Here it is, probably not much anticipated, but I’m excited about bringing it to you.
I should qualify my choices for this lineup. Each player must have played 50% of his games at the position listed in the given season and have 450 at-bats for that season.
The following is the lineup, based upon the criteria laid out above, that I would choose to run out to give me the best chance to win:
- Delino DeShields – 2B (1997)
- Edgar Renteria – SS (2003)
- Albert Pujols – LF (2003)
- Mark McGwire – 1B (1998)
- Scott Rolen – 3B (2004)
- Jim Edmonds – CF (2004)
- Ryan Ludwick – RF (2008)
- Chris Carpenter – P (2005) (Of course the Pitchers Hit Eighth!)
- Yadier Molina – C (2008)
Well, thank goodness for that stint in left field for Pujols, or else one of the greatest Cardinals in team history may not have made the lineup!
They’re right-handed hitter heavy, but that’s not terribly surprising.
I have to admit there was a lot of offensive motivation for these selections (probably obvious), but this is not a bad defensive team either. Besides first base and a bum arm in left field, I’d have no qualms putting this lineup out.
Defensively, I’d prefer Molina’s 2007 to his 2008, but that season didn’t qualify because of too few at-bats.
Needless to say, Cardinal fans have been spoiled in the new millenium.
What’s your best Cardinal lineup from 1996-2008?
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Hard to argue, especially since I forgot DeShields stole that many bases. But I could probably make a case for Fernando Vina at 2B. Without crunching the numbers my gut says 2001 was his best year.
Yep, he’d have been right behind Delino, then maybe Tony Womack?
Hasn’t been a real illustrious run of second sackers.
Can we have a 4th outfielder? I’d like to put Ray Lankford in there. Had a pretty good couple years in ’97 and ’98 and was a long term Cardinal. That has to count for something, even though his long term contract sucked for the Cardinals too when he went south after signing it.
Ray Ray certainly had some good seasons with the Cardinals – but this is just a starting lineup.
Perhaps at some point, we’ll put together a full roster from the LaRussa years. 🙂
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