Twist on a theme - all time biggest crowd drawing starting 9
 

So the the job here is all about putting a starting 9 players on the field with the goal of drawing the largest crowd - for purposes of this thread they would all be taking the field today in the year 2020.

1b - Mickey Mantle
2b - Jackie Robinson
3b - Mike Schmidt
ss - Cal Ripken Jr.
c - Johnny Bench
p - Nolan Ryan
LF - Babe Ruth
Rf - Roberto Clemente
Cf - Ty Cobb

That was really hard - particularly in the outfield, Short Stop and Pitcher. Have at it guys!

1b - Mickey Mantle
2b - Jackie Robinson
3b - Brook Robinson
ss - Honus Wagner
c - Yogi Berra
p - Cy Young
LF - Babe Ruth
Rf - Roberto Clemente
Cf - Ty Cobb

interesting
 

Figured Bench in front of Berra because I already had Mantle and Ruth to pull the NY fans. Can't argue with Wagner - interesting to contemplate who would be the bigger draw. Also can't argue with Brooksie over Schmidt - I struggled with that choice too!

Anyone else want in?

Also interesting to think about Cobb on the same field as Jackie and Clemente!

P Nolan Ryan
C Yogi Berra
1B Stan Musial
2B Jackie Robinson
SS Ernie Banks
3B Pete Rose
LF Babe Ruth
CF Mickey Mantle
RF Roberto Clemente

have to have him in there
 

Maybe the most beloved player of all time not yet mentioned.....Lou Gehrig!!

Even if you have to work him in at DH, I`d have to get a look at Joe Jackson and hopefully watch him at least warm up from the outfield. The hitting and swing is one thing but have to see a player that won a long throw contest with close to 400 feet. Cool topic.......

How about Hank Aaron as DH and Earl Weaver as manager (not the best manager in history but was very entertaining). And love him or hate him, Barry Bonds was the most “must TV” baseball player I can recall.

Hard to argue with most of the teams fielded so far, but I would LOVE to see Satchell Paige take the bump...

The OP's team was pretty good. Made a few minor changes

1b - Lou Gehrig
2b - Jackie Robinson
3b - Mike Schmidt
ss - Cal Ripken Jr.
c - Josh Gibson
p - Nolan Ryan
LF - Babe Ruth
Rf - Roberto Clemente
Cf - Mike Trout

Drawing power:

P - Mark Fidrych
C - Yogi Berra
1b - Cap Anson
2b - Jackie Robinson
ss - Cal Ripken
3b - Pete Rose
LF - Babe Ruth
CF - Ty Cobb
RF - Reggie Jackson
DH - Barry Bonds

No one drew more people to a ball game than "The Bird".

Thinking outside the box of guys who were "must see" even if only for a time. None of these guys were draws their entire career like Ruth or Mantle, but for a significant time you couldn't get tickets to their games.

LHP - Fernando Valenzuela
1b - Mark McGwire
OF - Sammy Sosa
SS - Cal Ripken
OF - Ichiro

Anyone else you can think of?

Ozzie Smith. I was going back and forth between having Banks at 1B and Ozzie at SS or Musial at 1B and Banks at SS. Maybe it is the mid-west bias, but Ozzie was always must see. Ripken was popular, but not as popular as Ozzie in my opinion. Also, Ken Griffey Jr and Mike Trout were the other two guys I wanted to make room for, just not over the three I chose.

Did Ozzie sell tickets at away stadiums? Musial? Banks? I mean don't get me wrong, they were great, but I'm talking about people who brought crowds wherever they went for a period of time. After Ripken broke the record every game he played was a new record. Griffey had a stretch where people were likely coming just to see him, I think that's a good add, and while I love Trout he can't even fill the Angel's ballpark.

