"All-Aaron's Lifetime" Major League Baseball Team

As a virgin blog writer, but one that has loved to write since he’s been able to pick up a pen (never a crayon, no artistic talent), I decided with the start of my new business that I would incorporate a baseball/softball related blog to share with my clients, friends, and family.

So, as a first entry, I have decided to create my “All-Aaron’s Lifetime MLB Team”. So, without further ado, here is my First, Second, and Honorable Mention Teams from MLB players who laced them up any time during 1983 to 2014. Included too, a is a list of notable omissions (because I still had about 15 minutes left when I was done with my first three lists).

Notable Snubs:

RHP – Roy Halladay – Sorry “Doc”! Just missed out. I had the opportunity to watch Halladay last year at Wrigley. Even without anything near his best stuff, he battled and grinded (yes, I'm aware that's not a word). A true competitor. Commendably, he works hard off the field to fight for underprivileged children.

LHP – Randy Johnson – Maybe the best southpaw of my lifetime, Johnson still was left off the teams, barely. Reason? Horrible actor. Please check out “Little Big League”. You’ll agree.

C – Jason Varitek – I had the opportunity to meet Varitek in 2006 at a Ft. Myers Subway with my Hamline softball team. Quite possibly the biggest calves I have ever seen. Why was he off the team? You’ll see who is ahead of him, but loved his blue-collar mentality and how he handled a staff.

1B – Will Clark – “The Thrill” was just edged out for the Honorable Mention team. No good reason to leave him off. Nicknamed “The Natural”, Clark gained points over many other omissions because of his prowess during the Olympics. Go Team USA!

2B – Chase Utley – I feel Utley may be one of the most underrated players in the past 20 years. With some of the quickest hands in the game still today, Utley narrowly missed the cut courtesy of another extremely deep and talented position. Love watching him destroy a mid-90’s fastball!

SS – Ozzie Smith – “The Wizard”. Simply. I am sorry. That is all.

3B – David Wright – Flat out stud. Manning the hot corner in New York for a decade, I wish there was a way to find a spot for him on the team. But, there isn't.

OF – Jacoby Ellsbury – Due to injury, Ellsbury has never been able to live up to the talent and ability that is so evident. I would love to see him bounce back and play for another 10+ years. He does everything right and my wife thinks he’s really cute too (but no Brett Gardner).

RP – Nobody. I am not a fan of relief pitchers, really. Let the starters work longer and finish what they started.

Honorable Mention All-Aaron Team:

RHP – Curt Schilling – Bloody sock and Cancer Survivor... Winner! Also, "Schill" has a daughter who is playing high-level club fastpitch softball. Why isn't he higher?

LHP – Clayton Kershaw – In my opinion, the best pitcher in baseball, currently, regardless of hand. All-Around pitcher, All-Around Guy. Kershaw has won the Roberto Clemente award and opened up an orphanage in Zambia. Cool dude, may work his way up with more time.

C – Joe Mauer – Pride of St. Paul, Mauer may be the best All-Around catcher of all time when all is said in done. Being a defensive minded catcher myself, Mauer was edged out by, to me, the 2 best defensive catchers in MLB history on the 1^st and 2^nd teams.

1B – Doug Mientkiewicz – Ok, ok, ok… The first major curveball. Mientkiewicz is, without question, the best defensive first basemen I have ever seen play. Plus, he is only 1 of 5 players with both a World Series Championship and an Olympic Gold Medal.

2B – Dustin Pedroia – I watch this guy and I think nuts and bolts, lunch pail, and tenacious. On top of that, he is about my height (maybe a little taller). Talk about a guy that gives 100% and plays the game the right way, Pedroia is the epitome of “gamer”.

SS – Omar Vizquel – Slightly edging out Ozzie, Omar is the arguably the best defensive player in the history of baseball. Ya, I said it.

3B – Chipper Jones – Potentially the best switch hitter in MLB history, Chipper was a phenom that came up when I was 7 years old. He retired when I was 30. He was an outstanding shortstop as a young ball player and developed into a very good third basemen. As a teammate, he will save you from snowstorms! Right Freddy Freeman?

