All-Time Teams: Marlins

Today we'll look at a franchise that has never lost a playoff series. Here's the All-Time Team for the Miami Marlins:

Since the Marlins aren't exactly the most popular baseball team, I thought I'd use this post to give you an inside look at how these All-Time Teams are assembled. 

The starting point for every post is Baseball-reference.com. Before building the 25-man roster I check the franchise page for a manager.

Not much to choose from here. Jack McKeon is the only skipper with a winning record. He's tied for the team lead in years managed, and he won a World Series. He's our guy.

Choosing a ballpark for each All-Time Team to call home is usually a simple task. I try to pick the park the team played in the longest, or failing that, the park in which they had the most success. For the Marlins, that's this multi-purpose/multi-name stadium:

With the basics out of the way, it's time for the fun part: roster construction. I open the team history page and scroll through the Top 50 Career Leaders. Let's focus on position players first.

The first thing I consider is qualification: does this player have more years with another team? Right away that would eliminate Miguel Cabrera (Tigers) and Derrek Lee (Cubs). However, Lee could be re-considered if necessary. Dee Gordon and Brian Anderson don't qualify, either - they played less than four seasons with this franchise.


Next I want to find the best qualifying players at each position. At this point I'm looking at one stat: OPS+. This will tell me if each player was league average (100) or better. 

We've got two qualifying catchers: J.T. Realmuto (110 OPS+) and Charles Johnson (96). Done.

We've got two qualifying first basemen: Jeff Conine (114) and Kevin Millar (127). Millar's production is a surprise to me. Conine is Mr. Marlin so he's going on this roster somehow. Let's come back to this.

We've got two qualifying second basemen: Luis Castillo (94) and Dan Uggla (117). OPS+ is not the be-all and end-all stat, but it's looking like Uggla should start. Done.

We've got two qualifying shortstops: Hanley Ramirez (129) and Miguel Rojas (87). Han-Ram is an easy choice. Done.

 We've got one qualifying third baseman: Mike Lowell. Done.

In the outfield, we've got six qualifying players. Giancarlo Stanton is a lock. Christian Yelich has been far better as a Brewer but he doesn't qualify for Milwaukee. Cliff Floyd will compete with Yelich for the left field spot, while Marcell Ozuna (115 OPS+) should be the the starting center fielder over Juan Pierre (91).

Gary Sheffield has to start, but Stanton is blocking him in right. Luckily there's a DH spot on these All-Time rosters for this exact purpose. But which one goes where?

At this point my Marlins roster looks like this:

C - Realmuto, Johnson
1B - Conine (Millar?)
2B - Uggla (Castillo?)
SS - Ramirez
3B - Lowell
LF - Yelich (Floyd?)
CF - Ozuna
RF - Sheffield/Stanton
DH - Stanton/Sheffield

Each team's bench consists of one catcher, two infielders, and two outfielders. I've got to fill one more spot and solidify the other two.

This is where I take a deeper dive into other statistical categories to find some players to compete with our incumbents. Here's how that competition shakes out:

• 1st Base - Justin Bour/Kevin Millar/Derrek Lee
• Infield - Derek Dietrich/Luis Castillo

Justin Bour and Kevin Millar both played five seasons in Florida. Derrek Lee played six seasons. Here are their stat lines:

.262/.346/.470  83 HR  272 RBI  123 OPS+
.296/.367/.504  59 HR  251 RBI  127 OPS+
.264/.353/.469 129 HR 417 RBI  115 OPS+

Millar has the numbers but Lee played 344 more games as a Marlin. He's our guy.




 
Luis Castillo isn't great, but his 10 years with the team is a huge advantage. Is it enough to hold off Derek Dietrich?

.254/.335/.422  60 HR  204 RBI  108 OPS+
.293/.370/.356  20 HR  271 RBI  94 OPS+

Dietrich's power and versatility aren't enough to kick Castillo off the roster.


We have a three-way competition for the final position player spot:

• Outfield - Josh Willingham/Preston Wilson/Juan Pierre

The Willinghammer only played 416 games for Florida, or roughly five half-seasons. Wilson and Pierre played about the same amount of games - just shy of 600. 

