All Time Cubs 25 Man Roster

Last team's here.

Through 2016.

New project, all time rosters for each team. WAR is B-Ref+Davenport. Other numbers are OPS+/ERA+.

The structure of all of these teams will be the same, 7 bench players (well, 6 for AL teams since they have a DH) with someone able to backup every position. 10 pitchers, a legitimate bullpen arm as closer.  

C Gabby Hartnett (1922-40)       61.45  126

1B Cap Anson (1876-97)             82.04  142

2B Ryne Sandberg (1982-97)      70.45  115

SS Ernie Banks (1953-71)            62.75  122

3B Ron Santo (1960-73)              69.65  128

LF Billy Williams (1959-74)       58.25   135

CF Jimmy Ryan (1885-00)           35.8    125

RF Sammy Sosa (1992-04)           59.75 139

3B Stan Hack (1932-47)              53.2    119

1B/C Frank Chance (1898-12)   47.3     136

1B Mark Grace (1988-00)           44.15   122

2B Billy Herman (1931-41)       43.6      112

SS Joe Tinker (1902-12, 16)       41.7      93

RF Bill Nicholson (1939-48)     38.8     136

CF/LF Hack Wilson (1926-31)  28.25   155

P Ferguson Jenkins (1966-73, 82-3)  51.45  119

P Rick Reuschel (1972-81, 83-4)       45.5    113

P Three Finger Brown (1904-12, 16) 45.4    153

P Charlie Root (1926-41)                   41.75    112

P Hippo Vaughn (1913-21)               40.9       125

Cl Lee Smith (1980-87)                     22.45     134

P Carlos Zambrano (2001-11)                       39.85     122

P Grover Cleveland Alexander (1918-26)  39.65     131

P Clark Griffith (1893-00)                39.45     129

P Greg Maddux (1986-92, 04-06)   35.4       112

All Time Dodgers 25 Man Roster

Last team here.

Through 2016.

New project, all time rosters for each team. WAR is B-Ref+Davenport. Other numbers are OPS+/ERA+.

The structure of all of these teams will be the same, 7 bench players (well, 6 for AL teams since they have a DH) with someone able to backup every position. 10 pitchers, a legitimate bullpen arm as closer.  

C Roy Campanella (1948-57)           39.1       123

1B Gil Hodges (1943-61)                  44.9       120

2B Jackie Robinson (1947-56)         61.65     132

SS Pee Wee Reese (1940-58)             64.3       99

3B Ron Cey (1971-82)                       45.5       125

LF Zack Wheat (1909-26)                 54.35     130

CF Duke Snider (1947-62)                56.3        142

RF Carl Furillo (1946-60)                  34.9       112

CF Willie Davis (1960-73)               44.1        107

1B Steve Garvey (1969-82)              39.5        122

2B/3B Jim Gilliam (1953-66)          38.1        93

3B/RF/LF Pedro Guerrero (1978-87)  34.9   149

SS/3B Maury Wills (1959-66, 69-72) 34.9   87

2B Davey Lopes (1972-81)               33.5      105

C Mike Piazza (1992-98)                   30.4      160

P Don Drysdale (1956-69)                66.9       121

P Dazzy Vance (1922-32, 35)          60.35      129

P Sandy Koufax (1955-66)               53.65     131

P Clayton Kershaw (2008-)              60.3     159

P Don Sutton (1966-80, 88)             52.5        110

Cl Kenley Jansen (2010-                 20.8        169

P Nap Rucker (1907-16)                   47.2       119

P Orel Hershiser (1983-94, 00)        45           116

P Fernando Valenzuela (1980-90)  37.7        107

P Bob Welch (1978-87)                    34.3        114

All Time Diamondbacks 25 Man Roster

Last team here.  Through 2016.

New project, all time rosters for each team. WAR is B-Ref+Davenport. Other numbers are OPS+/ERA+.

The structure of all of these teams will be the same, 7 bench players (well, 6 for AL teams since they have a DH) with someone able to backup every position. 10 pitchers, a legitimate bullpen arm as closer.  

C Miguel Montero (2006-14)        17.35    103

1B Paul Goldschmidt (2011-)       31.9    147

2B Orlando Hudson (2006-08)     12.7       105

SS Stephen Drew (2006-12)          14           96

3B Craig Counsell (2000-03, 05-6)       11.75      80

LF Luis Gonzalez (1999-06)        32.6        130

CF Steve Finley (1999-04)            18.3        111

RF Justin Upton (2007-14)           21           118

CF Chris Young (2006-12)          14.05       95

CF AJ Pollock ( 2012-)               13          118

LF/RF Gerardo Parra (2009-14)  12.75      94

2B/SS Jay Bell (1998-02)            11.15      104

3B/2B Aaron Hill (2011-15)      11.35       108

C Damian Miller (1998-02)         8.7           93

1B/3B Mark Reynolds (2007-10)  6.8       108

P Randy Johnson (1999-04, 07-8)  49.9    164

P Brandon Webb (2003-09)          33.45     142

P Curt Schilling (2000-03)            24.05     148

P Dan Haren (2008-10)                 14.9        125

P Miguel Batista (2001-03, 06)    9.85       117

Cl Brad Ziegler  (2011-16)                 10.65           161
P Byung-Hyun Kim (1999-03, 07)  10.35  136

P Josh Collmenter (2011-16)            9.7       112

P Wade Miley (2011-14)              7.5            103

P Jose Valverde (2003-07)           8.45         141

NBA Finals Prediction

Warriors in 6

I picked this rematch prior to the season.

(I pick LeBron to make the finals every year, it keeps working.)

I picked this rematch prior to the playoffs.

(I was surprised OKC beat the Spurs, its an historic upset.)

Once the Spurs were eliminated, I picked the Warriors to win the title.

I've been writing a version of this same prediction for two years - there's no historical precedent for a team as "bad" as the Cavs beating a team as good as the Warriors in the NBA Finals.

Note, the Cavs are pretty good, their 5.45 SRS made them the 4th best team in the league this season; were they to win the title they'd rank somewhere in the middle of the pack for all time NBA Champs (tick below).  They're a reasonable champion.

But the Warriors are an all time great team with an SRS over 10, and never once in NBA history as a team with an SRS over 10 lost in the NBA Finals.

(I used to be able to say a team with an SRS over 10 had never lost in the playoffs except to another team with an SRS over 10, and that had only ever happened once, but the Spurs had an SRS over 10 this season and lost to OKC, who did not.  That tempers the ferocity of my Warriors certainty a little bit.)

So, look, it could be that Cleveland is about to pull an historic upset (and that's what it would be, I know they have LeBron and Love and Kyrie are healthy this year and they're rested and Curry's banged up and the Warriors were just pushed as far as a team could be pushed, but I'm telling you, it would be an historic upset) but you don't pick that way.

A year ago an all time great Warriors team beat a good, but no better than that, Cavs.

I'll say it happens again this year.  Cleveland can score and will score, but that defensive pressure OKC put on the Warriors with Roberson and the ability of Adams and Ibaka to both rebound and challenge outside is absent here.  Cleveland's a three point shooting team.  They'll hit a bunch of them; they may even win a game in Oakland and go up 2-1.

But over a 7 game series between two jump shooting teams, pick the one that might be the best ever.

Warriors in 6.

May, 2016 Athlete of the Month

April is here.

Klay Thompson. Runners-up: LeBron James, Steph Curry, Clayton Kershaw

Almost half the year gone, who will be named Athlete of 2016?

January-Von Miller
February-Lionel Messi
March - Buddy Hield
April-Breanna Stewart
May - Klay Thompson