The All-Star game voting came down the wire with several players fighting for starting spots on the 2012 NL and AL teams.
In honor of the pending All-Star game, I wanted to assemble an all-time team of my all-time favorite MLB team, the San Francisco Giants -- including players from their days in New York. While I'm going to do my best to notch everyone I think deserves a slot, remember, I was born in 1987.
Here goes:
Catcher: Buster Posey (2010-present)
Posey has the potential to be one of the best catchers to ever play the game of baseball -- at least in recent history. He was the 2010 NL Rookie of the year, and he will get the start for the 2012 NL All-Stars.
First baseman: Willie McCovey (1959-1973, 1977-1980)
Better known to some by his nickname "Stretch," not only is McCovey a Hall of Fame baseball player who could hit for power -- currently ranking No. 18 on the career home run list -- but he also played well defensively at first base.
Second baseman: Jeff Kent (1997-2002)
One of the better known Giants in recent history, Jeff Kent provided the Giants with a lot of offense and above average defense at second base. His most all-time home runs (366) for a second baseman help him earn a spot on the Giants' all-time team.
Third baseman: Matt Williams (1987-1996)
Probably one of my favorite Giants ever, Williams was a player who may not have always hit for average, but he could put a charge into the ball. His reflexes at third base and hitting made him a staple with the Giants for 10 seasons, earning him a spot on this team.
Shortstop: Rich Aurilia (1995-2003, 2007-2009)
Aurilia, along with Jeff Kent, made one of the most solid defensive and offensive duos up the middle the majors had seen for a long while. His monster 2001 and his several strong years in San Francisco made him the only option in my mind to start at shortstop.
Left field: Barry Bonds (1993-2007)
Bonds is the all-time home run king and a legend in San Francisco for his play with the Giants. Need I say more?
Center field: Willie Mays (1951-1952, 1954-1973)
Willie Mays makes the team, well, because he's Willie Mays. In his career with the Giants (both NY and SF) he hit for power, average, played great defense, had speed, and had a cannon for an arm -- he was truly the definition of a five-tool player.
Right field: Mel Ott (1926-1947)
Mel Ott is a Hall of Fame baseball player who also hit for power and average. He was the highlight of the Giants' outfield in New York and was followed up just years later by Willie Mays, who took the torch from Ott as the Giants' premier outfielder.
Starting rotation:
Juan Marichal (1960-1973)
A 2.84 ERA in his career with the Giants paired with a 234-140 W/L record make for one of the most consistent pitchers in Giants history. Oh, and don't forget about his 244 complete games and his no-hitter with the organization, either.
Christy Mathewson (1900-1916)
Edging Marichal as one of the best pitchers in Giants franchise history, Mathewson had a 2.12 ERA with 369 wins, 430 complete games, two no-hitters, 28 saves, and 2,488 strikeouts, easily earning him a spot on the team.
Matt Cain (2005-present)
Only player in Giants franchise history to toss a perfect game, has only gotten better as time has progressed, and could very well be on his way to earning a Cy Young and yet another All-Star nod.
Carl Hubbell (1928-1943)
Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell did something twice that is rarely done even once nowadays in the game of baseball: winning the NL MVP as a pitcher. He also was a nine-time All-Star who notched 260 complete games in his career along with a 2.98 ERA and a no-hitter, making him an easy selection for the all-time team.
Tim Lincecum (2007-present)
Two Cy Young Awards, a world championship, and one of the craziest deliveries to ever make its way onto the MLB scene. Tim Lincecum has earned his right to be a part of this team, despite his lackluster 2012 thus far (despite beating the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 27.)
Lefty specialist: Javier Lopez (2010-present)
Lopez is one of the best in the game at what he does and that has translated thus far in his stint with the Giants. Due to lack of knowledge of other left specialists in Giants history, I have placed him and his career OPP BA of .222 against lefties on this list.
Setup Pitcher: Sergio Romo (2008-present)
If Sergio Romo and his ridiculously low ERA (2.18 career/0.83 2012) don't deserve a spot on the Giants' all-time team for his performance since joining the Giants, then I don't know who does. He is a critical setup pitcher for the Giants whose slider is one of the nastiest in the league.
Closer: Robb Nen (1998-2002)
Nen had 206 saves and a 2.43 ERA with the Giants in just five seasons as their closer. It was also during his time with the Giants that he earned all three of his All-Star nods and even came in fourth in Cy Young voting for his 42-save, 1.50 ERA season in 2000.
Bench:
Will Clark (1986-1993)
"The Thrill" was a five-time All-Star with the Giants and will likely enter the Hall of Fame at some point. While with the team he hit .299, with 176 HR, 709 RBIs, and earned two Silver Slugger awards and one Gold Glove. Clark makes the team easily; I just had trouble starting him over McCovey.
J.T. Snow (1997-2006)
Snow was known for his clutch hitting and strong defense at first base, and even though toward the end of his career, he began to fall off, he was still an integral part of the Giants.
Kevin Mitchell (1987-1991)
One monster season is all it takes sometimes to earn someone a spot on a list such as this. That year for Kevin Mitchell was in 1989 when he launched 47 HR, 125 RBIs, hit .291 and earned himself an All-Star nod, a Silver Slugger and the NL MVP. Bracketed by solid years with the Giants, Mitchell makes my all-time team.
Food for thought: I know there are plenty of players that could have been substituted at various spots on this list. Where would you make those substitutions? If you have your own all-time team, go ahead and share it (no need to get elaborate with it, just list the players by position in the same quantity as I did.)
David is co-founder of wrapupp sports blog where fresh content is posted daily and present sports blogs and sports opinions - all with a West Coast bias. Growing up in the Bay Area, David is a huge supporter of all the local sports teams; the Giants, Athletics, Warriors, Sharks, 49ers, and Raiders. His one fault, admittedly, as many of his friends and family would say, is his love for the Los Angeles Lakers. Growing up, Magic Johnson was his favorite basketball player and he fell in love with the team. He chalks it up to, "Not knowing any better". Now his love for sports has turned just as academic as it is intuitive and he follows most all sports all over the nation.
You can follow David on Twitter: @officialwrapupp
Sources:
All Stats Provided by Baseball-Reference by way the Giants' team page. MLB 2012.
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