.262/.333/.473  991 total bases 109 OPS+
.295/.345/.368  851 total bases  91 OPS+

With Luis Castillo on the bench the Marlins don't need another Punch and Judy hitter. Preston Wilson claims the fifth outfield spot. 


Now let's build a rotation and bullpen for the Marlins.

Oh dear God. Kevin Brown will start for an All-Time Team but it's not this one. Beckett played longer in Boston, but I'll keep him in the mix for now. Pavano, Alex Fernandez, Leiter, Dempster, and Buehrle don't qualify for Florida. 

Let's take the remaining starters and see who has an ERA+ of 100(league average) or higher:

Oh dear God. This is why I didn't want to discard Beckett - he appears to be the Marlins' #2 starter. Josh Johnson is the "ace" of this staff. Jose Fernandez posted an ERA+ of 150 in his far too short career, but he's not listed here because his 471 1/3 innings pitched weren't enough to qualify. 

A.J. Burnett edges out Dontrelle Willis for the #3 spot:

3.73 ERA  3.71 FIP  111 ERA+  1.284 WHIP  2.00 K:BB
3.78 ERA  3.98 FIP  111 ERA+  1.359 WHIP  2.20 K:BB

The D-Train will take the 4th starter spot. That leaves Sanchez, Penny, Rapp, and Nolasco as fifth starter options. Nolasco is the franchise leader in wins and starts, and he has an impressive K:BB ratio. I'll go with him, since none of the other guys stand out. 

Finally we have the bullpen. The two categories to consider are games played (relief appearances) and saves:

Let's start with the closers. Nen qualifies for the Marlins and the Giants. Guess which team needs him more? Cishek and Ramos are quality options. Alfonseca and Looper are.. fine. Oviedo and Gregg don't qualify. Dunn is good enough to earn the last spot in the 'pen.

The 25-man roster is complete. All that's left is assembling the order. And here it is:

Leading off.. the Shortstop.. Hanley Ramirez
Batting second.. the Left Fielder.. Christian Yelich
Batting third.. the Right Fielder.. Gary Sheffield
Batting fourth.. the Designated Hitter.. Giancarlo Stanton
Batting fifth.. the Second Baseman.. Dan Uggla
Batting sixth.. the Third Baseman.. Mike Lowell
Batting seventh.. the Center Fielder.. Marcell Ozuna
Batting eighth.. the Catcher.. J. T. Realmuto
Batting ninth.. the First Baseman.. Jeff Conine

The starting pitcher for the Marlins.. Josh Johnson


Here's the Marlins' bench and bullpen:

Catcher - Charles Johnson
1st Base - Derrek Lee
Infield - Luis Castillo
Outfield - Cliff Floyd
Outfield - Preston Wilson

#2 Starter - Josh Beckett
#3 Starter - A. J. Burnett
#4 Starter - Dontrelle Willis
#5 Starter - Ricky Nolasco

RH Reliever - Braden Looper
RH Reliever - Antonio Alfonseca
LH Reliever - Mike Dunn
RH Reliever - Steve Cishek
RH Reliever - AJ Ramos
RH Reliever - Robb Nen 


Once the rosters are complete the next step is to write the blurb for each starter and bench group. I skipped this step for today's post but every other team will have text. Then it's time to add some cards. Now that my entire collection is cataloged on TCDB I can see which cards I have for each player.

    stock photo                                            my card     

My first choice is a card from my own collection. If I have time to scan them I will, otherwise I use the TCDB scan. If the card is not scanned I'll scan it myself. If I don't have a card of a specific player on the team in question, I'll choose a card from TCDB.

After that, I link up each player page and fight with Blogger's HTML coding for about an hour. I try to make sure the paragraphs are spaced evenly but sometimes Blogger just doesn't cooperate. 


 
I hope you enjoyed this inside look at the process of putting together an All-Time Team post. The Milwaukee Brewers are up next. 


Thanks for reading!


