The 200 Greatest Major League Baseball Players of All Time, 2012 Ed. 131-140

The previous post is here.

131. Tommy John LHP 1963-89  Yankees/White Sox/Dodgers
        62.65
        267-249
        ERA+ 111
        MVPQ: none
        IP: 4700      

132. David Cone RHP 1986-03 Mets/Yankees
        62.25
        205-141
        ERA+ 121
        MVPQ: none
        IP: 2900

133. Bill Dickey C 1928-46 Yankees
        62.45
        OPS+127
        .299/.364/.510
        MVPQ= 1937
        PA=7000

134. Mike Piazza C 1992-07 Mets/Dodgers
        61.95
        OPS+ 142
        .316/.384/.558
        Elite= 1997
        PA=7750

135. Lou Boudreau SS Indians 1938-52
        61.95
        OPS+ 120
        .305/.380/.465
         Inner Circle=1948
        PA=7000

136. Sammy Sosa 1989-07 RF Cubs 
        61.9
        OPS+128
        .274/.345/.535
         Inner Circle=2001
         PA=9900

137. Jackie Robinson 2B Dodgers 1947-56
        61.6
        .311/.406/.502
        OPS+ 131
        MVPQ=1952
        Elite=1949, 1951
        PA=5800

138. Harry Heilmann 1914-32 Tigers RF
        61.6
        .316/.386/.547
        OPS+148
        MVPQ=1923
        PA=8950

139. Ed Walsh 1904-17 White Sox RHP
        61.55
        174-103, 42 sv
        ERA+146
        MVPQ=1907,
        Inner Circle: 1908, 1910, 1912
        IP=2950

140. Reggie Smith 1966-82 Red Sox/Dodgers RF/CF
        61.55
        .293/.373/.525
        OPS+137
        MVPQ=none
        PA=8050

The first guys here in play for our running subjective all time roster are Dickey and Piazza, who helpfully are back to back in terms of their overall career value.  Piazza obviously had a much better bat, as evidenced by his OPS+ and adjusted slashline advantages. Dickey's comparable to the two catchers currently on the team, Hartnett and Ewing, similar offensive numbers, Ewing composed his career total with a lot fewer plate appearances, Dickey's the only one of the three with an MVPQ season, and that's going to stick him on the team.  But I'm going to say Piazza was better, the combination of the bat and Piazza's Elite season gets him the job by a nose.

C Piazza
    Dickey

No change at first base

1B Greenberg
      Olerud

Jackie Robinson is the new second baseman, he has that adjusted all time 3/4/5 slashline that I love (like Jackson and Flick) has 3 MVPQ seasons (2 of which are elite) and accumulated his value in under 6000 PA.  His career's sort of like Joe Jackson's.

2B Robinson
      Gordon

Lou Boudreau shows up with an inner circle season (10+wins above replacement) the second position player on the list with such distinction (Sosa just got in first).  That's enough to make him the backup at short.

SS Banks
     Boudreau

No change at third.

3B Allen

No change in left.

LF Jackson
      Flick

I enjoy Reggie Smith and that OPS+ is terrific, we currently don't have a CF on the club; I'm going to give him that provisional spot.

CF Smith

Sosa has the best season of any of the candidates for RF, but doesn't have the rest of the career that either Heilmann or Medwick had.  Those two are close; Heilmann had more bat, Medwick an additional MVPQ season.  I'll say it's the Tiger who starts.

RF Heilmann
      Medwick

9 pitchers are going to wind up on this roster to make it a 25 man roster.  Ed Walsh has 3 Inner Circle seasons, the most of any player on the list so far, in fact, take any two players on the list so far and they don't have more than 3 Inner Circle seasons.  His adjusted ERA is second thusfar only to Rivera (and no one is passing Rivera).  Those two numbers push him straight to the top.

P Walsh
    Rivera
    Newhouser (LHP)
    Ford
    Rusie
    Vance
    Radbourn
    Bunning
    Saberhagen