Ending One Project, Starting Another

I started the All-Time Teams series in August. It really should not have taken me seven months to complete; my initial plan was to write them all in one month! But now that all 30 teams are set it's easy to imagine what a season would look like with all of those legends (and Yunieski Betancourt!) taking the field. I've thought about different ways to calculate a simulated season with these teams and decided that it can wait until October.

There are some reader-suggested roster moves that are worth re-considering, for example:

Everyone wanted Nolan Ryan! I got comments that he should have been a Ranger (his HOF plaque does have a 'T' on it) and an Angel, where he had his many of his best years. I stand by my decision to send him to Houston; if he had anchored the Angels' rotation it would have bumped John Lackey out. Don Wilson or Joe Niekro would have made the Astros' rotation, with Roy Oswalt ascending to staff ace. 

Would it have killed me to put Alex Rodriguez on the Mariners? Probably not. Graig Nettles would have been a much better fill-in for him as a Yankee than our man Yuni is in Seattle. But it's kind of fun to have one guy who clearly doesn't belong. Kind of like John Scott at the NHL All-Star Game.

 

It's tough to be objective when deciding between a modern player readers like and a 19th-century player no one has heard of. Such was the case with the Phillies roster, when Dick Allen was squeezed out of the starting lineup in part because of Sam Thompson. Perhaps I should have had Allen play first, Ryan Howard DH, and bench either Thompson or Chuck Klein.

Here's one that I didn't get a comment on but I still don't feel great about it: Hall of Fame shortstop Joe Cronin could compete for the Red Sox or the Twins(Senators) starting job, yet I have him managing Boston. If Terry Francona managed the Sawx and Cronin were a player, either Nomar Garciaparra or Cecil Travis would likely get cut. Both of them had higher career averages - but shorter careers - than Cronin. Neither of them accumulated 64 WAR or eight seasons of 100+ RBI.

Also I had Tony Lazzeri on the Yankees and the Barnstomers! I had a feeling I'd duplicate at least one player. Joe Gordon has replaced him on the 31st team, and I 'remastered' that post. 

And finally, there are four players with over 70 career WAR who didn't make the cut for their franchise's All-Time Team (or the Barnstormers) :

SS Bobby Wallace 76.3 WAR (HOF)
  Primary team - St. Louis Browns
  A .258 career batting average and a 103 OPS+ won't make Cal Ripken flinch. 

SS Bill Dahlen 75.3 WAR
  Primary team - Chicago Cubs/Brooklyn Dodgers
  We can rule out the Cubs right away. His Dodgers numbers do compare well to Pee Wee Reese - but Pee Wee played a lot longer in Dodger blue. Dahlen isn't even a Hall of Famer (but he should be.)

P Pud Galvin 73.5 WAR (HOF) 
  Primary team - Buffalo Bisons
  A pioneer in the field of PED usage, Galvin pitched seven seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who definitely could have used him. However he was a far better pitcher in Buffalo.

P Ted Lyons 70.4 WAR (HOF)
   Primary team - Chicago White Sox
   "Sunday Ted" had a fielding-independent ERA over 4.00, walked more batters than he struck out, and averaged a mere 2.3 strikeouts per 9 innings. Lyons was elected to the Hall of Fame as a starting pitcher without whiffing 75 batters in any one season. Wow. 

In the course of my research for this project I learned a lot about some overlooked greats, especially from the first 75 years of baseball. As collectors, we're often more familiar with players that appear frequently on trading cards. I didn't know about Sam Thompson or George Davis or Jimmy Ryan until researching this project - because there just aren't any (modern) cards of these players.

The Sporting News Conlon Collection did a fantastic job cataloging the lesser-known players of the pre-war era, but even that comprehensive five-volume set doesn't cover 19th-century stars.

A few months ago one baseball card blogger (I can't remember who) asked us to think of an idea for a new card set, and what it might include. This All-Time Teams project made me realize that due to licensing issues - and the Topps monopoly - we missed out on what could have been a fantastic card set celebrating 150 Years of Baseball.


So I'm going to create one.


No, it won't be a traditional card set with the same logo, design, and sequential card numbers. But if it were, I would build it thusly:

All-Time Teams 840-card set (28 cards per team)

• 25-man rosters, a manager, and a team checklist card*
• 30 Stadium cards (short-printed)
• Franchise Leader parallels (2 per box)
• Negro League Stars inserts (1 per box)
• Future All-Time Greats inserts (retail exclusive)
• Hall of Famer inserts (2 per box)
• Hall of Famer relics (one per hobby box)
• Hall of Famer autographs/cut signatures (one per hobby case)
• Barnstormers exchange card**

*The team checklist card would likely feature each team's career WAR leader.

