I've been thinking a lot about the All-Century Team lately

[EnergizedLib]

Obviously, that was a while back, and Quarter Century Lists have been put together for the 21st Century, but I'm wondering what you thought people got right and what they got wrong? Here are the original selections:

Pitcher

Nolan Ryan

Sandy Koufax

Cy Young

Roger Clemens

Bob Gibson

Walter Johnson

Warren Spahn

Christy Mathewson

Lefty Grove

Catcher

Johnny Bench

Yogi Berra

First Base

Lou Gehrig

Mark McGwire

Second Base

Jackie Robinson

Rogers Hornsby

Third Base

Mike Schmidt

Brooks Robinson

Shortstop

Cal Ripken Jr.

Ernie Banks

Honus Wagner

Outfield

Babe Ruth

Hank Aaron

Ted Williams

Willie Mays

Joe DiMaggio

Mickey Mantle

Ty Cobb

Ken Griffey Jr.

Pete Rose

Stan Musial

In hindsight, here would be my All-Century Team. Keep in mind, I was a wee young one when this team came out. Changes are in bold.

Pitcher

Tom Seaver

Sandy Koufax

Cy Young

Greg Maddux

Grover Cleveland Alexander

Walter Johnson

Warren Spahn

Christy Mathewson

Lefty Grove

Catcher - No change. This is the one position I think was right on the nose.

Johnny Bench

Yogi Berra

First Base

Lou Gehrig

Jimmie Foxx

Second Base

Eddie Collins

Rogers Hornsby

Third Base

Mike Schmidt

Eddie Mathews (George Brett would also have been acceptable)

Shortstop

Cal Ripken Jr.

Arky Vaughan

Honus Wagner

Outfield

Babe Ruth

Hank Aaron

Ted Williams

Willie Mays

Tris Speaker

Mickey Mantle

Ty Cobb

Frank Robinson

Mel Ott (Al Kaline would also have been acceptable)

Stan Musial

Baseball history lovers, what do you all think?

[Moostache]

1. I once was consumed by baseball...it was my everything.

Then, in 1994, my beloved and long suffering Chicago White Sox has the best team in baseball and looked like a serious World Series contender for just the second time in my life - the first being the "Winning Ugly" 1983 squad led by Carlton Fisk and a very young Tony LaRussa. Then baseball cancelled the playoffs and the World Series that year. I was never the same with the game after that.

I cared deeply about stats, eras, comparing players across time, arguing all-time teams. I was consumed by it. As a child I played baseball from the time the snow melted in March until it returned in November. I played the old Strat-o-Matic card based game incessantly. And after that strike/lock-out/cancellation I was gutted. Not once since then have I watched another baseball game with that same childlike love and adoration.

The modern game and salaries and lack of competitiveness across the game makes it uninteresting to me still.

I will say though that I would take any Team of the Century from any interval of the 20th century 1900-1925, 1926-1950, 1950-1975 or 1975-2000 over these modern day players. Outside of Ohtani, I don't think much of the players from 2001-2025, mainly because I have followed them infinitely less engaged than before.

I like much of your list though, with one notable omission - Tony Gwynn is ALWAYS short thrifted for as good as he was, he gets forgotten too easily. Same with Joe Morgan, George Foster and Ken Griffey from the Big Red Machine - they may not be quite all-time level, but that team was incredible and in the mid-70's they were amazing!

[blm]

2. Same reason, fully expecting the Indians winning it all that year.

[EnergizedLib]

5. I felt that

When Rob Manfred came in and made all the asinine changes we see today. It’s not the same game anymore. I had an obsession with the game before he took over.


Gwynn is obviously an all-time great, though sabermetrics/WAR/JAWS rank Kaline/Ott/Robinson higher.

Robinson is one of the most under appreciated power hitters in history, same for Ott, the first NL player to reach 500 home runs and the first shot of the century could use more representation.

Historically, I’m very high on Kaline, had absolutely no weaknesses.

[rurallib]

6. My story is much like yours. I didn't have a dog in the fight

But without baseball that year, I realized there were many other things that warranted my attention and just never got back into watching baseball.

[JT45242]

3. Going position players focus

Some of these should have had 3 position players

Catcher must have Josh Gibson
Yogi Berra does not belong over Big Josh

First base
In no planet ever should Mark McSteroids been on this team.
jimmie Foxx/Hank Greenburg or Pete Rose (so hard to place since he played so many positions)

Second Base
I need to find a way to get Joe Morgan on this team -- but hard to displace either of those 2

SS
Honus Wagner is a racist asshat but was a better player than both of those.
I would take yount over Ripken. Other than iron man, I would take Yount's career as better and did not play in the camden yards launching pad.
I would ditch Ernie Banks in a heartbeat. A lot of good negro league short stops to pick from as well.

3B
Depends on how much you value defense. Brooks Robinson changed a world series by playing tight in on the line. But you have a good potential replacement

Outfield
Knowing Ken Griffey Jr -- no one did less with more talent. He was so lazy as to be academically inelgible to play sports in high school. But he has a ton of HR and highlights. But the last half of hos career was totally wasted because he never rehabbed or worked out in the off season. Plus a lot of his career is post 1999. he gets bumped for either of the negro leagues players below.

if you move Pete to first base it opens up a spot
Cool Papa Bell or Oscar Charleston both are better than some guys on this list

hard to take any of the other OF from that list as they were all incredibly great players.

For pitchers, I would really need to dig into stats other than Satchell Paige MUST be on the list. I might check in later on pitchers.

[EnergizedLib]

4. Well, wait

It was called the Major League Baseball All Century Team, so if we’re going by that criteria, then we cannot include Negro Leaguers, even if some of them were all time greats themselves.

Since this was for Major League Baseball, regretfully Negro Leaguers must be excluded, since the Negro Leagues weren’t considered the Major Leagues at the time until just recently when Negro League stats got counted with Major League stats.

Honus Wagner was a panel selection. Keep in mind, racism is associated with Ty Cobb, but nobody discounts him as a top five player of all time (or even higher). Yount is a worthy Hall of Famer, and you have to be great if you had 3,000 hits and an MVP at two different positions, but Ripken scores higher sabermetrically, too, though Yount is closer than given credit for. The Iron Man streak is a big part of Ripken’s legacy and perception.

Brooks was obviously a special defender, though historically, it seems Schmidt and a combination of Mathews/Brett are top two rankings-wise.

My opinion is Rose belongs in Cooperstown (one of the very, very, very few things I agree with the current White House occupant on), but All-Century, I feel others need their due justice.

[rurallib]

7. I am surprised no one mentioned Ozzie Smith at SS

His defense saved games, which is what you want a SS to do

[EnergizedLib]

8. Then who do you bump at shortstop?

Other shortstops were really good defenders and better offensively.