for
the powerhouse Yankee teams of the late 30s and early 40s. These are his run
totals from 1935-41: 108, 116, 143, 132, 139, 102, 106.
Clete Boyer (.241) had
a good glove and some pop in 1960s, Joe Dugan (.286) manned 3B in the early
years of Ruth and Gehrig, and Frank "Home Run" Baker (.289) played
out his declining years in NY -- but none of these fellows did enough to make this
roster.
Shortstop:
The rise fo Derek Jeter (.314, 169 HR, 215 SB, 1159 R, 6 AS, 2 GG) in recent years keeps SS from being another weak spot on this roster. Derek has been the top dog in the Big Apple since winning the Rookie of the Year in 1996. A high average hitter, he has scored 100+ runs in all but one of his full seasons. He also provides a good combo of speed and power, with double-digit SB and HR every year.
Until Jeter came along, the starter here would have been Phil Rizzuto
(.273, 5 AS). He was an All-Star five times (while
loosing three prime years to WWII), and won the MVP in 1950. He was a good
fielder, but a light hitter. And although he regularly appeared amongst the
league leaders in stolen bases, this was a notoriously slow era as Phil never
had more than 22 SB in a season.
I'd actually listen to arguments that Frank
Crosetti (.246, 1006 R, 2 AS) deserves this backup spot over Rizzuto. He
played in almost as many games at SS (more overall), and scored over 100 Runs
four times (Rizzuto did so only twice). I pick Rizzuto over Crosetti mostly because of his
fielding.
Deadball SS Roger Peckinpaugh (.257) deserves to be
mentioned, as does Tony Kubek (.276, 3 AS) who played
opposite Richardson in the 60s. He won the Rookie of the Year in 1957, but then like Richardson had a relatively short career, retiring in 1965 due to a back injury.
Catcher:
The Yankees are without a doubt the most loaded
All-Time team at Catcher. They have two players whose names are often bandied
about as the best catcher of all-time. Yogi Berra (.285, 1174 R, 1430
RBI, 358 HR, 15 AS) regularly had seasons of 25 HR, 100 RBI, and a .290 BA.
He's played in the third most games of any Yankee, though some in his later
years were in the outfield. He won three MVP awards (1951, 54, 55) and was an
all-star for an amazing 15 consecutive seasons from 1948-1962. One striking
thing about his career though: he never led the league in any major offensive
category (did you know that?). He certainly is the all-time leader in puzzling,
accidentally humorous quotations.
Berra gets the starting nod, but not by much over
the man who taught him the ropes, Bill Dickey (.313, 930 R, 1209 RBI, 11
AS). Dickey regularly batted over .300 for powerhouse Yankee clubs of the
1930s, but never played more than 140 games in a season. From 1936 to 1939 he
had 20+ homers and 100+ RBIs. His name usually surfaces with Bench, Berra,
Gibson, and Cochrane when the greatest catchers of all-time are discussed.
The
Yankees depth at catcher goes further, with Thurman Munson (.292, 7 AS, 3 GG)
being the first left off the team. Although his career was tragically ended in 1979, his
numbers were starting to slip by then. Three times he drove in 100 or more
RBIs, but only once managed 20 homers. He took home lots of trophies though:
seven-time All-Star, 1970 Rookie of the Year, 1976 MVP, and the gold-glove from
73-75.
Also worth mentioning is Elston Howard (.279, 9 AS, 2 GG), who formed a
LF/C tandem with Yogi Berra, doing more catching as Berra grew older. Few might
remember that he was an All-Star nine times, won two gold-gloves, and was the
MVP in 1963. He batted .348 for the juggernaut 1961 champions.
Current catcher Jorge Posada (.270, 182 HR, 4 AS) has so far played his entire career as Yankee. He regularly hits over 20 homers and has been a key part of many championship clubs.
Outfield:
The starting outfield for the Yankees is
clear-cut. Babe Ruth (.349, 1959 R, 1971 RBI, 424 D, 659
HR, 1847 BB, .711 Slg, 2 AS) single-handedly ushered in a new era in baseball.
Paired with Lou Gehrig they anchored some of the best teams of all-time. A few
sentences just don't do Ruth justice, so I suggest that you take the time now
to look up his stats in a baseball encyclopedia and consider them anew. Of course his first several
years for the Red Sox don't count here, nor does his final partial year for the Boston Braves. But his numbers from 1920-34 are mind boggling. During that span he only led the league in batting once, but came in the top-five seven other times. He led the league in slugging 11 times, runs scored seven times, RBIs five times, HRs ten times, walks 11 times, and even managed double-digit steals five times.
