MLB History: All-A Team

by howtheyscored on Jan 26, 2012 11:46 PM PST

So, I got this idea in one of the last threads to work on figuring out what the All Alphabet teams would be in MLB history. The work is simple: Put together the best team of players whose last names all start with each individual letter of the alphabet. I've started the project here, and will keep it up every now and then when I have the time. In theory, this will end with two 13 team leagues that can square off in the nerdiest corners of this website*.

My criteria were rough, and simple, which is why I need your help finalizing this roster. I looked for two things: Hall of Famers, and 15+ year careers. That leaves out a LOT of good players, but good golly I can't go through each of these guys individually. I had to give myself something.

The problem with the system is that it's bad. The cool thing about the system is that it makes this team perfect for debate. I'll post the roster that I landed using this methodology, and I challenge you to name guys who need to be on there over one of the guys I have--with a justification, of course.

I also tried to keep guys at their most played positions. Shuffling is fun and all, but this seems better to me.

In some cases, your work will be easy. For instance, your argument for Jeremy Accardo over EMPTY RELIEF PITCHING SLOT is airtight. You just won that case. Good for you! In other cases, it will be a lot more interesting. With no further ado, though, here's the preliminary All-A Team. Hall of Famers are marked by a + sign. The rest should be self explanatory. In this case, we were even able to put together a coaching staff. That may not happen every time.

C Sandy Alomar

1B Cap Anson +

2B Roberto Alomar +

3B Dick Allen

SS Luke Appling +

LF Moises Alou

CF Richie Ashburn +

RF Hank Aaron +

C Brad Ausmus

1B Joe Adcock

OF Earl Averill +

OF Bobby Abreu

MI Luis Aparicio +

MI Rich Aurilia

SP (R) Pete Alexander +

SP (L) Wilson Alvarez

SP (R) Babe Adams

SP (L) Johnny Antonelli

SP (R) Red Ames

RP (L) Hank Aguirre

RP (R) Larry Andersen

RP (R) Ted Abernathy

RP (R) Pete Appleton

CL (R) Rick Aguilera

Manager: Sparky Anderson

Bench Coach: Walter Alston

1B Coach: Cap Anson

*According to BBR, there will be no X team. That is going to make scheduling a real pain.

This FanPost is reader-generated, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of McCovey Chronicles. If the author uses filler to achieve the minimum word requirement, a moderator may edit the FanPost for his or her own amusement.

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Comments

OHH I can’t wait to find out the manager for the All-B Team!!!

You want to see a walk? Then go watch the mailman.

by SeeingStars on Jan 26, 2012 11:51 PM PST reply actions

BOBBY BONILLA

"I see these guys walking around with rings on, and I want one. That's what it's all about." -Ryan Vogelsong

by Solidarity on Jan 26, 2012 11:58 PM PST up reply actions

Oh, manager. Dammit.

"I see these guys walking around with rings on, and I want one. That's what it's all about." -Ryan Vogelsong

by Solidarity on Jan 26, 2012 11:59 PM PST up reply actions

DUSTY!

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by howtheyscored on Jan 26, 2012 11:59 PM PST up reply actions

I found a place that did this before me, but it looks like the guy who did it decided things with some old-fashioned logic, like batting average and WINS. I expect our rosters will be different in very interesting ways.

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by howtheyscored on Jan 27, 2012 12:17 AM PST reply actions

Oh, hey, Cap Anson should head to the coaching staff, too. Player/coach!

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by howtheyscored on Jan 27, 2012 12:41 AM PST reply actions

Nah, it’s no good making him a 1B coach.

Although, now I’m wonder whether Anderson or Alston should be the manager, and which should be bench coach.

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by howtheyscored on Jan 27, 2012 12:46 AM PST up reply actions

Too many non-whites on this team for that to work.

Cash rules everything around me
C.R.E.A.M.
Get the money
Dollar dollar bill y'all

by El Person on Jan 28, 2012 1:05 PM PST up reply actions

Chad Zerbe

Carter Jurica!
"Has anyone really been for even as decided to use even go want to do look more like?"

by GrahamCrakalaka on Jan 27, 2012 1:51 AM PST reply actions

No Al Alburquerque?

Sundrendy!

by Deleuzian on Jan 27, 2012 3:35 AM PST reply actions

Should make an honorable mention category

For guys with unique names… or names with unique properties
Aardsma

by Nivra on Jan 27, 2012 4:24 PM PST up reply actions

Jim Abbott would have to go in that category.

I'm as tall as Mel. Why can't I hit 500 home runs?

by Ott on Jan 27, 2012 4:53 PM PST up reply actions

Hey Abbott!

