FanPost

All-time NON-Hall of Fame Yankees lineup...




Let's face it, with the storied history of the Yankees and a whopping number of Hall of Famers who have spent all or part of their career wearing the famous pinstripes, it's not too hard to come up with an all-time Yankees team that includes greats like Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra. Eliminating Hall of Fame players makes the choices a little more difficult. So let's see what an all-time Yankees team could look like WITHOUT Hall of Fame players. For this list, the player had to have spent at least 5 seasons playing for the Yankees. Baseball-reference.com is used for all statistical data.

Starting with first base, Don Mattingly is the obvious choice here. The face of the Yankees franchise for the Championship-less 1980's, Donnie Baseball was an absolute beast from 1984 - 1989, hitting .327 with 160 HRs, 684 RBI and an OPS of .902. Add in an MVP, 6 All-Star appearances, 5 Gold Gloves and 3 Silver Sluggers, and Don Mattingly is a worthy choice to man first for THIS all-time Yankees Team.

Moving on to second base, the choice comes down to Robinson Cano and Willie Randolph. Willie played 13 seasons for the Yankees, amassing a total of 4 All-Star appearances while hitting .275 with an OBP of .357 while anchoring second for 2 World Championship teams. On the other hand, Robinson Cano played 9 seasons with the Yanks, hitting .309/.355/.504 with 204 HRs, 822 RBI with 5 All Star selections, 5 Silver Slugger awards and 2 Gold Gloves while winning a Championship with the 2009 team. While Willie IS an all-time great Yankee, Robbie gets the nod here because his offense is far superior to Willie's.

Robbie's double play partner is none other than Gil McDougald. While Derek Jeter can technically be on this list since he is not YET in the Hall of Fame, the general consensus of the media seems to be that he will be a first ballot Hall of Fame inductee. The same criteria will be applied to Mariano Rivera when it comes to choosing a closer. Additionally, it makes the list a little more interesting. Gil McDougald played all over the infield for the Yankees for 10 seasons, with 2nd and 3rd base as his primary positions, though he did play shortstop in 284 games for the Yankees. For his career, he accumulated 40.6 WAR while hitting .276/.356/.410 with 112 HR and was a 5 time all-star. The 1951 Rookie of the Year is this team's shortstop.

Shifting to third base, the choice comes down to Graig Nettles and Alex Rodriguez. Though his numbers are tainted by the steroid scandal (as are his Hall of Fame chances), A-Rod's 12 years in pinstripes were simply outstanding. 351 HRs and 1096 RBIs with an OPS of .900 while winning 2 MVP awards and the 2009 Championship give A-Rod the nod over Nettles' 250 HRs, 834 RBI and .253/.329/.433 line.

Behind the dish is none other than Thurman Munson. While Jorge Posada would certainly be a fine choice, The Captain was the 1976 MVP, the 1970 ROY, slashed .292/.346/.410 and was a 2 time World Champion for his tragically short career.

Roaming left field is none other than Hideki Matsui. Godzilla hit .292/.370/.482 with 140 HRs and 597 RBI is his 7 years in NY and was the 2009 World Series MVP.

Manning the storied center field position will be Bernie Williams. Often overlooked because of the "Core Four", Bernie was just as instrumental in creating the Yankees dynasty of the late 90's. Between 1995 and 2000, Bernie slashed .321/.407/.540 with 149 HR, 617 RBI and accumulating 31.8 WAR. Easy choice over Mickey Rivers.

Guarding the short porch is Paul O'Neill. The Warrior spent 9 seasons with the Yankees, slashing .303/.377/.492 while slugging 185 HRs and driving in 858 runs, and winning a batting title and 4 World Championships.

Designated hitter is probably the easiest choice: Jason Giambi. An OPS of .925 while hitting 209 HRs while in New York makes this the most logical choice for DH.

The starting pitcher for this All-Star, non-Hall of Fame all-time Yankees team is Ron Guidry. Louisiana Lightning had a .651 lifetime winning percentage, while winning 2 World Series titles and a Cy Young award for his INSANE 1978 season.

Closing out the games will be Sparky Lyle. The 1977 World Champ had a 2.41 ERA and 141 saves while donning the pinstripes.

The lineup:

SS Gil McDougald

2B Robinson Cano

1B Don Mattingly

3B Alex Rodriguez

DH Jason Giambi

CF Bernie Williams

RF Paul O'Neill

C Thurman Munson

LF Hideki Matsui

That lineup could likely win a World Championship or two....

Thoughts?

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