/thread

but I think ‘96 Larking edges him out, given that we’re getting about the same value (1 WAR) at both positions right now.

originally i thought it came down to Bench and Larkin, then considered Frank Robinson late.

i think its a no-brainer and it has to be Bench…the best alltime catcher and someone you could plug into the cleanup spot. i’d imagine some of the younger RR’s might not be aware of how great he really was during his prime.

Bench catching, Larkin at SS, and Mario Soto on the mound.

4. Barry Larkin – Great SS, but we need someone who can play more than 90 games a year.
3. Johnny Bench – Great C, and durable as steel, but still only 1 WAR.
2. Johnny Almaraz – He did more for this organization each year than 1 WAR.
1. Lou Piniella – He smacks the hell outta slackers and malcontents. No BS with Lou. Respected worldwide, and can squeeze the most out of his pieces, unlike Dusty who squeezes the suck out of every mediocre player. Just on filling out lineups alone, Lou might be good for 3 more wins than Dusty. That’s our biggest room for improvement.

I also thought about Frank Robinson and Ernie Lombardi…then I put my trousers back on and cleaned off the cat.

More respected than Lou and can draw up a better lineup. He had weapons in Detroit in ‘84 but I still think Lou’s group in Chicago the last two years has been more talented than anything Sparky had in Detroit. Sparky got the best out of his guys, Lou — on the other hand — has become a bit of the Ron Zook of MLB.

I’d go Rose if we can only pick one guy. Versatility, dependability, longevity, durability, and helped get the most out of everyone he played with, including those mid eighties Reds teams. There are a lot of good ballplayer to choose from, buy I can’t see how any one of the others can impact the entire team as much as Pete.

one?

….in his prime, of course. One of the greatest players at the toughest position.