Best Starting 9 in a single set?

[bigfanNY]

How about 1940 playball?
C Dickey
1b Foxx
2b Gehringer
Ss Wagner
3b Frank Baker
OF Williams
Of Dimaggio
OF Joe Jackson
P Walter Johnson , Christy Mathewson
Mgr Connie Mack

[rats60]

Originally Posted by bigfanNY

How about 1940 playball?
C Dickey
1b Foxx
2b Gehringer
Ss Wagner
3b Frank Baker
OF Williams
Of Dimaggio
OF Joe Jackson
P Walter Johnson , Christy Mathewson
Mgr Connie Mack

Half of those guys are retired. Why not just do 1976 Topps?

P Walter Johnson
C Johnny Bench
1B Lou Gehrig
2B Rogers Hornsby
3B Mike Schmidt
SS Honus Wagner
OF Babe Ruth
OF Ty Cobb
OF Ted Williams

[Peter_Spaeth]

1968 Topps would be strong.

C Bench
1B Mantle
2B Morgan
SS Banks (cheat) or Aparicio
3b Mathews
OF Mays, Aaron, Clemente, F Robinson
P Seaver, Carlton, Ryan, Gibson, Marichal
RP Wilhelm

[Touch'EmAll]

I might go '33 Goudey like this:

C - Cochrane
1B - Gehrig
2B - Lajoie
3B - Foxx
SS - Hornsby
OF - Ruth
OF - Ott
CF - Speaker
P - Grove

[Foto1]

As I read these teams I come to a question that has always perplexed me. I love Yogi, and love Campanella, how come Yogi is always chosen over Roy? Never saw either play, started watching in 68, but for those who saw both, is it not close or are they a toss up? Played a lot of All Time All Star, the SI game in early 70's, on the chart in the game Campy was stronger. Same question Eddie Mathews and Hank Aaron, as they played together was Aaron the player and Mathews the second choice. Did see Aaron quite a bit, did not see Eddie Mathews. Question for those who saw them.

[skelly423]

Originally Posted by Foto1

As I read these teams I come to a question that has always perplexed me. I love Yogi, and love Campanella, how come Yogi is always chosen over Roy? Never saw either play, started watching in 68, but for those who saw both, is it not close or are they a toss up? Played a lot of All Time All Star, the SI game in early 70's, on the chart in the game Campy was stronger. Same question Eddie Mathews and Hank Aaron, as they played together was Aaron the player and Mathews the second choice. Did see Aaron quite a bit, did not see Eddie Mathews. Question for those who saw them.

I never saw them play either, but my best guess is that it comes down to two factors. Between his negro league career and his accident, Campanella had a shorter career in the majors, so his major counting stats don't measure up to Yogi's. When you factor in 10 championships vs 1, Yogi has a clear advantage. Add in the colorful personality and the Yankee mystique, I think that explains why he's the choice for so many people. Personally I think Campanella was better, but I understand why people would lean toward Yogi.

With respect to Aaron vs. Mathews, I think it's as simple as Aaron being far superior in every meaningful statistic. This isn't meant to diminish Mathews, who is an underappreciated great of the game, but he's just a star, Henry Aaron is no worse that the 5th best player in the history of the game, and has a legitimate argument to be the best.

[brianp-beme]

Another in a series of making due with what you are given...I present to you the all-time lineup from the 10 card W9316 set:

P - Jesse Barnes (promoted from relief pitcher in W514 to starter here)

C - Ray Schalk

1B - George Sisler

2B - Jimmy Johnston

3B - Frank Baker

SS - Wally Schang (primarily a catcher, in 1918 played in 1 game as SS)

LF - Bobby Veach

CF - Tommy Griffith

RF/MGR - Wilbert Robinson (8 games in OF, so he sticks himself in right)

Relief Pitcher - Leon Cadore (45 games as non-starter)


Brian