« Bernie Day Coming? | Main | Spring Training Stats »
March 03, 2008
What Winning Rosters Are Made Of...
Joe Posnanski, of the K.C. Star, offers the following over at his blog yesterday:
But it seems to me that if you are going to try and create a blue print for how to design a pennant winner, well, to repeat:
1. One player (or more) should have an MVP type season.
2. Four or five players need to have All-Star Type season.
3. Ten or eleven players need to have good seasons.
This got me thinking back to something that I came up with in December of 2005 regarding what a team needs to win, and which I haven't thought about in a while. Here's my theory (back then):
...a World Championship roster should have:
1. Great table-setters at the top of the line-up, and
2. At least one SP who is not afraid of the post-season - a guy who wants the ball in the big game, and
3. A good/solid LHP in the pen, and
4. A good/solid LHP in the rotation, and
5. A back-up INF with good hands, and
6. A 4th OF who can hit, and
7. An effective guy in the pen who can start or relieve (in any inning), and
8. A shut-the-door closer, and
9. A catcher who is not an auto-out, and
10. Two guys in the middle of the line-up who make contact as well as drive the ball.
Numbers 2, 3, and 7 need to emerge this season for the 2008 Yankees, still, in my opinion. It's possible they're on the roster, somewhere. But, we just don't know who they are yet.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at March 3, 2008 06:13 AM
Comments
Without any analysis, I can almost guarantee you that it wouldn't be hard to find a team (or teams) that won the WS without all or most of these, especially considering how subjective they are.
Posted by: j ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.waswatching.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at March 3, 2008 08:00 AM
Pettitte has never been a afraid of the post-season. that's #2. i don't think a lefty in the pen matters. It's been done. as for #7, we have too many guys for non of them to step up. I think it will be ohlendorf or veras. or that guy they said could be the next joba? he's a starter, but they think he could switch over and take over...found him, Dan McCutchen. he's the sleeper.
Posted by: handtius at March 3, 2008 09:31 AM
I think this was a netshrine entry as well.
As for #2, it isn't so much a guy who isn't afraid of the PS & wants the ball, but a guy who is effective when he gets the ball. Kevin Brown (Gm 7, 2004 ALCS), Randy Johnson (Gm 3, 2005 ALDS) & Roger Clemens (Gm 7, 2003 ALCS) fit your criteria.
Don't think we want to go through that again. :)
Posted by: Raf at March 3, 2008 10:42 AM
Hughes' performance last year in the Cleveland series gave some indication that he could be a #2 guy as well.
Posted by: ChrisNewcomb at March 3, 2008 11:37 AM
Looks like someone forgot that Andy Pettitte is on our team.
Plus, Wang gets thrown under the bus for the last postseason. But lets not forget that he performed very well in his first 2 postseasons.
#3 and #7...agreed
Posted by: Bradley at March 3, 2008 11:56 AM