The second outfielder to make the team is the
great Mickey Mantle (.298, 1677 R, 1509 RBI, 536 HR, 344 D, 1733 BB,
.557 Slg, 16 AS, 1 GG). His accomplishments are sometimes overshadowed (for
non-New Yorkers) by those of Williams, Musial, Mays, and Aaron. But he was a
16-time all-star, won three MVP awards (1956, 57, 62), and won the triple crown
in 1956 with 52 HR, 130 RBI, and a .353 BA. He struck out a lot, but also
walked a lot -- leading to a career .420 OBP which is 19th best all-time. He
led the league in runs six times, during a stretch of nine consecutive years
with 100 or more from 1953-61.
Another all-time great whose performances are
sometimes momentarily forgotten is Joe DiMaggio (.325, 1390 R, 1537 RBI,
389 D, 361 HR, .579 Slg, 13 AS). In fact, other than his 56-game hitting
streak, the rest of his numbers are often less well-remembered than his
persona and his celebrity status in America. But like Berra and Mantle, he too
took home three MVP awards (1939, 41, 47) -- though one could argue that Ted
Williams deserved the award in 1941 (when he batted .406) and in 1947 (when he
won the Triple Crown). Regardless, Joltin' Joe's numbers are undeniable, and we
can't forget that he lost three prime years to WWII. Perhaps its enough to just
note that he was named an All-Star in all of his 13 seasons in the majors.
The remaining outfield choices are not as
easy. This takes some deep thought... just consider the following list of
reasonable candidates:
- Hank Bauer
- Ben Chapman
- Earle Combs
- Tommy Henrich
- Rickey Henderson
- Reggie Jackson
- Charlie Keller
- Roger Maris
- Bob Meusel
- Bobby Murcer
- Paul O'Neill
- Lou Piniella
- Roy White
- Bernie Williams
- Dave Winfield
Although not an obvious choice for the fourth spot, Bernie Williams (.298, 275 HR, 1301 R, 1196 RBI, 5 AS, 4 GG), has by now earned it I think. For one thing, he has played in the third most OF games for the club. He joined the team in 1991 and his potential took a few years to actualize, but since 1996 he has put up consistent numbers, even given some injury time. For many years he could be counted on to produce 100 runs, 100 RBI, 25 HR, and a .325 BA
(he won a batting title in 1998). In the contemporary game such numbers won't blow
you away... but these are respectable star numbers. He's also been good in the field, with four gold glove awards in CF.
Earle
Combs (.325, 1186 R, 154 T), a lifetime Yankee from 1924-35, played in more OF games than any of the others
except for Roy White. Combs had eight consecutive seasons with at least 113 runs (he had Ruth and Gehrig driving him in), and his lowest average in a full season was .299 leading to a career .325
average. He was a phenomenal triples hitter, three times leading the league by
slicing 20 or more.
And so this leaves the really difficult decision for the sixth and final spot. I think I can pretty easily narrow it down to two
guys. The first is Bob Meusel (.311, 338 D, 1005 RBI, .500 Slg), who
played alongside Combs and Ruth for the powerhouse Yankees of the 20s. He
played most of 11 seasons, had five with 100+ RBI, five with 40+ doubles, and
five with 10+ triples. He consistently batted between .290 and .340.
The year his average dipped to .290 was the year he led
the AL in homers (33) and RBI (138) in 1925.
The other strong candidate
to make this roster in the outfield is Dave Winfield (.290, 205 HR, .495 Slg, 8
AS, 5 GG). Although many remember his abysmal pinstripes performance in the
1981 World Series, Winfield had many of his finest seasons for the Yankees
during the 1980s. He had six seasons of
100+ RBIs, and surprised with a .340 average in 1984. And so it is with apologies to Mr.
Winfield that I give the sixth spot to Meusel. I would certainly listen to arguments to the contrary, as I consider this a close call.
What about all the others from the list?
Well, as I indicated earlier, Roy White (.271, 964 R, 300 D, 233 SB, 2 AS) has
played in more games than the others -- sixth most of all Yankee hitters in
fact. But his career was marked by consistent but unremarkable performance: he
had some speed and some power, but he wasn't a star player. Roger Maris (.265,
203 HR, .516 Slg, 3 AS, 1 GG) had three outstanding seasons, including two MVP
years in 1961 and 62. But his other Yankee seasons were far from impressive. A
similar lack of consistent longevity in pinstripes is the knock on Reggie
Jackson (.281, .526 Slg, 5 AS). He had four solid years, including a
league-leading 41 home runs in 1980, but his strike-shortened season was poor
and the next year he moved his show out west. And its the same story with
Rickey Henderson (.288, 326 SB, 4 AS) too. He had four fine years, though one
was shortened by injuries, before being traded back to Oakland nearly midway
through the 1989 campaign. He was the definition of leadoff hitter in 1985, 86,
and 88, with run totals of 146, 130, 118 and SB totals of 80, 87, 93.
