All-Time Teams - Seattle Mariners, or, A History of Abject Failure and/or Disappointment

Oh, the Mariners! My team of teams. I loved them as a young boy, my interest in baseball waned, then came back with a vengence. Through it all, I've kept my allegiance to this sucker of a team. With our tridents held high, let us set sail on the seas of Mariner-dom and pick out the mightiest of sailors.

Catcher: Dan Wilson
1. Highlights: Well, Wilson was always a fan favorite. He was also pretty consistent for a catcher. I'd rather be able to say something more about the "best" catcher in M's history, but there you have it.

2. Career Best: Career season was 1996, where he put up a .285/.330/.444 line, with 18 hrs and 83 RBI, all career highs. Also finished with a .995 fielding percentage behind the plate.

3. Summary: Like I said, kinda bad for the best ever, but Wilson was a solid backstop for 2 waves of great Seattle teams (mid 90s, early 2000s), was an excellent defensive catcher, and managed every year to not suck. In Seattle, that means success!!!

First Base: Alvin Davis

1. Highlights: Beating out Tino Martinez and John Olerud, both of whom had short tenures in Seattle, Davis started out with a bang in 1984 (RoY) and strung together 8 solid years at first.

2. Career Best: .305/.424/.496 line with 156 OPS+ in 1989, 29 HRs and 37 doubles in 1987.

3. Summary: Solid, reliable, but not terribly flashy. OPS+ stayed above 100 until his last season in Seattle. Finished with 160 HRs and a career .280/.380/.450 line, which is remarkable if only for showing a remarkable discipline to finish one's career with such round numbers.

Second Base: Bret Boone

1. Highlights: One of the driving factors in the M's epic 2001 regular season. Had a solid string of 4 seasons from 2001 through 2004, before suffering an epic collapse in 2005.

2. Career Best: That 2001 season, losing the MVP race to Ichiro despite a .331/.372/.578 line with 37 hrs and 141 RBI, all career highs.

3. Summary: Undoubtedly a Roid monster, he exploded from a poor-to-mediocre talent to a MVP candidate with power, speed and versatility, only to deflate quickly and come crashing to Earth. Still, his 2001 has to be one of the best seasons by a 2B in the last 20... definitely among the top 5.

Third Base: Edgar Martinez

1. Highlights: 6 year stretch in the late nineties of hitting at least .320, hitting at least 22 hrs, and posting OPS+ of 150 or higher.

2. Career Best: I think it'd have to be 1995, where he won the AL batting title, leading the AL in OBP, hit .356/.479/.628, and hit 29 HRS.

3. Summary: A little bit of cheating here... Edgar really belongs at DH, as he spent an overwhelming majority of his career there. But the M's really have no good 3Bs in their history, and Edgar was just so good that I decided to look upon his pre-hamstrung hamstring days with favor.

Shortstop: Alex Rodriguez

1. Highlights: While he didn't put up the Herculean numbers he would eventually tally in Texas and New York, Seattle's #1 overall pick in 1993 got goin in a hurry for the Mariners. Despite only playing here for 3500 PAs, in the top 10 in every major offensive category.

2. Career Best: 1996, his first full season, where he finished second in the MVP voting to Juan Gonzalez, despite putting up arguably better numbers. Finished batting .358/.414/.631, with 36 HRs and 123 RBI.

3. Summary: This is the guy any good Mariner fan loves to hate, but his impact on the game in Seattle (perhaps in general) is undeniable. He put up good season after good season, stayed out of trouble, and before jumping ship for the highest paycheck, did all we could ask of him.

Outfield: Ken Griffey, Jr.

1. Highlights: In the top 5 of every meaningful offensive category in Seattle history (and in the top 3 of most of those), The Kid played with a swagger and grace never before seen in Seattle. This picture (and everything behind it) singlehandedly saved baseball in Seattle.

2. Career Best: His monster 1997 year won him the MVP - 56 hrs, 147 RBI. However, I'd argue that his 1994 was the more ridiculous season - 40 hrs, .323/.402/.674 in 110 games. His run from 1993 through 2000 (save an injury filled 1995) is pretty spectacular.

3. Summary: This guy was on the way to being the best ever, and prior to jumping ship from Seattle in a fairly disgraceful manner, he lived up to every bit of potential everyone saw in him. Manning centerfield better than anyone in his generation, putting up power numbers with apparent effortlessness, this guy was among the most well-rounded players in the modern era.

