The Major League Baseball All-Time Team was chosen in 1997 to comprise the top manager and top player in each of 13 positional categories across Major League Baseball history. The team, announced by Classic Sports Network in conjunction with the events celebrated around the 1997 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, were chosen by a panel of 36 members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America in a first- and second-place Borda count voting system.
PositionFirst-team selectionTeam(s) representedby seasonYear ofinduction intoNational BaseballHall of FameTotalvotes(First-teamvotes)Runner-upTeam(s) representedby seasonYear ofinduction intoNational BaseballHall of FameTotalvotes(First-teamvotes)CatcherJohnny BenchCincinnati Reds (1967–1983)198952 (24)Yogi BerraNew York Yankees (1946–1963)New York Mets (1965)197222 (4)First basemanLou GehrigNew York Yankees (1923–1939)193966½ (31)Jimmie FoxxPhiladelphia Athletics (1925–1935)Boston Red Sox (1936–1942Foxx was released by the Red Sox during the 1942 season and was claimed on waivers by the Chicago Cubs; he ultimately contested 30 games for the Red Sox and 70 for the Cubs.)Chicago Cubs (1942, 1944)Philadelphia Phillies (1945)Foxx returned to Philadelphia for the final year of his career by joining the National League Phillies after making his major league debut with the cross-town Philadelphia Athletics. http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=foxxji01195119 (3)Second basemanRogers HornsbySt. Louis Cardinals (1915–1926, 1933Hornsby was released by the Cardinals during the 1933 season and was claimed on waivers by the St. Louis Browns; he ultimately contested 46 games for the Cardinals and 46 for the Browns.)New York Giants (1927)Boston Braves (1928)Chicago Cubs (1929–1932)St. Louis Browns (1933–1937)194244 (17)Joe MorganHouston Astros (1963During Morgan's first two seasons, the Astros franchise were styled as the Houston Colt .45's.–1971, 1980)Cincinnati Reds (1972–1979)San Francisco Giants (1981–1982)Philadelphia Phillies (1983)Oakland Athletics (1984)199023 (6)ShortstopHonus WagnerLouisville Colonels (1897–1899)Pittsburgh Pirates (1900–1917)193655 (23)Cal Ripken Jr.Baltimore Orioles (1981–2001)200724 (6)Third basemanMike SchmidtPhiladelphia Phillies (1972–1989)199550 (21)Brooks RobinsonBaltimore Orioles (1955–1977)198337 (13)Left fielderTed WilliamsBoston Red Sox (1939–1942, 1946–1960)196668 (32)Stan MusialSt. Louis Cardinals (1941–1944, 1946–1963)196936 (4)Center fielderWillie MaysSan Francisco Giants (1951–1952, 1954–1972During Mays's first six seasons, the Giants were styled as the New York Giants; the franchise relocated prior to the commencement of the 1958 season.Mays was traded during the 1972 season; he ultimately contested 19 games for the Giants and 69 for the New York Mets.)New York Mets (1972–1973)197957 (25)Ty CobbDetroit Tigers (1905–1926)Philadelphia Athletics (1927–1928)193622 (7)Right fielderBabe RuthBoston Red Sox (1914–1919)New York Yankees (1920–1934)Boston Braves (1935)193667 (31)Hank AaronMilwaukee Braves (1954–1966Atlanta Braves (1966–1975)Milwaukee Brewers (1975–1976)198236 (5)Designated hitterPaul MolitorMilwaukee Brewers (1978–1992)Toronto Blue Jays (1993–1995)Minnesota Twins (1996–1998)200448 (22)Harold Baines Chicago White Sox (1980–1989,Baines was traded during the 1989 season; he ultimately contested 96 games for the White Sox and 50 for the Texas Rangers. 1996–1997,Baines was traded during the 1997 season; he ultimately contested 93 games for the White Sox and 44 for the Baltimore Orioles. 2001–2002)Texas Rangers (1989–1990Baines was traded during the 1990 season; he ultimately contested 103 games for the Rangers and 32 for the Oakland Athletics.)Oakland Athletics (1990–1992)Baltimore Orioles (1993–1995, 1997–1999,Baines was traded during the 1999 season; he ultimately contested 107 games for the Orioles and 28 for the Cleveland Indians. 2000Baines was traded during the 2000 season; he ultimately contested 72 games for the Orioles and 24 for the Chicago White Sox.)Cleveland Indians (1999)201912 (3)Right-handed starting pitcherWalter JohnsonWashington Senators (1907–1927)193630 (9)Cy YoungCleveland Spiders (1890–1898)St. Louis Perfectos (1899–1900In the 1900 season, the Perfectos franchise were styled as the St. Louis Cardinals.)Boston Americans (1901–1908During the 1907 and 1908 seasons, the Americans franchise were styled as the Boston Red Sox.)Cleveland Naps (1909–1911Young was released by the Naps during the 1911 season and claimed on waivers by the Boston Rustlers; he ultimately contested seven games for the Naps and eleven for the Rustlers.)Boston Rustlers (1911)193725 (12)Left-handed starting pitcherSandy KoufaxLos Angeles Dodgers (1955During Koufax's first three seasons, the Dodgers were styled as the Brooklyn Dodgers; the franchise relocated prior to the commencement of the 1958 season.–1966)197232 (11)Warren SpahnMilwaukee Braves (1942, 1946During Spahn's first eight seasons, the Braves were styled as the Boston Braves; the franchise relocated prior to the commencement of the 1954 season.–1964)New York Mets (1965Spahn was released by the Mets during the 1965 season and claimed on waivers by the San Francisco Giants; he ultimately contested 20 games for the Mets and 16 for the Giants.)San Francisco Giants (1965)197328 (11)Relief pitcherDennis EckersleyCleveland Indians (1975–1977)Boston Red Sox (1978–1984,Eckersley was traded during the 1984 season; he ultimately contested nine games for the Red Sox and twenty-four for the Chicago Cubs. 1998)Chicago Cubs (1984–1986)Oakland Athletics (1987–1995)St. Louis Cardinals (1996–1997)200440 (16)Rollie FingersOakland Athletics (1968–1976)San Diego Padres (1977–1980)Milwaukee Brewers (1981–1982, 1984–1985)199229 (9)ManagerCasey StengelBrooklyn Dodgers (1934–1936)Boston Braves (1938–1943)New York Yankees (1949–1960)New York Mets (1962–1965)196622 (6)Joe McCarthyChicago Cubs (1926–1930)New York Yankees (1931–1946)Boston Red Sox (1948–1950)195718 (6)
See also Major League Baseball Centennial All-Time Teams Latino Legends Team MLB All-Century Team DHL Hometown Heroes (2006): the most outstanding player in the history of each MLB franchise, based on on-field performance, leadership quality and character value
Team of the century List of MLB awards National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Notes
References Brown, Gerry, and Morrison, Michael (eds.; 2003). ESPN Information Please Sports Almanac. New York City: ESPN Books and Hyperion (joint). .