The others all had good seasons here and there, but
don't have enough credentials to make the team either. Hank Bauer (.277, 3 AS) was
consistent but far from spectacular. Ben Chapman (.305, 3 AS) had six fine
seasons for the Yankees in the 30s, leading the league in stolen bases three
times for them. His 1931 season deserves attention: .315, 120 R, 17 HR, 122
RBI, 61 SB. Tommy Henrich (.282, 901 R, .491 Slg, 5 AS) came into his own as a
star for the Yankees in the 1940s and missed three prime years to WWII. With
those years given back, perhaps he'd have put together enough to make this
roster. His 1948 season was solid, as he led the league in runs with 138 and
also had 42 D, 14 T, 25 HR, 100 RBI, and a .308 BA. A teammate of Henrich and
DiMaggio was Charlie Keller (.286, .518 Slg, 5 AS), who had three seasons of
100+ runs, three seasons of 30+ HR, and three seasons of 100+ RBIs (not all
in the same three years). Bobby Murcer (.278, 4 AS, 1 GG) had two stints with
the Yankees: several fine seasons to start his career as well as his aging
period at its tail end. He had five consecutive seasons of 20+ homers, took
home one gold glove, and batted .331 in 1971. After coming to the Yanks from
Cincy in 1993, Paul O'Neill (.303, 4 AS) posted some very impressive
and consistent numbers. In those nine years Yankee fans regularly received 20
HR, 90+ RBI, and a .300+ average. The strike-shortened 1994
season was shaping up to be his best: .359 BA (led league), 21 HR, 83 RBI in
103 games. Lou Piniella (.295) played in parts of 11 seasons for NY, but only
three times got into 130 or more games, while hitting only for a high average
with no power or speed.
Starting Pitching:
Given the strength of the Yankees lineup,
the uneducated reader will be disappointed by their pitching staff. That isn't
to say it is poor, because it certainly is not. But take for instance the
following amazing fact: only 14 Yankee pitching seasons have had over 200 K's,
and that includes two 1904 performances of 454 and 390 innings from Jack
Chesbro and Jack Powell, respectively.
The All-Time Yankees staff starts with Whitey
Ford (236-106, 2.74, 8 AS). He had only two 20+ win seasons, but
these were 25-4 in 1961 and 24-7 in 1963. He won the Cy Young award
in 1961 and captured ERA titles in 1956 and 1958. He has more wins than any
other Yankee in history, and his .690 career winning percentage is phenomenal
-- though he obviously had plenty of support.
Red Ruffing (231-124,
3.47, 6 AS) is next up, and his career W-L numbers are actually quite close to
Ford's. He had four 20+ win seasons, and 8 others of 15 or more with the
Yankees. His career started horribly with Boston, where he went 39-93 over five
seasons. But he improved greatly in early 1930 when he joined the Bronx Bombers
and later was named to six All-Star teams.
Lefty Gomez
(189-101, 3.34, 7 AS) also won 20+ games four times, including 24-7 in 1932 and
26-5 in 1934. He twice won ERA titles with a 2.33 mark in both 1934 and 1937. In
fact, in 1934 he captured the pitching triple crown by leading the league in
strikeouts (158), only to win the trifecta again in 1937 as well. This
seven-time all-star is a strong third starter for this all-star team.
The fourth starter is lifetime Yankee southpaw Ron Guidry (170-91, 3.29, 4
AS, 5 GG). Louisiana Lightning won 20+ games three times, and captured two ERA
titles and five gold glove awards. His famous 1978 season was one of the best
performances ever: 25-3, 1.74 ERA, 6.15 H/9IP, and 248 Ks while winning the Cy
Young Award.
After these first four, the choices become
difficult. Let me say this now: I'm going with four relief pitchers, so this
means the team only has room for six starters. If you would prefer more
starters, then you'll need to sacrifice one or two of the relievers I choose
below.
The three leading candidates for the two remaining starting spots were
teammates from the 1920s. This makes it pretty easy to compare them, but
unfortunately it is still hard to pick the two most deserving. I'll go with Herb
Pennock (162-90, 3.54) and Waite Hoyt (157-98, 3.48), because of
their higher winning percentages over Bob Shawkey (168-131, 3.12). All three
actually had about the same number of starts for the Yankees, but Shawkey also
pitched a lot as a reliever. Pennock had absolutely great control, three times
leading the league in fewest walks per nine innings. Both Pennock and Hoyt won
20+ games twice, which doesn't compare favorably to Shawkey's four times.