Outfield: Ichiro Suzuki

1. Highlights: The new face of the Mariners, the master of the awesome sports quote ("To tell the truth, I'm not excited to go to Cleveland, but we have to. If I ever saw myself saying I'm excited going to Cleveland, I'd punch myself in the face, because I'm lying."), a strange athletic phenomenon, and really one of the more underrated players (in my opinion). Career .331 BA, record holder for hits in one season with 262, and a cannon of an arm.

2. Career Best: 2004, 262 hits, .372 BA, 36 stolen bases. Just a monster of a year - especially considering he started in April/May at .255. 3 months batting over 400, 4 months with 50+ hits. Crazy.

3. Summary: 1278 hits in Japan, 1692 hits in the majors. Dude is a hit machine - I really think that he'll pass Pete Rose in hits total (which obviously won't count, but still...). He's just a unique individual, a great player, and almost impossible to defend against.

Outfield: Jay Buhner

1. Highlights: Couldn't hit for average to save his life, his strikeouts sent stiff breezes blowing throughout the Kingdome (creating some form of cyclone phenomenon - may have been responsible for this), but boy did that ball fly off his bat.

2. Career Best: 1996, where he hit 44 HRs, 138 RBI and struck out a mere 159 times. Worth noting was his career high in strikeouts, which is an impressive 175 Ks in 540 AB.

3. Summary: Bone, as he is affectionately known, is a crazy bastard. Read this story to find the portion about Jay Buhner - believe me, the whole article is great, but Jay's portion is awesome. Truly a power hitter, also had a cannon of an arm, and anchored the bottom half of the M's lineup for several years.

Designated Hitter: John Olerud

1. Highlights: A Washington native, he was welcomed home with open arms to finish his career. Well, he had stints with the Yanks and Sox after he left Seattle, but still. Notable for his steady production (often around .300, lots of doubles and 20 hrs) and for wearing a batting helmet on the field (the result of having an aneurysm while on the field at WSU), he may also be the whitest man ever.

2. Career Best: His best season in Seattle came in 2002, with a .300/.403/.490 line. He accounted for 7.2 RC/9, and in his usual quiet way, knocked in 102 runs on 22 HRs.

3. Summary: Make no mistake, Olerud's finest days were prior to his stint in Seattle. I'd guess that he'll easily make the Blue Jays all-time team and, while he was there for a very short time, may make at least the bench in New York for the Mets. That said, Olerud was a key component of the 2000-2004 M's.

Pitchers: Randy Johnson, Jamie Moyer, Mark Langston, Freddy Garcia, Felix Hernandez Closer: Kazuhiro Sasaki

1. Highlights: Well, not much to say here... The Big Unit was a machine in his times in Seattle, and Moyer is the polar opposite type of pitcher, but reinvented his career remarkably well. This is not a great rotation, by any stretch, but when all of these guys were on their game, they'd get some guys out.

2. Career Best: Randy Johnson's 1997 (20 wins, 2.28 ERA, 291 Ks) is up there, as is Moyer's 21 wins in 2003. Freddy probably gets in here because he was good, but he was playing with the offensive Juggernaut that was the 2001 M's. Saves: 45, Kaz Sasaki in 2001.

3. Summary: I guess I've said enough. These guys could all strike some guys out. Bad Sunglasses is gonna give me shit for including Felix Hernandez, but I believe. I've drank (drunk? well, consumed anyway) the Kool-Aid. When he is on, boy, get out of the way. Let's hope we can re-sign him and he can lead us to a victory. Also, how can you not root for a closer who retired from the league because, basically, he was an alcoholic and an inveterate womanizer?

Bench: Harold Reynolds, Mike Cameron, Raul Ibanez, Dave Valle and Phil Bradley

Bullpen: Mike Schooler, J.J. Putz, Arthur Rhodes, Jeff Nelson, Norm Charlton

Batting Order:

1. Ichiro (L)

2. Edgar Martinez (R)

3. Ken Griffey, Jr (L)

4. Alex Rodriguez (R)

5. Bret Boone (R)

6. John Olerud (L)

7. Jay Buhner (R)
8. Alvin Davis (L)

9. Dan Wilson (R)

Conclusion: It's a sad lot in life to root so heartily for such a disappointing team. Even when we set the modern baseball record for wins in a season, we can't beat the Damn Yankees. And we are in the midst of the most epic breakdown this season. But I still love this loser of a team, and we'll be back. Mariners in '09! (or, more realistically, '10).

