tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339646220153814400.post6511088333067219778..comments2023-12-31T01:02:49.340-05:00Comments on FOR BASEBALL JUNKIES: Athletics All-Time Team v.2012@OCP22http://www.blogger.com/profile/06983828112048757251noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339646220153814400.post-39923897479340552192015-12-18T21:54:20.095-05:002015-12-18T21:54:20.095-05:00Sal Bando over one of the best third baseman of hi...Sal Bando over one of the best third baseman of his era: Home Run Baker, ridiculous! As an Oakland fan who wants to see the strongest player at each position I can't see Bando over Baker! Another team that suffers from your pre-1920 prejudice. Jeff Hickmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05792864422246519769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339646220153814400.post-26898379711182034242015-10-23T23:51:44.266-04:002015-10-23T23:51:44.266-04:00I go with Campaneris at SS and drop Tejada (don...I go with Campaneris at SS and drop Tejada (don't see him at all). Also Eddie Rommel and Tim Hudson over Hunter and Blue.slaftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339646220153814400.post-29198576161010512642014-01-10T11:21:18.691-05:002014-01-10T11:21:18.691-05:00Thanks somuch for commenting, Charley. As you know...Thanks somuch for commenting, Charley. As you know, we don't generally make exceptions for pre-1920 players unless they're truly exceptional, deserving of the exception... that is, if no other options exist, if the player is an ALL-TIME great (think Christy Mathewson) or if they were just so much better than any alternative that we couldn't overlook them. In the case of Bando vs. Baker, I'd say Baker's best argument for an exception would be as an all-time great. By most accounts, he's a top 10 all-time third baseman but it would be a stretch to say he's top-5 (he wouldn't crack my list). Even so, he spent almost as much time in NY, as a Yankee, as he did in Philadelphia, as an Athletic. Bando was a A's fixture for much longer and although I have no way of validating this, I'd bet that most A's fans would argue that he belongs. This is a very hard team to crack... Bando is probably the weak link but he was no slouch... 127 OPS+, 6.5 dWAR as an A, three top-5 MVP finishes... at the end of the day, there's an argument to be made for Bando and I don't really think that Baker deserves that pre-1920 exception because of that.@OCP22https://www.blogger.com/profile/06983828112048757251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2339646220153814400.post-35089937588189614512013-03-06T19:11:24.661-05:002013-03-06T19:11:24.661-05:00My suprise with this line up is the exclusion of F...My suprise with this line up is the exclusion of Frank "Home Run" Baker. While yes he is a pre-1920's player, he is and was regarded as one of the greatest third baseman of all time and played 7 of his 13 years with the Philadelphia A's. He and Eddie Collins were the two keystone players of Connie Mack's $100,000 infield which, according to Bill James, ranks as the #1 greatest infield of all time. Other than that, very solid list.Charleynoreply@blogger.com