forgot joe morgan and davie concepcion,,,probly cause I dislike them,,,

C - Gary Carter
1B - Miguel Cabrera
2B - Roberto Alomar
SS - Cal Ripken
3B - Mike Schmidt
OF - Rickey Henderson
OF - Ken Griffey Jr
Of - Dave Winfield
DH - Edgar Martinez
SP - Pedro Martinez
RP - Mariano Rivera

C - John Bench
1B - Donnie Baseball
2B - Rod Carew
SS - Ozzie Smith
3B - Michael Jack
OF - Junior
OF - Hammerin' (saw him at the tail end of his career)
OF - Say Hey (same as Hammerin')
Rotation: Seaver, Unit, Maddux & Pedro
Closers: Goose then Mariano

Came of age as a baseball fan in the late 70s, just past the prime of players like Bench, Rose, Morgan, Seaver, etc.  If I were ranking "all time greats" this would be a different list.  But as far as players I watched during my time as a fan:

C: Ivan Rodriguez
1B: Frank Thomas and Jeff Bagwell, tie (they were even born on the exact same date as I recall)
2B: Craig Biggio
3B: Mike Schmidt
SS: Alex Rodriguez (Ozzie will be on the bench as a defensive replacement)
OF: Rickey Henderson, Barry Bonds (can't see how anyone can leave him off), Ken Griffey Jr....Tony Gwynn is close behind
DH: Edgar Martinez (David Ortiz a very very close second)
SP: Clemens, Maddux, R. Johnson, Pedro...and if I had one game with my life on the line, Pedro circa 1999-2000 by a landslide
RP: Rivera, Eckersley, Quisenberry, Gossage


Really makes me wonder how the late 90s Mariners didn't win a lot more than they did...four of the above players were on that team.

I will rule out players that were great that I saw play but past their primes, like (unfortunately for me) Willie Mays, and players - like Barry Bonds - whom I saw play very rarely, not having watched a lot of NL baseball for some of his seasons and being overseas for others.

so:

C Bench
1B Don Mattingly
2B Joe Morgan
3B Brooks Robinson/Graig Nettles
SS Derek Jeter/Ozzie Smith
OF Ken Griffey Jr., Reggie Jackson, Henry Aaron, Rickey Henderson, Roberto Clemente
DH no such thing
SP: Tom Seaver, Catfish Hunter, Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddux, Steve Carlton
RP: Sparky Lyle, Dennis Eckersley, Goose Gossage, Mariano Rivera, Rollie Fingers, 

Manager: Earl Weaver

Hmm...in retrospect, I'm going to add Albert Pujols and turn 1B into a 3-headed hydra.  Not sure who sits honestly....glad I am not the manager who has to make that decision...

clear winners,,,pedro,johnny bench

and yea, albert got almost 30 dingers,,,

I just can't get behind the Donnie Baseball devotees.  Nothing against him as a player - as a manager, lots of problems - but there have been so many great 1Bs that were his contemporary or played since that I don't see him as the 'best'.  Good average, decent power, good glove; I grant you all that.  But just looking at players from 1984 (Donnie's rookie year) forward I'd rather have Bagwell, Pujols, Helton, or Thomas.  Going back ten years from 1984, players I'd take over DB: the seriously overlooked Keith Hernandez and Eddie Murray come immediately to mind.

As for Griffey Jr., he was my fourth OF choice; having seen Mantle late in his career I had to list him.  One thing I'll say about Junior is he had the sweetest swing I've ever seen.  I had the pleasure of seeing him - once - as a minor leaguer in 1988 when he was playing for San Bernardino and he already had that magnificent, fluid swing.  And could cover 3/4 the entire outfield.

C - Ivan Rodriguez
1B - Albert Pujols
2B - Roberto Alomar
3B - Wade Boggs
SS - Alex Rodriguez
LF - Barry Bonds
CF - Ken Griffey, Jr.
RF - Vladimir Guerrero

SP - Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Roger Clemens
RP - Mariano Rivera

Posted by pinotfan on 7/6/2015 5:30:00 PM (view original):
I just can't get behind the Donnie Baseball devotees.  Nothing against him as a player - as a manager, lots of problems - but there have been so many great 1Bs that were his contemporary or played since that I don't see him as the 'best'.  Good average, decent power, good glove; I grant you all that.  But just looking at players from 1984 (Donnie's rookie year) forward I'd rather have Bagwell, Pujols, Helton, or Thomas.  Going back ten years from 1984, players I'd take over DB: the seriously overlooked Keith Hernandez and Eddie Murray come immediately to mind.

this. Mattingly I don't think makes my top 10 at 1b since 1980. Definitely not top 5.

Posted by houseofbayne on 7/6/2015 12:18:00 AM (view original):
C- Ivan Rodriguez (wish I saw Bench during the first half of his career)
1B-Albert Pujols (lots of choices, tough to choose)
2B-Roberto Alomar
SS-Barry Larkin (O.Smith also great...never saw Yount or Trammell live)
3B-Mike Schmidt
LF-Barry Bonds
CF-Andrew McCutchen (doesn't feel like a good selection, but I never saw Puckett live)
RF-Vladimir Guerrero (batting practice always a treat, bonus points)

SP-Randy Johnson (even more intimidating live)
SP-Dwight Gooden (at least for a few seasons...wow)

Oh, completely forgot about Griffey Jr...somehow.  Felt like I was forgetting someone in centerfield.  List updated with The Kid in center.

yea most intimidating live, randy Johnson,,,or the catchers

catcher era kid,,,munson fisk bench simmons,,