O/T Life or Death, One Game, My Starting 9

[Lgarza99]

I was thinking who I would start if my life depended on one game. Some of my picks are obvious, but others are based on one game heroics we have seen or read about through the years. Tough to pick if this was truly a life or death game. I would be twisting with each pitch so all I could do would be to trust the following team:

In batting order and position. Outfield set like an all-start team.

1. Ty Cobb, lf, played like his life depended on it. Speed on the bases at once. Intimidation, and maybe takes out one of the key opponents.

2. Derek Jeter, ss, moves runners over, just wins, and anyone who would dive into the stands for one out is on my team, it could be the last out?

3. Babe Ruth, rf, gotta have THE man. Maybe he has a three home run game? Good for at least one shot in the clutch. I gotta keep him from partying the night before though!

4. Lou Gehrig, 1b, he obviously showed up every day to excel. And he did! I know I could count on him.

5. Willie Mays, cf, that over the head catch could be a life saver, not just a game saver. Power, steals, he could do it all.

6. Mike Schmidt, 3b, great defender and power. Tough pick leaving out George Brett. I couldn't go wrong either way.

7. Johnny Bench, threw out 43% of attempted steals, great power, best defensive catcher.

8. Eddie Collins, 2b, gets on base, speed, helps turn the line up over. A winner.

9. Bob Gibson, based on one game, he has to be my starter. Just the total will and desire to win. He would leave it ALL on the line like his life depended on it.

RP, Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer of all time.

Manager, John McGraw, he would pull no punches. He would probably fight me to start Christy Mathewson though.

All that WAR stuff may say different based on career totals, but if this was just for one game, I would take these guys......and live! Lol.

[EvilKing00]

1-Cobb cf
2- Wagner ss
3- ruth - rf
4- williams- lf
5- gherig - 1b
6- chipper jones - 3b
7- bench - c
8- collins - 2b

Bonds dh if we need one hitting 5th moving the rest down

Pedro martinez sp
Rivera cl

[Eric72]

1. Oscar Charleston, CF
2. Honus Wagner, SS
3. Rogers Hornsby, 2B
4. Babe Ruth, RF
5. Lou Gehrig, 1B
6. Barry Bonds, LF (pre-steroids...for the upside, defensively)
7. Josh Gibson, C
8. Mike Schmidt, 3B
9. Walter Johnson, SP

DH, if applicable - Ted Williams

[Lgarza99]

Originally Posted by Eric72

1. Oscar Charleston, CF
2. Honus Wagner, SS
3. Rogers Hornsby, 2B
4. Babe Ruth, RF
5. Lou Gehrig, 1B
6. Barry Bonds, LF (pre-steroids...for the upside, defensively)
7. Josh Gibson, C
8. Mike Schmidt, 3B
9. Walter Johnson, SP

DH, if applicable - Ted Williams

Josh Gibson, interesting. I wish I knew more about him.

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by Lgarza99

Josh Gibson, interesting. I wish I knew more about him.

Sr. Garza,

He is in the MLB Hall of Fame. You should be able to find highlights of his career on their website...along with others.

Best regards,

Eric

[cincyredlegs]

Kinda hard to argue with the guys on the list but if I HAVE to HAVE one guy on my team it would have to be Pete Rose. If my life depended on it, I want him on my side.

Mark

[wolf441]

2B - Morgan
SS - Wagner
CF- Mays
LF - Bonds (definitely while on steroids. Hey, my life depends on it )
DH - Ruth (okay, I'm cheating a bit here)
1B - Gehrig
RF - Clemente
3B - Schmidt
C - Bench


SP - Sandy Koufax (in his prime)
Closer - Rivera

[SAllen2556]

One game - gotta win:

Rose 2b
Brett 3b
Mantle cf
Gehrig 1b
Reggie Jackson rf
Bench c
Kirk Gibson lf
Ripken ss
Koufax p

[Runscott]

John, since it is all about one critical game, opinions are going to vary widely. I will take a season of Bonds but one game from Carlos Beltean
I almost put Dave Henderson and Scott Rolen on my team just because of a couple of key clutch performances I saw.

