The criteria are as follows:
- Player must have played a full 5 seasons for the team.
-1 player will be selected for each position, 1 righthanded starting pitcher, 1 lefthanded starting pitcher, and 1 relief pitcher. I will include a DH for both leagues considering interleague play now).
Below is my list of greatest players by position for the Cubs in the last 50 years (since the 1970 season).
First Base- Anthony Rizzo
Second Base- Ryne Sandberg
Shortstop- Shawon Dunston
Third Base- Armanis Ramirez
Left Field- Billy Williams
Centerfield- Rick Monday
Right Field- Andre Dawson
Catcher- Jody Davis
Designated Hitter- Sammy Sosa
Right-Handed starting pitcher- Greg Maddox
Left-Handed starting pitcher- Jon Lester
Relief pitcher- Lee Smith
A couple of
notes. Cubs had some great players around the diamond including
Hall of Famers, Sandberg, Dawson, Maddox, Williams and Smith (?). Ernie Banks did not
meet the criteria as he retired in 1971. Not sure if Smith is HOF worthy but
that’s another discussion. Some
positions had a few good selections to choose from. First base came down to
Rizzo and Cubs fan favorite Mark Grace. Both are all time great Cubs. Grace hit
for a higher batting average and Rizzo has better power numbers. They both gold
glove winners. I took Rizzo since he led the Cubs to their first World Series
title in 108 years. Third base was another tough call. It was between Ramirez and Kris Bryant. I gave
the nod to Ramirez due to his consistent numbers over 7 full seasons. Bryant
has played 5 full seasons and missed some time during 1 year with injuries. In left field, Hall of Famer Billy Williams was
nearing the end of his career in the early 70s, but still put up good numbers,
including winning a batting title in 1972. Centerfield was the most challenging
position to determine. The Cubs have had some good centerfielders who
contributed considerably during the Cubs post season runs. However, none lasted
too long (and did not meet the 5-year minimum). Bob Dernier, Dexter Fowler and
Jerome Walton were a few who did not last long enough to make this list. I had
to go back to the early to mid-1970s to find Rick Monday. He meets the criteria
and was an all-star.
Next up is the Cincinnati Reds.
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