All 25-year team

[fromthestretch]

I wasn't sure if anyone had posted this before, but I thought it was a neat idea:

 

http://www.armchairgm.com/index.php?title=Can_You_Beat_The_All-25-Year_Mets_Team%3F (You may have to scroll down a bit to see the content on the page.)

 

I'd be curious to see what kind of rosters people would put together for the Cubs. Basically, take a 25-year period (in their example, they used 1983 through 2006) and build the best team you can. Following the rules that were listed on the site and using the same 25-year stretch, I put together the following Cubs team.

 

Starting Lineup

*CF Dave Martinez (1987): .292/.372/.418 (106 OPS+)

2B Ryne Sandberg (1990): .306/.354/.559 (141 OPS+)

RF Sammy Sosa (2001): .328/.437/.737 (201 OPS+)

1B Derrek Lee (2005): .335/.418/.662 (177 OPS+)

*C Rick Wilkins (1993): .303/.376/.561 (146 OPS+)

3B Aramis Ramirez (2006): .291/.352/.561 (126 OPS+)

LF Moises Alou (2004): .293/.361/.557 (128 OPS+)

SS Ricky Gutierrez (2000): .276/.375/.401 (105 OPS+)

 

Bench

^2B/3B Mark Bellhorn (2002): .258/.374/.512 (133 OPS+)

OF Glenallen Hill (1999): .300/.353/.581 (125 OPS+)

*3B/1B Dave Hansen (1997): .311/.429/.450 (130 OPS+)

3B/SS Chris Speier (1986): .284/.349/.452 (113 OPS+)

*OF Thad Bosley (1985): .328/.391/.511 (140 OPS+)

*C Tyler Houston (1996): .339/.382/.452 (119 OPS+)

 

Starting Rotation

Greg Maddux (1992): 166 ERA+, 1.01 WHIP

Rick Sutcliffe (1984): 145 ERA+, 1.08 WHIP

Mark Prior (2003): 175 ERA+, 1.10 WHIP

Kerry Wood (1998): 128 ERA+, 1.21 WHIP

Frank Castillo (1995): 127 ERA+, 1.23 WHIP

 

Bullpen

Lee Smith (1983): 231 ERA+, 1.07 WHIP

Les Lancaster (1989): 278 ERA+, 1.03 WHIP

*Chuck McElroy (1991): 198 ERA+, 1.28 WHIP

*Paul Assenmacher (1990): 147 ERA+, 1.22 WHIP

Al Nipper (1988): 119 ERA+, 1.33 WHIP

Jim Bullinger (1994): 116 ERA+, 1.21 WHIP

 

*left-hander

^switch-hitter

 

Edited to replace Mike Proly ('82) with Al Nipper ('88) since I didn't have anyone from 1988.

Edited May 9, 2007 by grassbass

[Tracer Bullet]

Our SS's and CF's have been pretty darn bad. Ugh.

[rawaction]

Hard to believe there hasn't been a better CF in the last 25 years.

 

No Dernier? What about Lofton in his half of 03? What about Brant Brown in 98? He got the full-time CF job about midway through the year.

 

SS I can see, and imagine a lot of teams that have not had Arod, Jeter, Tejada, or Ripken probably have bad SS's too.

[Banedon]

If it wasn't for injury, 2003 Corey Patterson would be the easy CF choice.

 

.298/.329/.511 116 OPS+

Edited May 9, 2007 by Banedon

[fromthestretch]

Our SS's and CF's have been pretty darn bad. Ugh.

 

The toughest parts about this is that you can only take one player per year and you have to use someone in the role they played. In other words, I couldn't take the 1987 Andre Dawson and use him off the bench. He'd have to be the starting right fielder.

 

I was trying to find a way to get Hector Villanueva on the roster as the backup catcher, but it would have made another part of the team weaker.

[fromthestretch]

Hard to believe there hasn't been a better CF in the last 25 years.

 

No Dernier? What about Lofton in his half of 03? What about Brant Brown in 98? He got the full-time CF job about midway through the year.

 

SS I can see, and imagine a lot of teams that have not had Arod, Jeter, Tejada, or Ripken probably have bad SS's too.

 

Dernier's OBP's sucked. Brian McRae would have been a decent option. But then I'd have to take someone else from 1987, since that was Dave Martinez's year. The only good options that year were Dawson (Sosa was the better option in RF), Durham (Lee is the better option at 1B), Moreland (Ramirez is the better option at 3B), and Frank Dipino.

 

Edited to add: If I used '03 Lofton, I couldn't use '03 Prior.

Edited May 9, 2007 by grassbass

[Chris]

Sammy's '01 season was sick

[Banedon]

Edited to add: If I used '03 Lofton, I couldn't use '03 Prior.

 

I guess I should've read the rules.

[rawaction]

Edited to add: If I used '03 Lofton, I couldn't use '03 Prior.

 

I guess I should've read the rules.

 

Yeah, I didn't realize that either.

[David]

Having 2001 Sammy and 2005 D-Lee is pretty solid.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I'd put Glenallen in CF. Defense be damned.

[fromthestretch]

Just realized I don't have anyone from '88, but I have someone from '82. This could be tough, since the '88 team doesn't offer much promise.