[z28jd]

Originally Posted by Runscott

John, since it is all about one critical game, opinions are going to vary widely. I will take a season of Bonds but one game from Carlos Beltean
I almost put Dave Henderson and Scott Rolen on my team just because of a couple of key clutch performances I saw.

Obviously people can have their own opinion in something like this, but I don't see anyone better.

I think if you remember the early playoff Bonds, you remember someone that tried too hard to win and got out of his game, or just didn't play well under pressure. I would not take the Pirates version in a critical game, even though he was perhaps the best player in the game then.

When he was at his best, he was a machine that most people who didn't see him daily, don't give him credit for. He had the tiniest strike zone in the business, stood on top of the plate due to that body armor they let him wear and he never swung at a bad pitch. That Bonds was so zoned in(plus the umpires basically let him call strikes) that he would be perfect on any team. Most people just think steroids, but if you watched him everyday(thank you MLB package for his last five years), you saw the perfect hitter. He was basically playing t-ball and even Mario Mendoza could have been a great player if every pitch he swung at was right down the middle.

[ethicsprof]

batting order with position

cobb LF
hans wagner ss
Gehrig 1st
young Ruth P
josh Gibson c
Hornsby 2nd
Yankee Ruth rf
DiMaggio cf
Schmidt 3rd

best,
barry

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by z28jd

Obviously people can have their own opinion in something like this, but I don't see anyone better.

I think if you remember the early playoff Bonds, you remember someone that tried too hard to win and got out of his game, or just didn't play well under pressure. I would not take the Pirates version in a critical game, even though he was perhaps the best player in the game then.

When he was at his best, he was a machine that most people who didn't see him daily, don't give him credit for. He had the tiniest strike zone in the business, stood on top of the plate due to that body armor they let him wear and he never swung at a bad pitch. That Bonds was so zoned in(plus the umpires basically let him call strikes) that he would be perfect on any team. Most people just think steroids, but if you watched him everyday(thank you MLB package for his last five years), you saw the perfect hitter. He was basically playing t-ball and even Mario Mendoza could have been a great player if every pitch he swung at was right down the middle.

You are correct - if you watched him every day. Playoffs are different, especially in a one-game scenario. The guys on my list are for the most part people who I saw play under pressure.

[Runscott]

I personally saw the game where a lefty ph was needed and Griffey jr was sleeping.

[AndrewJerome]

1. Rickey Henderson LF
2. Honus Wagner SS
3. Mickey Mantle CF
4. Babe Ruth RF
5. Edgar Martinez DH
6. Lou Gehrig 1B
7. Yogi Berra C
8. George Brett 3B
9. Martin Dihigo 2B

Randy Johnson SP
Satchel Paige middle relief
Mariano Rivera CL


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ElCabron]

In one game, all that really matters is the guy on the mound. Pick any one of the following as my starter and I like my odds: Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax, Christy Mathewson, John Smoltz, Madison Bumgarner.

Mariano Rivera as my closer, though I doubt he'd get in the game. And PLEASE, let me play one of these teams that has Ty Cobb, a .262 career postseason hitter who never won a championship.

-Ryan

[pgellis]

I can't believe what I'm reading:

Lance Berkman
Derek Jeter
Carlos Beltran
Madison Bumgarner

Come on guys!

[ElCabron]

Originally Posted by pgellis

I can't believe what I'm reading:

Lance Berkman
Derek Jeter
Carlos Beltran
Madison Bumgarner

Come on guys!

Have you watched baseball at all in the past 80 years? All 4 of those guys are amazing in the postseason. Bumgarner just had the best postseason of any pitcher in the history of baseball. And I hate the guy. But things are the way the are.

-Ryan

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by ElCabron

Have you watched baseball at all in the past 80 years? All 4 of those guys are amazing in the postseason. Bumgarner just had the best postseason of any pitcher in the history of baseball. And I hate the guy. But things are the way the are.