Shawkey led the league in ERA once, while Hoyt led in wins once. This is a very
close call, so I won't argue with you if you choose Shawkey instead, or if you
add him to the roster in place of a reliever.
I did of course look at some other candidates. Mel
Stottlemyre (164-139, 2.97, 5 AS) pitched nine full seasons for NY in the 1960s
and 70s, won 20+ games three times, and was an all-star five times. After four
years in Cleveland, Allie Reynolds (131-60, 3.30, 5 AS) pitched for eight years
in NY. He won between 16 and 20 games for the first six of these seasons, and
then was used increasingly in relief the last two. He led the league in ERA
once and strikeouts twice.
Four other pitchers have impressive credentials but
not enough longevity with the Yankees. Jack Chesbro (128-93, 2.58) amazingly
went 41-12 with a 1.82 ERA in 1904. Vic Raschi (120-50, 3.47, 4 AS) had six
strong seasons of 19-8, 21-10, 21-8, 21-10, 16-6, 13-6 from 1948 to 1953. Spud
Chandler (109-43, 2.84, 4 AS) had two 20+ win seasons, and has a career .717
winning percentage -- but his career was brief.
Andy Pettitte (149-78, 3.94, 2 AS) had nine seasons in the Bronx from 1995 through 2003. He went 21-8 in both 1996 and 2003. You could make a case for him over Hoyt, Pennock, or Shawkey, but I won't try to do so here.
Relief Pitching:
As if this team needs more positions of strength, the this Yankees roster has arguably the greatest short-innings closer of all-time. After one year as a dominating
setup man for John Wetteland, Mariano Rivera (165 SV, 2.62, 7 AS)
established himself as the top 9th-inning man in the game in 1997. He has had two 50+ SV seasons, and four others with 40+. Even more impressive are his six seasons with an ERA under 2.00. And keep in mind that the league ERA during those seasons was never better than 4.39.
Dave Righetti
(244 SV, 3.11, 2 AS) was a top-notch reliever for many years in NY, seven times
notching 25+ saves, but I sometimes forget that he began his career as a starter. He even
pitched a no-hitter against Boston on the 4th of July in 1983. He led the
league in saves in 1986 with 46. He was Rookie of the Year in 1981, and won the
Rolaids Relief Award in 1986 and 1987.
This is where I have decided to include two more
relievers, instead of Bob Shawkey, Mel Stottlemyre, or Andy Pettite as an extra starting pitcher.
This is because two of the games dominating relievers in the 1970s and early
80s were from the Yankees: Sparky Lyle (141 SV, 2.41, 3 AS) and Rich
Gossage (151 SV, 2.15, 4 AS). Gossage had six masterful seasons in
pinstripes from 1978-83. His ERA was never over 2.62 during that stretch,
and in the strike-shortened 1981 season it was an amazing 0.77. Sparky
Lyle was almost as dominating as the preceding fireman for New York from 1972
to 1977. His best year was in 1972 when he tallied 35 saves with a 1.92 ERA. In
1977 he won the Cy Young Award with a 13-5 record, 26 saves, and a 2.17 ERA.
The following year Gossage took over the primary closer duties, but Lyle remained an
effective setup man.
The only other serious candidate was Johnny Murphy (104
SV, 3.54, 3 AS), who was a pioneer as a closer in 1930s and 1940s. He led the
league in saves four times, with totals of 11, 11, 15, and 19. He was even an
All-Star three times -- a rarity back then for relievers. You could certainly
make a case for him instead of Lyle, or Gossage, or you could keep some or all of these firemen off by choosing a seventh or eighth starting pitcher.
Extra Spot:
This final spot will be awarded to Dave
Winfield, because he was so close to beating out Meusel in the
outfield. To my mind, the other primary candidates here included
Thurman Munson (C), Elston Howard (C/OF), Bobby Richardson (2B), Joe Gordon
(2B), Bob Shawkey (SP), Mel Stottlemyre (SP), Andy Pettite (SP), and Johnny Murphy (RP).
Team Captain:
We are all well aware of the big names in the
Yankees storied history: Ruth, Gehrig, Dickey, DiMaggio, Berra, and Mantle to
name just a few. In this project, I have been naming the captain based on
performance only, and not on how he acted off the field or other such considerations (that might be relevant as "character qualities" in choosing the captain of a real team).
So given this, the Yankees captain surely must be Babe Ruth.
With only a potential argument in favor of Ted Williams or Barry Bonds, Ruth's
numbers just tower above every other hitter of all time. The bulk of his
seasons were with the Yankees of course, so on this criteria, he has to be team
captain. If other factors were considered, then perhaps Gehrig would be chosen
instead. But as things stand, its Ruth.
