Skip to main content

The Pondering 10 - My All-Time Favorite Baseball Team

Any and every sports fan has his/her favorites. Whether it be that athlete to root for, the one they enjoy watching perform, or that person they just have a personal connection with, favorites from fans are paramount and prevalent in fandom. In this Pondering 10, I will share my favorites in baseball by position to make pretty much an all-time favorite team for yours truly. And just to lay the guidelines, I am only selecting from players I have seen play during my lifetime. Will you agree, or disagree with me? Let's see!



10 - Edgar Martinez (DH) - Yes, for you National Leaguers and baseball purists, I'm going with a DH, and that guy is Edgar Martinez. Sure, I've seen David Ortiz for many, many years terrorize my Yankees, but I saw Edgar when I was really young and I remember him being a near impossible out. 



9. Tony Gwynn (RF) - Gwynn was a hitting machine. I didn't get a chance to see him all that much, but when I did (I wish the MLB Network were around then!) Gwynn was an absolute hitting machine. Just check his numbers over on Baseball Reference. 



8. Ken Griffey Jr. (CF) - Come on...need I say more? Griffey was that guy for any kid growing up in the 90's. 



7. Barry Bonds (LF) - As you all know, personally, I think Bonds gets singled out unfairly during a time in which everyone in baseball profited. Nonetheless, Bonds, steroids or not, was the greatest hitter I've ever seen. Peep those 2001-2003 seasons. Craaaaazy! 



6. Derek Jeter (SS) - I was lucky enough to see his entire 20 year career. Not the greatest defensive shortstop, but I'll take the captain over any shortstop in history. Yes, history. 



5. Alex Rodriguez (3B) - The DP Page of Famer! I'm just fascinated with A-Rod. The guy's career has been such a whirlwind and is so complex. By the way, he's a pretty good baseball player.



4. Roberto Alomar (2B) - Robbie Alomar and Omar Visquel are still the best double-play combination I've ever seen when they manned the middle-infield for the Cleveland Indians. Just thought I would share that. Regardless, Alomar still remains the best second baseman I've seen in my lifetime.



3. Albert Pujols (1B) - The Machine! I'll take St. Louis Cardinals Pujols. That dude is an absolute beast. Angels Pujols, isn't so bad either. Honorable mention to one of my favorites, Frank Thomas.



2. Yadier Molina (C) - Yadi is an absolute monster behind the plate. I almost went with Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez, but I gave the nod to Yadi.



1. Randy Johnson (P) - I could have went in so many directions with this one - Pedro, Rocket, Maddux, Moose, Glavine, Smoltz, Halladay, Kershaw, and on, and on, and on. But, personally, none were as fun to watch as "The Big Unit". 

Recently Read

Quick Ponder: Future Self

We always think,  what would we say  to our  younger self? However,  what would  our younger self say  if they met us, today?

Knicks Trauma - Ugh Not Again

Well, that was a kick in the stomach.  Coming off a week where the word "catharsis" was used as the description for the euphoria and release of joy from two and a half decades of suffering, Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers brought about another word - trauma.  Watching the Knicks collapse was the kind of moments that come with these deep runs and moments. NBA Playoff basketball will do that. Yet, this loss - this one - feels about as bad as the 2004 ALCS when the Yankees collapsed in the series to the Boston Red Sox.  That one carries some serious trauma. Luckily, the series isn't over.  Some other quick thoughts from this awful, awful night, New York Knicks Basketball.  - Not to conjure up hyperbole, or even contribute to "hot take" sports reaction culture - but this might have been the worst loss in Knicks franchise history. I cannot think of another in my lifetime, or historically.  - Tyrese Haliburton's "choke"...

Knicks Back in ECF Causing Catharsis

I've certainly shared my emotions and thoughts regarding the New York Knicks on this site over the years. There have been plenty of those to sort through - most of them are rants. Tonight, the New York Knicks ultimately destroyed the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, 119-81. I sat on my couch, afraid to allow myself to feel joy until that final buzzer. As a Knicks fan, I've been through too much to allow myself to do anything else, to make any assumption, until it was final. Until it was confirmed. Until something couldn't fall through...the way we're used to.  Once it was final, it was unreal.  The New York Knicks are in the Eastern Conference Finals. For the first time since 2000.  I was 15 years old the last time that happened. And that was a run with a squad that I consider (still) to be my favorite Knicks team of all-time.  I sat on my couch with all sorts of feelings. My wife was likely trying to understand the moment. My son, exci...