Wednesday, December 2, 2009

bdj610's End of Year MLB All-Star Teams: 1993 Edition

At the end of the 1993 baseball season, just like every season since I started following baseball, I named my All-Star teams. It's been six seasons since I started this little, private tradition, and it's only now that I've decided to share with the world what I had done. By the time the 1993 season ended, I was beginning my senior year in high school. I busted my behind so much the first three years, that I decided to take it easy this final year of high school and actually take the time to enjoy myself. I had aspirations of working in the theatre after college, and was taking steps to prepare for a life in the dramatic arts. Ahhh, youth.

Back to the point.

By this time, I started reading a publication called Baseball Weekly. Every week, I'd make a trip to the gas station to get my hands on the latest copy of the magazine. It had everything a baseball junkie would want: Full stats (and I mean full before the dawn of the internet stats) for every player, weekly recaps for every team. A minor league section. A rotisserie section (which is probably why the stats were so fully detailed). And much more. I carried it with me everywhere, even in school. I even had my own fantasy team (which I may revisit one of these years) and used the magazine for stats and news. I was also getting a lot better at picking players for my All-Star teams. Of course, those players who actually made that summer's teams still had sway over others, but I was starting to rely on actual numbers now, while still sticking to the "every team has a rep" and plugging the position holes where need be. As in previous years, there are 10 pitchers on each team (six starters, four closers), and because the 1994 ASG would be in Pittsburgh (at old Three Rivers Stadium), there was no DH needed. So the rosters contracted to 34 players per team. With 28 teams (this was the first year for both the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies as expansion teams in the NL), getting seven guys from one team would become a rarity, if not difficult, going forward.

So without further ado, for the first time online, I am proud to introduce my 1993 End of Year MLB All-Star Teams (in alphabetical order by position):

(I don't need to explain about the blank space anymore...do I???)














American League

First Basemen

  • Cecil Fielder, Tigers
  • John Olerud, Blue Jays*
  • Frank Thomas, White Sox

Second Basemen

  • Roberto Alomar, Blue Jays
  • Carlos Baerga, Indians
  • Chuck Knoblauch, Twins

Third Basemen

  • Wade Boggs, Yankees
  • Scott Cooper, Red Sox*
  • Dean Palmer, Rangers*

Shortstops

  • Travis Fryman, Tigers
  • Ozzie Guillen, White Sox
  • Cal Ripken, Orioles

Outfielders

  • Albert Belle, Indians*
  • Joe Carter, Blue Jays
  • Juan Gonzalez, Rangers
  • Ken Griffey, Jr., Mariners
  • Darryl Hamilton, Brewers*
  • Kirby Puckett, Twins
  • Tim Salmon, Angels*
  • Ruben Sierra, Athletics
  • Greg Vaughn, Brewers*

Catchers

  • Chris Hoiles, Orioles*
  • Ron Karkovice, White Sox*
  • Ivan Rodriguez, Rangers

Pitchers

  • Rick Aguilera, Twins
  • Kevin Appier, Royals*
  • Tom Henke, Rangers
  • Pat Hentgen, Blue Jays*
  • Randy Johnson, Mariners
  • Jimmy Key, Yankees
  • Mark Langston, Angels
  • Jack McDowell, White Sox
  • Jeff Montgomery, Royals
  • Duane Ward, Blue Jays*

Manager:

  • Gene Lamont, White Sox

The Starters:

  • 1B: Olerud
  • 2B: Alomar
  • 3B: Boggs
  • SS: Ripken
  • OF: Carter
  • OF: Griffey, Jr.
  • OF: Puckett
  • C: Rodriguez
  • P: McDowell

*First-Time All-Star


National League

First Basemen

  • Andres Galarraga, Rockies
  • Mark Grace, Cubs
  • John Kruk, Phillies

Second Basemen

  • Gregg Jefferies, Cardinals*
  • Ryne Sandberg, Cubs
  • Robby Thompson, Giants*

Third Basemen

  • Dave Hollins, Phillies*
  • Gary Sheffield, Marlins
  • Matt Williams, Giants

Shortstops

  • Jay Bell, Pirates*
  • Jeff Blauser, Braves*
  • Barry Larkin, Reds

Outfielders

  • Barry Bonds, Giants
  • Bobby Bonilla, Mets
  • Brett Butler, Dodgers
  • Lenny Dykstra, Phillies
  • Marquis Grissom, Expos
  • Tony Gwynn, Padres
  • Dave Justice, Braves*
  • Reggie Sanders, Reds*
  • Sammy Sosa, Cubs*

Catchers

  • Darren Daulton, Phillies
  • Mike Piazza, Dodgers*
  • Rick Wilkins, Cubs*

Pitchers

  • Rod Beck, Giants*
  • Andy Benes, Padres*
  • John Burkett, Giants*
  • Tom Glavine, Braves
  • Bryan Harvey, Marlins
  • Randy Myers, Cubs
  • Mark Portugal, Astros*
  • Bill Swift, Giants*
  • Bob Tewksbury, Cardinals
  • John Wetteland, Expos*

Manager:

  • Dusty Baker, Giants

The Starters:

  • 1B: Kruk
  • 2B: Sandberg
  • 3B: Sheffield
  • SS: Larkin
  • OF: Bonds
  • OF: Grissom
  • OF: Justice
  • C: Daulton
  • P: Burkett





Twenty-eight players are first-time all-stars (12 for the American League, 16 for the Nationals). One-person teams on my 1993 rosters include the Athletics (Sierra), Red Sox (Cooper), Astros (Portugal), Mets (Bonilla), Pirates (Bell) and Rockies (Galarraga). The Giants send six representatives to the NL roster, leading both leagues. The Blue Jays and Cubs (Chicago bias rules!!!) each send five players to their respective squads.

As always, seven regular games (10,000 simulations each, six with the same starting pitchers, one where lineups and starting pitchers change), and one All-Star Game will be simulated during the course of the week. I hope to have the results of all the games by the end of the week.

Now it's time for me to create the .DAT files before getting the games set. Results to come on Monday. You can now begin to see the shift from 80's stars to 90's stars with these teams as you'll start to see many of the players who are first timers here on more All-Star teams going forward.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

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