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Fourteen seasons, more than 80 different teams, and 23 owners from Seattle to
Chicago to Virginia to Baltimore ... the SBL has enjoyed quite an entertaining century
of fun competition, and unless we have some seriously dedicated grandchildren, this
will be the only time the SBL can celebrate a move into a new millennium. For the
first time, career stats have been compiled for some of the league's best players,
and an All-Century Team has been formed. Keep in mind, official stats tracking started in the
fourth season, so the first three seasons are not included. Qualifications included
overall stats, championships, All-Star nominations, consistency and longevity. So,
you won't find any one-hit wonders like Ellis Burks or Doc White. These are the players
that performed well year in and year out. So without further ado, here is the SBL Lineup
of the Century:
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Joe Jackson,
OF
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Avg: .283 AB: 2647 H: 749 HR: 13 RBI: 196
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Shoeless won a tight race against Ty Cobb for the lead-off spot in the lineup thanks
to a slightly higher batting average and an MVP award in 1996. He's also won four
rings while Cobb only has two. Not to mention, Jackson broke Cobb's single season
record for stolen bases with 57 in 1998 and 1999.
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Rogers Hornsby,
2B
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Avg: .285 AB: 2524 H: 718 HR: 100 RBI: 396
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Hornsby got some tough competition from Nap Lajoie, but when considering Hornsby's
two MVP awards, Triple Crown, six All-Star nominations and four championships, it
was an obvious choice. Rogers had one down season in 1998, but he bounced back with
a solid 1999 and almost helped the Goodfellas win the title.
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Lou Gehrig,
1B
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Avg: .287 AB: 2557 H: 734 HR: 186 RBI: 529
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Lou may very well be considered the best SBL player of the century. He was the only player
to top 500 RBIs, and he finished second in homers and batting average. His three MVPs
were the most for any player, and he added three championships and five All-Star
nominations.
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Babe Ruth,
OF
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Avg: .273 AB: 2377 H: 650 HR: 193 RBI: 463
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Okay, so in real life Ruth was third and Gehrig was fourth, but the Babe is easily
the SBL clean-up hitter with the most homers in the century. He failed to reach
700 hits, but when you consider how many times he walked, he easily led the league
in on-base percentage. And despite all those base on balls, he still managed to
crank out more homers than any player. He has the most All-Star nominations (7)
and he holds the record with 33 homers in a season. He also hit for the cycle and
won two championships. Amazingly, he hasn't won the MVP since the third season.
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Jimmie Foxx,
DH
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Avg: .275 AB: 2264 H: 622 HR: 148 RBI: 408
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Most people don't think of Foxx as a high-average hitter, but his .275 mark was the
seventh best of the century. His defining season was the amazing MVP performance in
the fourth year when he took the Triple Crown with a .381 average, still the
best in history. He finished fourth in homers and RBIs, and he was a six-time
All-Star. Surprisingly, he has never won a championship.
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Mickey Mantle,
OF
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Avg: .261 AB: 2303 H: 601 HR: 177 RBI: 438
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Some of those miserable early seasons with the Sharks and Killers hurt Mantle's overall
average, but he has been one of the most dominating players in recent years, finishing
the century third in homers and RBIs. He is a five-time All-Star and he won championships
in 1997 and 1998. He also led the league in homers three times, more than any player.
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Rudy York,
C
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Avg: .259 AB: 1553 H: 402 HR: 85 RBI: 263
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You might be surprised to know that Rudy led all catchers in average, homers, and RBIs.
Maybe that just shows how pathetic the catchers are, but York has been the backstop
of choice ever since winning titles in 1996 and 1997. His knack for the big homerun
has made him a dangerous threat the past few seasons.
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George Brett,
3B
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Avg: .240 AB: 2243 H: 539 HR: 51 RBI: 248
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With the lack of decent production from third basemen, Brett makes the team by default.
Ken Caminiti has played well the past two seasons, but he hasn't been around
long enough to be seriously considered. On the positive side, Brett was a three-time
All-Star and won two rings. His spirited play in the post-season helped the Offenders reach the
World Series in 1998.
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Luke Appling,
SS
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Avg: .264 AB: 1779 H: 420 HR: 4 RBI: 137
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Yes, Ernie Banks had more homers and RBIs, but his pathetic .219 batting average was
unacceptable for this team. Both Appling and Banks have only won one championship, and
both were four-time All-Stars, so it's obvious that the commissioner chose
a White Sock over a Cub in a close race. Anyway, there's already too much power in this
lineup, and we needed some who could get on base.
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THE BENCH AND PITCHERS -->
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