**If this were an actual set the "leftover" players would be called something else. But the exchange card would be redeemable for a full 25-card set of those players.

This would be a traditional 15-card pack, 36-pack box product, at a price point of under $100. Let's say the Stadium cards are 1:6 packs, which would equal six in a box. Including the five inserts and Hall of Famer "hit" that's 12 'special' cards per box. Is that too many? Not enough?

Since I don't own a trading card company I would have to make my own All-Time Teams out of already-existing cards. And so, with my first Frankenset completed I will now attempt to complete a much bigger project: an 810 card collection based on the just-completed All-Time Teams.

Excluding the checklist card from my original concept leaves me with 27 cards per team, for an even three 9-pocket pages. I will need two binders for this project - one for American League teams and one for National League teams - which I probably won't be able to purchase until the summer. 

Once I am able to assemble the set in binders it will take me back to how I used to display my baseball card collection - alphabetically by city. Since joining TCDB I moved all my sets out of boxes and into binders, while my 'free-range' cards (those that aren't part of PCs or set builds) are now sorted chronologically in boxes.

My goals for this Frankenset are simple: one card of every player on an All-Time Team, preferably in that team's uniform. This isn't always feasible so I'm creating a 'backup' list. I'm excluding any relics, autographs, thick base cards, or high-value vintage in order to keep costs down. Low-end inserts and parallels will be targeted in some cases.

There are going to be some challenges, and I may even need to commission someone to produce custom cards once I've exhausted all other options. If the set takes more than a couple years to build there may be some past players getting bumped out by a current star. But I'm not making roster decisions based on whose card will be easier to acquire. That would be cheating.

I'll have more updates on this project as new cards come in - including a spreadsheet for your perusal. 

Until then, thanks for reading this long post. Hope to see you back here for the exclusive All-Time Teams edition of Free Stuff Friday! 




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All-Time Teams: Nationals

This All-Time Teams series started seven months ago, or the length of an entire baseball season. And it seems fitting that we're left with the defending World Champions at the finish line. Here's the Washington Nationals' all-time roster:

Manager: Felipe Alou

Home: Nationals Park

Leading off for the Nationals.. the Left Fielder.. Tim Raines

Tim Raines is fifth on the all-time stolen base list with 808, including a major-league leading 71 swipes (in 88 games!) as a 21 year-old rookie in 1981. That kicked off a streak of six straight 70+ steal seasons for the franchise's all-time leader. "Rock" was named to seven All-Star teams, won a batting title and a Silver Slugger in 1986, and won two World Series with the Yankees late in his Hall of Fame career. The career .294 career hitter is the last player enshrined in Cooperstown with an Expos cap on his plaque.

Batting second.. the Second Baseman.. Jose Vidro

Jose Vidro is the only player in this lineup who suited up for the Expos and the Nationals. The three-time All-Star is tied with Tim Raines for the franchise's second-highest career batting average. His .301 mark for the team was boosted by hitting .310 or higher in four consecutive seasons. Vidro has the third-most doubles in team history and places top-ten in several other categories including hits, runs scored, total bases, home runs, and RBI. He won a Silver Slugger with the Expos in 2003.

Batting third.. the Designated Hitter.. Bryce Harper

A once-in-a-generation prospect who burst onto the scene at age 16, Bryce Harper was Washington's first-overall pick as a 17 year-old in 2010. "Harp" lived up to the hype immediately, winning NL Rookie of the Year honors at 19 and an NL MVP award at age 22. The six-time All-Star is second on the Nationals' franchise list in slugging percentage and OPS, and his 184 home runs are sixth in team history. Harper led the Nats to four playoff appearances in his eight years with the team before signing a 13-year contract with the Phillies in 2019. He's too athletic to be a DH but on this roster he'll have to make room for a Hall of Famer.

Batting fourth.. the Right Fielder.. Vladimir Guerrero

The best "bad-ball" hitter in modern history, Vladimir Guerrero was a run-producing machine for the Expos and Angels. The nine-time All-Star and eight-time Silver Slugger winner compiled five straight seasons with over 100 runs scored, over 30 home runs, and over 100 RBI. Guerrero led the league in total bases twice, outfield assists twice, and was one home run away from a 40/40 season in 2002. His 234 home runs for the Expos are the second-highest total in team history and he's the franchise leader in career batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS. "Vladdy" never struck out more than 95 times in a season and hit .300 or above thirteen times.

