What World Champions Are Made Of.....

[Crash Course]

I came up with a theory today and could use some help testing it out. Here it goes............I'm suggesting that World Championship baseball teams usually have the following on their team:

1. Great table-setters at the top of the line-up, and
2. At least one SP who is not afraid of the post-season - a guy who wants the ball in the big game, and
3. A good/solid LHP in the pen, and
4. A good/solid LHP in the rotation, and
5. A back-up INF with good hands, and
6. A 4th OF who can hit, and
7. An effective guy in the pen who can start or relieve (in any inning), and
8. A shut-the-door closer, and
9. A catcher who is not an auto-out, and
10. Two guys in the middle of the line-up who make contact as well as drive the ball.

So, here's the challenge/request - pick any World Champion, say, in the last 30-something years, and work the check-list for them - did they have all ten on their team. Here's an example, the 1998 Yankees:

1. Jeter & Knoblauch
2. El Duque
3. Stanton
4. Pettitte
5. Sojo
6. Spencer
7. Mendoza
8. Rivera
9. Posada
10. O'Neill & Williams

Thanks in advance to anyone who wants to take a stab at some other teams!

[captain_napalm]

I propose people take this season by season... Should be a bit of fun.

Now, are you talking numbers generated in the post season, or during the regular season?

[RedSeat]

2004 Red Sox:
1) Damon & Bellhorn
2) Schilling & Pedro
3) Embree
4) nope
5) Mientkiewicz, if 1B counts
6) Kapler's borderline at best
7) Timlin? Better starting innings
8) Foulke. He was probably 7 & 8 in '04
9) Varitek works, but this seems suspect. Why not a 3B who's not an auto-out? SS?
10) Ortiz & Manny
----
Seems to work somewhat, but I thinkyou may have gotten a little too specific. You're basically describing a very good, deep team. And I imagine most teams that win the series would qualify as very good and deep.

[KCBOOMER]

The 2005 ChiSox come up rather short on this test, though.

[Crash Course]

Good one RedSeat!

Boomer - here's the 2005 Chisox:

1. Tadahito Iguchi & Scott Podsednik
2. Jose Contreras
3. Neal Cotts
4. Mark Buehrle
5. Pablo Ozuna
6. Timo Perez (OK, it's a reach but their OF played almost all the time)
7. Orlando Hernandez
8. Bobby Jenks
9. A.J. Pierzynski
10. Paul Konerko & Jermaine Dye

[Crash Course]

No one wants to do the 2003 Marlins - even with the slow days now?

[Makofan]

1. Great table-setters at the top of the line-up, and
2. At least one SP who is not afraid of the post-season - a guy who wants the ball in the big game, and
3. A good/solid LHP in the pen, and
4. A good/solid LHP in the rotation, and
5. A back-up INF with good hands, and
6. A 4th OF who can hit, and
7. An effective guy in the pen who can start or relieve (in any inning), and
8. A shut-the-door closer, and
9. A catcher who is not an auto-out, and
10. Two guys in the middle of the line-up who make contact as well as drive the ball

1992 Blue Jays
1. Devon White was compensated for by Roberto Alomar
2. Jack Morris
3. David Wells
4. Jimmy Key
5. Alfredo Griffin
6. sort of: Dave Winfield DH'd but played 26 games in OF/Derek Bell wasn't good yet
7. Duane Ward
8. Tom Henke
9. Pat Borders
10. John Olerud/Dave Winfield

[Makofan]

1. Great table-setters at the top of the line-up, and
2. At least one SP who is not afraid of the post-season - a guy who wants the ball in the big game, and
3. A good/solid LHP in the pen, and
4. A good/solid LHP in the rotation, and
5. A back-up INF with good hands, and
6. A 4th OF who can hit, and
7. An effective guy in the pen who can start or relieve (in any inning), and
8. A shut-the-door closer, and
9. A catcher who is not an auto-out, and
10. Two guys in the middle of the line-up who make contact as well as drive the ball

1993 Blue Jays
1. Devon White's best year plus Alomar/Molitor (2nd and 3rd in batting race)
2. Dave Stewart
3. Tony Castillo
4. Al Leiter
5. Alfredo Griffin/Luis Sojo
6. Rickey Henderson
7. Mark Eichorn
8. Duane Ward
9. Pat Borders
10. John Olerud/Paul Molitor

[Crash Course]

Good jobs!

[Crash Course]

Boy, this one died quick. No one want to look at some other teams?