Your all-time favorite baseball team of your lifetime

Yeah, I saw it on Facebook. But it makes you think.

Take note that we're not talking about the best players at each position. It's who YOU liked, whether it was a childhood hero or whatever. As some of my picks will definitely show.

C-Andy Etchebarren (also ugliest guy in my lifetime)
1B-Boog Powell
2B-Rod Carew
SS-Julian Javier
3B-Tom Brookens
Utility-Chico Salmon
OF-Curt Blefary
OF-Carl Yastrzemski
OF-Bryce Harper
OF-Vladimir Guerrero
PH-Tommy Gregg
SP-Bob Gibson
SP-Steve Carlton
SP-Mark Fidrych
SP-Sandy Koufax
SP-Mike York (sports phoner at my paper WHILE he was pitching in AA)
DH-David Ortiz
RP-Bruce Sutter
RP-Dennis Eckersley
RP-Aroldis Chapman

 

The entire 1995 Cleveland Indians roster.

 

The 1987 or 1991 Twins, and the 1995 Mariners, who saved baseball in Seattle. Probably never followed a team more closely than the 95 M's in August and September, when they were running down the Angels.

I was in Bohler gym at Wazzu, writing up a football game, when Edgar hit his slam against the Yankees in Game 4 of the ALDS. There was a volleyball match going on there and the place went nuts for no apparent reason, in the middle of a rally. It was time for grandma to get out the rye bread. His game/series-winning 2B the next day is one of my all-time favorite sports memories.

 

'85 thru '88 Dodgers. The worst low (I was a wreck for 2 weeks after Clark's homer) to the biggest high (Gibson's shot sparking one of the great W.S. upsets).

The '86 Dodgers were fucking putrid -- Clark's homer sent them on a year-long bender before they came back around in '87 and worked their mojo in '88.

Those 4 years were the hardest and most intense that I loved and hated them.

 

Fucking Clark, the way he giddily cocksured around the bases. lol

 

'86 Mets. They were insane off the field, dominant on the field during the regular season, had enough to survive Mike Scott's scuffballs and made an all-time comeback against the Red Sox.

Too bad there wasn't a wild card back then, and there were so many what-ifs. What-if Gooden laid off the coke and didn't have his motion tinkered around with. What-if Strawberry laid off the coke, and wasn't so sensitive about criticism. What-if Cashen didn't care about personalities, and kept Kevin Mitchell instead of sending him west for bland Kevin McReynolds.

They could have been an all-time dynasty.

 

From youth: '64 Phillies. Took me a long time to realize they had played way over their heads and come back to earth.
From young adulthood: '72--73 A's. Made a bundle betting on the A's against the Reds. Live in Oakland for '73 season. Went to all Series games.
From adulthood: Covered '80 playoffs and Series for the Phoenix. First and I thought probably last title Phils would ever get.

 

This is going to show how relatively young I am

Starting pitchers Baumgarner, Livan Hernandez, Shawn Estes and Kirk Rueter

Relief (mostly closers but WTF): Rod Beck, Joe Nathan, Robb Nen, Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, Tim Worrell and Julian Tavares (he was an ugly MFer and you didn't F!ck with him.

C Posey
1B JT Snow
2B Joe Panik
3B Matt Williams
SS Rich Aurilia
LF Bonds
CF Mays
RF Hunter Pence

Bench: Travis Ishikawa (that dude needs to head to my part of the bay to collect the beer I owe him), Cody Ross (same thing), Tony Gwynn and Will Clark (yeah they should be starting but so should everyone else you could make a dream team of your favorites with).

 

I have always said this: If there'e one game for heaven or hell, give me the Aaron-Mays-Clemente National League outfield of the '60s and you can have any other outfielders you want. I guess I'd pick Schmidt at third, Ozzie at short, Alomar second and since Gehrig was before my time, put Pujols at first. For pitchers, no question I have Koufax lefty and Pedro righty. Closer: Rivera. We'll win our share.

 

'77-78 Yankees. Nettles and Munson are my favorite Yankees

'98 Yankees.

 

1985 Mets were so much fun. Doc at the height of his powers. The final 3 game series in St. Louis.

 

The '77=78 Yankees were an awesome team. I was glad to live in Oakland in 1973 and root for those A's. Best memory: Victory parade in what passes for downtown Oakland. Had A's players in antique cars. Run up to the car with Joe Rudi seeking an autograph. Joe opens door and tumbles to pavement. Cloud of grass smoke that follows him like a living thing from a Disney cartoon. We were just as stoned, helped him back in as he gave as a big smile but no autograph. We had no pen, he had no motor skills.