All-time Cubs team
Rob Neyer is posting his picks for all-time best lineups for each team in the majors. Monday he posted the AL rosters, and tomorrow he'll post the NL rosters.
I'm going to post my picks for an All-Time Cubs roster and see how it meshes with Neyer's (with apologies for pre-1900 players like Cap Anson who I just haven't read enough about to judge):
C: Gabby Hartnett--No one even close in Cubs history. His homer in the gloaming is perhaps the most famous homer in Cubs history. Widely considered the best pre-WWII NL catcher.
1B: Mark Grace/Phil Cavarretta--Cubs have had a plethora of 1B who hit without much power (Bill Buckner, Stan Hack, Frank Chance). I can't choose between Cavarretta and Grace. Grace gets the nod for longevity (he was the major league hits and doubles leader in the 90's) while Cavarretta would take the prize if you consider that, at his peak, he was one of the top hitters in the league, and players like Grace or Buckner were not. Cavarretta led the Cubs to their last World Series, in 1945, while Grace battled valiantly to counter Will Clark in the 89 playoffs. The guy who would be listed here, had he stayed with the Cubs and shifted to 1B, is Rafael Palmeiro. If I had to choose, I'd probably lean towards Grace since I saw him play from his very first callup to the Cubs. He is one of a fan favorite, a classic Chicago sports hero, the type that makes the most of minimal physical talents. A grinder. His rift with Sosa is painful for Cub loyalists to stomach.
2B: Ryne Sandberg--the best player in baseball in 1984, when Whitey Herzog compared him to Babe Ruth (just a bit of hyperbole, huh?) after he hit two homers off of Bruce Sutter to beat the Cards in extra innings. Solid fielder who became made a successful transition from speed and contact hitter to slugger later in his career. Fortunately, he did it with the Cubs (see Palmeiro, Rafael).
SS: Ernie Banks--Mr. Cub played his entire career for the Cubs and had his peak seasons in the late 50's. Actually spent most of the latter half of his career as a 1B. Has, though it's unfair, been the personification of the tragic lovable loser image which haunts the Cubs.
3B: Ron Santo--get this poor man in the Hall of Fame! In addition to hitting and hitting with power, he racked up 5 Gold Gloves at 3B. It's a travesty that he isn't in the Hall yet.
LF: Billy Williams--could hit and field, and was durable.
CF: Hack Wilson--standing only 5' 6", Hack had a great 5 year run with the Cubs from 1926 through 1930, culminating in his 56 HR, 191 RBI (still a ML record) season. Tragically, he drank himself out of baseball.
RF: Sammy Sosa--the most prolific slugger in Cubs history. Personifies the Cubs, in a way. Not as good as the greatest players of his ERA, but lovable even as the Cubs continue to lose (though the recent corking incident hurts).
SP1: Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown--Pitching in a different era, the dead-ball era (or should I say, dead ball ERA?), Brown posted six straight 20 win seasons starting in 1906, including a 29 win season in 1908, and his ERA was routinely under 2.00, well below league average. His ERA of 1.04 in 1906 was less than half the league ERA of 2.62. Earned his nickname because a childhood accident left him without the top joint of his index finger or use of his pinky (his other two fingers were disfigured as well). The injury allowed him to throw a devastating natural sinker. 4 of his 5 World Series wins were shutouts. Of course, this spot should be occupied by Greg Maddux, the most tragic free agent departure in team history.
SP2: Ferguson Jenkins--Only pitched 9 full seasons with the Cubs (the latter two at the twilight of his career) but those first 7 were a doozy, including six straight 20-win seasons. I saw him pitch a game in 82, at the tail end of his career. He slugged a triple and then head to leave the game shortly after, worn down by the brutal Chicago summer heat.
SP3: Greg Maddux--at the end of five great seasons and his first Cy Young for the Cubs, Larry Himes let the Braves pinch him for the difference of a few million dollars on a multi-year contract. The rest is history as Maddux went on to win 3 more Cy Youngs in a row. The best fielding pitcher in Cubs history.
SP4: Hippo Vaughn--definitely the best lefty in Cubs history. In one of the few great trades of Cubs history, Vaughn came over from Kansas City for Lew Richie in 1913. Famous for being involved in a double no-hit game through nine-innings against the Reds' Fred Toney in 1917, a game Vaughn lost in the 10th on an unearned run. This spot currently being warmed for Mark Prior.
RP: Bruce Sutter/Lee Smith--Smith wins for longevity with the Cubs, but Sutter was more dominant in his 5 years with the Cubs before he passed the closer mantle to Smith and moved to the hated rivals in St. Louis. Perhaps I have too many ugly memories from my youth of Lee Smith blowing saves, especially game 4 of the 1984 NLCS, which cloud my judgment. But if I were headed to the 9th with a lead I'd rather pass the ball to Sutter. Some of the great closers in history have passed through Wrigley, including Gossage in his twilight and Eckerseley before anyone thought of converting starters to closers.
Looking over the roster, you can see why it's been a rough century for the Cubs. There aren't any players on this list who you'd consider to best ever at their position. Hopefully the 21st century will bring bigger stars and less heartbreak for long-suffering Cubs fans.