All-Time Teams - Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland Athletics

Today, we take a look at the Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland Athletics... Gotta love a team that really wanted to move all the way to the West Coast, but that just seemed to far to do at once. Who amongst us hasn't taken a breather in Kansas City?

Catcher: Mickey Cochrane
1. Highlights: MVP winner in 1928, where he put up .293/.395/.464 line. Though, to be fair, taking second that year was some dude called Heinie Manush. That name is just rough all over.
2. Career Best: three year stretch of batting better than .330 from 1929-31, hit 21 hrs and 112 RBI in 1932.
3. Summary: Hall of Famer, 5 times in the top 20 MVP voting, had an OPS+ over 100 in every year of his career but one (and that one was only a 98...).

First Base: Jimmie Foxx
1. Highlights: Hall of Famer who put up some ridiculous numbers in Philadelphia. 302 hrs as an Athletic, while sporting a .339/.440/.640 line in his time with the club. Career .640???? that's insane!
2. Career Best: Back-to-back MVP seasons in 1932 and 33, with a .364/.469/.749 line and 58 hrs, 169 RBI in 1932; .356/.449/.703 line and 48 hrs, 163 RBI in 1933.
3. Summary: Not much needs to be said... that 1932 seasons is one of the best seasons in baseball history, ranking up there with The Babe and Big-Head Bonds.

Second Base: Eddie Collins
1. Highlights: Hall of Famer who spent about half his career with the A's before becoming a member of what would be come the notorious 1919 Black Sox.
2. Career Best: MVP season in 1914, with a .344/.452/.452 line... weird to see an identical slugging and OBP number, eh.
3. Summary: Career .337 hitter for the A's, and really has no meaningful competition at this position.

Third Base: Eric Chavez
1. Highlights: He put up 4 straight 29+ HR seasons, with OPS+ over 125 each year in the early 2000s. In all, 7 straight 20HR seasons.
2. Career Best: 2001, where he had a sparkling .288/.338/.540 line with 32 HRs and 118 RBI, all while winning the Gold Glove for his defense at the hot corner.
3. Summary: This was a tough one, neck and neck between Chavez and Home Run Baker. It's just too hard to pick this one on offensive stats, as Chavez played in the steroids era and Baker in the deadball era. So I'll give a tip of the cap to defense here, as Chavez is a 6 time Gold Glove winner.

Shortstop: Miguel Tejada
1. Highlights: AL MVP in 2002, 3 straight 30+ HR seasons. Solid athlete
2. Career Best: 2002, Tejada amassed career highs with an impressive .308/.354/.508 line, 34 hrs and 131 RBI.
3. Summary: Solid player for his duration in Oakland, and like all good Oakland players, left when the A's decided they couldn't/wouldn't pay him anymore.

Outfield: Rickey Henderson
1. Highlights: Wow this guy was fast. Seriously. Played for Oakland in 4 separate stints over his career, finishing with over .400 OBP, almost 1300 runs, almost 1800 hits, and 867 stolen bases.
2. Career Best: 130 stolen bases in 1982 set a modern-day record for most in a season. Otherwise, one of his aberrent power seasons in 1990 was a career high, batting .325/.439/.577, 188 OPS+, 28 HRs and 65 SB. What a season.
3. Summary: Career leader in Runs and Stolen Bases, this man defined the leadoff position for the better part of 2 decades.

Outfield: Reggie Jackson
1. Highlights: Mr. October achieved a lot of his fame and fortune after leaving Oakland, but he cut his teeth in those wonderful Yellow and Green unis.
2. Career Best: As a 23 year old in 1969, he hit 47 hrs, 118 RBI and had an OPS+ of 189, all career highs. This coming one year after striking out 171 times in 553 AB.
3. Summary: 4 times in the top 5 for MVP voting while an A, winning in 1973. Generally, he was a quintessential power hitter - home run or strikeout, the occasional double off the wall. I'll take him for my outfield any day.

Outfield: Jose Canseco
1. Highlights: More well known as a Juicer... no wait, THE Juicer, Canseco put up some monster years early in his career, and like Rickey, couldn't stay away, playing for Oakland on 2 separate occasions.
2. Career Best: Baseball's first 40 hr - 40 SB man, he won the MVP in 1988 for his .307/.391/.569, 42 hr, 124 RBI, 40 SB season.
3. Summary: Rookie of the Year, 1988 MVP, 4 times in the top 20 MVP voting. Before his mouth and his ego got in the way, and before the steroids did their inevitable damage to him, he was a helluva ball player.

