The Perfect Baseball Team 2008
C - Joe Mauer
stats Not much power, but the guy gets on base at a prolific rate. One of the best pure hitting catchers that I have seen in my lifetime (all caveats to this statement apply).
1B - Albert Pujols
stats The press love A-Rod, but my money is on Pujols as the best player in baseball since the decline and fall of Barry Bonds. Unlike Bonds and A-Rod however, Pujols is also an all-world level defensive star at his position. There is simply no one even close to his level in the field.
2B - Chase Utley
stats I can no longer ignore Utley. For the past few years the Orioles’ Brian Roberts has been the second-baseman on my Perfect team, but Utley is simply too good to ignore.
3B - David Wright
stats If I had to build a team to contend now and for the next 10 years, I would start with Wright. Wright is having a bit of a down year in 2008, but he is 25 and is approaching the prime of his career. I expect 2-3 MVP awards in the next 10 years for Wright.
SS - Hanley Ramirez
stats Ladies and gentleman, I am going out on a limb here and proclaiming that Hanley Ramirez will be in the Hall of Fame. Groy details aside, I have run countless simulations over the past 2 years and in 90% of the runs Ramirez is a sure-fire first ballot inductee. Sit back folks… enjoy the ride.
LF - Rick Ankiel
stats Ankiel is not a great player by any stretch of the imagination. He is seriously flawed (although less so than when he was a pitcher) in that he can’t hit lefties to save his life and he’s not the picture of patience at the plate. However, what Ankiel does have is a story. It might be worth putting him out there every day just as a modern day oddity. Regardless of the great story attached to him, if his monthly trends continue south as they have so far in 2008, then even I would have to start reconsidering my choice.
CF - Ichiro Suzuki
stats Every perfect team needs that perennial 200-hits player along the lines of Boggs and Gwynn. Ichiro is an exciting player.
RF - Nick Markakis
stats You have to watch Markakis every day to truly appreciate how good he is. I do.
DH - Prince Fielder
stats Every perfect team must have a guy who is able to hit the ball a mile. This pick represents the second generation of Fielders on my Perfect team… boy I am getting old.
P - Jake Peavey
stats On the rare occasions that I am able to see a game in which Peavey pitches I am rivetted. He is truly masterful on the mound.
P - Brandon Webb
stats I have always had a soft spot in my heart for sinker-ball pitchers. From Bill Swift to Scott Erickson, I have always marveled at there ability to make major league players look like little leaguers when their ball is dipping and diving. As a kid I tried endlessly to throw a sinker, but for some reason the ball never did anything but fly out of the stadium. I suppose those long hours of fruitless practice gave me an appreciation for that seemingly innocent pitch.
P - Johan Santana
stats The changeup in the hands of mere mortals is a very boring pitch, however in the hands of the masters like Santana, Hoffman, Glavine, and Moyer (and maybe Orioles favorite Mark Williamson?) it is filthy. It seems almost counter-intuitive that by throwing slower than normal you can make major league hitters look like fools.
P - Ben Sheets
stats Sheets reminds me of Alex Fernandez and Andy Benes except that he is much better than both. Sheets is what I had always hoped Ben McDonald would have been. sigh
P - Felix Hernandez
stats Hernandez is 22 and already has started 88 major league games. By the time he gets out of Seattle purgatory he should be coming into his prime and will most likely break the bank with his new team. If his arm can hold up for another 10-15 years we may see 270-300 wins.
RL - Carlos Marmol
stats Don’t get me wrong; Trevor Hoffman’s changeup is nasty and I have all the respect in the world for him. However, when it comes to middle relievers and closers, I like fire-ballers. I love to see someone come out of the pen and blow fastball after fastball by hitters. It’s really ironic because when it comes to starters I like to see a more well-rounded approach. I suppose it has something to do with my love of the conservation of energy and eudaemonia.
RL - Jim Johnson
stats I have wanted JJ to pitch out of the bullpen for a couple years, but for some reason or another the idea repelled people.
CL - Kerry Wood
stats I have been calling for Wood to close for 4 or 5 years. It finally seems that someone has listened. (yeah right)