The All-Time MLB Player Draft part VII: Dennis' Team

Since Dennis did not feel like writing an essay about his team I will do a quick and dirty one myself. Dennis got one of the best players ever in the first round, Willie Mays, then followed that up by drafting Ty Cobb and Joe Dimaggio later on in the draft. This prevented others from getting an upper tier CF, but due to the rules of the exercise he ends up having to start at DH. Here is his team...

Lineup

RF - Ty Cobb - Nine straight years leading league in OPS+, owned nearly every important record when he retired

DH - Joe Dimaggio - .325 career average, essentially same number of K's as HRs

3B - George Brett - .305 career average, 665 2B, 317 HR

CF - Willie Mays - The epitome of the 5-tool player

1B - Hank Greenberg - .313/.412/.605 career

LF - Al Simmons - Three seasons of 150+ RBI

C - Johnny Bench - 2 MVPS, 2 HR titles, 3 times leader in RBI

SS - Ernie Banks - 4 straight years of 40+ HRs as SS

2B - Roberto Alomar - .300 career hitter, 6 seasons of 100+ runs


Bench

C - Gabby Hartnett - 126 career OPS+ over 20 years

IF - Rafael Palmeiro - 9 straight years of 35+ HR, 100+ RBI starting at age 30

OF - Roberto Clemente - 4 seasons with 200 hits, 4 time batting champion

Util - Al Kaline - Double digit HRs for 20 straight years, 10 gold gloves

Util - Ichiro Suzuki - 9 straight seasons of 200+ hits, 25+ steals, 8 gold gloves


Rotation

SP - Christy Mathewson - Led league in wins 4 times, ERA 5 times

SP - Greg Maddux - Had a 6 year stretch of 1400+ innings with a 191 ERA+

SP - Ed Walsh - 1.82 career ERA, best ever

SP - Don Sutton - 324 wins, 4 time leader in WHIP

SP - Mike Mussina - 17 straight double-digit win seasons

Bullpen

CL - Joe Nathan - 2.04 career ERA since moving to pen

SU - Addie Joss - 1.89 career ERA, 0.97 career WHIP is lowest ever

LHRP - Eddie Plank - No ERAs over 2.86 after the age of 26

RP - Dazzy Vance - Led league in K's for 7 straight years

RP - Bob Lemon - 7 straight years of 250+ IP with a league better than average ERA

RP - Jon Papelbon - Rookie 171 ERA+ was worst of his career

Manager - Casey Stengel

Park - Fenway Park

Captain - Johnny Bench


Alright so now a little breakdown..

- Obviously an elite defensive team in the outfield and behind the plate; Greenberg is the only player in the starting lineup who is not above average with the glove.

- Relatively weak hitting at the middle infield position is compensated by having the two best centerfielders in the lineup every day.

- It is odd that even though the lineup's weakness is probably the infield, the only infielder on the bench is a first baseman, which does not help.

- Don Sutton was probably the weakest starting pitcher drafted, but Dennis' top three can match up with pretty much anyone's.

- Best Pick: Gabby Hartnett - Hartnett should be starting for a team but Dennis was able to get him several round after the starting catchers were selected, even though Hartnett was a better player than most of them.

- Worst Pick: Hank Greenberg - Greenberg was a fine player but considering how much later players like Frank Thomas, Jeff Bagwell and Mark McGwire were drafted, Greenberg probably went too soon.