-Ryan

I haven't seen Phil's list, but I'm certainly curious. I forgot about Bumgarner or I would probably have listed him instead of Schilling. Tough call there.

This has got me thinking about star played who I wouldn't want anywhere near a 'one game-winner takes all' scenario.

[conor912]

I'm not sure why, but at some point as I was reading this thread it occurred to me that it was possible to make up a team of just Yankees. I know it will have naysayers, but I think on any given day this team could beat any team made up of any players in MLB history....and I'm from Boston, so that's saying a lot.

1. Boggs 3b
2. Lazzeri 2b
3. Mantle lf
4. Ruth rf
5. DiMaggio cf
6. Gehrig 1b
7. Jeter ss
8. Berra c
9. Ford p

Rivera rp

[pgellis]

Originally Posted by ElCabron

Have you watched baseball at all in the past 80 years? All 4 of those guys are amazing in the postseason. Bumgarner just had the best postseason of any pitcher in the history of baseball. And I hate the guy. But things are the way the are.

-Ryan

Yes Ryan, I have watched baseball in the past 80 years.

Beltran's post-season numbers are skewed from his insane 2004 post-season. That was an amazing post-season. He has only appeared in 1 World Series...vs. Boston in 2013. His World Series numbers for his career are:

6 Games - .294 Ave. - 0 HRs - 3 RBIs - 1 Run

Also in 2013, he batted .222 in the NLDS and .286 in the NLCS. Sorry, but no.

I know how everyone was crowing about Bumgarner last year, but it was not the best post-season ever by a pitcher.

He won 4 games last year in the post-season, but Randy Johnson won 5 in 2001 and Christy Mathewson threw 3 complete game shutouts in a World Series back in early 1900s....that was before Wild Card and Divisional Series. Tough to top that.

[freakhappy]

Originally Posted by ElCabron

Have you watched baseball at all in the past 80 years? All 4 of those guys are amazing in the postseason. Bumgarner just had the best postseason of any pitcher in the history of baseball. And I hate the guy. But things are the way the are.



-Ryan

One great postseason makes a player elite and worth starting over all of the all time greats? Laughable. Bumgarner is a really good pitcher, but let's not get carried away.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rats60]

Cobb cf
Wagner SS
Ruth lf
Gehrig 1b
Ted Williams DH
Clemente rf
Brett 3b
Hornsby 2B
Bench c
Koufax p

[frankbmd]

Who gets shot after the game? The players or the manager.

[jbhofmann]

LF Bonds (yes leadoff..want him getting all the PA he can get)
RF Ruth
2B Hornsby
1B Gehrig
CF Mays
3B Cabrera
C Bench
SS Wagner

SP Paige

[oldjudge]

1. Mays CF
2. Jeter SS
3. Ruth DH
4. Gehrig 1B
5. Bonds LF
6. Schmidt 3B
7. Reggie Jackson RF
8. Berra C
9. Alomar 2B

P--Koufax
RP-Rivera

[Centauri]

My 2 cents:

LF Ty Cobb
RF Ichiro
1B Stan Musial
CF Willie Mays
3B Brooks Robinson
2B Roberto Alomar
C John Bench
SS Ozzie Smith
P Pedro Martinez

Hard for anything to hit the ground with that outfield. And the infield? Unbelievable. If I had to have a DH, Paul Molitor or Pete Rose.

My team is built to hit the ball, get on base, play great defense and have speed everywhere. Big time winners, clutch performers.

[Eric72]

Would there be any way to create rosters and have a tournament, using some sort of computer baseball game simulator?

16, 32, or 64 teams...single elimination.

Obviously, this would mean more than just one game. Oh, and we certainly wouldn't be playing for the stakes mentioned by the OP.

Sounds fun to me. Anyone else have an interest - or - know how to run the simulations?

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by Lgarza99

I was thinking who I would start if my life depended on one game. Some of my picks are obvious, but others are based on one game heroics we have seen or read about through the years.

First sentence of first post seems to have gotten lost and been replaced with "who had the greatest career or best stats over a few years?", which is also a very interesting topic, but not the OP's.