Starting Lineup
Derek Jeter SS
Joe DiMaggio OF
Babe Ruth OF
Lou Gehrig 1B
Mickey Mantle OF
Yogi Berra C
Graig Nettles 3B
Tony Lazzeri 2B
Whitey Ford SP
With Jeter a recent addition at the top of the order this lineup becomes that much scarier. I doubt any other team is as strong 1-5.
Prospects for Current Players:
What are the prospects of current Yankees players making this all-time team? Derek Jeter is already the starting SS, and Bernie Williams is the fourth outfielder. I think Alex Rodriguez could one day join him: he has two solid seasons already and should play for many more years to come. I don't see Posada beating out Dickey or Berra to crack this roster, thought that is not a knock against his fine career. Robinson Cano is very young, but promising so far. For pitching, Rivera is the number one reliever already, and I don't predict any of his current mates will join him on this staff. We'll see...
Other Lists
Yankees Retired Numbers (players only)
Billy Martin (1), Babe Ruth (3), Lou Gehrig (4), Joe DiMaggio (5), Mickey Mantle (7), Yogi Berra (8), Bill Dickey (8), Roger Maris (9), Phil Rizzuto (10), Thurman Munson (15), Whitey Ford (16), Don Mattingly (23), Elston Howard (32), Reggie Jackson (44), Ron Guidry (49)
2003 Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Lineups
Neyer's choices are very similar to mine. The starting infield including catcher is the same. He has Ruth in RF, Mantle in CF, and Keller in LF, which means DiMaggio is only the backup CF. Given the OF split, that is fine of course. He has Roy White as the backup LF and Reggie Jackson as the backup RF, which aren't horrible choices though I prefer others. Since Williams is a CF, he clearly loses out to Joe D. and the Mick. The backup infield and catcher are all the same as mine.
His top four starters are the same as my selections, just swapping the order of Guidry and Gomez. He chooses four more starters, and this is where I think he goes a bit wrong. He goes with Allie Reynolds, Eddie Lopat, Bob Shawkey, and Mel Stottlemyre. I would have liked to have seen Hoyt and Pennock in there, though I admit Reynolds, Shawkey, and Stottlemyre are strong candidates. But Lopat I don't think deserves as much consideration. He went 18-8 in 1950, 21-9 in 1951 (his one year as an All-Star), and 16-4 in 1953 when he took the ERA crown (2.42). But his other 4+ years were not very remarkable. The two relief choices of Rivera and Gossage are strong picks.
1985 The
All-Time All-Star Baseball Book by Bart Acocella,
Nick Acocella, and Donald Dewey
These authors go with all the same picks as I do for their starting lineup except Dickey over Berra at C, and naturally Rizzuto at SS. They also wrote "...note the wealth of a club that has no room in its starting lineup for (among others) Yogi Berra, Lefty Gomez and Reggie Jackson."
1995 Baseball Ratings by Charles S. Faber
The Faber system as applied in 1995 creates a
reasonable all-time team. Identical to my choices are Gehrig, Nettles, Berra, and the outfielders. Rizzuto was the best choice at SS in 1995, which just leaves 2B where Randolph comes out on top of Lazzeri. The pitching staff is also reasonable: Ford, Guidry, Ruffing, Gomez, and Pennock, with Righetti listed as the top reliever.
TheBaseballPage.com (link)
This website (as of May 2006) selects Gehrig and Mattingly at 1B, Jeter and Rizzuto at SS, and just Nettles at 3B. Randolph is left out at 2B, as they list Gordon and then Lazzeri. The outfield plays Mantle in LF, DiMaggio in CF, and Ruth in RF. The backups are Combs in CF, Maris and Willie Keeler in RF. Based on his performance as a Yankee, I think that Keeler is a weak choice -- I'd much rather see Williams or Winfield make it (the latter is listed as the starting DH in their starting lineup). Berra and Dickey are the obvious catchers.
The five SP are fine by me: Ford, Gomez, Guidry, Hoyt, and Ruffing. The three relievers in the pen are solid too: Gossage, Rivera, and Lyle. Two extra starters are listed as RP, Herb Pennock and Eddie Lopat, and I think others are more deserving than the latter. And a quick scan of their extensive honorable mention list does seem to leave anyone deserving out.
1959: Sport magazine, February issue
As part of a running series, Sport magazine reported on all-time all-star teams picked by "big league publicity departments and the writers covering the clubs." Here is what they had to say:
- First Base: Lou Gehrig, the immortal "Iron Man", took over first base on day in 1925 and played in 2,130 consecutive games before the crippling disease that was to kill him forced him to quit in 1939. He still holds the major-league record for grand-slam home runs, with 23, and is fourth on the all-time home run listing, with 494. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1939.