I'm going to post my picks for an All-Time Cubs roster and see how it meshes with Neyer's (with apologies for pre-1900 players like Cap Anson who I just haven't read enough about to judge):
C: Gabby Hartnett--No one even close in Cubs history. His homer in the gloaming is perhaps the most famous homer in Cubs history. Widely considered the best pre-WWII NL catcher.
1B: Mark Grace/Phil Cavarretta--Cubs have had a plethora of 1B who hit without much power (Bill Buckner, Stan Hack, Frank Chance). I can't choose between Cavarretta and Grace. Grace gets the nod for longevity (he was the major league hits and doubles leader in the 90's) while Cavarretta would take the prize if you consider that, at his peak, he was one of the top hitters in the league, and players like Grace or Buckner were not. Cavarretta led the Cubs to their last World Series, in 1945, while Grace battled valiantly to counter Will Clark in the 89 playoffs. The guy who would be listed here, had he stayed with the Cubs and shifted to 1B, is Rafael Palmeiro. If I had to choose, I'd probably lean towards Grace since I saw him play from his very first callup to the Cubs. He is one of a fan favorite, a classic Chicago sports hero, the type that makes the most of minimal physical talents. A grinder. His rift with Sosa is painful for Cub loyalists to stomach.
2B: Ryne Sandberg--the best player in baseball in 1984, when Whitey Herzog compared him to Babe Ruth (just a bit of hyperbole, huh?) after he hit two homers off of Bruce Sutter to beat the Cards in extra innings. Solid fielder who became made a successful transition from speed and contact hitter to slugger later in his career. Fortunately, he did it with the Cubs (see Palmeiro, Rafael).
SS: Ernie Banks--Mr. Cub played his entire career for the Cubs and had his peak seasons in the late 50's. Actually spent most of the latter half of his career as a 1B. Has, though it's unfair, been the personification of the tragic lovable loser image which haunts the Cubs.
3B: Ron Santo--get this poor man in the Hall of Fame! In addition to hitting and hitting with power, he racked up 5 Gold Gloves at 3B. It's a travesty that he isn't in the Hall yet.
LF: Billy Williams--could hit and field, and was durable.
CF: Hack Wilson--standing only 5' 6", Hack had a great 5 year run with the Cubs from 1926 through 1930, culminating in his 56 HR, 191 RBI (still a ML record) season. Tragically, he drank himself out of baseball.
RF: Sammy Sosa--the most prolific slugger in Cubs history. Personifies the Cubs, in a way. Not as good as the greatest players of his ERA, but lovable even as the Cubs continue to lose (though the recent corking incident hurts).
SP1: Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown--Pitching in a different era, the dead-ball era (or should I say, dead ball ERA?), Brown posted six straight 20 win seasons starting in 1906, including a 29 win season in 1908, and his ERA was routinely under 2.00, well below league average. His ERA of 1.04 in 1906 was less than half the league ERA of 2.62. Earned his nickname because a childhood accident left him without the top joint of his index finger or use of his pinky (his other two fingers were disfigured as well). The injury allowed him to throw a devastating natural sinker. 4 of his 5 World Series wins were shutouts. Of course, this spot should be occupied by Greg Maddux, the most tragic free agent departure in team history.
SP2: Ferguson Jenkins--Only pitched 9 full seasons with the Cubs (the latter two at the twilight of his career) but those first 7 were a doozy, including six straight 20-win seasons. I saw him pitch a game in 82, at the tail end of his career. He slugged a triple and then head to leave the game shortly after, worn down by the brutal Chicago summer heat.
SP3: Greg Maddux--at the end of five great seasons and his first Cy Young for the Cubs, Larry Himes let the Braves pinch him for the difference of a few million dollars on a multi-year contract. The rest is history as Maddux went on to win 3 more Cy Youngs in a row. The best fielding pitcher in Cubs history.
SP4: Hippo Vaughn--definitely the best lefty in Cubs history. In one of the few great trades of Cubs history, Vaughn came over from Kansas City for Lew Richie in 1913. Famous for being involved in a double no-hit game through nine-innings against the Reds' Fred Toney in 1917, a game Vaughn lost in the 10th on an unearned run. This spot currently being warmed for Mark Prior.
RP: Bruce Sutter/Lee Smith--Smith wins for longevity with the Cubs, but Sutter was more dominant in his 5 years with the Cubs before he passed the closer mantle to Smith and moved to the hated rivals in St. Louis. Perhaps I have too many ugly memories from my youth of Lee Smith blowing saves, especially game 4 of the 1984 NLCS, which cloud my judgment. But if I were headed to the 9th with a lead I'd rather pass the ball to Sutter. Some of the great closers in history have passed through Wrigley, including Gossage in his twilight and Eckerseley before anyone thought of converting starters to closers.
Looking over the roster, you can see why it's been a rough century for the Cubs. There aren't any players on this list who you'd consider to best ever at their position. Hopefully the 21st century will bring bigger stars and less heartbreak for long-suffering Cubs fans.