Batting fifth.. the Catcher.. Gary Carter

A popular player on both sides of the border, Gary Carter is the Expos' career leader with 55.8 WAR. His career mark of 70.1 is second only to Johnny Bench among all catchers. Carter earned eleven All-Star selections, five Silver Sluggers, and three Gold Gloves in his Hall of Fame career. His career defensive WAR is the second-highest among backstops and 15th all-time among all players. Only Tim Wallach played more games as an Expo than the "Kid." He ranks third in Expos/Nationals franchise history in games played, fourth in home runs, total bases, and RBI, and fifth in runs scored and hits. Carter won a World Series with the Mets in 1986.

Batting sixth.. the Third Baseman.. Anthony Rendon

The Nationals built the core of a contending team through first round draft picks including Anthony Rendon in 2011. A two-time Silver Slugger winner, Rendon made his first appearance in an All-Star game in 2019. He led the majors with 129 RBI and helped the Nationals win their first World Championship, then signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Angels. Rendon boasts the fourth-highest career slugging percentage and fifth-highest OPS in franchise history.

Batting seventh.. the Center Fielder.. Andre Dawson

Andre Dawson won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 1977 and NL MVP honors ten years later. His Hall of Fame career included eight All-Star selections, eight Gold Gloves, and four Silver Slugger awards. The "Hawk" led the Expos to their first playoff appearance in 1981, led the NL in total bases twice, and finished second in NL MVP voting twice. He's in the franchise's top-three in WAR, runs scored, home runs, total bases, runs created, runs batted in, triples, and stolen bases. Dawson ranks 40th all-time with 1,591 RBI and 45th in history with 438 home runs.

Batting eighth.. the First Baseman.. Ryan Zimmerman

The franchise's first draft pick in Washington, Ryan Zimmerman debuted for the Nationals in his draft year of 2005. In 15 years with the team, "Zim" has set franchise records for career hits, doubles, total bases, home runs, and RBI. A two-time All-Star, Zimmerman won two Silver Sluggers and a Gold Glove at third base before moving across the diamond in 2015. He signed a one-year deal to return to the Nats in 2020, and has a good chance of breaking Tim Raines' team record for runs scored - assuming a season is played.

Batting ninth.. the Shortstop.. Ian Desmond

Ian Desmond played the first seven seasons of his career as D.C.'s shortstop, before moving to the outfield for the Rangers. The two-time All-Star won three Silver Slugger awards while with the Nationals, launching 20+ home runs in each season. Desmond is 11th in Expos/Nationals history in offensive WAR, home runs, total bases, and hits. His 122 stolen bases are the ninth-highest total in team annals, one behind Vladimir Guerrero.

The Starting Pitcher for the Nationals.. Max Scherzer

In just five seasons with Washington, Max Scherzer has struck out 1,371 batters - already the third-highest total in team history. The seven-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young award winner is the Expos/Nationals all-time leader in strikeouts per 9 innings with a whopping 11.744, and also leads the franchise in strikeout to walk ratio, WHIP and ERA+. Scherzer has led the league in wins four times, WHIP four times, and strikeouts three times. His 2,692 career K's places him 24th on the all-time list, ahead of legendary hurlers like Warren Spahn and Bob Feller.

Now let's take a look at the Nationals' bench and bullpen:

Catcher - Wilson Ramos

1st Base - Andres Galarraga

Infield - Tim Wallach

Outfield - Warren Cromartie

Utility - Bob Bailey

Ramos won a Silver Slugger for the Nationals in 2016 and made two All-Star teams. The Expos/Nats are very deep at third base; not so much at the other infield positions. Galarraga is the only natural first baseman I considered, and his numbers with the Expos weren't as good as Bob Bailey - whom I added as a super utility guy rather than deciding on a fifth outfielder. Wallach made five All-Star teams, won three Gold Gloves, and played more games for the franchise than any Expo or National - but his peak years weren't quite as productive as Rendon's. Cromartie is in the team's top ten in several categories including total bases, hits, and games played.

