MLBN's Prime 9...best of the 80's

[mweb]

Bill James' team:

C: Carter

1B: Murray

2B: Sandberg

3B: Schmidt

SS: Ripken

LF: Henderson

CF: Yount

RF: Murphy

SP: Stieb, Morris, Blyleven, Valenzulea, Clemens

Relief Ace: Quisenberry

[Avsfan]

Why no love for Gooden?

[Moose Milligan]

Why no love for Gooden?

probably cause he was on his way to flaming out by 1989

[Birds of B'more]

Why no love for Gooden?

probably cause he was on his way to flaming out by 1989

And because he didn't hit the scene until 1984.

[Birds of B'more]

Bill James' team:

C: Carter

1B: Murray

2B: Sandberg

3B: Schmidt

SS: Ripken

LF: Henderson

CF: Raines

RF: Murphy

SP: Stieb, Morris, Hershiser, Valenzulea, Clemens

Relief Ace: Quisenberry

Tell Mr James I fixed that for him.

[OriolesMagic83]

Dale Murphy should be replaced with Dave Winfield. I think the 80's was Winfield's peak

Dave Mattingly should be replaced with Eddie Murray

Clemens, Stieb, and Blyleven should make the starting rotation.

[Avsfan]

And because he didn't hit the scene until 1984.

Still 84, 85, he was probably the best pitcher in the game

[RShack]

Dale Murphy should be replaced with Dave Winfield.

I don't see why.

For the 80's as a whole, Murph was just as good or better. Plus, he had back-to-back MVP's, which is hard to do.

Murphy's '89 season was very weak, but at least he had one. Winfield missed the whole year due to his back.

80's   G   AB   R    H   2B 3B  HR RBI  SB CS  BB   SO   BA  OBP  SLG  OPS OPS+ TB  GDP HBP IBBWin. 1314 4982 804 1441 258 41 223 899  99 43 552  722 .289 .358 .492 .850 135 2450 166  45  67Mur. 1537 5694 938 1553 257 31 308 929 134 56 784 1268 .273 .361 .491 .852 132 2796 129  22 133

[NJOriolesFan]

Not to mention the white powder that always seemed to cling to the noses of both Gooden and Strawberry!

To be fair there were 100's of players with that issue.

[Birds of B'more]

Still 84, 85, he was probably the best pitcher in the game

There's no probably. He was the best pitcher those two seasons. But the fact that he wasn't around from 1980-83, and began to flame out later in the 80's would preclude him from an All-Decade team IMO. It's about performance over an entire 10 years.

[ShaneDawg85]

I was going to throw in Brett Saberhagen for the rotation, but just like Gooden, he didn't come on the scene till 1984.

[lordbrook]

Not only was Rickey Henderson the most dynamic player of the 80s, you could take out the words "most dynamic" and still have an accurate statement.

I would consider replacing Dale Murphy with Tim Raines. Murphy was tailing off badly toward the end of the decade.

Yeah, Eddie at 1B.

I was thinking the same thing about Murphy. I think Andre Dawson is a better choice.

[RShack]

I was thinking the same thing about Murphy. I think Andre Dawson is a better choice.

Why?

Here's how Winfield, Dawson, and Murphy did for the 80's...

80's   G   AB   R    H   2B 3B  HR RBI  SB CS  BB   SO   BA  OBP  SLG  OPS OPS+ TB  GDP HBP IBBWin. 1314 4982 804 1441 258 41 223 899  99 43 552  722 .289 .358 .492 .850 135 2450 166  45  67Daw. 1396 5398 811 1539 290 53 250 895 199 67 362  785 .285 .332 .497 .829 128 2685 118  54  90Mur. 1537 5694 938 1553 257 31 308 929 134 56 784 1268 .273 .361 .491 .852 132 2796 129  22 133

[lordbrook]

Why?

Here's how Winfield, Dawson, and Murphy did for the 80's...

80's   G   AB   R    H   2B 3B  HR RBI  SB CS  BB   SO   BA  OBP  SLG  OPS OPS+ TB  GDP HBP IBBWin. 1314 4982 804 1441 258 41 223 899  99 43 552  722 .289 .358 .492 .850 135 2450 166  45  67Daw. 1396 5398 811 1539 290 53 250 895 199 67 362  785 .285 .332 .497 .829 128 2685 118  54  90Mur. 1537 5694 938 1553 257 31 308 929 134 56 784 1268 .273 .361 .491 .852 132 2796 129  22 133

You have to factor in his 8 gold gloves in the '80s.

[RShack]

You have to factor in his 8 gold gloves in the '80s.

Murph had 5 GG's and stayed in CF longer. Plus he had an extra MVP. Both had plenty of awards.

Not saying Dawson wasn't really good, just saying I see no reason to dump Murphy for him. He played more and put up better numbers.