 
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All-Time Teams: Dodgers

Today we'll review a franchise that actually plays in Los Angeles. Here's the All-Time Team for the L.A. Dodgers:

Manager: Walter Alston

Home: Dodger Stadium

Leading off for the Dodgers.. the Second Baseman.. Jackie Robinson

This needs no explanation, but we'll give him one anyway. In just ten MLB seasons Jackie Robinson won Rookie of the Year, NL MVP, a batting title, and a World Series. The six-time All-Star is fifth in franchise history with a 61.4 WAR, a number that he might have doubled had he been allowed to start his career in the previously whites-only league. While his impact on the field gets overlooked at times, his impact on the game and the country will never be forgotten.






Batting second for Los Angeles.. the Right Fielder.. Babe Herman

The other lefty-swinging right fielder named Babe played seven years for the other New York team. Babe Herman slashed an astounding .339/.396/.557 for Brooklyn, but never led the league in any category. He finished eighth in MVP voting in 1929, posting a .381 average with 21 homers and 113 RBI. In 1930 Herman was even better, slamming 35 home runs, 48 doubles, and batting .393. The Dodgers - er, Robins - improved from 6th place to 4th that year. However there was no MVP awarded in 1930.





Batting third.. the Center Fielder.. Duke Snider

Part of the great trinity of New York City center fielders, Duke Snider belted 40 or more home runs in each of the Dodgers' last five seasons in Flatbush. The Hall of Fame slugger played in eight All-Star games and six World Series, and narrowly lost the 1955 NL MVP vote to the next player in this lineup. Snider is the Dodgers' career leader in offensive WAR, hone runs, and RBI. He led the league in runs scored three times, total bases three times, and slugging twice. Over his sixteen seasons with the team, Duke batted an even .300.





Batting fourth.. the Catcher.. Roy Campanella

Like Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella started his career in the Negro Leagues and played ten seasons with the Dodgers. The Hall of Fame catcher ranks fourth in franchise history with 242 career home runs and led the NL with 143 RBI in 1953. An eight-time All-Star, "Campy" batted over .310 in 1951, 1953, and 1955 - earning NL MVP honors in all three seasons. A core member of the "Boys of Summer", Campanella powered Brooklyn to the Fall Classic five times and caught all 32 World Series games. His career slugging percentage of .500 is second all-time among catchers.





Batting fifth.. the Designated Hitter.. Pedro Guerrero

I have to admit, I was expecting to put Gil Hodges here. However, Pedro Guererro's power numbers in the 1980s popped off the page. From 1981-1989 Guerrero batted .300 or better six times, finished top-4 in NL MVP voting four times and was named to the All-Star team five times. He won a Silver Slugger in 1982 and led the majors with a 182 OPS+ in 1985. Over his eleven seasons with L.A. Guerrero slashed .309/.381/.512 and his 149 OPS+ is fifth in team history. Let that be a lesson, kids: look at the numbers, then the names.





Batting sixth.. the Left Fielder.. Zack Wheat

In the storied history of the Dodgers franchise, no one played in more games or collected more hits than Zack Wheat. The Hall of Famer sits atop the team leader board in several other categories including doubles, triples, total bases, and runs created. A Veteran's Committee selection to the Hall of Fame in 1959, Wheat won a batting title in 1918, led the NL in slugging and total bases in 1916, and tied for third in MVP voting in 1924 after batting .375 at age 36. Only forty players in history have more career hits than Zack's 2,884.





Batting seventh.. the First Baseman.. Gil Hodges

Gil Hodges was an essential part of the Dodgers' lineup from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. An eight-time All-Star, Hodges posted seven straight seasons of 100+ RBI and eleven straight seasons of 20+ home runs. His career totals in both categories are second to Duke Snider in franchise history. Hodges played in seven World Series and won the first three Gold Gloves awarded to NL first basemen. A single Veteran's Committee vote - voided by Ted Williams - kept Hodges out of the Hall of Fame.





Batting eighth.. the Third Baseman.. Ron Cey

One of the top third basemen of the 1970s, Ron Cey represented the Dodgers in six consecutive All-Star games from 1974-1979. Only a strike-shortened 1981 season prevented the "Penguin" from posting an eleven-year streak of 20+ home runs. Cey shared World Series MVP honors that year with Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager, batting .350 with six RBI against the Yankees. Cey is fifth in Dodgers history with 228 home runs and sixth among position players with a 47.7 WAR.






