Greatest MLB Roster of All Time

[ronniehatesjazz]

Originally Posted by BobC

Not necessarily from all-time, but from a more modern standpoint, the 1995 Indians had some amazing people in their roster. They didn't all get into the HOF, but had significant talent to at least get them consideration, along with some characters with issues, but still great players. The roster list included:

Manny Ramirez
Jim Thome - HOF
Albert Belle
Dave Winfield - HOF
Eddie Murray - HOF
Omar Vizquel
Carlos Baerga
Kenny Lofton
Orel Hershiser
Denny Martinez
Jose Mesa - 321 career saves

And from a famous card standpoint, Billy Ripken was on the roster as well. LOL

There are multiple players with 500+ homes runs, 3,000+ career hits, and in the top 20 list for RBIs all-time. And Belle isn't included in any of those due to his career being cut short due to injuries, but is still the only player in MLB history to have had a 50-50 season with at least 50 HRs and 50 doubles in the same season (plus one triple for good measure).

Great team to bring up! IMO Belle and Manny should be in the hall. Omar probably ends up getting in, and Lofton was just another couple good years away from joining them.

Also, not to call you out but you left Sandy Alomar Jr. off that list (he was probably hurt most of the season though)... not a HOFer but it's crazy to me how people forget he was one of the best, if not the best, catchers from that era. Probably a lot of people at that time thought he would end up in Cooperstown as well.

[ronniehatesjazz]

Another team worth mentioning has to be the Big Red Machine... 4 HOF players close to being in their prime (Morgan definitely was with back to back MVPs, Perez was, Rose was just outside of it, and Bench peaked a few years earlier due to his injury but was still great). You also have Concepcion who is a border HOF player. Then some great semi-stars like Griffey, Geronimo, and George Foster (could've been a HOF player had things went better for him after leaving the Reds).

Also, you have to consider the Yankees teams in the 20s and 50s... loaded with HOFers. Nothing comes close to that 28 A's team though in terms of big names. Great find! Not just HOF players but most were elite HOFers.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by ronniehatesjazz

Great team to bring up! IMO Belle and Manny should be in the hall. Omar probably ends up getting in, and Lofton was just another couple good years away from joining them.

Also, not to call you out but you left Sandy Alomar Jr. off that list (he was probably hurt most of the season though)... not a HOFer but it's crazy to me how people forget he was one of the best, if not the best, catchers from that era. Probably a lot of people at that time thought he would end up in Cooperstown as well.

Great point about Sandy, and I did think about putting on the list, but then decided not to after double-checking his career numbers. I was thinking that had I put him on the list, someone may have jumped in and called me out for having included him. I totally agree, he was a great catcher, but you know how many on this forum are with the dependence on modern statistics and measurements. They would just look at his numbers and immediately wonder what was so good about him, he looks average at best on paper. He had a 20 year career, with only a 13.7 WAR.

Actually, I should have also mentioned Brian Giles and put him on the list as well, since 1995 was his initial season playing in the big leagues with the Indians, though he only appeared in 6 games as a late season call up, I believe. I almost didn't list Carlos Baerga, along the same lines for not having listed Sandy Alomar Jr., as Baerga had a career WAR of only 19.6 over his 14 year ML seasons. But with Baerga's .291 career batting average, and his memorable time with Omar Vizquel as a premier double play combo, I felt I had to leave him on after all.

[Peter_Spaeth]

If I missed a mention sorry but some of those early and mid 50s Yankees teams with Mantle, Berra, and Ford have to be up there; each time had a bunch of star level players in addition.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I think there were several Giants teams with Mays, MicCovey, Cepeda, Marichal and Perry as well as Matty and Felipe Alou and Billy Pierce..

[G1911]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I think there were several Giants teams with Mays, MicCovey, Cepeda, Marichal and Perry as well as Matty and Felipe Alou and Billy Pierce..

The 1965 rendition would add in Warren Spahn over Billy Pierce.

The 1964 club would have Pierce and no Spahn, but you get Duke Snider thrown in.

Spahn or Pierce + Snider is a tough pick.

The Giants probably have the most "great players for other teams who barely played for them" guys in baseball history.

[Mark17]

And the 3rd New York team, the 1956 Brooklyn Dodgers:

C Roy Campanella HOF
1B Gil Hodges HOF
2B Jim Gilliam
SS Pee Wee Reese HOF
3B Jackie Robinson HOF
LF Dale Mitchell (career .312 hitter)
CF Duke Snider HOF
RF Carl Furillo

P Don Newcombe
P Sal Maglie
P Don Drysdale HOF
P Sandy Koufax HOF

[egri]

The early 1960s New York Mets had lots of great players (Gil Hodges, Warren Spahn, Yogi Berra, Duke Snider, etc.) all managed by Casey Stengel, with George Weiss as GM. Unfortunately, they were all over the hill!