The Ultimate Opening Day Lineup

Jason Ross

Today was supposed to be the start of the Major League season.  With that said, not only am I sad that we don’t have baseball but it gave me a chance to reflect.  There was a time for me that MLB’s opening day was the biggest thing in sports.  I loved the tradition of it and really everything about baseball.  I remember saving all the money I could find just so I could get another pack of baseball cards.  One of my favorite things to do in my younger years was to wake up in the morning, pour a bowl of cereal, and read the box scores from every baseball game the night before in the newspaper.  Obviously times have changed but today on The Drive, we picked our all time favorite baseball team.  This is my favorite players by position.  Not necessarily the best, but my favorite.  So here would be my lineup:

Leadoff LF Rickey Henderson

There has never been anyone quite like Rickey.  The combination of speed and power and ever more speed made him one of the greatest weapons in the history of baseball.  I absolutely loved Rickey.

RF Tony Gwynn

Talk about a tactician.  Gwynn understood everything about hitting.  Loved to watch him work and seemed like a great guy too

1B Don Mattingly

I loved the Yankees growing up and still do at this point.  Mattingly would bat third and play 1^st because he could hit and drive in runs.  I was all in on “Donny Baseball” and is probably my all-time favorite player.

DH Darryl Strawberry

I am putting him cleanup and my designated hitter.  He had a sweet swing and prime Strawberry with the Mets was intimidating and I loved to watch him at the plate

3B Graig Nettles

This pick is 100% nepotism.  Nettles is my cousin and for as long as I can remember I wanted to play third base for the Yankees.  He had a great glove and hit nearly 400 home runs in his lengthy career

2B Roberto Alomar

Every time I bring up his name, people only mention the spitting incident.  Everything else in his career is AMAZING.  Great glove, good hitter, and would be my choice for second base.

CF Eric Davis

There was a time in the 1980’s and early 90’s that Eric Davis was one of the best players in baseball.  His combo of power and speed and flair was eye candy for me as a kid.  It is tough to not have Ken Griffey Jr. here but I am going with Davis.

SS Derek Jeter

The captain of my favorite team.  A great player, an incredible winner, leader and Yankee for life, so this was an easy choice.

C Benito Santiago

Random choice here, but I always enjoyed watching him play.  I thought of Piazza and Gary Carter but I am going a little off the board with Benny.

SP Dwight Doc Gooden

Doc in his prime Mets years was untouchable. 

Closer (very easy) Enter Sandman, Mariano Rivera

I know baseball will start again sometime but just not today.  So it felt right to reflect and think about my all time favorite baseball players.  What’s your dream lineup?

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