#2 Starter - Stephen Strasburg
#3 Starter - Steve Rogers

#4 Starter - Dennis Martinez

#5 Starter - Jordan Zimmermann

Strasburg, the first overall pick in the 2009 draft, is first in Nationals history with 1,695 strikeouts. The three-time All-Star won World Series MVP honors in 2019. Rogers holds franchise records for starts, innings pitched, and wins. His career 44.7 WAR is fourth in team history and first among pitchers. "El Presidente" posted 30 WAR over his eight seasons in Montreal, earning three of his four All-Star selections. Zimmerman beat Bryn Smith for the fifth starter spot with a higher K:9 and K:BB rate.

RH Reliever - Tyler Clippard

RH Reliever - Chad Cordero

RH Reliever - Mel Rojas
RH Reliever - Mike Marshall

RH Reliever - Tim Burke

RH Reliever - Jeff Reardon 

Clippard is second in Nats history with 414 appearances and earned two All-Star berths. Cordero is second on the team's all-time saves list with 128, including a major league-leading 47 in 2005. Rojas is fourth among Expos/Nationals relievers in appearances and saves. Marshall was a dominant long reliever in the early 1970's, leading the NL in appearances three times, saves twice, and games finished four times. He won the Cy Young in 1974 after pitching 201 innings in relief for the Dodgers. Burke leads the franchise in appearances and ERA. Reardon saved 367 career games, including a franchise-high 152 for the Expos.

Thank you all for joining me on this season-long look at the all-time greatest players in each team's history. I've got something fun planned for tomorrow's wrap-up post. It's a long one, but I think you'll like it ;)


 

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Free Stuff and TCDB Stuff

I'm hoping to have the Washington Nationals All-Time Team posted tomorrow. This young stud didn't qualify, but he's already made his mark on the franchise:

The Juan Soto Atomic Refractor you see here is the only recent card I received in a TCDB trade with Base Card Hero. I sent Ryan 21 dupes from 1992 Fleer Ultra and three from 2016 Topps.

The cards I asked for (besides the Soto) were 1983 Topps singles. These were the biggest names. Fergie might be my favorite of the whole lot, it's really sharp and the colors pop.

Some lesser-known players here, though you may know Randy Moffitt as the younger brother of Billie Jean King. Larry Milbourne is interesting to me; while I was researching the Mariners All-Time Team I discovered that he's the most accomplished major leaguer from my wife's alma mater.

These cards were selected with an eye toward the All-Time Teams franken-set (more details next week). Originally I had asked for a 1983 Topps Simmons but Ryan no longer had that card. I asked for the '81 as a replacement, and any of the next three cards as a backup.

He sent them all, since the Simmons is off-center and the Smith is bleeding pink ink. Nettles and the Phillies are clean. Ryan, thanks for the trade!

I sent another five dupes from 1992 Fleer Ultra baseball along with ten dupes from three other sports to TCDB user Sheepboy in exchange for 14 cards.

 

A couple set fillers here. I'm down to 27 needs for the 2018 Stadium Club set, and that should be below 20 once my Cardbarrel order arrives. The iconic Craig Ehlo brings me to 70% completion of the 1993-94 Ultra set.

I also acquired a couple of upgrades for my 1986 Topps football set. They're plentiful and affordable enough for me to request in trades without needing to know what condition they're in:

Bobby Butler seems to be questioning this strategy, but most of my '86 Falcons cards are a mess.

I also added some team favorites to the trade. Thought I had the Freeman Leaf and the Newsome but it turns out I had other versions of each. This is my first Aaron Ripkowski card; he was the Packers' fullback after fan favorite John Kuhn and before Dan Vitale (who has the same name as my nephews' father.)

When a PWE arrived yesterday I assumed it was the third and final TCDB trade, but it was a care package from Jon, originator of the Free Stuff Friday trend (yes, it's a trend now!)

I claimed a couple cards here and there, including some Packers:

 

According to his note, seven of the nine cards in the nine-pocket page were claims. I think these color-matching parallels pre-date Free Stuff Friday but I can't be certain:

Jon has sent me tons of basketball over the years, and he knows I like to collect Milwaukee Bucks (I sure hope they're able to complete this season because I'd love to see a Bucks-Lakers final.) 

He also knows I have very few Nikola Jokic cards. As in.. three. This is now my fourth 'Joker.'

