MLB Networks: Prime 9: Top players of the 80's

[Avsfan]

So it's only 9 players...best one of each position for the entire decade...

RF: Dewey Evans

CF: Dale Murphy

LF: Ricky

3B: Schmidt

SS: Cal

2B: Ryno

1B: Mattingly

C: Carter

P: Jack Morris

Discuss...thoughts....

[SouthRider]

Hmmm, I'll take Eddie over Mattingly . I guess they are doing outfielders by outfield position. Can't argue with Rickey Henderson but I would like to find a spot for Jim Rice.

[waroriole]

I love seeing Dale Murphy in there. He was the Atlanta Braves in the 80's.

[backwardsk]

Yount and Dawson are other guys who should be mentioned. I would have Dawson over Evans, but maybe he didn't get in there because he played half the decade in center and half in right. Same thing for Yount, he didn't covert to CF until midway through the 80s.

[Moose Milligan]

I've seen this one before...they point to the fact that Dewey had the most XBH in the decade as to why he's on the team.

[SteveA]

Hmmm, I'll take Eddie over Mattingly . I guess they are doing outfielders by outfield position. Can't argue with Rickey Henderson but I would like to find a spot for Jim Rice.

Rice's best years were in the 70s, especially 77. He was still very productive in the 80s, but probably not enough to make the list. Some guys fit great into these arbitrary decade lists, other guy's don't, just basedon where their careers fell. If you did a 75-85 "decade" no doubt Rice would make it.

[OrangeJerseys]

Steady Eddie should be on that list over Mattingly. Absolutely.

[DrungoHazewood]

I guess their criteria was heavily weighted by service time in the 1980s, otherwise the selection of Jack Morris looks completely ridiculous. Would anyone in their right mind take Morris over Clemens, Gooden, Saberhagen, or even Dave Steib? In the 80s:

Morris was 166-119 with an ERA+ of 109 in 2443 innings.

Gooden was 100-39 with a 132 in 1291 innings.

Clemens was 95-45 with a 139 in 1284.

Saberhagen 92-69 with a 129 in 1329.

Orel Hershiser was 98-64 with a 132 in 1457 innings.

Dave Steib was 140-109 with a 127 in 2328 innings.

Heck even Mike Boddicker had a better park-adjusted ERA than Morris in the 80s.

The only way Jack Morris was "pitcher of the 80s" is if your criteria is innings pitched and/or wins credited just during that decade. If instead you were picking a pitcher to win a game for you, who happened to pitch during most of the decade, Morris might not be in your top 10.

The only reason this is even being discussed is a fluke of birthdays. Morris and Steib were two of only a handful of good pitchers who crossed over the line between the Palmer/Seaver generation and the Clemens/Gooden generation.

[Moose Milligan]

Stieb is like the forgotten pitcher of the 80's.

[DrungoHazewood]

Stieb is like the forgotten pitcher of the 80's.

Yep, clearly better than Morris. No contest.

By the way, Morris is about 26th in the majors in ERA+ among pitchers who threw 1000+ innings in the 80s. He's 7th in ERA+ among the 10 pitchers who threw 2000 innings in the 80s. Just behind Fernando, just ahead of Doyle Alexander.

[Moose Milligan]

Yep, clearly better than Morris. No contest.

By the way, Morris is about 26th in the majors in ERA+ among pitchers who threw 1000+ innings in the 80s. He's 7th in ERA+ among the 10 pitchers who threw 2000 innings in the 80s. Just behind Fernando, just ahead of Doyle Alexander.

That's interesting considering that Fernando was petering out towards the end of the decade, wasn't he?

Gotta wonder how Morris's career is remembered if its not for Game 7 in the 91 Series. Brilliant performance, but it doesn't make up for the rest of his career.

I guess the win leader of the decade stands for something but IMO thats only cause Clemens, Saberhagen, Gooden and others started partway through the decade, which you kind of touched on.

[Say O!]

Some other tough omissions:

• Tim Raines (definitely one of the 3 best OFs for the decade)
  
• George Brett (although he had a handful of 120 game played seasons for the decade).
  
• Wade Boggs (think I would have chosen him over Schmidt, who was basically done after 1987).
  
• Darryl Strawberry (would have selected him over Dwight Evans if confined to RFs)
  

And it's pretty laughable that Donnie baseball was chosen over Eddie Murray. Just from a cumulative standpoint, Mattingly didn't take off until 1984. And from 1980-1984, Murray had the best stats in baseball.

I guess it's that old argument about being at the pinnacle, versus very great for a longer period of time. Eddie was at the pinnacle of 1B from 1980-1984 before getting surpassed from Mattingly. But those remaining years in the decade were very good for Eddie, as opposed to Mattingly who accumulated nothing in the early part of the decade.

[Say O!]

I've seen this one before...they point to the fact that Dewey had the most XBH in the decade as to why he's on the team.

Which is why when they compile "Team of the 90's", Mark Grace will be chosen because he had the most hits over the decade.

Calendar all-stars I call them.

[Avsfan]

[*]George Brett

[*]Wade Boggs (think I would have chosen him over Schmidt, who was basically done after 1987).

Schmidt won 3 MVPs in the 80's...hit the most homeruns of anyone in the decade...and played a great defensive 3rd...that's why he was chosen.

Actually when consulting Schmidts Baseball Reference page...the man was pretty awesome. Check it out: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/schmimi01.shtml

[DrungoHazewood]

And it's pretty laughable that Donnie baseball was chosen over Eddie Murray. Just from a cumulative standpoint, Mattingly didn't take off until 1984. And from 1980-1984, Murray had the best stats in baseball.

It's bizarre that they'd take Mattingly despite him only being a full time player from '84-'89, while ignoring the pitchers who were far, far superior to Morris apparently because they didn't get started until mid-decade.

Oh well, without shoddy work like this we'd have less to discuss.