Designated Hitter: Mark McGwire
1. Highlights: Canseco's protege in Roids, this guy exploded onto the scene in 1987 with 49 HRs in his rookie season and rarely looked back.
2. Career Best: In 1996, he hit for power (52 hrs, 113 RBI), but actually kept his average above .300 for the first full season in his career, drawing 116 walks in teh process. Finished with an awesome .730 SLG.
3. Summary: Sure he was a roid monster, but he really didn't start looking too freakish til the end of his time in Oakland, and for 8 seasons, he consistently hit for power (30+ hr every season but one) and was generally a force to be reckoned with.

Pitchers: Rube Waddell, Eddie Plank, Lefty Grove, Catfish Hunter, Dave Stewart, Chief Bender, Tim Hudson, Closer: Dennis Eckersley
1. Highlights: Chief Bender put up a 23-5 record with a 1.58 ERA in 1910. Rube Waddell put up 349 K's in 1904, as he put up 39(?!) complete games.
2. Career Best: ERA: 1.30, Jack Coombs in 1910; WHIP: Catfish Hunter, 0.910 in 1972; K's: Waddell, 349 in 1904; Saves: 51, Dennis Eckersley in 1992.
3. Summary: It's a 107 year old franchise, for God's sake... I'll put up a 7 man rotation if i want. I mean, there are 4 hall of famers in there, Hunter dominated in the mid-70s, Stewart was in the top-5 Cy Young voting for 4 years straight, and Tim Hudson won over 70 percent of his decisions as an Athletic. Plus between Catfish and Eck, you got yourself two pretty sweet moustaches there...

Bench: Bob Johnson, Socks Seybold, Nap Lajoie (hit .420 one year... crazy!!), Terry Steinbach, Home Run Baker
Bullpen: Rollie Fingers, Eddie Americus Rommel, Rick Honeycutt, Bob Welch

Batting Order:
1. Henderson (R)
2. Collins (L)
3. Foxx (R)
4. McGwire (R)

5. Jackson (L)
6. Canseco (R)
7. Chavez (L)
8. Tejada (R)
9. Cochrane (L)

Conclusion: The A's are not much for depth at a few positions (C, 2b, SS), but they boast among the fastest and strongest lineups that I can think of. Not a weak link in there. And that pitching staff is pretty ridiculous too...

California/Anaheim/Los Angeles/Greater Southern California Angels All Time Team

So I figured I'd start with my West Coast bias and plow through the AL West to start. First off are the Halo Havers, the Flying Fellow, the Winged Wonders, the Angels of Greater Los Angeles.

Catcher: Bengie Molina, who isn't great, but put up four solid seasons in his 6 w/ the Angels and benefits from no other good catchers in Angels' history.

First Base: Rod Carew, who was better in Minnesota, but had a good run and finished in the top 2 in AVG and OBP.

Second Base: Bobby Grich, who is in the top 10 of many offensive categories and was a 3 time All Star.

Third Base: Troy Glaus. Steroids or not, he had a few monster years there...\

Shortstop: Jim Fregosi - more popular perhaps for his managerial stint, but was a 5 time All Star and only marginal standout of a dull group.

Left Field: Garrett Anderson - Career-long Angel, stands with a .295/.325/.468 line and is near the top of almost every offensive category.

Centerfield: Vladimir Guerrero - man can flat out hit the ball.

Right Field: Tim Salmon - Standout among a few followers, near the top of all major categories, hit nearly 300 hrs.

Designated Hitter - Chili Davis... not just because his name is Chili, but mostly.

Bench: Jim Edmonds, Wally Joyner, Fred Lynn, Bob Boone (somebody's gotta be a backup catcher) and Brian Downing.

Pitching:

Starter - Nolan Ryan. Enough said.

Starter - Chuck Finley - 6 15+ win seasons, another 4 with 10 plus, career ERA under 3.70.

Starter - Dean Chance - only with the club for a few seasons, but that 1964 season is crazy good.

Starter - Frank Tanana - neck and neck with Langston, but had more solid seasons.

Starter - John Lackey - the brightest of a new crop of aces in Southern California.

Closer - Troy Percival - 300+ saves, great WHIP, H/9, BB/9. All-around stud.

Bullpen - Frankie Rodriguez, Scot Shields, Brendan Donnelly, and that's it. If we needed a couple long relievers, I'd throw in Langston and Blyleven (for the one really good year he had there).

Next up, we'll head north to the Oakland Athletics!