Batting ninth.. the Shortstop.. Pee Wee Reese

A stalwart at shortstop for sixteen seasons, Harold Henry Reese missed three more while serving in the Navy during World War II. "Pee Wee" was named to ten All-Star teams and played in 44 World Series games over seven series, all against the Yankees. Elected to Cooperstown by the Veteran's Committee in 1984, Reese placed in the top ten of NL MVP voting eight times, finishing fifth in 1949. His career WAR total of 66.3 is higher than any position player in Dodgers history.






The Starting Pitcher for the Dodgers.. Clayton Kershaw

The highest WAR total of all players in Dodgers history belongs to Clayton Kershaw. The 8-time All-Star has accumulated 68 WAR in just twelve seasons as L.A.'s ace, and has plenty of time to add to that total. Kershaw won three Cy Young awards, finished top-3 in three other seasons, and earned NL MVP honors in 2014. The most dominant pitcher of the past decade, "The Claw" led the NL in strikeouts three times and ERA five times from 2011-2017. He's the active leader in career ERA, ERA+, fielding-independent ERA, shutouts, and WHIP. And he accomplished all of this before his 32nd birthday.

Now let's take a look at the Dodgers' bench and bullpen:

Catcher: John Roseboro
1st Base: Steve Garvey
Infield: Davey Lopes
Outfield: Matt Kemp
Outfield: Carl Furillo

Mike Scioscia can't manage the Angels and back up Campy, so Roseboro will take his spot here. Garvey made ten All-Star teams, won the NL MVP in 1974, and played in five World Series. Lopes was the best option among a handful of notable middle infielders. Justin Turner nearly made the team - after just six seasons in Dodger blue. Kemp won two Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, and nearly won the 2011 NL MVP award. Furillo won a batting title in 1953 and hit .299 over 15 seasons for the franchise. 



#2 Starter: Sandy Koufax
#3 Starter: Don Drysdale
#4 Starter: Dazzy Vance
#5 Starter: Don Sutton

It shocked me that Koufax was not the ace of this All-Time team. His six-year run from 1961-1966 is unparalleled but Kershaw's peak has lasted longer - look at the numbers, then the names. Drysdale won the 1962 Cy Young award and three World Series rings before retiring at age 33. Vance won an MVP award at age 33, and led the league in strikeouts seven straight seasons. Sutton is the Dodgers' all-time leader in wins, starts, whiffs, and innings pitched. All four of these hurlers are in the Hall of Fame.



LH Reliever: Ron Perranoski
RH Reliever: Clem Labine
RH Reliever: Jonathan Broxton
LH Reliever: Jim Brewer
RH Reliever: Eric Gagne
RH Reliever: Kenley Jansen

Perranoski led the league in appearances three times and finished 4th in NL MVP voting in 1963. Labine led the NL in saves and made the All-Star team in 1956 and 1957. Gagne saved 152 games in an astounding three-year run and won the Cy Young award in 2003. Jansen is the franchise leader in appearances, saves, ERA+, K/9, and WHIP. 




Our next All-Time Team is a slightly less historically significant franchise. Hope to see you back here for the Miami Marlins. 


Thanks for reading!


 
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All-Time Teams: Angels

The Collector's All-Time Teams Series is back after a winter hiatus. Today we'll look at the All-Time roster for the Los Angeles California Anaheim Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Or as they're known on Topps cards.. Angels.

Manager: Mike Scioscia
Home: Angel Stadium

Leading off for the Angels.. the Second Baseman.. Bobby Grich

Bobby Grich ranks 8th all-time among second basemen with a 71.1 career WAR; only one player ahead of him is not in the Hall of Fame. The six-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner hit a career-high 30 home runs for the Angels in 1979, helping the team reach the postseason for the first time. In 1981 Grich led the AL in slugging and OPS+; he shared the league lead in home runs with 22.

Batting second for Los Angeles..the Right Fielder.. Tim Salmon

Tim Salmon is perhaps the best player never to have made an All-Star team. Salmon won a Silver Slugger award in 1995 after setting career highs with 34 home runs, a .330 BA, and a 1.024 OPS. The 1993 AL Rookie of the Year is second in Halos history with 1,672 games played, 1,674 hits, 1,016 RBI, 339 doubles, and 2,958 total bases. Salmon is clinging to the franchise lead in career home runs, but will surely be passed this season by the next player in this lineup.