Bringing it back to vintage-ish cards here including a Sonny Siebert high number(!) and a card commemorating the 1981 AFC title game. Why did I claim this card? Because I am fascinated with the story behind it. The San Diego Chargers advanced by defeating the Dolphins in Miami the week prior. It was 76 degrees at the Orange Bowl, with 80% humidity in January. At the end of the Chargers' OT victory Kellen Winslow looked like a boxer who had just gone 12 rounds with Muhammad Ali:

San Diego's reward for surviving this epic clash in brutally hot weather? A trip to Cincinnati - where the weather was historically cold. Football can be so cruel.

Jon, thanks for the great cards! I hope I'm able to return the favor soon.

Thanks for reading!


 

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All-Time Teams: Blue Jays

Our last two franchises called Canada home for over 35 years. Today's team is still going strong in "the six". Here’s the All-Time roster for the Toronto Blue Jays:

Manager: Cito Gaston

Home:  SkyDome (Rogers Centre)

Leading off for the Blue Jays.. the Second Baseman.. Roberto Alomar

Roberto Alomar played for seven teams in his seventeen year career. An All-Star every season from 1990-2001, Alomar earned ten Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers, ALCS MVP honors, and two World Series rings in that span. The first player with a Blue Jay on his Hall of Fame plaque and the first player to have his number retired by the team, Robbie ranks second in franchise history with a .307 batting average and second with 206 stolen bases. His 474 career steals are the fifth-most all-time among second basemen.

Batting second for Toronto.. the First Baseman.. John Olerud

John Olerud has the highest career on-base percentage in Blue Jays history, posting a .395 mark over his eight seasons with the club. The three-time Gold Glove recipient finished third in AL MVP voting in 1993, chasing .400 into August and ending with a league-high .363 average to go with major league-leading totals of 54 doubles and a .473 on-base mark. His career WAR of 58.1 is 21st all-time among first basemen and ranks ahead of Hall of Famers Hank Greenberg and George Sisler.



Batting third.. the Designated Hitter.. Carlos Delgado

The all-time leader in home runs by a Puerto Rican-born player, Carlos Delgado ranks 14th among all first basemen in history with 473 round-trippers. He's the Blue Jays career leader in home runs, runs batted in, runs scored, runs created, slugging, OPS, doubles, and total bases. Delgado received just two All-Star nods - in 2000, when he led the league with 57 doubles and 378 total bases, and in 2003, when he led the majors with 145 RBI and paced the AL with a 1.019 OPS. He finished runner-up to Alex Rodriguez in MVP voting and won his third Silver Slugger award after the '03 season.





Batting fourth.. the Third Baseman.. Edwin Encarnacion

Edwin Encarnacion became a breakout star for Toronto in 2012, blasting 42 home runs and beginning an eight-season streak of 30 or more. The three-time All-Star posted six seasons of 100+ RBI in that span, powering the Blue Jays to ALCS appearances in 2015 and 2016. Edwin took "Edwing" for a walk 239 times as a Blue Jay, the third-highest home run total in team history. His .522 slugging percentage is the fourth-highest ever for the franchise, and his .878 OPS is tied for fourth with the next player in this lineup.






Batting fifth.. the Right Fielder.. Jose Bautista

Jose Bautista was once discarded by five teams in the span of eight months. He arrived in Toronto in 2008 and became a superstar two years later, earning the first of six consecutive All-Star appearances and the first of three Silver Slugger awards with a breakout season for the ages. "Joey Bats" led the majors in home runs in 2010 and 2011, finishing top-4 in MVP voting both times. Over ten seasons in Toronto he accumulated 38.2 WAR - the highest total of any Blue Jays position player - and his 288 hone runs for the franchise are second only to Carlos Delgado.






Batting sixth.. the Left Fielder.. George Bell

Toronto's first league MVP award winner, George Bell also earned his third consecutive Silver Slugger award in 1987 after leading the majors with 369 total bases and smacking a career-high 47 home runs. Bell posted seven more seasons of 20 or more long balls, finishing fourth in MVP voting in 1986 and 1989. He ranks fourth on the Blue Jays' career list in total bases and RBI, fifth in hits and doubles, and sixth in home runs and runs scored. After signing with the Cubs before the 1991 season Bell was shipped to the White Sox in a 1992 trade that sent Sammy Sosa to the Cubs.





Batting seventh.. the Center Fielder.. Vernon Wells

The fifth overall pick in the 1997 draft, Vernon Wells posted the fifth-highest career WAR of his draft class and the fifth-highest among Blue Jays position players. A three-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner, Wells hit 30 or more home runs three times, collected 100 or more RBI three times, and batted .300 or better three times. In 2003 Wells led the AL with 49 doubles and 373 total bases, and his 215 hits led the majors. He ended his 15-year career with the Yankees in 2013 without participating in a single postseason game.