- Second Base: Tony Lazzeri, one of the most popular Yankees durin his playing days between 1926 and 1937, was an excellent fielder and an underrated hitter. With Ruth and Gehrig around, nobody noticed "Poosh 'Em Up's" bat, but he was always a spray-hitting threat and his .354 led the team in 1929.
- Shortstop: Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto, one of the finest fielding shortstops ever to play in the American League, performed from 1941 to 1955 and still holds the league record for consecutive games without an error, 58, and the major-league record for fewest errors in a season, 14 in 1950. His best years were 1950, when he set his fielding record and was Most Valuable Player; and 1951, when he won the Babe Ruth Award as the top World Series player.
- Third Base: Robert "Red" Rolfe, a reliable, hard-hitting Yankee from 1934 to 1942, was a key factor in six Yankee pennants in that stretch. Five of those teams also won the World Series. His best years were 1939, when he hit .329, and 1936, when he hit .319.
- Left Field: Bob Meusel, a hard-hitting outfielder who played the outfield in teh shadow of Ruth from 1920 to 1929, was a consistent .300 hitter and would have been the top star on any other team of his era. In 1925, a year in whcih he hit only .295, he got 33 home runs and drove in 138 runs to lead the league in both departments.
- Center Field: Joe DiMaggio, the gerat "Yankee Clipper" and idol of Yankee Stadium from 1936 to 1951, finished up with a fine .325 lifetime average and a long list of distinguished hitting and fielding achievements. His .381 in 1939 and .352 in 1940 were both good for batting titles and he led in home runs three times and in runs-batted-in twice. Named Most Valuable Player in 1939, 1941, and 1947, he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1955. His hitting streak of 56 straight games, set in 1941, is still the longest in major-league history.
- Right Field: Babe Ruth, the one and only Bambino, was the greatest hitter baseball ever has known. From 1920 to 1934, he was only twice under .300 and his Yankee lifetime average was .349. His 60 home runs in 1927 remains an unmatched major-league record. So is his slugging average of .847 in 1920, his 177 runs scored in '21, 170 walks in '23, and his 714 lifetime home runs. Although was a home-run champion for 12 years and runs-batted-in leader for five years, Babe won only one batting championship, with .378 in 1924. He was the Most Valuable Player in 1923 and was named to the Hall of Fame in 1936.
- Catcher: Bill Dickey, whose career stretched from 1928 to 1946, still holds a longevity record for catching 100 or more games in 13 consecutive seasons. A consistent .300 hitter, he is best remembered for his fine defensive work and his brilliant handling of a generation of Yankee pitchers. He was named to the Hall of Fame in 1954.
- Righthanded Pitcher: Charles "Red" Ruffing, the wheelhorse of the Yankee pitching staff between 1930 and 1946, won 20 or more games in four seasons and holds the Yankee record of 231 career victories. In one three-year stretch, from 1937 to 1939, he compiled consecutive records of 20-7, 21-7, and 21-7.
- Lefthanded Pitcher: Vernon "Lefty" Gomez gets the berth by a whisker over Herb Pennock of an earlier vintage. Occasionally erratic, Gomez often pitched brilliantly from 1930 to 1942 with the Yankees. He was a 20-game winner on four occasions and his 26-5 record of 1934, for an .839 percentage, is a Yankee record. He twice led the league in low earned-run average.
Analysis:
Back in 1959 this is an entirely reasonable roster. What interested me in reading the writeups for each player was the almost quaint reference to records, such Gehrig ranking fourth at that time all-time home runs, and also Ruth's 60 homers -- a record that would be broken just two years later. It also makes you appreciate again DiMaggio's incredible hit streak, which still stands as a record today.
1969 The Sporting News Fan
Poll
The July 5, 1969 issue reports the results of a
fan poll for the long-standing franchises of the day. The results
for New York were:
1B: Lou Gehrig
2B: Tony Lazzeri
3B: Red Rolfe
SS: Phil Rizzuto
C: Bill Dickey
LF: Mickey Mantle
CF: Joe DiMaggio
RF: Babe Ruth
RHP: Red Ruffing
LHP: Whitey Ford.
Analysis:
For 1969, all of these are good choices. The Yankees: An Illustrated History, by George Sullivan and John Powers, include in an Appendix the results of a 1969 fan survey whose results are identical, so I assume it is the same survey. However, they report a "second team" from that survey, as follows: 1B Joe Pepitone, 2B Bobby Richardson, SS Frank Crosetti, 3B Clete Boyer, LF Charlie Keller, CF Mickey Mantle, RF Mickey Mantle, C Yogi Berra, RHP Allie Reynolds, and LHP Lefty Gomez. I prefer at least Skowron, and perhaps others, over Pepitone. The rest of the infield is fine, and of course Berra as the extra backstop. Ruffing and Hoyt were both righties, so I prefer them over Reynolds.