Batting third.. the Center Fielder.. Mike Trout

The greatest player in Angels history is just 28 years old. Mike Trout has been an All-Star, a Silver Slugger winner and a top-4 finisher in MVP voting in each of his eight full seasons. His career OPS is an even 1.000, and his career WAR of 72.5 places him right in between two of the newest Hall of Famers - behind Larry Walker but ahead of Derek Jeter. The New Jersey native also has 200 career stolen bases, including a league-leading 49 as a rookie in 2012.

Batting fourth.. the Third Baseman.. Troy Glaus

Troy Glaus played just seven seasons with the Angels, but made a big impact. The 3rd overall pick in the 1997 draft won two Silver Slugger awards and made four All-Star teams - three for the Angels. Glaus led the AL in home runs with 47 in 2000 and powered the team to its first and only World Series Championship, earning MVP honors with 10 hits and 22 total bases in the 2002 Series. Troy is tied for 12th all-time among third basemen with 320 career homers.

Batting fifth.. the Designated Hitter.. Brian Downing

A part-time player with the White Sox, Brian Downing's career took off after a trade to Anaheim before the 1978 season. The "Incredible Hulk" was a strong presence in the Angels' lineup for 13 seasons, helping the Halos reach the playoffs three times. Downing walked more than he struck out and slugged 20+ home runs in six seasons - all of them after age 30. He's in the Angels' all-time top five in most offensive categories.

Batting sixth.. the Left Fielder.. Garret Anderson

Garret Anderson played more games than anyone in Angels history. The franchise standard-bearer in hits, runs, doubles, total bases, and RBI represented Anaheim in three All-Star Games and won two Silver Slugger awards. Anderson finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1995, the first of six seasons in which he batted .300 or better. His career hit total of 2,529 places him in the top 100 all-time.

Batting seventh.. the First Baseman.. Wally Joyner

Another Rookie of the Year runner-up, Wally Joyner was an All-Star in his freshman season during which he led the Angels in hits, total bases, and RBI. He followed that up with a sensational second season, setting career highs with 34 homers, 117 RBI, and a .528 SLG% in 1987. Though his production declined after that, Joyner's 121 OPS+ is tenth in team history and first among first basemen who played the majority of their careers at the big "A".

Batting eighth.. the Shortstop.. Jim Fregosi

An expansion draft pick from the Red Sox in 1960, Jim Fregosi was arguably the Angels' most valuable player through their early years. The six-time All-Star received MVP votes in eight consecutive seasons and slashed .268/.340/.403 in a decade-plus with the team. Fregosi is the Angels' all-time leader in career triples with 70, and his 45.9 WAR is third in franchise annals. After a subpar 1971 season Fregosi was traded to the Mets for four players - including Nolan Ryan.

Batting ninth.. the Catcher.. Bengie Molina

The oldest of three catching Molina brothers, Bengie Molina was a defense-first backstop for Anaheim over eight seasons. However the two-time Gold Glove winner had some pop in his bat, posting four seasons of double-digit home runs for the Angels and eight overall. Bengie's brother Jose Molina served as his backup for parts of five seasons.

The Starting Pitcher for the Angels.. Frank Tanana

Frank Tanana is fourth among Angels pitchers with 34.2 career WAR and a 3.18 fielding-independent ERA. So why is he the 'ace' of this All-Time Team? Quality over quantity. Starting at age 19, Tanana's eight seasons in Anaheim included three All-Star nods, two top-4 Cy Young finishes, and three seasons of 7+ WAR. He led the majors with 269 strikeouts and a 3.68 K:BB ratio in 1975, then followed that with 261 K's and a league-leading 0.988 WHIP in 1976.

Now let's take a look at the Angels' bench and bullpen:

Catcher: Bob Boone

1st Base/OF: Darin Erstad

Infield: Howie Kendrick

Outfield/DH: Chili Davis

Outfield/DH: Don Baylor 

Boone caught more games for the Phillies, but he's a better option than Buck Rodgers. Erstad is 4th on the team's all-time hits list and won Gold Gloves at two positions. Three designated hitters instead of a true outfielder like Kole Calhoun was a tough call; Baylor's 1979 AL MVP season sealed his spot on this squad. Chone Figgins would be an ideal 26th man for his speed and versatility, but we're sticking with the original roster sizes.

