Notice how almost all the players here were employed by National League teams
C Johnny Bench over his American League counterparts Carlton Fisk and Thurman Munson
1B Willie Stargell
2B Joe Morgan Gets the nod over Rod Carew
3B Mike Schmidt
SS Dave Concepcion
OF Reggie Jackson
OF Bobby Bonds over Lou Brock
OF Reggie Smith over teammates Carl Yastrzemski, Fred Lynn and Jim Rice
DH Pete Rose Nobody played as an everyday DH during their prime a la David Ortiz and Edgar Martinez; the position was typically used for older players at the end of their careers like Orlando Cepeda, Dick Allen, etc. Rose was a jack of all trades with no natural position, so I'll use the DH as a utility spot
RHP Jim Palmer Edges out Tom Seaver in a photo finish
LHP Steve Carlton
RP Rollie Fingers over Sparky Lyle
Brock should not be on the list. He had a decent decade, batting .298, but poor defense on the corner and no power and didn't really take walks
ReplyDeleteHere are some better choices: Bobby Murcer, Amos Otis, Bobby Bonds, Ken Singleton.
Take Yaz off there , too. He was a stud in the '60's, but hey,4th best and not as good as Frank Robinson, Henry Aaron, and Willie Mays. (1960-1969)
ReplyDeleteSorry, no offense but Bobby Bonds, Red Sox-cast off Reggie Smith, and Cesar Cedeno work better in lieu of Yaz and Brock
ReplyDeleteThough Lyle was good, better choices are Fingers, Marshall, and even Gossage.
ReplyDeleteHad Cedeno and Smith there originally, might put them in, they were very underrated. It's tough to take out Yaz and Brock, but it looks like I might have too.
ReplyDeleteDidn't know about Otis, but his numbers are solid. I totally forgot about Bobby Bonds! Great choice.
Reggie Smith (or Cedeno) over Yaz? You need to shake the cobwebs off.
ReplyDeleteI'll take Seaver (it is close) 1400 more career strike outs but Palmer had more wins over the decade but Seaver had 80 more wins over his career. Both had a identical career ERA of 2.86
ReplyDeleteImpossibly close call between Seaver and Palmer, though it helps that Palmer won three Cy Youngs during the decade, one more than Tom Terrific.
ReplyDeleteAmith and Yaz both totaled 38.9 bWAR during the decade, but Smith's OPS+ was 15 points higher. In my opinion Captain Carl was way too streaky in the seventies:
-Monster, MVP caliber season in 1970
-Slugged under .400 in both '71 and '72
-Good, not great, in '73 and '74
-Off year in '75
-Good in '76 and '77
-Solid in '78/'79
How about Steve Garvey at first? He won the MVP in 1974, led the Dodgers to three World Series appearances in the decade, won the 1978 All Star game MVP, won a bushel full of gold gloves, as his defense was absolutely stellar, had six seasons of 200 hit ball (if you count 1980 as the last year of the 70's, as it should count that way), started a consecutive games streak that did not end until 1983 and is still one of the longest in the history of the NL, drove in more runs than any player in a 10 year period in the senior circuit starting in 1974, etc. His off the field hi-jinks robbed him of the his just due as a truly great baseball player, and a dominant player in the 1970's. By the way, I would put Tony Perez over Stargell in the 1970's, as my second place vote for greatest first baseman of the decade.
ReplyDeleteGarvey was good, but doesn't stack up to Stargell.
ReplyDeleteFrom 1970 through 79
Stargell: .287/.374/.555 296 HR 906 RBI 35.9 bWAR 156 OPS+
Garvey: .304/.342/.468 169 HR 736 RBI 28.1 bWAR 126 OPS+ and his defense has been very overrated
Don't get me started on Perez. He compiled some great numbers because he had longevity and hit in a stacked lineup but he was never a dominant first baseman.
Stargell didn't become a full time 1b until 1975 and then he was hurt for most of the late 1970's so that was an odd choice.
ReplyDeleteShould be Tony Perez at 1b.
Actually Ted Simmons was probably the third best catcher of the 1970's after Munson.
Morgan is a no brainer.
Actually Graig Nettles was probably the best 3b of the decade considering Schmidt didn't become a full time player until 1974.
Campaneris was the best SS of the 1970's. You can chose between Concepcion, Belanger and Harrah for second place.
Again Lf, Cf, and Rf, Yaz, Cesar Cedeno, Reggie Jackson
Seaver over Palmer not even close. Seaver was the best pitcher of the decade. Put him on those Orioles teams with that defense and he wins 400 games.
Carlton over Wilbur Wood.
The best relief pitcher of the 1970's was John Hiller.
I'll take Seaver over Palmer. They are close, but Tom Terrific was the best RHP from 69-81.
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