Batting eighth.. the Shortstop.. Tony Fernandez

Tony Fernandez was one of the top shortstops of the late 1980s, earning three All-Star appearances and four consecutive Gold Gloves from 1986-1989. Fernandez helped the Blue Jays win two division titles before being shipped to San Diego in a blockbuster trade. He returned in time to help Toronto repeat as World Champions in 1993. In all, Fernandez played twelve seasons in four separate stints with the team. His final full season at age 37 may have been his best, posting a .328/.427/.449 slash line with a career-high 75 RBI for the Jays in 1999. Tony has the highest defensive WAR and the second-highest total WAR of any position player in franchise history.

Batting ninth.. the Catcher.. Ernie Whitt

Ernie Whitt is sixth in Blue Jays' history with 1,218 games played - squatting behind the plate for all but eight of those contests. At the plate Whitt hit 131 home runs for Toronto, the tenth-highest total in team history. He smacked ten or more home runs each year from 1982-1989, including two seasons of 19 long balls. Whitt played a career-high 139 games in 1985, earning an All-Star selection and helping the Blue Jays reach the postseason for the first time in franchise history. 

The Starting Pitcher for the Blue Jays.. Roy Halladay

An exceptionally durable ace throughout his Hall of Fame career, Roy Halladay led the league in innings pitched four times and complete games seven times. "Doc" won Cy Young awards in both leagues, finished top-5 in voting five other times, and made eight All-Star squads. Halladay is second among Blue Jays in WAR, wins, shutouts, strikeouts, strikeout-to-walk ratio, and ERA+. In 2010 he pitched a no-hitter for the Phillies in his first playoff start, only the second such game in postseason history.

 Now let's take a look at the Blue Jays' bench and bullpen:

Catcher - Gregg Zaun

1st Base - Adam Lind

Infield - Rance Mulliniks

Outfield - Shannon Stewart

Outfield - Jesse Barfield

Zaun played 212 fewer games for Toronto than Pat Borders did, but his on-base percentage for the team is 64 points higher and hit nearly as many home runs. Lind won a Silver Slugger in 2009 after hitting 35 of his 146 home runs for the Jays. Mulliniks batted .300 or better three times; if Josh Donaldson had played one more season in T.O. the spot would have been his. Mulliniks and Stewart are tied for ninth on the Jays' career on-base percentage list. Stewart's .298 batting average ranks fourth for the franchise. Barfield has the second-highest defensive WAR and the fourth-highest overall WAR among Blue Jay position players.

#2 Starter - Dave Stieb

#3 Starter - Jimmy Key

#4 Starter - Pat Hentgen

#5 Starter - David Wells

Stieb made seven All-Star teams, led the league in ERA+ twice, and holds Blue Jays records for starts, wins, innings pitched, and strikeouts. His career WAR total is the highest of any player in franchise history. Key finished top-4 in Cy Young voting three times and his 1.196 WHIP is the lowest of any Toronto starter. Hentgen won 20 games and the Cy Young Award in 1996. Wells began his career in the Blue Jays' bullpen, then returned to Toronto in the Roger Clemens trade. "Boomer" finished third in AL Cy Young voting in 1998 and 2000. His longevity and low walk rate were enough to earn the fifth starter spot over Jim Clancy.
 

RH Reliever - Mark Eichhorn
RH Reliever - Jason Frasor

LH Reliever - Scott Downs

RH Reliever - Casey Janssen

RH Reliever - Duane Ward

RH Reliever - Tom Henke

Eichhorn finished sixth in AL Cy Young voting as a rookie long reliever in 1986, then led the league with 89 appearances in 1987. Frasor's 505 relief appearances are the most in Blue Jays history. Downs paced the AL with 81 relief appearances in 2007 and posted a 3.13 ERA over six seasons in Toronto. Janssen has the fifth-most saves and appearances in Jays' annals. Ward is second in both categories and earned a league-leading 45 saves for the World Champions in 1993. Henke is the Blue Jays' career leader in saves, WHIP, ERA, and strikeouts per 9 innings. He led the AL in saves and appearances in 1987.




The World Champion Washington Nationals will close out this All-Time Teams series. 


Thanks for reading!



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