#2 Starter: Chuck Finley

#3 Starter: Jered Weaver

#4 Starter: Dean Chance

#5 Starter: John Lackey

Finley is the franchise leader in WAR, wins, starts, and innings pitched. Consider the five-time All-Star as this rotation's "1A". Weaver started the 2010s with three All-Star nods and three top-5 Cy Young finishes and I completely forgot he was that good. Chance won the 1964 Cy Young award (for both leagues) after posting a 1.65 ERA and 11 shutouts. Lackey beat out Mark Langston for the fifth starter spot based on better control - and his winning performance in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series.

RH Reliever: Cam Bedrosian

LH Reliever: Brendan Donnelly

RH Reliever: Scot Shields

RH Reliever: Bryan Harvey

RH Reliever: Francisco Rodriguez

RH Reliever: Troy Percival

Donnelly was an All-Star in 2003 and posted a 154 ERA+ across five seasons in Anaheim. Shields is second in franchise history with 491 appearances. Harvey saved an AL-leading 46 games for the Halos in 1991. "K-Rod" set a single-season record with 62 saves in 2008. His 437 career saves are fourth all-time. Percival saved 316 games for the Angels and 358 overall. This bullpen has over 1,000 career saves - more than almost any All-Time Team.

Just a reminder that you can find this post and all of the All-Time Teams on the Your City, Your Team tab at the top of this blog. Hope to see you back here for our next All-Time Team, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Thanks for reading!

 

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Upcoming Events

As you may have noticed (or not) I took a brief hiatus from the blogs, mostly to finish cataloging my card collection. Every card has been now been hand-checked again and according to TCDB I have exactly 97,879 cards - not counting factory-sealed complete sets. There are at least 65 cards in my collection that are not listed on the site, but I don't feel like submitting more update requests right now.


I don't know how much new product I'll buy this year. Besides saving money for trips to Cooperstown and the National, there haven't been any sets in the past year or two that have inspired me to roll the dice on a hobby box. I think I've been away from card shops so long that I've become stingy. It's almost as if the experience of going to the National is more attractive to me that what I might find there.


Baseball is such a mess right now that I've had a hard time getting excited about the 2020 season. I'm one of the few Red Sox fans that understood the need to trade Mookie Betts. All of the 'experts' who bemoaned the Sox for being cheap fail to recognize that even the frickin' Yankees were thrifty enough to reset their payroll limits to avoid paying the luxury tax. Chaim Bloom made the right move... eventually. It's just a little embarrassing that it took so long. (Hello, Iowa!)


The Mookie trade isn't what's got me down on the sport. The sign-stealing scandal is a dark cloud dampening any Spring Training enthusiasm, and Rob Manfred's mismanagement has the league headed for another work stoppage. The Kris Bryant service time ruling and the slow-moving off-seasons of 2018 and 2019 were bad for management-labor relations, but those weren't entirely in his control. His ideas to "improve" the game have been ridiculous - gutting the minor leagues, pace-of-play rules, the Nike 'swoosh' getting prime real estate on every jersey. Now he wants to expand the playoffs? Wreck the game some more, why don't you? And you thought Bud Selig was a lousy commissioner!


It's possible that my upcoming trip to Cooperstown and/or the National could be a farewell of sorts. Or maybe I'm just ornery because I have learned what 'aural waterboarding' is, and I experience it five days a week.


Anyway, I won't be busting open any packs of 2020 Topps but I will be celebrating the return of baseball in my own way - by re-starting the All-Time Teams series. The plan is to post one every 2-3 days until Opening Day. Los Angeles teams are on deck.

Will all four of these fellas make the Dodgers' All-Time Team?

I will squeeze in a non-baseball post as events dictate, and I do want to recap the 1992-93/1993-94 Fleer Ultra sets at some point. After that I might take a much longer blog break. We shall see..



Thanks for reading!


 
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