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by howtheyscored on Jan 27, 2012 5:40 PM PST up reply actions

You mean, abbOtt?

by Nivra on Jan 27, 2012 6:48 PM PST up reply actions

I’d switch Appling to starter and move Austin to utility, or switch him out altogether.

"Don't trust anyone under the age of 30" - Brian Sabean

by Smotheredinhugs on Jan 27, 2012 6:35 AM PST reply actions

Appling should be starting over Aparicio, you’re right. I’ll fix that. I would start one of them over Austin, except I’m trying to keep players who played the vast majority of their careers at one spot in that same spot.

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by howtheyscored on Jan 27, 2012 11:00 AM PST up reply actions

And Dick Allen is, of course, the correct answer over Austin.

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by howtheyscored on Jan 27, 2012 1:39 PM PST up reply actions

There's only one A Team

Hannibal, Murdock, BA and Face

"There was no torture in the end. Only rapture." - Mike Krukow
Flags Fly Forever

"Orlando before Zod" doesn't have the same nice ring to it.

by nostocksjustbonds on Jan 27, 2012 8:45 AM PST reply actions 1 recs

Johnny Antonelli

Your 15-season benchmark seems a tad too high. How about 12 seasons?

Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this son of Cabrera.

by Lyle on Jan 27, 2012 9:56 AM PST reply actions

The 15 seasons was deliberately high to make the sample of players reasonable for me to sort through. I also meant for it to be only for my part. If there’s a great player who played 7 seasons and deserves to be on the team, I was hoping somebody would make a case for him down here.

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by howtheyscored on Jan 27, 2012 10:56 AM PST up reply actions

Antonelli should definitely be on there over either Ames or Alexander. He’s 1) better, and 2) helps balance the L/R for the rotation.

Would you push Ames or Alexander off the roster? They’re pretty close. Alexander had nicer peak years by WAR and played longer, but Ames was more consistently good.

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by howtheyscored on Jan 27, 2012 11:13 AM PST up reply actions

Wow, Doyle Alexander’s numbers are weird to look at. He’s going to be the guy I pull for Antonelli, I think. Not because his numbers are weird, which they are. I just don’t think they’re as good as Ames.

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by howtheyscored on Jan 27, 2012 1:26 PM PST up reply actions

I thought you were talking about Pete Alexander here, so I was confused as to why you would say that Antonelli belonged over him.

Cash rules everything around me
C.R.E.A.M.
Get the money
Dollar dollar bill y'all

by El Person on Jan 28, 2012 1:06 PM PST up reply actions

Oh, yeah, I guess once I edited Doyle Alexander out there was no reference to make sense of things.

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by howtheyscored on Jan 28, 2012 2:24 PM PST up reply actions

Richie Allen

should be at third on this team, since even though he eventually became known more as a first baseman, he spent his first four seasons as an all star third baseman for the Phillies and received MVP consideration each year.

California Leaguers beware: Chris Gloor will strike you out faster than you can say "Quinnipiac", or he would have if he had pitched more than five innings this year before getting hurt...

by crazedcrustacean on Jan 27, 2012 1:05 PM PST reply actions

Actually, I have no idea how I missed Dick Allen. 15 years. Great player. Basically split his career between 1B and 3B, so he could go at either one. I’ll fit him in when I figure out who to knock off.

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by howtheyscored on Jan 27, 2012 1:13 PM PST up reply actions

There we go. Austin out. Allen in.

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by howtheyscored on Jan 27, 2012 1:15 PM PST up reply actions

How is Mr. T not on this list?

2010 World Series Champions!
Adopted 'nephew' to the ever avuncular and always awesome Jon Miller

by Johnny Disaster on Jan 27, 2012 3:24 PM PST reply actions

He’s on the All-T team.

by Roger on Jan 27, 2012 4:58 PM PST reply actions

Nick Altrock can be the team comic

Fantastic bio from the SABR bio project here.

I'm as tall as Mel. Why can't I hit 500 home runs?

by Ott on Jan 27, 2012 5:02 PM PST reply actions

Threw 900 innings in three years and was always the same again.

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by howtheyscored on Jan 27, 2012 5:43 PM PST up reply actions

AArdsma?

It would be interesting to see if this LOOGY hits 15 years.

Too bad Vanlaunching pad and Brewerington had short careers. I loved both their names for ink usage only.

Go Giants

by Gianni on Jan 28, 2012 10:26 AM PST reply actions

Aardsma is right handed and not really very OOGY. Also not doing terribly well on going after 15 years (since he missed all of lat year).

by Roger on Jan 28, 2012 12:00 PM PST up reply actions

The 15 years thing isn’t a criteria for this roster. It’s just an easy way for me to cut a pool of hundreds of players down to something I can actually browse in 15 minutes or so. The point of asking for help is to find the players that my original method left out.

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by howtheyscored on Jan 28, 2012 12:37 PM PST up reply actions