 

EDIT: Replaced Proly ('82) with Nipper ('88). Yuck.

Edited May 9, 2007 by grassbass

[imb]

Seeing that Prior's 2003 was the best starting pitching performance (better than Maddux, even) in our last 25 years is like a big fat donkey kick to the balls.

[David]

Seeing that Prior's 2003 was the best starting pitching performance (better than Maddux, even) in our last 25 years is like a big fat donkey kick to the balls.

 

Considering it was probably one of the best ever (especially his second half), I wasn't remotely surprised.

[Derwood]

it would be fun to do an all time worst team if it wasn't so much work to play within the rules

[Ding Dong Johnson]

it would be fun to do an all time worst team if it wasn't so much work to play within the rules

 

With all of the suckiness over 25 years, it would be too difficult to pick the 25 worst. So many are worthy of that title.

[fromthestretch]

it would be fun to do an all time worst team if it wasn't so much work to play within the rules

 

With all of the suckiness over 25 years, it would be too difficult to pick the 25 worst. So many are worthy of that title.

 

You'd probably have to set a minimum number of plate appearances for hitters, innings for starters, and games for relievers. Otherwise, you're going to end up with the 1999 version of Micah Bowie in the starting rotation (9.96 ERA in 47 innings).

[Derwood]

it would be fun to do an all time worst team if it wasn't so much work to play within the rules

 

With all of the suckiness over 25 years, it would be too difficult to pick the 25 worst. So many are worthy of that title.

 

You'd probably have to set a minimum number of plate appearances for hitters, innings for starters, and games for relievers. Otherwise, you're going to end up with the 1999 version of Micah Bowie in the starting rotation (9.96 ERA in 47 innings).

 

oh, i think Anthony Young, Ozzie Timmons and Shane Andrews got enough playing time to qualify

[fromthestretch]

it would be fun to do an all time worst team if it wasn't so much work to play within the rules

 

With all of the suckiness over 25 years, it would be too difficult to pick the 25 worst. So many are worthy of that title.

 

You'd probably have to set a minimum number of plate appearances for hitters, innings for starters, and games for relievers. Otherwise, you're going to end up with the 1999 version of Micah Bowie in the starting rotation (9.96 ERA in 47 innings).

 

oh, i think Anthony Young, Ozzie Timmons and Shane Andrews got enough playing time to qualify

 

I don't know if Shane Andrews and his 109 OPS+ is bad enough to make the team though. Willie Greene on the other hand...

[CubColtPacer]

it would be fun to do an all time worst team if it wasn't so much work to play within the rules

 

With all of the suckiness over 25 years, it would be too difficult to pick the 25 worst. So many are worthy of that title.

 

You'd probably have to set a minimum number of plate appearances for hitters, innings for starters, and games for relievers. Otherwise, you're going to end up with the 1999 version of Micah Bowie in the starting rotation (9.96 ERA in 47 innings).

 

oh, i think Anthony Young, Ozzie Timmons and Shane Andrews got enough playing time to qualify

 

Patterson's 2005 and Cedeno's 2006 would probably be easy choices for CF and SS.

[Derwood]

it would be fun to do an all time worst team if it wasn't so much work to play within the rules

 

With all of the suckiness over 25 years, it would be too difficult to pick the 25 worst. So many are worthy of that title.

 

You'd probably have to set a minimum number of plate appearances for hitters, innings for starters, and games for relievers. Otherwise, you're going to end up with the 1999 version of Micah Bowie in the starting rotation (9.96 ERA in 47 innings).

 

oh, i think Anthony Young, Ozzie Timmons and Shane Andrews got enough playing time to qualify

 

Patterson's 2005 and Cedeno's 2006 would probably be easy choices for CF and SS.

 

kevin roberson and rey sanchez may disagree with you

[CubColtPacer]

it would be fun to do an all time worst team if it wasn't so much work to play within the rules

 

With all of the suckiness over 25 years, it would be too difficult to pick the 25 worst. So many are worthy of that title.

 

You'd probably have to set a minimum number of plate appearances for hitters, innings for starters, and games for relievers. Otherwise, you're going to end up with the 1999 version of Micah Bowie in the starting rotation (9.96 ERA in 47 innings).

 

oh, i think Anthony Young, Ozzie Timmons and Shane Andrews got enough playing time to qualify

 

Patterson's 2005 and Cedeno's 2006 would probably be easy choices for CF and SS.

 

kevin roberson and rey sanchez may disagree with you

 

Yeah, I guess it would depend on the at-bats needed. If it was more than 300, than neither of those would have a season that would match the two I mentioned.

[NewUserName]

How about Jerome Walton from the 89 team for CF and get another relief pitcher?

 

 

edit: Okay I looked at the numbers and see why. For some reason I thought he hit like .320 that year. His OBP wasnt even that good.

[NCCubFan]

Patterson's 2005 and Cedeno's 2006 would probably be easy choices for CF and SS.

 

kevin roberson and rey sanchez may disagree with you

If it were just one year later (and therefore within the 25-year window), Ivan Dejesus' 1981 season (.194 average in over 400 ABs) would easily take the dishonors at SS.

[soccer10k]

2005 Macias and his .316 SLG (that's right, SLG) along with his 54 OPS+ want in on the all time worst team.