All-Time Texas Baseball Team
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by user ASwaff
Inspired by Steaksammich's article about his all-time Rhode Island team, I looked up MLB players that hailed from the Lone Star state. I knew Texas had produced a lot of great baseball players, but I was surprised at just how many. And I think you will be, too.
Catcher
Eddie Taubensee - Beeville
With the talent Texas has produced with infielders, outfielders and pitchers, you'd think they wouldn't be so thin on catchers. So, out of necessity, Taubensee is Texas' starting catcher. He didn't have a great career, but his .273 lifetime average is serviceable.
First Base
Lance Berkman - Waco
Truthfully, Berkman is probably not the best first baseman to come from Texas. But, Texas had an abundance of firstbasemen, and a shortage of shorstops, so I had to shuffle things around a little bit. He is well on his way to breaking many of the records held by Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell in Houston. And he will be a hands-down Hall of Famer if he can maintain his .303 batting average, .415 on-base percentage and .562 slugging percentage. Since he became a full-time starter in 2001, Berkman has averaged 107 RBI, 101 runs and 31 homeruns per season.
Second Base
Rogers Hornsby - Winters
This was another stacked position, but I'm a sucker for old schoolers, so I had to go with Hornsby. His .358 career batting average is second all-time behind only Ty Cobb. Cobb is not from Texas, although he was played by Texan Tommy Lee Jones in a movie.
Short Stop
Chuck Knoblauch - Houston
Okay, I know this is a stretch, but it was between Knoblauch and Spike Owen. Which would you choose? Knoblauch really declined at the end of his career, especially when it came to that tough throw to first base all the way from second base. But, he finished with a .289 batting average, over 1,100 runs scored, and was a critical part of four World Series winning teams.
Third Base
Ernie Banks - Dallas
This isn't as egregious as putting Knoblauch at short stop, because Banks played 69 games at third base in his career. But, it was either him or Kelly Gruber, so the choice was pretty easy. Can't argue with Banks at any position, though. He played a 19 years, inducted into the Hall of Fame, successful in both the Negro Leagues and the Major Leagues, and broke a barrier of his own by becoming the first black player for the Chicago Cubs.
Outfield
Adam Dunn - Houston
With a .522 slugging percentage and a .382 on-base percentage, along with the ability to score 100 runs and drive in 100 runs, I think all of us would also overlook the fact that he has a .247 liftime BA and averages 152 Ks per season.
Frank Robinson - Beaumont
I'd also take him as my manager. Robinson had 21 stellar Major League seasons, landing him a spot in the Hall of Fame. He had more than 1800 runs and RBIs in his career, and finished with a .294 batting average and 586 homers.
Don Baylor - Austin
He wasn't always the best hitter (.260 lifetime average, 338 homeruns), but he had a great approach. He is one of the best hitting coaches in the game, and even if he wasn't always contributing, I'd like what he could bring to the team in terms of hitting advice for teammates. Maybe he could get Adam Dunn to strike out a little less.
Designated Hitter
Joe Morgan - Bonham
Even though Morgan wasn't a designated hitter, and Don Baylor was, I had to put Joe Morgan here because I just couldn't live without his bat in the lineup. He had a great Major League career, he's a Hall of Famer, and say what you will about how he performs as a commentator, but the man could score runs. His career OBP was .392, despite having a batting average of just .271. He scored 1,650 runs in his career, thanks in part to his 689 stolen bases. Morgan had nine seasons with at least 40 stolen bases, and he had three with 60 or more.
Rotation
Nolan Ryan - Refugio
What can I say about Nolan Ryan? He is Texas baseball. This one's a no-brainer.
Greg Maddux - San Angelo
A little finesse to compliment the power. With 17 straight seasons with at least 15 wins, Maddux is easily one of the most consistent pitchers ever to play the game. His lifetime 3.06 ERA isn't bad, either.
Kerry Wood - Irving
With all of his injuries, it can be pretty easy to forget that he was once supposed to be the second-coming of Roger Clemens. But I still have to put him on, because when he was healthy, he was one of the game's best.
Josh Beckett - Spring
He's still a bit young and may not have lived up to his potential just yet. But, his performance in the 2003 World Series alone gave him a lot of credibility. Two games, a 1.10 ERA and 19 Ks in 16.1 innings. Oh yeah, and the World Series MVP. How many people would kill for that, even with a 51-38 record and a 3.62 ERA?
Scott Kazmir - Houston
He's very young, but with a 20-14 record in his last 50 starts for the lowly Devil Rays, he's quickly becoming one of the hottest pitchers in the game. He also has a 3.60 ERA in that span. Let's just hope the Yankees don't trade for him and waste him like they have so many other young pitchers (Javier Vazquez, Jeff Weaver, Jose Contreras, to name a few).
Bullpen
Huston Street - Austin
Already one of the game's premier closers, and he's not even 23. Street won Rookie of the Year last year, and while he has slipped a bit this year, he is still putting up awfully good numbers. In one and a half Major League seasons, Street is 7-4 with 42 saves in 52 opportunities, and he has an ERA of 2.25.
Joe Nathan - Houston
Since becoming the Twins closer in 2004, Nathan has been nothing short of disgusting. 13-2, 102 saves in 112 chances, a 2.08 ERA and 233 Ks in just 177.3 innings.
Mike Jackson - Houston
Always a personal favorite of mine. Jackson's 3.42 ERA belies how good he was in his prime. He had 40 saves for the Indians in 1998, and 39 in 1999. He had four seasons with an ERA under 3.00, two of which he had an ERA under 2.00.
Honorable Mention
Brandon Backe - P, Galveston; Carl Crawford - OF, Houston; Zach Duke - P, Clifton; Dave Duncan - P, Dallas; Ron Gant - OF, Victoria; Ben Grieve - OF/DH, Arlington; Kelly Gruber - 3B, Houston; Mike Hargrove - OF, Perryton; Burt Hooton - P, Greenville; Ryan Langerhans - OF, San Antonio; Gary Majewski - P, Houston; Spike Owen - SS, Cleburne; Scott Podsednik - OF, West; Chris Young - P, Dallas
Date
Sat 07/08/06, 8:46 am EST