OF – Ichiro Suzuki – Ichiro had to make the team. He is the closest thing MLB has ever seen to a men’s fastpitch player. While he has been overrated in my opinion at times, and definitely by new aged statistical analysis, Suzuki is 40 years old and still so much fun to watch.

OF – Bo Jackson – Jackson was the best athlete I was ever fortunate enough to watch in person. Cut down due to injury prematurely (why wasn’t a horse collar tackle put in after that play?), Jackson could have been one of the game’s best. The picture of him running up the wall at Kaufman will be forever engrained in my mind.

OF – Kirk Gibson – Hardly able to walk let alone run, “Gibby” makes the team on grit and guts in 1 at-bat. I remember that moment clear as day and I was a 5 year old boy.

DH – Jim Thome – The “Paul Bunyan” of baseball the last 15 plus years, I always liked Thome. But towards the end of his career in Minnesota, I was lucky enough to watch him hit some mammoth bombs. Nobody did it with more humility than this guy.

RP – Joe Nathan – Almost demoted to the “Notable Snubs” due to the fact he is truly distracting to watch twitch through the 9^th, Nathan has been the 2^nd best closer over the past 10 seasons. Nathan played DIII baseball as a shortstop before being converted to a starting pitcher and then a closer. Props to all DIII baseball and softball players, the true student-athletes!

2^nd Team All Aaron:

RHP – Greg Maddux – Cutting through opposing batters with the precision of Dr. James Andrews, “Mad Dog” was truly remarkable for not only being able to pinpoint place every pitch, but to do it with the amount of movement he had. Duly nicknamed “The Professor”, his teammates said he was the smartest player they ever played with. Competitor doesn't begin to describe this guy.

LHP – Tom Glavine – Maddux’s counterpart, it’s amazing to me these guys didn’t win more World Series’ than just the ’95 classic. An all-around athlete, Glavine could swing the bat with any pitcher in the history of baseball (sans Ruth) and grew up a star 2-sport athlete and was drafted by the L.A. Kings of the NHL too.

C – Yadier Molina – It was so hard to keep this guy off of my 1^st team. Probably my favorite current player, and possibly the best defensive catcher in the history of the game by the time he is done, “Yadi” is best at handling a pitching staff, hands down. Watching him snap throw is a work of art!

1B – Todd Helton – Another underrated player of the 90’s and 00’s, Helton was one of the best and most consistent hitters in the past 30 years. Watching him hit a homer at Coors Field on the 4^th of July was unforgettable.

2B – Craig Biggio – HOF snubbee wasn't forgotten by me! Biggio, originally a catcher (evident by being the best athlete on the field) J was the heart and soul of the Astros for the better part of 2 decades. Part of the Killer B’s, the only natural member, Biggio belongs in Cooperstown and will be enshrined shortly!

SS – Cal Ripken Jr. – “The Iron Man” epitomizes everything that you could ever want in a player or a teammate. Junior busted through the mold of the smaller, defensive minded middle infielder that was the first 100 years of the game.

3B – George Brett – Obviously Michael Pineda and the 90’s Phillies idol, Brett would make the team alone on him charging out of the dugout towards in the famous “Pine Tar Game”. Truth be told, Brett would easily be on the 1^st team if my favorite player of all-time wasn't in front of him. Sorry George, you’re my (Dr. Evil Voice)… Number 2 at third.

OF – Ken Griffey Jr. – “The Kid” was the most electrifying player of my lifetime and the most well-rounded baseball player of our generation. The phrase “5 Tool Player” was created for Jr. To watch him climb the Kingdome and Safeco walls was tremendous but to watch his smooth swing, was unparalleled.

OF – Jim Edmonds – Edmonds is another that wouldn’t make the teams based on his offensive ability but for 10 years, he was unofficially, Mr. Web Gem. His over the head diving catch while going back to straight centerfield is the best catch I have ever seen.