1990: The Baseball Research Journal
In an interesting article, Robert C. Berlo used Thorn and
Palmer's TPR (Total Player Rating) system to choose all-time teams.
He selected players based on their best 800 consecutive games for
the franchise, with a minimum of five years played. His results:
1B Lou Gehrig 27.7
2B Joe Gordon 20.1
SS Roger Peckinpaugh 12.2
3B Gil McDougald 16.7
RF Babe Ruth 41.0
CF Joe DiMaggio 24.6
LF Mickey Mantle 31.8
C Yogi Berra 19.2
SP Spud Chandler 21.2
SP Red Ruffing 20.7
SP Whitey Ford 19.0
SP Lefty Gomez 16.3
RP Rich Gossage 9.8
Analysis:
Interesting results. No surprises at 1B, C, and OF. Gordon takes 2B, since the approach used here rewards peak performance. But Peckinpaugh? He was a Yankee from 1913-21, batted over .300 once, and had 38 SB one season, but no other statistics that catch my eye. I would have thought that Rizzuto's peak consecutive stretch would have come out ahead. And McDougald was a lifetime Yankee, playing from 1951-60, spliting his time at 2B, 3B, and SS. He was extremely consistent in terms of his HR production, hitting 10-14 in each of his first eight seasons. But Rolfe hit .300 or higher four times and scored 100+ runs for seven consecutive seasons, so I'm surprised he didn't rate higher. Seeing Chandler as the top pitcher is understandable since he didn't join the Yankees until he was 29 and had a relatively short (but strong) career. The rest of this staff is solid.
1949 The Yankees: A Pictorial History of Baseball's Greatest Club, by John Durant
On pg. 121 of this book an "All-Time, All-Star Yankee Team" is provided, and it is said that it was "selected by a consensus of experts", whatever that means. The results are 1B Gehrig, 2B Lazzeri, 3B Rolfe, SS Crosetti, C Dickey, RF Ruth, CF DiMaggio, LF Keeler, SP: Chesbro, Shawkey, Pennock, Ruffing.
Not a bad team, but before I comment I should note that the book listed the lifetime statistics for each player -- perhaps implying that more than just their Yankees accomplishments were considered. That could explain the choice of Keeler, who had a great career, but few of his good seasons were as a Yank. I also don't understand leaving Lefty Gomez off this team, especially since his feats should have been fresh on the minds of the experts (he retired in 1943).
1963 The All-Yankee Team: The First 60 Years: 1903-1963, as provided in The New York Yankees 1982 Official Yearbook
Only one 1B is listed, Lou Gehrig. 2B has Lazzeri, Gordon, Martin, and Richardson. SS has Crosetti, Kubek, and Rizzuto, which I think is not listing Rizzuto high enough. But for reasons that will become clear in a moment, perhaps the order they are listed in does not have significance in this book. 3B is Joe Sewell (who only played for the Yankees for three years, 1931-33), Baker, Dugan, and Boyer, which seriously ignores Rolfe in my opinion. There are seven outfielders: Ruth, DiMaggio, Mantle, Maris, Combs, Meusel, and Keeler. I think Keller is more deserving than Keeler, but don't say that really fast too many times. And like SS, the catcher list seems out of order at Dickey, Howard, and then Berra. But the biggest ordering problem is for pitchers: Chesbro, Pennock, Gomez, Ruffing, Chandler, Reynolds, and Ford. A good group, but obviously Ford should not be last, so likely order was not significant.
1953 50th Yankee Anniversary All-Time Yankee Team, as provided in The Yankee Encyclopedia, 4th edition, 2000, by Mark Gallagher and Walter Lebonte
This All-Time team was "selected by a poll of 48 veteran sportswriters, baseball officials and other experts." The results were (number of votes in parentheses):
1B: Lou Gehrig (46), Hal Chase (2)
2B: Tony Lazzeri (36), Joe Gordon (12)
3B: Red Rolfe (38), Joe Dugan (10)
SS: Phil Rizzuto (42), Frank Crosetti (3), Roger Peckinpaugh (1), Everett Scott (1), Tony Lazzeri (1)
C: Bill Dickey (unanimous)
Utility Infield: Frank Crosetti (23), Joe Gordon (11), Tony Lazzeri (3), Joe Dugan (2), nine others (1)
OF: Babe Ruth (unanimous), Joe DiMaggio (unanimous), Bob Meusel (24), Earle Combs (14), Tommy Henrich (8), Willie Keeler (2)
RHP: Red Ruffing (28), Waite Hoyt (11), Jack Chesbro (4), Vic Raschi (2), Bob Shawkey (2), Spud Chandler (1)
LHP: Lefty Gomez (24), Herb Pennock (24)
RP: Johnny Murphy (25), Wilcy Moore (11), Joe Page (10), Waite Hoyt (1), Lefty Gomez (1)
Analysis:
Hal Chase was a fine player, but how could Gehrig not join Ruth, Joe D., and Dickey as unanimous choices? The other infield vote totals are more reasonable. And the pitching vote totals are sensible too, though I find it interesting that just two guys split the LHP vote while it was a bit more complicated for RHP.