Yes, how often have you gone to a Cubs or Cardinals road game? Especially in the mid-west, Cubs fans heavily attend away games. I am sure that Ripken brought out fans when he was approaching and breaking Gehrig's record, but what about his whole career? Cubs and Cardinals are two of the most popular teams in baseball. Banks is Mr. Cub. He would bring a huge crowd. The Cardinals are consistently among MLB leaders in attendance. I'm not sure I picked the right Cardinal and as time goes by Ozzie will be the pick, but my age leans me towards the Man. I certainly understand why someone would pick Ripken, but I wouldn't if limited to 9.

I wanted Jackson in my lineup!!
 

I even had him down as I was arranging the team and then bumped him - I just couldn't contemplate that he'd be a bigger draw than Ruth, Clemente or Cobb!! Gehrig (had to put Mantle at 1st to field my outfield) and Aaron similarly.

Great lineups and reasoning everyone!

Who else?
 

So where's the rest of your lineup?

I think this is being approached two different ways. I am picking guys who WERE draws all over the majors for at least a time during their careers. Others are picking people that wold draw today if they somehow magically became available. Nothing wrong with either approach but definitely yields different results (with some overlap like Ruth)

The guys you didn't want to get caught in the food line when they played:

Reggie Jackson - I remember the crowd chants when he came up to bat
Nolan Ryan - fastest fastball
Ozzie Smith - unbelievable defense
Brooks Robinson - amazing defense
Babe Ruth - most HR Wow factor ever
Bo Jackson - Could do it all...at any time
Bob Feller - almost fastest fastball ever
Sandy Koufax - peak maybe most dominant all around pitcher
Satchell Paige - most popular crowd favorite
Mgr. Billy Martin - when arguing a call

I liked your mgr pick! Durocher was good too.

Koufax all day, every day. The most dominant pitcher I ever saw.

Here's my Line-Up...…



2B
http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...JRobbyPSA5.jpg



LF
http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...Williams50.jpg



1B
http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...ntleCard25.jpg



RF
http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...arBabeRuth.jpg . http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...BabeRuthBk.jpg



CF
http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...DiMaggio50.jpg



C
http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...BreadBerra.jpg



3B
PETE ROSE



SS
ERNIE BANKS


DH
REGGIE JACKSON



P
http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...ohsonSGC40.jpg



RP
http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...afPaige25x.jpg




MGR.
http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...2x53Bowman.jpg




TED Z

T206 Reference
.

I'm going with players that I've seen play live.

SP - Randy Johnson
RP - Edwin Diaz
1b - Joey Votto
2b - Brandon Phillips
3b - Nolan Arenado
SS - Derek Jeter
LF - Larry Walker
RF - Ichiro
CF - Ken Griffey Jr.
DH - Edgar Martinez
Bench - Alex Rodriquez
Mgr - Lou Pinella
Bench Coach - Aaron Boone

Paige Uecker Gehrig Jackie Cal Gaedel Ruth Mantle Cobb

I think most people nowadays would rather see Mays than Cobb. Willie, Mickey, and The Babe in the outfield, wow!!!! Or put Clemente in place of Babe and use Babe as a DH.

If I could only see one game, these are the guys I'd like to see:

SP - Satch
C - Bench
1B - Gehrig
2B - Javy Baez
3B - G Brett
SS - Wagner
OF - Babe Ruth
OF - Roberto Clemente
OF - Bo Jackson
RP - Goose
DH - Teddy Ballgame

Some of these I picked because they were great and I never got to see them play, others because they are the most exciting players at that position (Baez, Jackson).

You want to draw a crowd.... Lets try this lineup

Mng - Pete Rose
SP - Bill "Spaceman" Lee
RP - John Rocker
C - Moe Berg
1B - Mark McGwire
2B - Jose Altuve
3B - Capt Anson
SS - Alex Rodriguez
OF - Ty Cobb
OF - Joe Jackson
OF - Jose Canseco
DH - Barry Bonds

John Rocker, LOL....drawing crowds for all the wrong reasons.