OF – Torii Hunter – A good offensive player, Hunter took over, to me, as the best defensive outfielder after Jim Edmonds. His ability to rob the homerun ball was unmatched. What truly stands out to me on Hunter is his likability, his charity, and how he took over the Twins following the sudden departure of the most likeable player in the history of baseball (you’ll see him on the next team).

DH – Edgar Martinez – Martinez was quite possibly the best right handed hitter in the game in the 90’s, and he is the best right handed DH in Major League Baseball history. Number 1 has to be a lefty then!

RP– Rollie Fingers – Moustache. Enough said.

And....

Drum Roll Please...

1st Team All-Aaron:

RHP – Nolan Ryan - If you refute this, he'll make you his next Robin Ventura. A true throwback, complete games, minimal pitches, oh, and 7 No-No's. In the words of Billy Madison, "He's goooood!"

LHP – Johan Santana - My wife's other husband, she still wear his jersey to Twins games if I let her. Another one that you wonder what he could have accomplished without injury, Santana was the only reason to go to Twins games for about 4 years. But during that span, he was incredible!

C – Ivan Rodriguez - "Pudge" could very well be the best catcher in the history of baseball. An outstanding offensive player, his defense singlehandedly shut down running games. He took what he wanted and not was given to him. Stud.

1B – Albert Pujols - A future HOF'er and newest member of the 500 home run club, Albert could be the best of all time if he can find the pace he was at with Cardinals. After a torrid start, let's hope we get to see him tear it up for years to come! BTW... I wish you would have stayed in St. Louis.

2B – Ryne Sandberg - "Ryno" will forever be the Cubbies to me. To see him in a Phillies uniform in the dugout is just not right. I would hit ya ya's all over the park with him on RBI Baseball 3 on Sega Genesis, too.

SS – Derek Jeter - "The Captain" is the only player for me, regardless of decade or time, that could have upended Cal at SS. While not being a Yankee hater, I am far from a Yankee lover. Jeter is my 2nd favorite player, behind the next, of my lifetime. I will miss watching him in 2015!

3B – Paul Molitor - So I hinted at it above. "Molly" is my favorite player of my lifetime. Growing up in the same home town of St. Paul, "Molly", to me, is the best right handed hitter of my generation (Sorry Albert, Edgar and others). I know I am bias, which I admit below, but his hands were the best I have ever seen.

OF – Kirby Puckett - The most affable player in MLB History, "Puck" was my younger brother Chopper's idol growing up. The face of the Twins, and Peter Gammon's favorite player of his lifetime (137 1/2 years, I believe) Kirby was struck down by a fastball to the temple. In my favorite sporting event of my lifetime, he was a legend. I will never forget the 1991 Fall Classic, the catch against the plexiglass, the jack in extra innings, and Jack Buck's "We'll see ya.... Tomorrow Night!". RIP Puck.

OF – Robin Yount - "Rockin' Robin" is maybe the only player on any team that could have made it on twice at two different positions. Coming up a shortstop and making the difficult and unprecedented change to centerfield, I "rocked" the 3,000 hit shirt from September of 1992 that my Dad got for me while attending the game. Thanks for bringing me... 

OF – Tony Gwynn - Ho-Hum Tony Gwynn. Simply the best left handed hitter since Williams. I suppose that's pretty good, don't you?

DH – David Ortiz - "Big Papi" is "Mr. November". The most clutch player in MLB playoff history? That smile, that passion, a true love of the game!

Relief Pitcher – Mariano Rivera - "The Sandman". The Best. Cutter.

Now, before you refute my teams, here was my criteria and biases, up front, to calm your inner storm.

1.       While living all over the country, you will see a bias to the Upper Midwest. Sorry!

2.       Preference was given to players using excessive amounts of pine tar, eye black, or cool facial hair.

3.       All of the guys on my team are character guys. While there may be better players out there, these were my “favorites”. So, no A-Rod, Bonds, and other mockeries of the sport we all love!

4.       While many admittedly may be missing, many are not. Get over it! J