2002 Yankees Century: 100 Years of New York Yankees Baseball, by Glenn Stout
In Appendix A, Mr. Stout provides two All-Time Yankee rosters, one for Pre-World War II (1903-1944), and one for Post-World War II (1945-2001). He also includes a brief writeup for each player, giving some indication of why they were chosen.
For the earlier squad, he has Gehrig and Chase at 1B, Lazzeri and Gordon at 2B, Crosetti and Kid Elberfield at SS, and Rolfe, Baker, and Dugan at 3B. These are all reasonable, except perhaps Elberfeld. About him Stout writes "The 'Tabasco Kid' was one of the toughest players of the Dead Ball Era and a fan favorite at Hilltop Park." He might have been tough while on the field, but he never played more than 122 games in a season. And his seven partial seasons don't seem to compare well to the performance of Roger Peckinpaugh from 1913-21. Only one catcher is chosen, Bill Dickey, who is described as one of the greatest catchers of his generation "along with Mickey Cochrane and Josh Gibson."
The OF is loaded with Ruth, DiMaggio, Combs, Meusel, Henrich, Keeler, William "Birdie" Cree, and George Selkirk. Cree's career was from 1908-1915, but only had four seasons of 100+ games played. His only standout season was 1911, when he had 22 triples, 48 SB, and hit .348. Selkirk was also a lifetime Yankee, playing from 1934-1942, though he too only participated in 100+ games four times. He had a .290 lifetime average and was a two-time All-Star. His best season was 1936 when he hit 18 HR, had 107 RBIs, and batted .308. These two guys are horrible choices, but I would have gone with Ben Chapman, and even Charlie Keller, whose career spanned the WWII divide.
The starting staff is solid with Red Ruffing, Jack Chesbro, Bob Shawkey, Waite Hoyt, Lefty Gomez, and Herb Pennock. And the two relievers are good choices too, Wilcy Moore and Johnny Murphy.
For the post-WWII club, I can't object to any of the infield selections: Mattingly and Martinez at 1B, Randlolph and Martin at 2B, McDougald as a utility infielder, Nettles and Boyer at 3B, Jeter and Rizzuto at SS, and Berra, Howard, and Munson behind the plate. The OF is also sensible, including DiMaggio, Mantle, Williams, Henderson, White, Jackson, Maris, O'Neill, and Winfield.
The selections for starting pitchers are good ones, though I don't understand the order used: Reynolds, Stottlemyre, Jim "Catfish" Hunter, Ford, Lopat, and Guidry. Surely Ford and Guidry should be listed as the first two here. And ditto for RP: great selections, but strange order with Joe Page, Lyle, Gossage, and Rivera.
1971 I Hate the Yankees, by John R. Bizzelle
This odd book provides the author's all-time teams for most of the long-standing teams of the day. This what he wrote for the Yankees: "An All-Star Yankee team would be: Lou Gehrig, 1B; Bobby Richardson, 2B; Phil Rizzuto, SS; Joe Dugan, 3B; Babe Ruth, RF; Joe DiMaggio, CF; Bob Meusel, LF. The pitchers would be Waite Hoyt and Herb Pennock. Many readers will question the fact that I have left Mickey Mantle off this team. In the first place, Mantle was basically a centerfielder and should be compared with Joe DiMaggio. Mantle finally wound up with a lifetime batting average of below .300, and Mantle's strikeout record is amazing. Joe McCarthy would be the manager. The modern fan would prefer Whitey Ford over Herb Pennock. This writer always felt that Ford was not a consistent 9-inning pitcher."
Richardson at 2B isn't a bad choice, but I prefer Lazzeri. And I definitely think Rolfe is the more deserving at 3B. To exclude Mantle is a shame, but if you are stickler for the OF positions I won't argue. But Pennock and Hoyt shouldn't be the two pitchers. His stated opinion of Ford doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Granted, I wasn't even born when Ford was tossing, but He was in the top-ten in the AL in complete games 8 times, and in the top-ten in shutouts 9 times, so his consistency over 9-innings doesn't seem in question to me.
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